Seend Parish Council

Community Governance Review – Seend Parish Council urgently needs your support!

The Community Governance Review is a process to provide an opportunity to review and make changes to governance arrangements to town and parish councils. This is to ensure that they continue to be reflective of the identity and interest of local communities, and that they are as efficient and effective in their governance as can be. There are two CGR schemes affecting Seend Parish. Details of both can be found on Wiltshire Council’s website.

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council-democracy-cgr Just follow the links to see the Schemes.

The second stage of the Community Governance Review has now begun. This involves a wider consultation with the community which runs from 6th January until 21st February. There is an on-line survey that anyone can complete. This is your opportunity to give your views on any of the Schemes. To find it, please go to: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council-democracy-cgr and click on the online survey link.

Boundary Change: The first (Scheme 11) is a request from Melksham Without Parish Council to move the existing boundary between Seend Parish and Melksham Without Parish to follow the Kennet & Avon Canal further eastwards from Melksham Park Farm to the drain running northwards towards Carnation Lane to encompass all the farmland north of the canal and the BRAG (Bowerhill Residents Action Group) canalside picnic area. We have mentioned this in the November issue of Spotlight.

Seend Parish Council Response - Seend Parish Council strongly believes that the boundary should remain unchanged. MWPC’s arguments for changing the boundary relate solely to the BRAG picnic area with no mention of Giles Wood and the neighbouring farmland which would have to move as well. The owner of Giles Wood is very much against this. The Kennet and Avon Canal in its rural setting is an important feature of Seend Parish and forms a vital part of our identity. It features very strongly throughout our Neighbourhood Plan documents. This area acts as a green buffer between the rural parish of Seend and the urban parish of Melksham Without. There is a concern that if the boundary line is moved, the land may be encroached upon for further housing development.

Our full submission:

Submission from Giles Wood Landowner:

Please take the time to read it. Also on the website is the letter of objection from the owner of Giles Wood.

Number of Parish Councillors: The second (Scheme 83) is about the number of parish councillors who sit on Seend Parish Council. There has been a request from a single resident for this to be reduced from 11 to 9. They believe a fewer number would improve local democracy.

Seend Parish Council Response – Seend Parish Councillors discussed this request at its November PC meeting and agreed that they would not want the number reduced. Seend is a large parish with four distinct areas: Seend main village, Sells Green, Seend Cleeve and Inmarsh, plus a number of outlying farm areas such as Broad Lane/Bath Road and the outer farms on the Trowbridge Road. The spread of councillors that Seend PC currently has is fairly spread around the parish enabling a fair representation at council meetings. There was also concern that if the number of councillors was reduced to 9, the workload on the parish councillor would be too onerous. The role is a voluntary one. Councillors don’t stand for a political party but on a desire to do their best for the community they live in. Unlike some parish councils we have always been able to fill all our councillor vacancies, either at election time or inbetween following a resignation. This is the opinion of just one resident, as the PC has never received any other correspondence on the matter

PC arguments for retaining 11 councillors:

PLEASE CAN WE URGE ALL RESIDENTS TO TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE TWO REVIEW REQUESTS AND TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE SURVEY. WE VERY MUCH HOPE THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF SEEND PARISH COUNCIL.

Metro Count, High Street, Seend - Results

Click on link for results

Comparison of Metro Counts between High Street and Sells Green

Loans Available for home improvements

Wiltshire Council would like to make residents aware of funding that is available for home improvements. Home owners and landlords can apply for a loan for essential repairs such as replacement boiler, new windows and doors, roof repairs, plumbing and heating work. Wessex Resolutions is a not-for-profit lender under the umbrella of Wiltshire Council.

Click on link for further details:

SEEND NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

All residents are urged to respond to the Seend Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Documents: Please click on the link below to take you to their website:

http://www.seendparishplan.org

HOW TO REPORT A PROBLEM AFFECTING THE VILLAGE

For any highways, rights of way, environmental or any other issues affecting the village, please contact the Clerk, or you can report the problem directly to the relevant department at Wiltshire County Council by using their MyWiltshire on-line reporting service.

Copy and paste the link into your google search bar to find out how to report an issue using the My Wiltshire on-line reporting system, and follow the guidelines. If in doubt please contact the Clerk.

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywiltshire-online-reporting

For further details click here:

HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING CENTRE, MELKSHAM

Winter Opening hours (1 Nov-31 March) 10am - 4pm - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun

Summer Opening hours (1 April-31 Oct) 9am-4pm - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Full Details of All Recycling Centres Opening Hours