Parish News

Good afternoon and Happy New Year,

Coffee morning
This Saturday, 4^th January, the Slimbridge Coffee Morning will be raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Slimbridge Village Hall, 10.30 until 12.00, coffee, cake and plenty of chatter.

Parish updates
The tombs in the Churchyard have now been fully restored. I will be putting the remaining photos in the folder in the church in the next week so you can see all the stages of each tomb during its restoration. The next stage is having an information lectern installed so the project can be shown for anyone visiting etc. Once again this project has only been possible due to the grant recieved through The National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Another large project about to start is installing an air source heat pump into the Pavilion to upgrade the heating the water system. Another grant has been awarded for part of this with other costs coming from hire costs and budget saved over the years. Hopefully once this has been completed the Parish Council can look at upgrading the kitchen facilities.
The next Parish Council meeting will be on Monday 20th January at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome to attend, there is a public 10minutes at the beginning of the meeting if you wish to address the council, after which you are welcome to stay and observe the remaining of the meeting.

Parish News

Parish Council
The tomb works at St Johns Church continue and are on target to be completed in December. If you haven’t been along to look at some of the works, please do have a walk through to see the improvements. Thank you all for your patience whilst the traffic lights were up for the repainting of the railings, I’m hoping you can see it was worth it with them all looking fantastic. A continued thanks to The National Heritage Lottery Fund for the monies to achieve this.
The Parish Council will be looking at the budget later this month and what projects they will aim to focus on next year. The precept will be set in January. Work continues on projects such as the 20mph and Road Safety, and also the upgrade of the Pavilion water and heating system.
The Parish Council is building up a great relationship with the school recently. Cllrs have joined in with a litter pick, and they aim to do this once a term. Two classes from the school also attending a visit to the church to watch the Jenner tombs have their lids lifted off by the conservation team using their gantry system and were able to ask questions about the project. They followed this with their own ‘scavenger hunt’ in and around the church. We hope to continue this relationship and work on some biodiversity projects throughout the coming year. The School Youth Council attended a Parish Council meeting earlier in the year and we look forward to seeing them again in January.
The Parish Council recently met with school staff from the Wild Goose Lodge planning application (recently withdrawn for now) for a new school, and we will keep you informed of developments on this as we hear, with the main concerns of traffic and access for this location. The Parish Council also keep updated with regards to the permitted Battery Storage and again will keep everyone updated on progress as we hear about it.
The Parish Council are aware of all the flooding events recently occurring in the parish and remain committed to working with SDC and GCC on looking at the culvert issues on St Johns Road.

Slimbridge Christmas Fair
This coming Saturday 30^th November is the Slimbridge Christmas Fair.  All the usual attractions of the coffee morning plus craft, gift and bric-a-brac stalls and of course, mince pies.  We will also be collecting donations for Gloucester City Mission, a charity that supports the homeless. If you can spare items such as long life milk, biscuits, cuppa soups, jars of hot chocolate and coffee and clothing for men or women please do bring it.  In the Village Hall, from 10am- 1.00pm.

Living Advent Calendar for Slimbridge Parish
Each evening from 1st December to Christmas Eve, a different Advent window or garden display will be revealed in the Parish of Slimbridge. Once revealed, each display will be lit on subsequent evenings until Twelfth Night (with a few ending on New Year’s Eve). Maps that show the locations and timings of all the Advent displays can be obtained at Slimbridge post office, St John’s church, the two public houses and the Tudor caravan park, or on the Parish Council website: Community Organisations – Slimbridge Parish Council  Remember to take care on the lanes in the dark.

Sleeping Beauty
Slimbridge Variety Show group invite you to the fun and laughter of our wonderful pantomime again this year!
This year, we will also have a bar at the evening performances.
Performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday the 5^th, 6^th& 7^th December @ 7.30pm, (Saturday matinee sold out).
Tickets available from the Post Office or online at 
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/slimbridge-variety-showgroup

Parish News

Good morning,

St Johns Tombs project
Thank you to those who attended the churchyard tombs open event at the end of October, it was well attended and your input into the biodiversity element of the churchyard is welcomed. I hope you picked up a seed packet to also plant bee friendly flowers in the Spring in your own gardens.
The School also enjoyed a visit last week to the churchyard to see the tops lifted off the Jenner tombs, and did their own scavenger hunt around the church too.
Please do continue passing by and watching the improvements being done. Also thank you for your patience with the traffic management in place whilst the railings and gates get painted and refurbished, it is hoped this will be completed this week.

