Community Notices

Wiltshire Local Plan Consultation

Consultation for the Wiltshire LOCAL PLAN begins on Wednesday 27 September. Wiltshire Council are holding a drop-in event for our area on Wednesday 04 October between 3-7pm at Melksham Community Campus, and a live webinar event on Tuesday 10th October 6.30-8pm (you’ll need to register for this).

The Local Plan sets out the vision and framework for housing, infrastructure and land for employment growth for the next 15 years. This sounds broad – and it is – but once adopted, all planning applications will be determined against the Plan, making it the most important place-shaping document for Wiltshire… not least for small villages like ours.

It goes without saying that the more parishioners who respond to the consultation the better. In addition, the Parish Council will be discussing a response at its November meeting so in order that we can be as representative as possible, please share any views you would like to be considered with the Clerk, Sarah Dow, in advance of November 6th. The consultation ends on 22 November.

Find out more at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/local-plan

Activity on land beside and to the rear of the Pump House on Main Street

Update 18 June 2023

The Parish Council is aware of speculation about the likelihood of a future planning application to build on the site of the disused barns on land behind the pump house on Main Street, and can understand the concerns of some villagers. At present, although undoubtedly it is a possibility, no such planning application has been made. We do, however, have the governance in place to respond to any and all applications in a fair, balanced and consultative way.
Last September 2022, Keevil Parish Council adopted a Planning Policy based on the core principles of the Village Design Statement (2003) and the majority outcomes of the more recent Village Survey (2019). In the survey, respondents agreed that future development must be in keeping with the existing landscape and character setting. They also agreed with the renovation or change of use of existing buildings and recognised the need for smaller and more affordable homes. As with all such matters, there is a balance to be struck between conservation, heritage, and meeting future needs.
As we communicated last week, the Parish Council liaises regularly with our Unitary Councillor regarding planning matters, and has been in contact with him and other stakeholders on this particular matter throughout. We said we would keep villagers informed of further information when it is received – at this point there is nothing concrete to add to what we all already know.
At the Annual meeting of the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils last week, three Keevil Councillors heard how villages can best approach the possibility of development, however small, and it came across loud and clear that working with property owners and planning officers sees better outcomes – Poulshot being just one example.
As a Consultee, the Parish Council must continue to deal with fact and not rumour and assures villagers that the governance provided by our agreed Policy and public forum consultation at meetings is best placed to guide us in our responses.

Dr. Alex Goodwin, Chair alex@keevilpc.com 18 June 2023

Update 08 June 2023

The Parish Council is aware of concerns raised by parishioners about the change in access beside and on the agricultural land to the rear of the Pump House on Main Street.

Councillors have liaised throughout with our elected unitary authority member and other key stakeholders, including accompanying Cllr Seed on a site visit, and we will continue to do so. The parish council is also working with Case Officers in the Planning Department regarding any possible anomalies between the approved planning application and work carried out to date. We will keep the village informed of any further information when it is received.

You can read documents from the original planning application and the Case Officer report here.

Dr. Alex Goodwin, Chair alex@keevilpc.com 08 June 2023

Works to the footpath between Martins Road and the Recreation Ground

Wiltshire Council have confirmed that works to improve footpath access from Martins Road to the Recreation Ground will begin on Monday 26th June, and may last for two weeks. The footpath will need to be closed for the duration of the work, so access to the Recreation Ground will be via the other footpath from Pyatts Corner. Immediate neighbours will be informed, and I am meeting again with the Public Rights of Way (PROW) team and the contractor to make sure all concerns are taken into consideration. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions…

Councillor Pat Tucker pat@keevilpc.com 08 June 2023

Update 14 June

According to the One Network site, it looks like work is scheduled to start on the dropped kerbs on Monday 19 June 2023.

New Parish Clerk

I am pleased to announce that Keevil Parish Council has a new Clerk/RFO.

At its meeting on Monday 5th June, the Council unanimously approved the recommendation of it’s Personal Committee that Cllr Sarah Dow be appointed to the post. The recommendation was made following a formal interview process in which the candidate demonstrated that she had all the essential and desired criteria necessary for the post, alongside the outstanding practical demonstration of these skills in her present role as interim Clerk.

In line with statutory requirements Sarah will undertake the role for the first year unremunerated and will step down as a Councillor.

The Council are delighted with this excellent appointment that will support continuity for the Council moving forward.

