CASTLEMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

Big Chill 2012 Cancelled

2012-01-20T09:32:00.000Z

Organisers blame lack of artist availability and scheduling problems with London 2012 Olympics

Flicks in the Sticks.

2012-01-17T19:51:00.001Z

SAVE ENERGY WITH ENERGY TRACERS

2012-01-12T13:21:00.001Z

2012-01-06T21:27:00.000Z

Home Energy Talk

--------------------------

Wednesday 11th January, 7:30pm at Harcourt Room, Mount Pleasant Hotel, Belle

Vue Terrace, Malvern, WR14 4PZ

Stay warm, reduce your bills and your carbon footprint. Talk and

demonstration of thermal imaging and other ways of measuring energy

efficiency. Also learn about our insulation project grant application, which

if successful will need to go ahead before March. There will be a chance to

This is being run by Transition Malvern Hills and one of the speakers is Brian Harper who some of you will have met at the coffee morning. He is much involved in the Malvern gas lamp project and also the thermal imaging work which is just being started in the Parish. He is a great enthusiast and talker so I think you may find the talk both interesting and informative.

Solar PV update from Don

2011-12-23T23:07:00.002Z

Dear All,

Just a quick note based on an article in the Independent on the 18th of December "The sun hasn't yet set on domestic solar energy".

The FIT has been reduced to 21p/kWhr and this obviously reduces the return on PV but is it still attractive?

Prices for PV installations have dropped massively over the last 18 months to the level that, before the change to the FIT, you could purchase a 4 kWp system for under £10k.

I spoke to one of the local installers and he said that he would be selling a 4kWp system for £8k in the new year.

If you have not yet taken the plunge and have a suitable south facing roof and can obtain this price level, the rough figures, based on results to date, work out at:

Annual income FIT 4000 kWh* £0.21 = £840

Annual income deemed export 2000kWh * £0.031 = £62

Total Annual Income = £902

So based on a capital cost of £8000 (If achievable), the return on investment is over 11% and the simplified payback under 9 years.

If you bear in mind that this is tax free, linked to RPI and guaranteed for 25 years its not to be sniffed at.

A system like this will also offset more than 2T/year of CO2 emissions and contribute a little bit towards controlling global warming.

Parish wide, we now have 12 installations that I know of with a combined capacity of 46kWp offsetting 25T/year of CO2. Our work on the Parish Hall helped lead to the new installation you will have seen on Welland Village Hall.

Merry Christmas

Don

Worcestershire County Council setting broadband targets

2011-12-09T18:21:00.001Z

Another County Council has set out its broadband plan with the objective of 'faster broadband for all by 2015'. The three keys aims are:

90% of businesses in Worcestershire to have the ability to access Superfast Broadband by 2015
Everyone in the county to have access to broadband speeds of at least 2 Mbps
Superfast broadband available for 90% of the County by 2015.

"Through the BOLD Programme we are working to deliver the substantial savings required. Investment in the provision of Broadband, however, is a good example of how the organisation is making use of resources to plan for the future. We will, of course, look to access available funding and investment to help us achieve the vision of faster Broadband for all by 2015.

We will also continue to use digital technology to make improvements, facilitate savings and streamline our own services whilst focusing on the needs of the people of Worcestershire."
Cllr David Thain, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Transformation and Change

The council cabinet has given an indicative allocation of £8.5 million towards this goal, and assuming the plans are approved by the BDUK (Broadband Delivery UK) they will gain access to the £3.3m of BDUK funding, funding of £400,000 from the Green Infrastructure Fund and £300,000 from sustainable transport funding is available too.

It is interesting to see a council drawing on transport and green funding, which may be a recognition that good broadband can help to reduce the amount of travel people need to make. The County has a population of around 550,000, of which some 220,000 live in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster, where either Openreach FTTC or Virgin Media cable is widely available and Ofcom stats show the county has superfast broadband available to 59%. This means with the current level of funding it works out at around £100 per property, or £200 if operators were to match fund.

via Think Broadband

Historic Buildings in Castlemorton

2011-11-30T15:24:00.000Z

Where was this?

Did you know there are 17 listed buildings in Castlemorton?

