Parish News

Good morning,

The recent responses from the Pop-up café have been received, and with only 6 responses (3 in favour of it starting back up and 3 not), it has been decided not to run the Pop-up café for this winter. If there is more of demand next year, this is something we could look at again. Thank you to those who gave feedback.

To start off the new year, will be the coffee morning on Saturday 6th January from 10.30 in aid of Gloucester City Mission. The police will be in attendance with the  Engagement vehicle and they will also be marking bikes and scooters (as long as they have a baked painted finish for the permanent etching); so all those brand new bikes from Santa can be marked!

The Parish Council Office will be closed over Christmas from Friday 22nd December – Tuesday 2nd January, so I will respond to any communications from the 2nd.
The Parish Council are looking forward to a number of projects in the coming year including drainage on the playing field car park, upgrades to the Pavilion water / heating system, and preserving the listed tombstones in the Churchyard. And of course it is the elections in May, so if you feel you are able to represent the community and its views, and wish to be part of the decision making in the parish, please consider becoming a Parish Councillor. Myself and other Cllrs would be happy to speak to you about the role if you are interested. More information will come out in the new year.

Finally, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Parish News

Good afternoon, this is a long e-mail with lots of information, so grab yourself a cuppa and biscuit!

Parish News 
Did you know there are 24 listed tombs in the St Johns Churchyard, some of them are in a state of disrepair and have been fenced off. Slimbridge Parish Council (SPC) are looking into having them restored to preserve the history in the parish, by going for grant funding through the National Heritage Lottery. SPC will be applying for a faculty and putting together the project and keeping the community updated on this as it progresses.
The police did a recent speed survey on the A38 where two vehicles were caught speeding and will be getting letters.
SPC currently undertook a survey of the culvert along St Johns Road, and will now begin looking at fixing the drainage on the Legion car park to help alleviate flooding.
The Neighbourhood Development Plan’s latest consultation has come to an end and the plan is now with the Inspector.
SPC own the pavilion on the playing field and are looking at its future use to make it more available for the community; one of the projects is to be looking at the water and heating to have it upgraded, and the Parish Council have been successful in securing funds for new tables and chairs which will be purchased soon. Do you have any comments on what you would like to see it used for alongside the sporting activities of cricket and football use?
SPC have to look at new Biodiversity Policies that are coming into legislation in 2024, and will be looking at what projects could be done to encourage this in the parish; the initial draft policy will be available to view on the website soon and will be a continuing working document.
The latest on the Battery Storage application is that it will be going to Development Control Committee in January, and SPC are due to contact the MP on the lack of national policies for battery storage within the planning framework.
Fly tipping has become more of an issue lately, if you see any you can report this directly to Stroud District Council via their website on  Report fly-tipping/dumped litter | Stroud District Council

Police bike marking event after Christmas
The Police will be attending the coffee morning on January 6^th and will have bike marking equipment to mark up all new bikes, and hopefully scooters. The Police engagement vehicle is hopefully being booked too to be on site at the Village Hall. Further information will come out on e-mails (sign up via the Parish Council website if you wish to receive them), and on Facebook.

Slimbridge Pop-up Café
As I am sure many of you are aware last winter, we ran a Pop-up Café in the village hall. This was for around 3 hours on a Friday. This was set up as drinks – Tea/Coffee etc and cake on a “pay what you can” basis.
This worked well for a few weeks with some early dates having up to 20 attendees, however this tailed off and were down to much smaller numbers that were unsustainable.
We are considering restarting the sessions this winter and are looking for some indication of whether people would attend.
To gauge interest, please let me know if you would be interested in attending these sessions.

• How often might you come – every week, fortnightly, every few weeks?
• Which day of the week is best for you?
• Would you be interested in a simple lunch offering if it were available – soup and roll?
• If the Cafe runs, would you be interested in volunteering to help and/or make cakes etc. If so, please give your name and email address,

Please respond either by using the Survey here – https://tinyurl.com/2023SBCafe
Or email me directly cllr.alex.durkin@slimbridge-pc.gov.uk

Slimbridge Coffee morning
Thank-you everyone for supporting November Coffee morning we made over £430 pounds for HELP for HEROES.
The next coffee morning on Dec 2nd in the village hall will be a Christmas Market starting at 10am – 2.00pm in aid of St Johns Church
As well as the usual produce stall we have Bric a Brac, Crafts, and Xmas Stalls, Cards, Pictures and Fruit Juices.
Coffee will be served with mince pies from 10am.
Homemade  Soup & bread roll will be available from 11-30am @ £3-50p.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
_____________________________
A Plea:
Do you have time to help us, one Saturday morning each month?
It`s for our Church Coffee Morning, where we make money for a different Charity every month. Help includes serving coffees, washing up, making cakes etc., or doing the advertising posters. We would like to hear from you.
Please ring-
Pat Cope         01453 890 517
Pamela Storey  01453 899 828
Sue Ellis           01453 890 493
Thank-you !

