QUEENS DIAMOND JUBILEE
The Town Council is organising a community photograph to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Further details will be available soon. Various other celebrations are being planned so contact us if you need advice. The Olympic Torch Relay will be in Cirencester on 23rd May and in Chipping Campden on 1st July. Large turnouts are expected so please bear this in mind if you are planning on attending the celebrations.

DOG FOULING
Unfortunately this continues to be an on-going issue especially in the Churchyard and on the playing field. We are working closely with the Environmental Wardens who operate regular patrols in Northleach. However we need your help. If you have any information or concerns we can deal with these confidentially so please contact us.

NORTHLEACH WITH EASTINGTON TOWN COUNCIL
Information about the Town Council including meetings and contact details are available on our notice board in the Market Place. Regular updates on the mobile police vans and library are also included.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH?
We are asked lots of questions about our community. One of this month’s enquiries was about a broken street light. Issues with street lights which are not working can be reported to Gloucestershire County Council either online at

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk or by calling 08000 514 514.

QUEENS DIAMOND JUBILEE
The Town Council would like to hear from any residents or groups who are planning celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration – can we help? Current plans include a Civic Service at the Church on Sunday 3rd June and a Northleach in Bloom competition. For more details on the floral celebration please contact Keith Blundell on 01451 861055 by 31st March. 

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
This year’s Annual Town Meeting will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, 18 April at the Westwoods Centre.  This is a great opportunity to hear about what has happened in our community in the last year and to introduce some new opportunities. Are you part of a local club or group? If so we would like to hear your news from the last year so it can be shared with the rest of the community. In addition, George Hudson of Farmington Trust will be speaking about the work of the Trust and the part it wishes to play in the future of Northleach.  Other guest speakers will be attending and we hope to welcome as many of you as possible on the night.

CEMETERY WASTE  
Can we please ask regular users of the Cemetery and Churchyard to help by separating waste vegetation from non-recyclable items and leaving them in the relevant bins. This will help to minimise waste in the Cemetery.

BUS ROUTES  
Alan Barrett from Gloucestershire County Council attended the Town Council meeting in February to discuss issues with the previous bus timetable. Amendments have now been made and posters detailing these changes have been placed in the bus shelters.  

• Whereas Dick and Nick care for the welfare of our souls, the Town Council renders unto Caesar and with the introduction of the Localism Act under Mr Cameron’s Big Society, the rendering may become harder. Local authorities will be asked to do more for less. Not having a knee jerk reaction, we have only raised the Precept to keep up with inflation and hope this will suffice.
  
• The New Year heralds a partnership with the Farmington Trust who has promised that future development in the Town will be of a sympathetic nature and will be discussed with the Council at every opportunity.
  
• On a controversial note, we all must be aware that the Old Prison complex is up for sale by CDC and, as it lies within the Town boundary, we had imagined a discussion or even notice would have occurred which was disappointing. Mrs Diana Ray of Cold Aston, whose family farmed around Northleach, has raised a petition with over 850 signatures which were required to force a new debate on its future. This has been submitted to CDC. Thank you, Diana !
• 
  “The Friends of the Cotswolds”, a local charity, have put in their own bid for the prison complex. They are sympathetic to our heritage cause and are in the process of raising funds. More information can be found on their website: http://www.friendsofthecotswolds.org/
  Enid and Joyce Sly, principles of the Sly Trust, are in the process of organising a small residential site of affordable homes behind their dwelling. This will be a welcome addition to the Town and we wish them well.
  
• The bus services and stops have in the past year been in some turmoil. Caroline and Gerald are on the case and they hope they are getting somewhere.
• The contract for the Town grass cutting will stay with Cottage Garden Services of Ampney Crucis and Bibury will attend to any tree work needed. Mr Eddie Quarterman has sustained a back injury when climbing over a wall and has suspended his services as Town Handyman for the present. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.
• Mrs Caroline Braidwood, our trusty and competent Clerk, is now planning her well-deserved retirement and her worthy successor, Mrs Catriona Crompton from Northleach, has been selected to continue this important and onerous task.
• I would like to thank you all for your patience when considering the Council’s performance and we hope to continue to give a good service in the New Year. We meet at the Westwoods Centre on the fourth Wednesday of each month – please try to attend.
  

Many thanks, NEIL FLETCHER, Chairman January 2012

Cat Crompton, Deputy Town Clerk, The Westwoods Centre, Bassett Road, Northleach, Gloucestershire GL54 3QJ

Tel: 01451 861499  Email: clerk@northleach.gov.uk