Community engagement for the proposed Sharpness Vale development
JBP Associates are holding two community drop-in sessions to allow residents to view the proposals, ask questions, and share their feedback:

• Sharpness Village Hall: Friday, 15 November, from 2 pm to 7 pm & Saturday, 16 November, from 9:45 am to 1 pm

Alongside these drop-in sessions, JBP Associates will be launching a digital consultation on 6 November at www.sharpnessvale.co.uk , where community members can explore detailed plans and participate in a survey.
Their press release is here: https://sharpnessvale.co.uk/public-engagement-announced-for-new-community-at-sharpness-vale/

Upcoming Road works
Temporary closure of Longaston Lane
Gloucestershire County Council, as traffic authority, intends to make an Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended) to temporarily close part of the  Longaston Lane, from outside the property known as ‘Hillview’ to outside the property known as ‘The Bungalow’, for a distance of approximately 100 metres. The reason for the said closure is for pole testing works. The said road is expected to be closed between 09:30hrs and 15:30hrs on 29th November 2024 only or until the works have been completed. For further information, please contact Gloucestershire Highways on 08000 514 514 or visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk. Alternative Route – as signed on site. Pedestrian access to premises on or next to the road, and emergency access, will be maintained.

The below roads are expected to be closed on a rolling programme commencing 2nd December 2024, where the presence of approved signage will indicate whether the closures and restrictions are in force. Further advance warnings of dates/times will be displayed on site prior to the closures taking effect. This order can permit the closure of the roads in any order, or simultaneously as required and it is anticipated all works will be completed by 31st March 2025. For further information, please contact Gloucestershire Highways on 08000 514 514 or visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk
Tyning Crescent     Entire length of Road     213m
The Close               Entire length of Road     173m

Parish News

Road Traffic Order 23rd October – delivery of Portakabin
WWT are having their Portakabin delivered tomorrow and a road traffic order is in place from the top of St Johns Road off the roundabout to the WWT. Signs are out along the road with the timings of the parking restrictions in place between 7am and 5pm. It is looking likely that the Portakabin could be delivered around 11am avoiding school drop off and pick up times, but please ensure you are not parked on the roads for the whole time the restriction is in place in case timings change. Thank you.

St Johns Churchyard open event – tombs restoration
Come and join us between 12 – 4 at the Church on Friday 25th October to learn about the works being done to restore the churchyard tombs, with thanks to the generous grant from The National Heritage Lottery Fund. There will be information from the History Society and Biodiversity information with the Parish Council. Refreshments are being served by members of the church, and you can see the Conservation team in action restoring the tombs, and see the changes in the tombs already restored – ready to last another couple of hundred years!

Churchyard Tombs Project and Stroud Local Plan updates

Good afternoon,

St Johns Tombs Project

You may have now seen the conservation company (Sally Strachey Historic Conservation) working on the tombs in the Churchyard. They started last week and have completed 4 of the tombs already.
We are holding an open event on Friday 25th October from 12 – 4 where you can come along to the Church and see the team at work and have an opportunity to ask them questions. Please do pop in and join us. Display boards will be in the church showing more detail and photos of the works that has been done to date. Refreshments will also be available, and the Parish Council are also interested in your views on Biodiversity in the parish, starting with looking at the churchyard and how this can be increased for wildlife and more wildflowers. We will have mood boards for you to look at and give feedback, and a chance to be involved by volunteering for some of the projects we will be looking at.
Below are some of the photos of the first tomb that has been completed which is that of Wade and the one that triggered this project. All the monies for this has come from the Lottery Heritage Fund, for which we are thankful to be able to carry out this project.

Along with the tombs, the church gate and railings are also going to be restored. This will cause some disruption though as there will be traffic management on the road to allow them to do this, so please drive carefully in this area when this is occurring. This is currently planned to take place at the end of October and could take up to four weeks.

Stroud Local Plan Consultation
Information from Wisloe Action Group

The summer has flown past, and as autumn approaches, Stroud District Council has issued another consultation. You may recall that more than a year ago, the examination process was halted as the Planning Inspectors raised significant concerns and withdrawal of the plan should be considered. The Council refused to accept this, delaying by another 5 months with their flawed plan. The Inspectors provided a further extension (until this December) to complete further work, stating the council must re-engage with communities and other stakeholders i.e. through this latest consultation.