Dr. Alex Goodwin, Chair alex@keevilpc.com 08 June 2023

47 Regiment Royal Artillery Watchkeeper RPAS activity

UPDATE on Airspace Change: May 2023

In May, Keevil Parish Council asked for an update on the Airspace Change proposals, and have been advised by Major Goodman and his team, who were grateful for the support they had received, that:

  • Ownership of the airfield has now changed from Brize Norton to Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), Middle Wallop;
  • The Civil Aviation Authority has approved the airspace change that will allow Watchkeeper to operate from the airfield, with the preferred option (that most benefits our community because of the flexibility it offers the regiment to minimise noise by varying flight paths to SPTA) being the one that was successful;
  • The detachment has now deployed, and this year will focus on integrating and training with the rest of the British Army. From late May through to the end of June 2023, Watchkeeper intends to operate periodically to support exercises on Salisbury Plain during working weekday hours.

More information here on the village website.

DOG WALKERS…

Like many rural villages we have a perennial poo problem and, whilst additional notices help a little, there are times when the actions (or non-actions) of a tiny minority undoes all the good that the vast majority of our dog walking community conscientiously do every single day. We talked about this at the March and May parish council meetings, and here’s where we’re at:

POO BINS = MIXED WASTE BINS

Wiltshire Council treat all bins as MIXED WASTE – so you can put bagged poo in any of the Litter Bins. With this in mind, Wiltshire Council have agreed to move one of the two bins on the footpath by the Banfield Recreation Ground to the beginning of Towmead Lane, and supplied us with some notices for the bins that might help make it clear that bagged poo is ok.

POO BAG SCHEME

We’ve also been in touch with Steeple Ashton about their poo bag scheme, which they say seems to have helped to improve things, although the problem’s not been entirely eliminated. It’s run by a co-ordinator and volunteer network who each have an area to look after and refill with bags, with financial support from the PC. Would the Keevil Dog Walking community like to run a similar scheme?

Thoughts, ideas and suggestions about any of the above very warmly welcomed, get in touch with Alex, Geoff or Sarah

OUR COUNTRY CODE

The Country Code item was created by our Rights of Way advisory group, to try and educate villagers about the difficulties our farmers have when walkers stray off designated footpaths, and so that walkers can enjoy our village and the surrounding countryside, whilst remembering to be considerate to other villagers and the farmers whose land you are crossing.

RESPECT EVERYONE

  1. Be considerate to those who work on the land. They depend on it for a living.
  2. Be aware of others who are enjoying walks in the village and countryside.
  3. Please leave gates AS YOU FIND THEM.
  4. Follow local footpath signs, remembering to keep to pathways. The field you walk through is pasture for cattle and should not be trampled over.
  5. Be careful in fields containing livestock, mindful of the gates and fences that hold them. Don’t disturb or frighten them. Cows could be in calf or turn aggressive.

RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT

  1. Keep your dogs on a lead whilst walking around the village, don’t let them wander into other peoples garden. Keep them under strict control whilst in fields.
  2. Don’t let your dog worry any livestock.
  3. Take care to clear up their poo, around the village roads and verges and in particular in fields. Livestock grazing in these fields can pick up serious infections if they eat this. It is not okay to think you don’t have a responsibility just because you are out in the middle of a field.
  4. Take any litter home with you. Discarded waste can harm livestock and seriously damage plant life.

A PLEA FOR CONSIDERATE PARKING…

Our village roads are overstretched by modern parking needs, plus tradesmen, visitors and deliveries, particularly around Pyatts Corner, Stocks Green and Martins Road where many homes have little or no off-road parking of their own, and slender verges are easily damaged.

If you have space for vehicles on your property, please use it whenever possible. If you’ve no choice but to park on the road, be considerate of neighbours, wheelchairs, disabled scooters, buggies, and of visibility safety, especially with high or wide vehicles.

Highway Code 243 states no parking on a bend, within 10m of a junction, in front of a property entrance or by a school entrance, on pavements, or anywhere that limits emergency vehicle access.

Thank you to those residents who have already tried to be more mindful about parking, and to those who have written to the Parish Council, it is appreciated.

ROAD CLOSURES

You can see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing ‘Wiltshire’ into the search box.

S137 Donations

One of the few ways small Parish Councils such as ours can support and invest in our communities is through donations made under what is called S137 expenditure (section 137(4)(a) Local Government Act 1972). The amounts are not fixed (although there is a limit), but they must be for initiatives directly relevant to the interests and benefit of the Keevil area or any part of it and some or all of its inhabitants.

Donations for the 2022-23 financial year were finalised at the Parish Council meeting on 9th January 2023 – see here for the minutes: Minutes_Ordinary meeting 9th January 2023_DRAFT

At the same meeting in January we also approved the budget for FY 2023-24 and have made allowances for other community projects that may benefit from some support funding, so do let us know if there is something you feel the Parish Council should consider: contact Sarah Dow, Cllr & Interim Clerk: sarah@keevilpc.com

Proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III

In Keevil, the Parish Proclamation of the new King was read by the Chair of Keevil Parish Council, as First Citizen of the Parish, at 6pm Sunday 11th September, by the War Memorial.