View the complete list here:

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/worcestershire/castlemorton

IT LOOKS LIKE A METAL BANANA!

2011-11-26T14:16:00.002Z

BBC News - Upton-upon-Severn bridge painted the wrong colour:

IT LOOKS LIKE A METAL BANANA!

'via Blog this'

Government to back larger-scale projects to meet local housing needs

2011-11-25T13:49:00.000Z

The Government has signalled it wants to encourage new, larger scale housing developments which could involve expansions of a few hundred dwellings, urban extensions or new ‘market towns’ with up to 10,000 new homes.

Ministers plan to publish a prospectus shortly inviting councils and communities to identify opportunities for “locally planned large scale development, which will take advantage of streamlined planning processes, giving communities a stronger say and developers greater certainty”.

This initiative was highlighted in the Government’s housing strategy, just published. This promised that viable schemes that were sustainable and had strong local support would be given financial assistance to get the work going, and would be prioritised for future infrastructure spending. The administration has announced there will be a competition to encourage new thinking in this area.

“We are keen to see innovative approaches and a wide range of models and partnerships come forward, responding to local challenges. We will publish a prospectus setting out more detail of our proposed approach – what the Government is looking for from developers and local communities, and what we can offer in return – in 2012,” stated the document

The strategy also made it clear that the administration is keen to promote the use of tools such as Local Development Orders to help to streamline planning and reduce the risks and delay in securing planning approval for new residential development.

The Government has reiterated that it wants to encourage action on stalled development by allowing developers to require local authorities to reconsider those S106 agreements agreed in more prosperous market conditions prior to April 2010.

The Government said it would consult on this proposal shortly. “We will ensure that any resulting appeals are dealt with promptly by the Planning Inspectorate, to give certainty to both developers and local communities. The Government will also encourage a flexible approach to planning obligations, to safeguard against substantial and unexpected change in market conditions.”

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said the Government’s strategy was designed to see the provision of 200,000 new homes a year. ref :- The Planning Portal

BBC News - Planning reforms 'are confusing'

2011-11-12T18:45:00.000Z

BBC News - Planning reforms 'are confusing':

'via Blog this'

Planning Portal - Localism Bill poised for Royal Assent

2011-11-11T16:05:00.000Z

Planning Portal - Localism Bill poised for Royal Assent: "Localism Bill poised for Royal Assent"

'via Blog this'

For Castlemorton Parish an Energy Survey

2011-11-09T13:03:00.003Z

NEW BUDAPEST CAFE ORCESTRA

2011-11-08T16:16:00.000Z

Friday 9th December 2011

CASTLEMORTON PARISH HALL

LINK:-

CASTLEMORTON COMMONERS ASSOCIATION

TICKETS

£9.50 - FROM

01684 833297 - 01684833477

DOORS OPEN 7.00PM - 8.00PM START

BAR - BEER - WINE - FUN

Solar subsidies to be cut by more than half | Environment | guardian.co.uk

2011-10-28T10:17:00.000+01:00

Solar subsidies to be cut by more than half | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "Solar subsidies will be dramatically cut by more than half, according to government documents that were prematurely published online and quickly taken down.

The cut will almost double the payback period for householders, the document revealed, meaning someone installing £10-12,000 solar panels will only be in credit after 18 years rather than the current 10.

The official announcement on the slashing of the feed-in tariff rate paid to householders is not expected until next week, according to tweets from the climate change minister, Greg Barker, but the document revealed the rate will be cut from 43.3p per kilowatt hour of solar electricity to just 21p.

"

'via Blog this'

The Press Association: Solar power subsidies face reform

2011-10-27T22:50:00.000+01:00

The Press Association: Solar power subsidies face reform:

'via Blog this'

Environmental Forum:- Sustainable Herefordshire Week.

2011-10-13T13:18:00.001+01:00

Sustainable Herefordshire week is from the 15th to 23rd of October and includes a number of events which are quite local and interesting such as the opportunity to see the PV on St Michaels Church Ledbury or Colwall Apple Day both on the 15th.

70 events on many different subjects over the week.

http://www.herefordshirenewleaf.org.uk/

CONSULTATION ON SOUTH WORC'S DEVELOPMENT PLAN

2011-09-23T15:50:00.000+01:00

YES THIS WILL AFFECT YOU!