Elections
Whilst we are all busy thinking about Christmas, it won’t be long before the Elections are upon us in May 2024, and Slimbridge Parish Council will be up for election. Do you fancy being a voice for your parish and being involved in decisions, representing the electorate. If you think this might be for you, there is information on the Parish Council website on being a Councillor and the Clerk would be happy to talk to you about the role too.  Being a Parish Councillor – Slimbridge Parish Council (slimbridge-pc.gov.uk)

Recycle your Christmas Tree with Longfield
Get organised and book your Christmas tree collection before you’ve even cooked the turkey.
For a voluntary donation, you’ll get your tree whisked away by Longfield’s team of volunteers and taken to recycling sites where it will be chipped into mulch, then scattered on pathways and car parks at Painswick Rococo Garden.
Last year, Longfield collected 3,000 trees from the Stroud, Cirencester and Gloucester districts in just three days, and raised nearly £50,000 for essential hospice care. This year, they’re aiming to beat last year’s record – costs of care are rising and they need every penny to provide free hospice care for dying people and their families, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Check whether Longfield can collect from your postcode and book your collection at www.just-helping.org.uk/register-tree.
Longfield couldn’t run this scheme without the support of dozens of local businesses and volunteers who donate vans and drivers during the collection period.
If you can volunteer your time or a van, or both, for a day or more between 13^th to 16^th January, please contact Longfield at events@longfield.org.uk or 01453 886868
Also coming Up….
10^th December, Minchinhampton – Light Up A Life memorial celebration
24^th February, Stroud – Ale Amble four mile circular walk

Stroud Neighbourhood Police are now on Facebook
We are writing to invite you to follow our new Stroud Neighbourhood Police Facebook page. We know how useful local Facebook groups and community pages can be, so we wanted to ensure you’re being updated in the most useful way possible.
We will still be sending out timely alerts to users registered in Stroud on this platform, but if you are on Facebook you may find the content on the new page to be useful and informative.
To follow the page visit Facebook
Stroud Neighbourhood Policing team

Kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk

Parish News

Coffee morning
Saturday 4th November at Slimbridge Village hall raising funds for Help the Heroes. 10 – 12noon.

General
The Parish Council have arranged for a survey of the culvert in St Johns Road which will happen this Friday (3rd November), so there may be some disruption during the day at the Legion car park where the main works will be carried out. This will hopefully assess the condition of the culvert and allow the Parish Council to then consider their options for the drainage on the car park to help alleviate flooding waters coming off the playing field in bad weather.
The Parish Council have spoken with Highways and the Police about speeding on the A38 and it is believed the police have carried out a speed camera session; Highways have also been asked for pedestrian signs to be located on the A38 near the school crossing, and the Clerk has been following these up as a ticket was raised for this job by Highways back in June but not yet done.
The Parish Council have objected to the most recent battery farm application, and if SDC Officers are minded to permit this, it will go to the Development Control Committee first.
The Parish Council have recieved some logo examples for the parish, if you would like to submit a design for consideration, please send to the Parish Clerk by the end of November for Cllrs to review and make a final decision in January.

Battery Storage application – Parish Council response

Slimbridge Parish Council (SPC) have objected to the recent Battery Storage application being proposed for Kingston Road. (S.23/1593/FUL Land North East Of, Kingston Road, Slimbridge)
SPC have requested to call it in to the Development Control Committee (DCC) at Stroud District Council if the delegated officer does not refuse it. This will only be considered for DCC if there is public interest, therefore if you have comments on this application, please submit them to Stroud District Council on their planning page for their consideration. Planning and building control | Stroud District Council

The Parish Council response is available on the SDC website, and also in the link below:
Slimbridge Parish Council objection to S.23/1593/FUL Land North East Of, Kingston Road, Slimbridge

Kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk
07943 894637

Parish News 26th September 2023

The Parish Council have been asked by the Neighbourhood Planning Group if the Parish Council could have a logo – most Parish and Town Council’s seem to have one and it was thought a good idea for Slimbridge to have one too. Something simple but something that shows it is the parish of Slimbridge. Are you an artist or have some ideas what could be designed? Please send in any designs to the Parish Clerk and these will be looked at in the coming meetings by Cllrs.
Don’t forget that all applications for the Solar Farm fund need to be submitted by October 20^th, the Community Advice Panel will meet early November to give recommendations for the Parish Council to decide in their November meeting.
The Parish Council has received e-mails about dog fouling and dogs chasing sheep – please remember to pick up after your dog, stay on the footpaths and keep dogs on leads when in fields with livestock.
With the recent weather many footpaths have become overgrown quite quickly, the footpath working group are meeting again to look at what they can do or if some just need to be reported to Public Rights of Way to deal with. If you know of a footpath that needs looking at, please do report back.
There is a separate piece on the Neighbourhood Plan in the newsletter, please do take the time to look at the draft plan which is in a number of places around the parish, and available on the Parish Council website too.
As a reminder, whilst it may seem like a while away, next May is the Parish Council elections, if anyone wishes to find out about the role of a Cllr and would like to represent their community, please contact the Clerk or other Cllrs if you wish to speak about what is involved, or come along to some Parish Council meetings to hear what is discussed and what the Council do.
The next meetings of the Parish Council are Monday 2nd October for a planning meeting where a new application for the battery storage on Kingston Road has been submitted, and then full council will meet on Monday 16th October.

Events:
Slimbridge Church Harvest Festival
Sunday 1st October at 6.00pm followed by Harvest Supper 7.00pm in the Village Hall
Supper Tickets  £15
Book your ticket 01453 890517 or 07836505113 and Slimbridge Post Office

Slimbridge Church Coffee Morning
Produce Stall & Chutney Fest on Saturday 7th October
Slimbridge Village Hall 10.30- 12.00
Raising funds for The Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home.
Plus Slimbridge Neighbourhood Development Plan will be available for consultation.

Parish News

The Slimbridge Gardening Club Show is on 19 August from 2 pm to 4 pm at Slimbridge Village Hall. Don’t forget to submit your entry form no later than 16 August by phone, email or in person. You do not need to be a member to enter. 50p per entry for non members, 20p for members payable on the morning of the show. Children’s classes are free to enter. Please see entry form and schedule for full details http://www.slimbridgegc.plus.com/  Classes include fruit, vegetables, flowers, photography, flower arranging, cookery and children’s classes.
Entry £1 on the day is for Adults. Refreshments and plants will be on sale. Let’s make this a bumper show!

Gloucestershire Police Trial of app to report inappropriate behaviour of commercial vehicles
Police article:
Are you fed up of commercial vehicles such as vans and lorries driving or parking inappropriately?
·  Gloucestershire Constabulary is currently delivering a project called Commercial Vehicle Watch as part of the Department for Transport’s National Roads Policing Review.
·  The work includes developing an App that will enable people to report commercial vehicle drivers who push the boundaries, on a mobile phone – and the force is calling on the public to help trial the technology over the next few months.
·  The Constabulary’s Director of Specialist Operations, Superintendent Paul Keasey, said: “We know there is a problem with this sort of anti-social behaviour but first we need to prove the concept of the App is right and for that we need the public’s help to establish what the issues are”.
·  Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said, “There seems to be an App for almost everything so why not one that might help prevent bad behaviour on the road. I hope the public will get behind it as their feedback will be invaluable”.
Parked lorries blocking the way; vans speeding-by on the inside. Just the sort of inconsiderate behaviour that leads to tension on the streets and anger in communities.
To try and diffuse potential flashpoints, Gloucestershire Constabulary is developing an App that will enable people to report commercial vehicle drivers who push the boundaries, on a mobile phone.
Still early days in the project, the force is calling on the public to help trial the technology over the next few months. By offending, or acting inconsiderately, it means things such as:
·  Speeding.
·  Inconsiderate parking (e.g. blocking pavements or road access).
·  Vehicles contravening height, width, or weight restrictions.
·  ‘Fly tipping’.
·  Dangerous, careless or inconsiderate driving.
The Constabulary’s Director of Specialist Operations, Superintendent Paul Keasey, said: “By commercial vehicles, we mean lorries and vans who are clearly making deliveries or providing services with little or no regard for other road users. It’s not about privately-owned vehicles.
Commercial Vehicle Watch, to give the project its full name, is scheduled to run from now until December. It is part of the Department for Transport’s National Roads Policing Review that is designed to make road use safer, more efficient and more secure through the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership. Information will be gathered to show how useful participants found the App, and help inform members of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership what concerns people the most and where the biggest problems are.
To take part in the pilot, you just need to have a mobile phone (Apple or Android), understand what the pilot is seeking to achieve and be willing to participate.
The App is free and available in the App Store to anyone who lives in Gloucestershire. Just search for the Community Matters App with the Commercial Vehicle Watch logo.
The information provided will be regularly reviewed and discussed by the Project Team. It will help them pinpoint where resources are needed to tackle the problems raised and whether communities are keen for the App to be expanded to cater for other road related issues.

