Parish News
Kingston Road Battery Storage planning application.
This will now be going to Stroud District Council Development Control Committee on Tuesday 9th July at 6pm. The Parish Council are preparing their speech as we will have a 4minute slot to put in our objections. District Councillor Lindsey Green is also speaking on our behalf, and she has no time restrictions. There will also be a 4 minute time slot for those wishing to object and 4 minutes for those wishing to support. This 4 minutes is strictly adhered to and if more than one person wants to speak within the slot, the time is shared out equally – for example two people wishing to object will be given 2 minutes each. You will need to register if you wish to speak. Public are welcome to attend the meeting.
WWT and delivery of a Portakabin
The Parish Council have been informed that the WWT will be having a Portakabin delivered towards the end of Summer (potentially August / September) which will need to come down St Johns Road. Due to its size, they are having to apply for a Traffic Road Order to be able to deliver it which means a parking restriction / road closure as it travels down. As we hear more about this, we will keep everyone updated so as to be able to keep the road clear during the delivery schedule slot.
As a bit of background from WWT the Portakabin will be for the following:
The Portakabin will be a nursery for eggs and chicks of wading birds, in particular black-tailed godwits. This species’ UK population (centred in the Fens of East Anglia but also with vanishingly small populations in the Severn Vale, Lancashire and Essex) had declined to 35 pairs in 2017 but through WWT’s ‘headstarting’ work, increased to 54 pairs by 2021. ‘Headstarting’ involves the licensed collection of eggs in order that chicks can be artificially hatched and raised for release – thus bolstering populations that are failing to be self-sustaining as a result of low annual recruitment of young through nest predation, unseasonal flooding events and habitat degradation. You might find this video explaining “headstarting” of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4epn_AsEpIE
Last year WWT was awarded grant funding from Natural England to set about achieving the UK Government endorsed “National Single Species Action Plan for the UK Breeding Population of Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa limosa 2023 – 2033”. The plan has a target of establishing 80 breeding pairs of godwits at 4-5 sites in the UK by 2033. We aim to establish a captive breeding population of godwits at WWT Slimbridge in a project we are calling “Godwit Futures”. The captive population will be managed to produce birds for future reinforcement and reintroduction projects to achieve the godwit’s action plan’s target.
Road closures
Please find attached letter and map regarding the upcoming works on A4135 Dursley Road Cam. starting 18th July2024. This is to resurface the road.
Closure letter and map
Playing Field / Legion car park
The drains are due to be repaired on the Playing Field car park during August, so there will be some disruption and limited parking. This will take approx. 2 weeks to complete. We will keep you updated on dates. It is hoped this will alleviate the flooding coming off the playing field in heavy rains and flooding out onto St Johns Road.
St Johns Churchyard tombs project.
A grant has been applied for through the National Heritage Lottery to repair the 24 listed tombs and the railings and gates of the churchyard. We have about 4 more weeks to hear back if we have been successful. If we have then there will be some open events to come and see the works and learn about the history of these tombs.
Kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk
07943 894637