If you responded to the Regulation 19 consultation, you are eligible to respond to this one. To note it is limited to specific points set out by the Inspectors.

Please check if you received an email from Stroud District Council. If you have not received an email (or if you responded via a letter you have not been notified) it is important that you raise this now. Please contact us and we can provide guidance to ensure you have your say.

We are busy reviewing documents and producing a WAG response to the consultation to meet the 23rd October deadline.
You will start to see some posters in the parish raising awareness of the consultation.

We are encouraging residents to respond to the consultation, to support you, WAG has produced guidance for residents (should you wish to use this).

If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please also keep an eye out for Facebook posts.
Regards
Wisloe Action Group

Information on the Local Plan Consultation can be found on the Stroud District Council webpage: Local Plan Review – Examination Pause Technical Evidence Consultation 2024 (stroud.gov.uk)

A reminder for the Community hedgehog event taking place at the pavilion on Friday 27th September at 3pm with a cake sale. Come along and see how to look after the hedgehogs in our gardens, and raise funds for Wildhogs Hedgehog Rescue Centre

The St Johns tombs project is soon to begin at the beginning of October, so there will be a conservation company on site carrying out the various works required to each of the 24 tombs. The railings and gates are also part of this project to be repainted and revamped, which will have some disruption on the road as traffic management will be required to do this works. Information will be published and updated regularly on the website, social media and via e-mails. There will also be information on the project inside the church where you can pop in and see what is happening. We plan to have an open event on Friday 25^th October from 12-4 where you can come and see information on the project, plus Biodiversity plans for the churchyard and parish from the Parish Council and also about the church itself and its activities. Refreshments will be available too. Save the date and pop along. You’ll also be able to speak with the contractors as they work on some of the tombs. Some of the tombs will need the tops lifting off, some just re-pointing and others collapsed and re-built, plus ones that are currently laid down will be rebuilt. At all times, please be aware of the health and safety procedures in place whilst works are occurring and don’t get too close – they are heavy structures! Thanks goes to the recent volunteers who came out to help find some of the tombs that had become overgrown with brambles. We hope to have more working parties like this as other graves are also overgrown and it was very satisfying how quickly work got done by the group and what was achieved. This project is made possible through the National Heritage Lottery.

The Stroud Local Plan is currently open for further consultation on the items raised by the Inspectors. Those who commented on this previously can comment again on the new information supplied. This can all be found on the Stroud District Council website.

There is a planning application in currently for Wild Goose Lodge at the Patch to become a school / educational facility. The Parish Council have objected to this mostly on grounds of detrimental impact to highways in this area and through the village. The Parish Council have requested this goes to Development Control Committee. If you wish to comment on this, please go to Stroud District Council planning page to give your views.

The Road Safety Group continue to meet with Highways on looking at reduction of speeds in the parish and are having speed surveys done in a number of locations to assist in moving this forward.

Parish News

Planning objection at Wild Goose Lodge
Slimbridge Parish Council have just objected to the planning application S.24/1552/FUL Wild Goose Lodge, Shepherds Patch, Slimbridge, Change of use from youth hostel (Sui Generis) to education facility (Class F1(a)), with the main concerns being highways and access. The Parish Council have requested this goes to Development Control Committee at Stroud District Council. If you would like to add comments to this application, and see the Parish Council comments, please go to S.24/1552/FUL | Change of use from youth hostel (Sui Generis) to education facility (Class F1(a)). | Wild Goose Lodge Shepherds Patch Slimbridge Gloucester Gloucestershire GL2 7BP (stroud.gov.uk)

Hedgehog Community Event
The Parish Council will be having a community event where Wild Hogs Rescue Centre will be at the Pavilion on Friday 27th September to give out information on how we can help look after hedgehogs within our gardens. We will be having a cake sale to raise funds for the rescue centre and if the weather is nice there will be a ‘Hogstacle’ showing the obstacles hedgehogs have to deal with in our gardens and how we can make this safer. Please do come along from 3pm to support this event and learn more about saving our hedgehogs.

St Johns Tombs Project
A big thank you to the wonderful volunteers who came out on Monday afternoon to help clear some of the tombs in preparation for work to start at the beginning of October. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and plenty was achieved. We are hoping to do more working party events to clear some of the other tombs too, so look out for dates if you wish to come along. There will be an open event whilst the works are occurring on the tombs for you to come along to se what is being done, also information on biodiversity in the churchyard and the church will also be giving information on what they are currently doing and fundraising for inside the church too. The date will be Friday October 25th between 12-4, so look out for further information.

