Text Box: THE PARISH OF SOUTH CERNEY with CERNEY WICK   VILLAGE PLAN 2006  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Every community needs to know where it intends to go and what it hopes to achieve in the next few years. South Cerney, with Cerney Wick, being one of the largest villages in the region having a permanent population of over 3,000 people plus numerous holiday makers and second home owners, needs a Village Plan to map out its future. The excellent Village Appraisal taken in 1999 gave us a tremendous amount of information, most of which is still very relevant. The “Wish List” of projects formulated in that document has now, for the most part, been completed and a new plan is needed. In preparing the new Village Plan, your Parish Council has worked closely with the assistance of voluntary helpers from the Parish and this help is very much appreciated. Great support has also been given by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council. Two very successful public meetings were held to assess the requirements of the residents and the Parish Council was pleased that so much input came from so many. The results of these meetings were analysed, discussed and are now set out below. Naturally, to achieve some of the projects requested is beyond the ability of your Parish Council but it believes that the majority of those included can come to fruition if we work hard enough together as a community.  Action plan for the community 1.      Alleviate flooding problems, improve sewerage system and reduce surface water on roads. 2.      Reduce dog mess and empty fixed litterbins more regularly. 3.      Promote healthier routes to school. 4.      Continue to support and provide sporting activities for young and older people. 5.      Provide information about health services/events to residents and hold information days for older people. 6.      Improve road safety in the villages and monitor condition of roads and pavements. 7.      Improve road cleaning in South Cerney Parish. 8.      Provide cycle paths to a) Cirencester, b) Keynes Country Park. 9.      Provide roadside footpaths in the village and publicise existing footpaths. 10. Investigate improving street lighting in the parish. 11. Create more play/sporting opportunities for children in a) Jubilee Gardens, b) youth shelters in appropriate places, c) skateboard park, d) sport wall or Multi-use games area. 12. Involve youngsters more in village activities – social venue, Youth Parish Council scheme. 13. Support playgroup committee in their building project. 14. Create more social activities for older people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Way Forward

 

1.      Flooding, sewerage and road surface water problems

 

These major problems are already subject to a tremendous amount of effort on your behalf, with the Parish council working in conjunction with the Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council. There is already a Flooding Forum, which is monitoring the progress of various surveys etc being carried out by the Environment Agency and Thames Water. All your representatives at all levels of elected governance are exerting their influence to ensure that other bodies do not ignore the Flooding problem

 

The vexing situation with the sewer mains etc is also subject to high level negotiations and again all elected representatives, including our Member of Parliament, are actively pushing for Thames Water to recognise that there is a severe problem with the system and to get them to carry out a programme of improvements without cutting corners!

 

The regular flooding of Silver Street and Clark’s Hay cannot be tolerated and the Parish Council are pushing the Highways Department of the GCC to get whatever works are required to alleviate this unacceptable situation. We will continue to monitor this problem

 

2.      Dog mess

 

This perennial problem has improved somewhat over the past year or so since the CDC installed extra dog mess bins around the village. There are still some anti-social owners of dogs who refuse to clean up after their pets, despite our efforts. We now have the opportunity to use new powers to serve Fixed Price Penalty Notices of up to £85 for offences, such as failing to clean up after your dog and for dropping litter etc. We hope that the recently appointed Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) will be able to issue sufficient of these fines to stop this problem.

 

3.      Healthier/safer routes to school

 

In liaison with the head Teacher, staff, PTA and parents, we will investigate how to encourage the majority of children to walk to Ann Edwards School, possibly using a “walking bus” scheme, and this will result in their being fitter and healthier. It will also reduce the traffic congestion and the associated safety risks.
 

4.      Provide more sporting/ leisure facilities for all age groups

 

South Cerney already has excellent playing field and playground facilities but there is still need to extend the scope of these. We are investigating the provision of various new items such as a “trim trail”, Multi-use Games Area, etc. If you have any ideas of other facilities needed, please let us know.

 

5.      Set up a health information system

 

We are aware that there are many services available that people do not know about. To rectify this, we intend to set up a series of information days to let everyone know what is available.
 

