Save Kayte Lane Field – New Website – Updates too

We now have a website –  http://www.savekaytelanefield.co.uk  and a site on it for people to sign the on-line petition –Change.org: http://bit.ly/kaytelanefield. Please try to  do this – I know many have already.

If you cannot – A written copy of the petition is at Badhams Pharmacy in Bishop’s Cleeve – Thanks to Peter for this.

Kayte Lane Field aerial view

There is also a section on the website for donating – the website gives all explanations to people for this.

Updates from committee:

– letter has been sent to the Parish Council asking for a donation for a valuation of the field and some other work needed to source funding and set up a ‘Community Company’ – this request will be on the agenda of the Parish Council at their March meeting. You can write to them and /or attend to urge their support.

– posters have been placed in many local businesses asking people to sign the petition

– emails have been sent to all local councillors and MP to ask for support –  and to ask them to sign the  petition

– we are looking into presenting the petition to Glos County Council, who own the field,  to persuade them to leave it as it is, for community use.

– we will be asking for volunteers to monitor the use of the field – so we get some actual numbers using it – if you can help for an hour or so please keep this in mind – if anyone could organise a rota – it would be very much appreciated – please let me know.

Thanks for your continued support

Local people voice concerns to police.

At our recent Cleeve area community /police liaison meeting, residents voiced concerns about irresponsible parking at the corner of Stoke Road and Cheltenham Road, near the surgery.

There were worries over the lack of visibility caused by cars parking right on the junction and fears that an accident could happen. The Police have taken this up a one of their SARA actions and will talk to the Highways department too, to try to find a solution.

Anti-social ‘joy-riding’ was also raised as an issue; mainly cars being driving around the Sportsfield car-park but occasionally emerging on to the Cheltenham Road and driving recklessly into the village. The Police will be monitoring this situation and taking appropriate action when needed. This might involve using an SDR box on the road, which measures the speed of vehicles.

The Fire and Rescue community officer, Mark Astle, outlined how some work was being piloted in Cleeve in order to try to keep vulnerable residents safe in their homes. Officers will be calling on residents for a chat about safety and helping them to install up-to-date safety equipment. If you would like help, please get in touch.
We also decided to hold a Safety Event in the summer months, particularly for vulnerable residents and I shall being working with partner organisations plus the police and fire services to bring this about. Look out for details nearer the time!

Residents were also very pleased to hear our local police Inspector, Dave Goga , outline how the policing for our area will be changing over the forthcoming year. He hinted that we are likely to have a greater police presence in the village at many times. Let’s hope so! I have already contacted the Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl, about the drop in police numbers for our area, so we shall be keeping a close eye on this.

Residents fight to save much-loved field

Residents from all over the Cleeve area have voiced their concerns over the County Council’s intention to sell the field in Kayte Lane.

My previous Focus leaflet highlighted that the field was under threat and in response to this, residents contacted me to find out what could be done.

It is clear, from their comments, that Kayte Lane Field is a much valued, well used community asset. It is currently one of the only enclosed spaces in the area suitable for dog-walking and other recreational purposes and many are worried about it being sold off for development.

So, what have we done? I helped residents to set up a group called ‘Save Kayte Lane Field Residents Association’, to try to save the field.

The Association now stands at over 80 signed up members and interest is increasing all the time. We have held 2 open meetings and have set up a small committee which meets regularly.

Our first success was getting the field registered as a ‘Community Asset’, by the Borough Council, as described under the Localism Act. We then persuaded the Parish Council to express an interest in acquiring the field, in order to give the Association time to form a ‘Charity’ type organisation. We now have a six month moratorium from the 6th January 2015 in which to form a ‘charitable organisation’, produce a business plan, for running the field, and look for grants to raise funds.

In the meantime, the Association will continue to negotiate further with the County and Parish Councils, as many residents believe it is the role of these councils to keep ‘Community Assets’ in public ownership and to look after them.