Upcoming road works and closures
WWT portacabin – WWT have just received notification they will be having a Portacabin (3.4m wide) delivered to WWT Slimbridge on Wednesday 16^th October 2024. This is for the Godwit Futures project. This will involve a temporary road closure through St Johns Road as it drives down. A letter drop will occur to alert everyone to this.

Please be advised of the following closure: Longaston Lane, Slimbridge
This road will be closed (as per the attached plan) from 09:30 29/11/2024 to 15:30 29/11/2024 to allow for pole testing works by Openreach. Emergency and pedestrian access will be maintained. Closure Plan
If you should require further information please email streetworks@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk
07943 894637

Parish News

Coffee morning
The Coffee morning this Saturday 7^th September in the Village Hall from 10.30 -12noon will be raising funds for the Great Western Air Ambulance. Everyone welcome.

St Johns Churchyard tombs
With the money now granted for the works on the listed tombs, it is planned that conservation works will begin in October. Information on the works will be updated regularly both in the church and on the Parish Council website, and we will also be having an open event where you can see work in progress on some of the tombs and join us for refreshments – date to be confirmed soon. To begin with there are a small number of the tombs that have been engulfed in brambles and vegetation and so a working party is planned on Monday 16th September from 1pm – if anyone has any spare time and some secateurs/gloves etc and wish to join us, please contact the Clerk, it will be lovely to have any help.

Patch parking signs
Unfortunately vandalism continues on the parking signage at the Patch. If anyone has any information on this damage, please report this to the Parish Clerk for it to be passed on to the relevant authorities.

Cambridge Flood post
Thanks to a local parishioner the Cambridge Green flood post was taken away and revamped and now looks much better back in position.

Solar Farm fund
Don’t forget the Solar Farm fund applications are now open for local organisations. Details are on the Parish Council website: Solar Farm Community Fund – Slimbridge Parish Council (slimbridge-pc.gov.uk)

Pension credits and Winter Fuel Payments
With the loss of winter fuel payments, please check if you can claim Pension Credits. Further advice can be found here:
Pension credit advice | Age UK
Winter Fuel Payment – Heating Allowance | Age UK

Parish News

Slimbridge Gardening Club Summer Show
Slimbridge Village Hall 17 August at 2 pm. Entry £1, Children Free.
Refreshments on Sale. Plants for Sale
Everyone welcome. Please pass the message on!
If you’d like to enter one of the classes, there’s plenty to choose from. Classes include:
Vegetables; Flowers; Floral Arrangements; Cookery; Preserves; Photography; Children’s classes; Teen’s art class
All entry forms to be emailed or entries telephoned by 6 pm August 13th.
Brochures available from the Slimbridge Post Office or online https://homepages.plus.net/slimbridgegc/ or via the Village Facebook page.
All children’s and teen’s entries are free with Entry Form. We are delighted that Jackie Lantelli will be judging these classes.

Playing Field Car Park
The drainage works are due to begin next week on the playing field car park so there will be disruption with limited to no parking. The works should be completed ready for the return of school. Please park considerately if parking on the roads.

Parish News

Postponed roadworks on A4135
The postponed roadworks on A4135 Dursley Road Cam will now take place from September 11th. Please see the below letter recieved
A4135 letter

Gloucestershire Police – speeding stats now available
Gloucestershire Police now publish all the speeding stats information on their website for local and county areas. This includes data from the Community Speed Watch Cameras and groups. You can find this at Stats and data | Gloucestershire Constabulary

Warm and Well Energy scheme
Stroud District Council are promoting the Home Upgrade Grant scheme, run by Severn Wye’s Warm and Well service. The scheme helps low-income, off-gas households in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire access free energy-efficiency home upgrades, to keep their energy bills down in winter. And the household income limit is now up to £36,000 allowing more residents to qualify.
Severn Wye are working on behalf of the Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire local authorities who have £6 million in government funding available. It is open to residents who:

• Don’t have mains gas central heating
• Own or privately rent a property with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G
• Have a total household income of under £36,000 per year

Households in your parish could qualify for fully-funded energy-saving home improvements
Find out more and apply here: www.warmandwell.co.uk/upgrade
Flyer

kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk
07943 894637