Parish Council meeting
The next full council meeting is due on Monday 21st August. The agenda and meeting papers are available on the Parish Council website for the public to view. The public have a 10 minute time slot to give any views, comments or bring anything to the Parish Cllrs at the beginning of the meeting. Everyone welcome.

Parish News – Slimbridge Shuttle Bus

It has been confirmed that the Slimbridge shuttle will be running over the August bank holiday weekend (Saturday 26^th and Sunday 27th) but that this will be the last working date for the pilot initiative.
Over the next month, the organisers, would like to get as much feedback as possible from both users and those who have engaged with the pilot, including partners, to help with demonstrating its value but, most importantly, to build the business case for a sustainable operation longer term.

Please complete the survey link below to help with this information

https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=o16YNgATqUuY4gt84WpQzubrWXuppM9KmewQe9g50oJUNFNWRTlaMU1GOFZJTDY3MkY5OVVDTThVNi4u

Parish News

Slimbridge Parish Council continue to monitor the effects of the double yellow lines and there are still remaining tweaks that Gloucestershire County Council Highways have to complete before they can send enforcement to do checks on cars parking in the wrong areas. The Parish Council will be looking at the issues surrounding parking at the Patch how the lines has impacted on the area too.
At a recent meeting someone enquired about the Parish Council livestreaming their meetings, would this be of interest to people, would you feel more involved if you could watch the Parish Council meetings from your own home?
The Neighbourhood Development Plan have almost got the final draft complete and will soon be sent off to Stroud District Council for the next consultation phase. The steering group will publicise this once we have dates, but this will now be in the hands of SDC to move it forward.
The Local Plan hearings have now been completed and we now wait for the Inspectors to come back with their opinions, this could be September / October time. August is when the Solar farm applications open, if you are a local community group and have a project you may be able to apply. The application form and rules, along with deadline dates are available on the Parish Council website.

Slimbridge Shuttle Bus
The Slimbridge Shuttle bus has been in use now for a short while, running at weekends from Slimbridge WWT to Cam and Dursley, including the train station. Fares are between £1-£2. Have you used the shuttle bus, would you want it to continue and expand. Please let the Parish Clerk know and this can be fed back to the company currently running it.

Slimbridge Gardening Show 19 August
Show schedules are now available at the Post Office and online (link to
http://www.slimbridgegc.plus.com/)  Classes include: vegetables, flowers, flower arranging, cookery, preserves, photography and more.
Something for everyone and all welcome! Remember children’s entries are free. Entry forms should be submitted by 16 August.

Fairies at the Dursley Sculpture Trail 
Local artist Jackie Lantelli has created 10 wonderful fairies which are now installed at the Dursley Sculpture trail https://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/dursley-sculpture-and-play-trail.html.
Do look up when you visit as they might be hiding! Many of the sculptures have been refurbished recently, so well worth visiting especially if you’ve not been there recently.

Parish / District Council Elections
Next May is Parish and District Council elections and Stroud District Council are running a Be A Councillor event on 6th September at 6pm at Ebley Mill, see below for information:
Do you have an interest in your local community and want to make a difference to the residents in the Stroud District? If the answer is yes, have you thought about standing for election as a Councillor?
Stroud District Council are holding a ‘Be a Councillor’ event on Wednesday 6 September 2023 in the Council Chamber at Ebley Mill for prospective candidates at both District and Parish/Town to learn more about what being a Councillor entails and hearing first hand from current Councillors on their experiences.
Local elections in Stroud are due to take place on Thursday 2 May 2024, therefore now is the perfect time to consider whether standing for election and becoming a Councillor is right for you. You do not have to belong or represent a political party to stand for election. We hope that the event will attract people who have different background and experiences that they can bring to their role of a Councillor to make a difference to the residents they could represent.
The ’Be a Councillor’ event will begin at 6pm for anyone who is interested in becoming a Parish/Town Councillor and 7pm for anyone who is interested in becoming a District Councillor.
The event promises to be a great opportunity for members of the public to understand and discover the role of a Councillor, what support can be provided to Councillor and have the opportunity to speak to current standing District and Parish/Town Councillors.
Please email democratic.services@stroud.gov.uk to register your interest for the event, or more information, please call 01453 766321.

Parish News

Coffee morning
Saturday 1st July there will be the monthly coffee morning in the village hall from 10.30 – 12 raising money for the Slimbridge Scouts. PCSO Mike Trebble will also be there from 11am carrying out a bike marking session, so do drop by and get your bike marked too whilst having a cake and a cuppa.

