News

Council invests in better broadband

Posted on By Town Clerk

Gloucestershire County Council has agreed to invest £300,000 into a superfast broadband pilot to help support rural businesses.

Last year Gloucestershire First, the council’s economic arm, teamed up with Herefordshire Council to develop and submit an ambitious bid to Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) which was looking for rural areas of the country to take part in a government-funded national pilot.
In the autumn, the council learned the bid had been successful, which means along with parts of Herefordshire up to 80% of the Forest of Dean, parts of Gloucester and Tewkesbury will now be part of the superfast broadband trial.

Once up and running, this pilot could be extended across all of rural Gloucestershire.
In total, the project is expected to attract up to £12million of spending – half from the government and half from commercial broadband providers.
But to help get the project set up, Gloucestershire County Council has agreed to put in a one-off boost of £300,000.
This money will also be used to develop proposals to aid the roll-out of superfast broadband to the rest of rural Gloucestershire.
The money will come from the council’s Recession Fund, which is aimed at helping businesses through difficult times.

Herefordshire County Council will also contribute £300,000 to the scheme.
Cllr Chas Fellows, cabinet member for economy and environment, said: “Accessible fast broadband is seen as an increasingly important element of infrastructure for both business and the wider community.
“Indeed, many experts say next generation broadband will be a key contribution to local business success, both to support existing firms and help attract new enterprises as well as giving a general boost to local economies.

“We set up the Recession Fund specifically to help projects like this and in these difficult times, I believe it is all the more important to focus on creating a stronger, more secure economy in Gloucestershire.”
As part of the pilot, Gloucestershire First will also look to develop an EU funding bid which would help support the early roll out of the pilot to other rural parts of the county.

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/pressoffice

Town Council Newsletter – January 2011

Posted on By Town Clerk

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ~ Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 7 pm
   
Property and Premises Maintenance Committee
Monday, 31 January 2011 at 7 pm
Westwoods Committee
Tuesday, 1 February 2011 at 6 pm
Finance, Funding  and Grants Committee
Tuesday, 1 February 2011 at 7 pm

BRIDGES AND RIPARIAN RIGHTS
Do you know that if your property borders the river your responsibility extends to the middle of the watercourse and not beyond ?  Many residents who are riparian owners have installed bridges with the agreement of the Town Council and KGV Trustees.  To make life easier we have now developed a policy for applications and the design of bridges.  These details will be circulated to riparian owners in the New Year.

DOG MESS
HELP !!   HELP !!!   HELP !!!!!!
We need your help to identify the selfish dog owners who do not pick up their dogs’ mess and leave it for everyone to walk on.
The areas that are currently being identified as the worst are:

~ The north side of West End between Guggle Lane and The Wheatsheaf
~ The south side of East End between Dutton Leys and Eastington Road

If you have noticed a specific area in the Town where this is a problem or have any information that can help us to identify the culprits, please contact the Town Council office.  Anything you can do to help us will be treated in confidence and passed on to the relevant authority.
…………It is an offence and a health hazard not to pick up your dog’s faeces.

At the last Northleach KGV Trust meeting in December, Northleach Club Limited was congratulated by Trustees on the way it has turned the Pavilion Bar results around and made it such a success.  Trustees voted in favour of offering NCL a lease renewal, initially for 12 months, while they worked together to develop a secure and sustainable future for NCL, the Pavilion, the local community and the Trust.

Residents will remember that the Town Council supported the Trust in 2009 – 10 by investing over £8,000 in the Pavilion building when the previous tenant absconded leaving debts to the Trust, the Town Council, local traders and many others.   Trustees are now seeking a solution for the benefit of local sports clubs, the Trust and the community at large.

Bus Services
The County Council is looking at how Council run bus services are provided.  For more information see: 
http:// www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/transport

Cheltenham Festivals
Jazz Festival:     27 April – 2 May 2011
Science Festival:     7–12 June 2011
Music Festival:     29 June –10 July 2011
Literature Festival:     7 – 16 October 2011

The Gloucestershire Waste Core Strategy for 2012-27 can now be viewed at:
http:// www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/wcs

Winter Weather
We have been advised by Gloucestershire Highways that in the event of bad weather their “resources are generally prioritised on a 24-hour shift pattern to maintaining the strategic road network.  Resources are therefore unlikely to be available for restocking of bins until after the severe weather conditions have passed.”
In the circumstances, we are asking residents to use the grit/salt in bins wisely and economically to make it last longer.

Caroline Braidwood, Town Clerk, The Westwoods Centre, Bassett Road, Northleach, Gloucestershire  GL54 3QJ     Tel:  01451 861499
Email: clerk@northleach.gov.uk   Website: http//: www.northleach.gov.uk

Your chance to have your say on public transport

Posted on By Town Clerk

What do you think of bus services in Gloucestershire? Gloucestershire County Council is asking people what their transport priorities are as part of Meeting the Challenge.