If you would like to join and express support, please contact me, Sue Hillier-Richardson on 01242 678521 or email me: susanhr@btinternet.com .

One –to – one swimming lessons and Zumba classes for children with learning difficulties

Pleased to say that the borough is now promoting a wide range of opportunities, aimed at helping organisations to become more ‘inclusive’ and welcoming towards children and adults who have physical and/or learning difficulties. Children and adults will now be able to have specialist swimming lessons at Cascades Leisure Centre in Tewkesbury, since ten members of staff received intensive training in March, to enable them to provide this. The Centre is already offering one to one swimming sessions, and it will hold crash course swimming lessons throughout the summer holidays.
The training cost £3,000 and was part of an ‘Inclusion Fund’, jointly funded by the County and Borough Councils.
More Inclusion training for ‘uniformed group leaders’, such as Guides and Scouts, will take place in June, at 3 venues across the borough.
In addition, ‘Inclusive art and dance taster sessions’ will take place at 5 venues across the borough followed by a 12 week set of Zumba dance classes held at Alderman Knight School.
If you would like to know more, please contact Tewkesbury Borough Council – Community Development department.

Make this a ‘Green’ Easter – Recycling your packaging is now easy!

This year, for all of us who live in Tewkesbury Borough, all our Easter egg packaging can be recycled in our ‘blue bins’, thanks to our easy-to-use recycling scheme.
The foil, plastic packaging and cardboard box can all be put loose in the bin, making it easier for us to send less to landfill and be ‘greener’.
Our borough council’s current recycling rate is 56 per cent and we have an ambition of reaching 60 per cent, so all extra packaging like this helps to achieve that goal.
Over the Easter bank holidays there will be a collection as normal on Good Friday, but all collections the following week (from Tuesday, 2 April) will be a day later than usual.
Your new 2013/14 refuse and recycling calendars are currently being delivered; they will be hanging on your refuse or recycling bin. Each calendar also includes a detailed list of all the items that are recyclable in the blue bins and food waste caddies.
Calendars are already available online at http://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/calendar.

Sessions for people with disabilities on offer at Cascades Leisure Centre

I’m pleased to say that Instructors at Cascades Leisure Centre in Tewkesbury can now deliver specialist swimming lessons for people with disabilities.

Ten members of staff from the leisure centre received intensive training to help teach children and adults with physical and learning difficulties to swim.

My Council  jointly funded the £3,000 Swimming Teachers Association (STA) training,   with the aim of helping the leisure centre to become more inclusive.

Thanks to this excellent training, lifeguards at Cascades now have the knowledge, experience and confidence to deliver a high standard of tuition for people of all ages with disabilities.Tthe leisure centre is already offering one to one swimming sessions, and it will hold crash course swimming lessons throughout the summer holidays.

 To sign up to a one to one session, or to find out more about the crash course during summer, please contact the centre on 01684 293740 or email andy.noble@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Possible changes to ‘planning gain’ in the future

Following on from my posts about ‘planning gain’, there could be some changes to 106 provisions, from April 2014, brought in by the Government. Councils will be able to set up a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for the ‘community’ provisions’ which are at present gained from 106 agreements with developers.

This will mean that for every square metre of development (over a certain size), a levy will be charged and this will contribute to ‘community’ infrastructure provision. This is a good idea, However, the money from the levy will go into a central pot and it is not yet clear what proportion, of this money, the local community would receive. My concern is that the money could go towards larger infrastructure projects in the borough or county, as there will probably a list of projects that the borough and county want. I want to make sure that each community, which has large-scale housing developments in their area, can decide what they want the ‘planning gain’ money spent on, whether it is from a 106 agreement or a CIL.

At the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, the Council agreed to develop a draft charging schedule for a CIL. I was assured that this is just a first stage in the process, as we shall have to see how the whole matter progresses before a firm decision can be made. Interestingly, the Government has not said that a CIL is compulsory. The Council also set up a working group to oversee the development of the CIL Charging Schedule. I think this will be one to watch closely!