Road closures
Please be advised of the following closure:
•           Dursley Road, Cambridge
This road will be closed (as per the below plan) from 10/07/2023 to 21/07/2023 to allow for network installation works by Gigaclear.
Emergency and pedestrian access will be maintained.
If you should require further information please email streetworks@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Closure plan

Bus shelters
The bus shelters continued to get revamped, thanks to all our volunteers involved in this.

Kind regards
Helen Dunn, Parish Clerk
07943 894637

Parish News

Affordable housing 
You may not be aware of the recent merger that took place between Gloucestershire Rural Housing Association and English Rural Housing Association. The properties previously owned by Gloucestershire Rural have now transferred to English Rural Housing Association, which included the development at Berkley Court in Slimbridge.
We have two bedroom house that have become available on this development. The homes were built to meet the needs of local people. There is a local connection criteria in place for the allocation of these homes with priority for applicants with a connection to the village of Slimbridge, and then to the surrounding Parishes of Frampton on Severn, Coaley, Cam, Hamfallow or Hinton as the second priority.
Applicants must also be registered for housing with Stroud District Council on their housing register. The properties will be advertised on Homeseekers plus from 31^st May – 4^th June 2023.
Information poster

Slimbridge shuttle bus service
Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership and WWT Slimbridge are excited to announce the launch of the Slimbridge Shuttle, a new local minibus service that will connect the communities of Cam, Dursley and Slimbridge with the railway station at Cam & Dursley and the famous WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre on Saturdays and Sundays over summer 2023.
The service is the first of its kind in Gloucestershire, and starts on Saturday 20 May. It has been commissioned by Gloucester Community Rail Partnership and will be run by Community Connexions, with support from Cross Country trains and GWR.
As well as taking passengers from the station to Cam, Dursley and Slimbridge, it will give  local residents access to main line trains to and from Bristol, Cheltenham and Gloucester using public transport, and link up communities along its route. The Slimbridge Shuttle has also been designed with visitors to the area in mind, and will stop at Shepherd’s Patch on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, near the Tudor Arms pub, Black Shed café and Tudor Caravan Park.
The 16-seater bus service will run hourly, from around 8 am to 6 pm, on Saturdays and Sundays during summer 2023. The route starts from the south end of Dursley town and stops at Dursley bus station, Cam village, Cam & Dursley Station, Slimbridge village, Shepherd’s Patch and Slimbridge  Wetland Centre. It will call in at Cam & Dursley station on the way to and from Slimbridge, taking rail passengers to Cam & Dursley villages as well as dropping off Slimbridge visitors at the station.
Fares are £1 for a single journey or £2 for a return, with contactless payment and cash accepted. Bus pass holders and WWT volunteers travel free, and there are concessions for under 18s.
There is one wheelchair space which can be booked in advance by phoning Community Connexions on 0345 680 5029.
Mobile tickets can also be purchased using the MyTrip by Passenger app. Just download from the Apple or Android store and search for Community Connexions in the operator list.
WWT Head of Sustainability Lucy Smith has helped to develop the new service, and is looking forward to it starting:
“WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre is really pleased to be part of this service which will enable our existing and new visitors to come to the site without needing to bring a car.  We hope it gets good levels of uptake during the trial to make the case to retain and expand the service in the future. I’ll be using it to visit the site and go to the station at the weekends!”
For more information including a full timetable and, see https://www.gloucestershirecommunityrail.org/slimbridge-shuttle.

Slimbridge newsletter article
At the recent Annual Parish Council meeting Cllr Philip Garrett was voted Chairman and Cllr John Cullimore continues as Vice Chairman. All Cllrs remain in their roles representing areas such as Planning, Highways, Green spaces etc. This can all be seen on the website. The Solar Farm Community Advice Panel is on the lookout for a new member of the public to join the team this year. If you are interested in being involved with this, please e-mail the Clerk for your name to be drawn ‘out of the hat’ at the next meeting. The Road Safety Group continue their work moving round the speed signs and looking toward the 20mph scheme. The Parish Council supports the 20mph scheme but this will take time to firstly put together and then go through the legal process which involves consultation with statutory bodies and the public. The double yellow lines are now in the process of going down by the school and Patch and the legal order is in force. The Neighbourhood Development Plan also continues moving forward and will be soon out for the next consultation stage, so please look out for that as your continued support for this document is valued. Councillors meet regularly with the local PCSO and we look forward to dates when the police vehicle may be able to visit the parish and be available if anyone wishes to chat.