In September, the council announced it was looking to save £2million from its transport budget through a fundamental review of bus routes.
One of the main drivers of the review is the high subsidies the council currently has to pay for some bus journeys.
In future, council-run services will focus on getting people to employment, education and to vital facilities like doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.
To ensure that any changes made, take into account people’s transport needs, from Tuesday 11th January until Monday 31st January, we’re asking people to tell us what they think is most important.

Questionnaires are available online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/busreview and can also be sent out via post from Tuesday 11th Jan.

People will be asked questions about buses in general to ensure we get a clear picture of what the new county-wide services should look like.
Cllr Stan Waddington, cabinet member for environment, said: “What we’re proposing here is to start from scratch and completely re-think how we provide bus services.
“At the moment, we’re paying very high subsidies for some services because many people just aren’t using them.
“The new focus will be on getting people to essential services – school, work or to seek medical care, which is vital.
“We need to know what people think about bus services so we can look at what we provide and make the changes.
“I would encourage anyone who uses buses and community transport in Gloucestershire to take part in our consultation and give us your views.”
The review does not mean that the highest subsidy services will definitely be cut, but it does mean that we’re looking to review and improve how all services operate to reduce the financial burden to the council taxpayer.

Community Transport funding will be prioritised so that in some areas where subsidised bus services are not viable, Community Transport minibuses and  volunteer car schemes will help fill that gap.
We will continue to support them so they can increase their existing services.
People attending drop-in consultations on concessionary bus fares have already given us a lot of feedback on bus services and this will be added to future feedback we collect.

To request a questionnaire, or for any queries about the review, call the bus review helpline on 01452 426263.

Gloucestershire County weather update

Posted on By Town Clerk

Gritters will be going out around the county tonight as more snow is expected to fall.
Teams will be going out later this evening treating primary routes – all A and B roads – ahead of the predicted snowfall from around 2am.

Coming from the north, forecasters say the snow will fall during the early hours and again during tomorrow morning accumulating to between 2cm and around 9cms particularly on higher ground.
However, the snow will turn to sleet and then rain by mid-morning turning most of the snow to slush.

Temperatures are expected to fall to just below freezing but will rise over the weekend and into next week.
Tomorrow morning, drivers will need to take care on the roads.
Tips on winter driving can be found online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/winter.

While the council will do all it can to keep roads free of ice, residents are also being urged to do their bit too by helping to clear pavements.

Last year people were worried about liability issues after clearing ice and snow themselves.
But new guidance from the government on gritting your own driveways and pavements is now available on www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/winter and people are being advised to ensure they’re prepared before bad weather hits.

Update on Gloucestershire Waste Service

Posted on By Town Clerk

Dear Town and Parish Councillors,

Thank you for your continuing patience following the disruption to the waste and recycling collection service to some communities in the district, due to snow and ice.  Normal collections have now resumed.
The Emergency Collection points which were set up the week before Christmas (22nd – 24th December) in Bourton on the Water, Moreton in Marsh and Stow on the Wold are now closed.  If residents wish to dispose of household refuse before their next kerbside collection is due please take it to Fossecross Recycling Centre which is open everyday except New Years day.

Residents who did not receive a waste or recycling collection, due to the snow and ice the week before Christmas, should present all their waste and recycling kerbside for collection next week ( 3rd – 7th January) on their normal collection day.  Any additional refuse or recycling can be presented in black bin liners and cardboard boxes/carrier bags next to the grey wheeled bin/beige refuse bags and black recycling box, and it will also be collected.

Please do not overload wheeled bins, the lid must be closed or it cannot be emptied.
If resident’s refuse, recycling or food and garden waste is not collected on their  normal collection day they should not worry, and should leave it out and it will be collected the following day.  Residents  do not need to contact the council if their refuse is not collected on their normal day, the large volumes of materials which will be presented mean SITA may not be able to complete rounds on the specified day.

Extra resources will be used to ensure all refuse and recycling is cleared and if necessary collections will also be made on Saturday 8th January.

www.cotswold.gov.uk

Northleach Cinema at the Cotswold Hall

Posted on By Town Clerk

From Jan 2011 there is a new film licence in use at the Cotswold Hall.

We now have a much greater film choice so hope to show films that Northleach people, and those from the surrounding areas, would like to see.  We may advertise the film title in the Hall itself only, just the details of date and time elsewhere.

However, should you submit your email address to us it will enable YOU to know the film title soon after it is chosen, plus a reminder nearer the due date.  Also, there will be no admission charge on film night, but a raffle will be held.

 Remember it’s always on the First THURSDAY of the month – doors open 7.00pm  See you there!

Gordon