Wotton Town Council Meeting

21st July 2025

My informal notes and comment from last nights town council meeting that I attended along with SDC Cllr. Braun and SDC/GCC Cllr. Cohen.

Normal formalities, no apologies and no declarations of interest. The previous minutes were approved with a minor amendment explaining concerns regarding a solar panel grant.

At least twelve people present for the public forum. The public forum is where residents can ask direct questions of the council and raise issues that concern them. As SDC and GCC councillors attend these meetings as members of the public this is the only time that they can ask questions too. I asked the following questions:-

• Regarding item 10. Could the really interesting complete project list be published on the town council web site so that residents can follow them? No definitive answer was given but I guess it could always be asked for with a Freedom of Information request.

• Item 11. the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) monies. Some date back nearly 5 years, after which it has to be handed back to SDC. I asked how much unspent CIL monies are being returned to SDC? - The mayor confirmed that none were being returned.

• Item 15, I commended Cllr. Derek Thomas for obtaining a £2k SDC Climate and Nature Grant

• I was able to confirm, following a packed town council meeting in May, that GCC had finally given permission for SDC to install a new dog poo bin on the corner of Westridge Road. Hopefully this will alleviate the issue with dog poo bags being discarded inappropriately by dog walkers. A new stile has recently been installed by the land owner too.

Next up were a number of residents who live along B4058 Coombe Road. They are aware that the new administration at the county council is open to implementing lower speed limits, across rural and urban areas of Gloucestershire where there is public support and where they are appropriate for the location.

One resident who lives on Coombe Road says that the driveways are hidden. Some cars travel at 50mph+ in this 30mph zone. He has spoken to police before. There is no footpath/pavement on the side of the road where the houses are, the pavement is on the opposite side. Although the route is popular with walkers it is a dangerous place to cross. Pedestrians have to walk in road which is dangerous. Another person says that someone was recently fined recently for excess speed (50mph). Since the re-opening of Rushmire it's worse. Others who may have spoken would just repeat what had already been said.

Barbara Lawrence, 84/85 bus route campaigner spoke about the new WECA/South Glos/Glos restored bus route Y8. She had been invited to zoom meeting to sign off the new timetable. However, the new timetable won't get people to college/work at a reasonable time. The sign off is imminent and she asked for more time. Two bus routes the earliest you can get to Yate is 9am. The latest will get you back to Wotton at 7pm. The clerk is writing to the MPs to the new WECA mayor. Engagement has been good. Her next correspondence will add earlier and later times.

Cllr. Linda Cohen says the new administration at GCC is open to new 20mph areas. They want to make sure there is proper consultation with residents. Then see what's possible without TROs which cost £15k and can take several years (Traffic Regulation Orders). One cllr. is concerned about lack of enforcement that comes with this idea. He feels that in the end enforcement will come down to town council having its own speed cameras. Cllr. Cohen says that the community can make it enforceable, it's not onerous as Kingswood have demonstrated. Not a lot of cost involved. Kingswood send out letters to the offenders.

The mayor says he is not against the idea and has some experience as he is a highway engineer. The traffic management works he was involved with didn't work because police wouldn't enforce. So had to build road bumps. Cllr. Cohen says; Lets start at the beginning. We need to get the will of community first. A cllr. wants to advertise in Wotton Directory to tell people that there's stigma associated with speeding. Cllr. Cohen reminds everyone that the worst offenders are local people. Deadline of 19th September. Mayor suggests that cllrs. have a think where 20mph should be (or other limits) and send to clerk. After a fortnight they'll discuss. Clerk wants public to be consulted too and will put something into the upcoming Wotton Directory.

The public forum finishes and the meeting is now closed to comment from members of the public.

Item 8 is brought forward (County Councillor's Report) because Cllr. Cohen has to leave to attend another parish meeting. She highlighted school crossing patrols to help get children ready for the darker evenings when school goes back. Also, mode shift, a 5 minute bubble around the school to encourage walking and cut down on car use. She was asked about Symn Lane car park. The works have to be completed within the time frame [September backstop, I think] or the developer will lose their bond. When she spoke with SDC CEO they felt confident that the developer would deliver.

Next up, back to item 6, Britannia Mews. A resident of Britannia Mews has written to the council concerned about overgrowth on an area of land next to the stream in Marchesi Walk. The trees have not been maintained and the area is overgrown. There is a need to make the land safe. However, the land is not under town council ownership. A cllr. says that in 2018 these trees were included as part of the town council's tree survey. They checked ownership at that time and not town councils so stopped surveying them. Bearing in mind the financial consideration not being town council's land why take it on? Another cllr. says it's time for town council to show leadership and take ownership sort out the problem. I missed the conclusion.

Cllr. Cohen had already taken questions on the county councillor report. Cllr. Braun mentioned that SDC had agreed that their preferred option was to align with WECA in the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation(LGR). The decision was driven in part with the alignment of public sector boundaries.

