South Cerney news by Mike Stuart

01285 860439

mikestuart.scerney@btinternet.com

*THE following items were included in the Parish Council meeting:

Wain Homes Development on land to the rear of Berkeley Close

The Parish Council considered Wainhomes Ltd’s application at its meeting on January 16.

The Council was extremely disappointed to see that pre-application advice given by officers of Cotswold District Council had been ignored in the current plans submitted (despite initial consultation between Wainhomes and the Parish Council).

Recommendations ignored included

•Proposed use of red-brick cladding on several houses

•Proposal to include three-storey flats

•Lack of proper integration of the Affordable Homes

•Failure to comply with the Cotswold Design Code (with use of white upvc windows, barge boards and soffits)

•Inadequate tree planting and landscaping

•Too many 2.5 storey buildings

The Council welcomed the separate application for landscaping alongside the site, but was also disappointed at the lack of trees and other landscaping with the main application site.

Should any residents wish to comment on or object to the application they may do so at the CDC website cotswold.gov.uk.

The relevant application number is 18/4656/REM

Budget & Precept for the coming year 2019-20

At its meeting on January 16 the Parish Council set its budget and precept requirement for the coming year.

Expenditure will include road safety measures such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) speed cameras to tackle speeding vehicles in the village.

If match-funding continues to be available the Council would aim to purchase two cameras, which are capable of being moved to different locations as needed.

Other items included are additional funding for play equipment and fencing at Upper Up playing field, and support for various parish activities and projects.

Funds have also been allocated from reserves to create a forward maintenance fund for Fenton’s community centre (as with the Village Hall), and to the Village Hall roof and fabric fund as the rear and ridge of the Hall is due to be rethatched in the summer of 2019.

The Local Council Tax Support Grant is no longer being provided to the Parish Council by Cotswold District Council. The net effect is a small increase in the precept of 1.97% for a Band D Dwelling, or just £1.18 for the year.