6. Improve road safety

 

Speeding, parking on pavements and lack of safe crossing places were the major worry to most people attending our Open Day events. Such is the level of concern that we intend to set up a committee representing as many organisations and individuals as possible, to investigate the best way to solve this problem. However, the Parish Council has already ordered three interactive speed signs to be installed at the major problem areas and has also been active in getting reduction of the speed limits on the road from Silver Street to Preston Toll Bar. The Pedestrian Crossing to be installed on High street is currently being planned and is subject to consultation procedures.

 

7. Improve road cleaning

 

Being in an area of gravel quarrying and holiday home construction, the roads especially those adjacent to these places of work, are often in a filthy, unsafe condition. Your Parish Council has had a continuing problem in getting cleaning works carried out as none of the major authorities seem willing to accept responsibility for the task and expense of cleaning these roads. We will continue to complain every time we are aware that an area becomes unacceptably dirty but it will help if members of the public could also lodge their own complaints to the local District and County Council and to the Police

 

8. Provide cycle paths

 

The one major item left to be done from the 1999 Village Appraisal is the provision of a Cycle Path from South Cerney to Cirencester. Negotiations are still ongoing and we are hopeful that we will be able to work with Gloucestershire Public Rights of Way department and with the landowners of the route from the Old Lock House to Siddington alongside the canal. This is a complicated task and it will take some time to complete.

 

9. Improve footpaths in around the villages

 

We continually monitor the condition of roadside footpaths and notify the relevant authorities when problems arise.  However, we are well aware that there is a shortage of money available to carry out major improvements. We do ask that anyone in the parish should notify us if they see any dangerous areas that need repair.

Countryside footpaths provide excellent walking opportunities and we are very fortunate to have so many beautiful walks around us. The South Cerney Trust members are currently preparing a guidebook of these walks.

 

10. Investigate improving the street lighting in the parish

 

This is another ongoing task again restricted by lack of finance in the GCC Street Lighting budgets year on year. However, we have improved the lighting in some areas and will continue in our efforts.

 

11. Create more play/sporting facilities for young people

 

Our Playground areas are now well above normal standards for villages and we are considering extending facilities for sport and leisure pursuits. We are in the process of purchasing the newly landscaped “Pocket Park” in Jubilee Gardens from the CDC and will include that area in our routine maintenance programme. This will provide a safe play area for local youngsters. We will liaise with youth groups to ascertain what extra facilities they consider necessary. Schemes already suggested include Youth Shelters, a skateboard park and either a Multi-use Games Area or a Sports W all for netball, football, cricket etc.
 

12. Involve young people in village activities

 

Working with the CDC Youth Participation Officer, the Parish Council is investigating setting up a Youth Parish Council to involve our young people in being involved in community life.

 

We are also liaising with the Gloucestershire County Council Youth department to ensure that our young people get their fair share of the services provided by that organisation, something that has not happened in the past.
 

13. Continue to support the Cerney playgroup

 

The entire community should continue to support the Playgroup Committee in their efforts to provide a new building

 

14. Create more social activities and other services for older people

 

Investigate and set up more activities for the senior age group. Use the various meeting centres e.g. Village hall, United Church, School, Scout Hut etc for T’ai Chi, indoor bowling, ballroom, sequence and line dancing, social “get togethers” etc.

 

We are already working with GRCC to set up a series of Information Mini sessions where various agencies will be available to give advice on many problems faced by the senior section.

 

Your Parish Council will use its best endeavours to work with the community to get these projects completed but, as already suggested, to achieve everything on this list will not be easy. It will be beyond the ability of the Parish Council to do it all unless there is considerable input by many others in this community and assistance from the relevant authorities and various official bodies.

 

What are you prepared to do to help improve your community? 

 

Now is YOUR chance to GET INVOLVED!

 

All communications to:

Maurice McKee, South Cerney Parish Clerk, 6 North Home Road, Cirencester, Glos. GL7 1DP

Email: clerk@southcerney.org.uk  website: www.southcerney.org.uk

Or any Parish Councillor (details in the Village Directory)