There is a consultation running on LGR. To date half the respondents are coming from Stroud District, please respond to shape the outcome.

The meeting went on to discuss accounts. The council's insurance was renewed and cllrs. appointed to carry out internal audit. The Budget 2025/26 was noted. The town council now owns the telephone kiosk at Old Town which needs to go onto the asset register.

There was an update from some of the ongoing projects around the town.

Old Town Toilets - The clerk had met with toilet specialists who had been out twice and confirmed that they can't rescue the existing building and are looking at demolition. Power and asbestos has to be taken into account. The clerk has reached out to Renishaw to see what they are doing with the site. Costs and design need to be revisited. The clerk reminded cllrs. that there is a standing invite to go to Kingswood to check out their public loos.

Discussion on the Symn Lane Play Area and using reserves to reach the Stroud Funding target. There will be an update in August.

The mayor realised that the chairman’s announcements had been over looked earlier. He mentioned that he had been to the AGM of the Gloucestershire Association of Town & Parish Councils where there was a talk on Devolution. He will circulate the handouts when he receives them. Ditto for the experiences of Glastonbury Town Council. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Following a lengthy discussion the decision to use CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) payments for the Symn Lane Play Area Improvement Project was put off until August.

Next up was to agree community consultation to support the public work loan (£300k, from memory, I think) for the town hall work.

It was agreed to extend community consultation. Carter Jonas has speced the work and they are about to go out to tender which are due back end August. A late September start is expected. Timber first then stonemasons for windows, then external decoration. Public works loan. Have planning approval. Working with Carter Jonas to match what govt. asks for in application. If the precept needs to be increase, provide evidence of public support and how public were consulted. Need details on that for local accountability and transparency. Clerk wants to put this in the upcoming Wotton Directory and social media. Govt. can approve within 15 days if the application is right.

Then onto heritage centre lease. A few legal issues needed answering. Sitting around a table would save time and costs. But one cllr. not happy wants it drafted so town council speaks with one voice. Therefore town council sees and agrees then meets with the heritage centre. Voted, agreed. Clerk is clear...... the solicitor needs more info to do work and every e-mail has a cost..

Bolster Wotton. The clerk gives an update along the lines that I reported last week.

The next Bolster Wotton meeting will be about parking.

The mayor says that there are some reports going around stating that the Symn Lane Car Park is a 'Town council led project' and that's not true. I had to interject to say that I thought he was referring to a report of mine from a Town Council meeting a year ago, the first and only Symn Lane car park meeting that I have been invited to. He confirmed that it was.

Cllr. says that Thornbury now charges for their car park and from speaking to stall holders they say that trade has dropped off with charging.

Rural England Prosperity Fund: All REPF & SPF capital grants for 2025-26 have been fully allocated for round one. Submitted applications will be kept on a reserve list, in case further funding becomes available. However, Wotton ward has done pretty well all things considered.

The clerk gave an update about the market towns vitality fund. SDC has a new director of place; James Brain and they are having a rethink. The clerk had more up to date information than my briefing notes. Although the scheme has now closed projects are well underway around the district. Wotton received funding for Festive lights and associated wall fixings which will also be used for hanging baskets and other displays and some foldable external display boards totalling £29.4k. There is some residual money in the fund which will be distributed between the settlements, I thought for marketing, but things may have moved on according to the clerk.

Solar panels on the civic centre roof have been agreed in principle. Previously Cllr. Thomas has obtained three quotes and has experience on installing them. The Chair is wanting to form a working group to work out a plan. All grants need community engagement. Evidence base not there yet. However, Cllr. Thomas has managed to obtain a £2k Stroud district council climate and nature grant to go towards the capital and a display board in the civic centre hallway. Another community co-op offer £5k grant was discussed. There was considerable confusion about the type of display required. But once the backing papers were read it became clear. The working group will meet September 16th 7:30pm Bradley room.

Ash dieback project tree replacement planting offer from GCC. Need to identify a local organisations to work with. The verge outside Cotswold edge golf course was mentioned. November deadline for suggestions.

There has been a blip of crime incidents in the town recently and the local policing team have been here a fair bit. A man selling knives became quite aggressive with a shopkeeper. Some anti-LGBTQ+ incidents also being pursued. The Sports Foundation had their shipping container broken into last week. A stolen tractor was and left by new road allotments where power tools were also found. Knapp Road allotments an angle grinder was used on padlocks stuff stolen. Cllr. Barton working with allotment holders. CCTV wanted but power supply and signal difficulties. The police are increasing patrols... Businesses are aware.. All goes to show the need for a strong neighbourhood police team. Run of the mill ASB with school end and rubbish being left all over.

It was noted that Wotton Day Centre will hold its final session on 31st July 2025 after more than 40 years’ service to the elderly people of the town. The clerk will write and thank them.

Travelling home to Stroud, the top of Rushmire was closed again. :( So diverted via Dursley. Only to discover that the road via Uley was also closed. Sigh. :(