The South Worcestershire Development Plan is currently at a consultation stage and we welcome your views and suggestions about its content. Starting on Monday 26th Sept and ending Friday 18th Nov we encourage you to take the opportunity to influence the outcome and contribute to delivering a long term Plan for South Worcestershire.

COMING TO A FIELD NEAR YOU, THIS IS MALVERN VALE!

INSPIRING, IMAGINATIVE, ECO FRIENDLY HOUSES?

NO MEAN SPIRITED ILL DESIGNED FORMULA HOUSING UNITS

IS THIS 'SUSTAINABLE' DEVELOPMENT? (JF opinion!)

The South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is visiting local communities from Monday, 26th September 2011 to Friday, 18th November 2011 to gain your views and to allow you the opportunity to help shape the future of South Worcestershire.

The consultation roadshow events will be visiting towns and villages right across South Worcestershire covering places such as Tenbury Wells in the North-west to Broadway in the South-east.

Meet the Planners… You can meet our planning officers in person to discuss the proposals at anyone of our roadshows. The roadshows will also include an exhibition giving detailed view of the South Worcestershire Development Plan proposals, including maps of proposed development sites.

We need your help to spread the word… Tell your friends, neighbours, work colleagues and relatives about these events and help us to ensure as many people and communities as possible have their say on the future of South Worcestershire.

Roadshow details are shown below:

SEPTEMBER EVENTS:

Hanley Swan – Monday 26 September – Village Hall, 2pm – 8pm
Pershore – Tuesday 27 September – Town Hall, 2pm – 8pm (also covers villages: Eckington, Cropthorne, Defford, Elmley Castle)
Rushwick – Wednesday 28 September – Village Hall, 2pm – 8pm
Upton upon Severn – Thursday 29 September – Memorial Hall, 2pm – 8pm

Castlemorton Gardening Club 2011/12

2011-09-11T11:57:00.002+01:00

This season's programme is:
15th September, Growing Vegetables: Getting the best from your efforts, Marion Stainton
20th October, Garden Tools, Ann and John Guest
17th November, The Winter Garden, Geraldine Williams
8th December, Christmas Get Together
19th January, Gardens of France: Bagatelle and Giverny, Duncan Coombs
16th February, Design and the Garden, Paul Hervey-Brooks
15th March, Plants for the Season, Paul Green
19th April, The Versatile World of Salvias, Leila Jackson
17th May AGM and New Garden-Worthy Plants, Bob Brown
21st June, Garden visit/party
19th July, Birds in your Garden, John Clews

Deadline for Planning Reform Consultation 17th October 2011

2011-09-07T19:19:00.000+01:00

The discussion documents can be found here:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningsystem/planningpolicy/planningpolicyframework/

We urge all interested folk to review these complex but essential documents as the outcome will profoundly affect you and the environment for the future.

The Proposed Planning Reforms will affect YOU!

2011-08-29T18:55:00.000+01:00

To find out how, listen again to the excellent programme:-

Planning debate on Radio 4
Radio 4’s consumer affairs programme, You & Yours, debate the planning reforms. Minister Gregg Clarke, CPRE Chief Executive Shaun Spiers and John Stewart from the Home Builders Federation contribute.

Listen again
BBC Radio 4: You & Yours, 23 August 2011

.

The Plume and Feathers

2011-07-29T06:47:00.000+01:00

The Plume and Feathers has applied for a new license.

MUSIC AND DANCING

Mon - Thursday 10 am - 12 midnight.
Friday - Saturday 10am - 1am
Sunday 10am - 11.30pm

SALE OF ALCOHOL

Mon - Thursday 10 am - 12 midnight.

Friday - Saturday 10am - 1am

Sunday 10am - 12 midnight.

'Premises (to include the beer garden) to be licensed for live music, recorded music and the performance of dance'.
The proposed hours are for both amplified and un amplified music indoors and out, except outdoor performances would finish one hour earlier.
Hours for Christmas Eve, Day and New Years Eve, Day will be 10am - 1.00 am
Hours for music and dancing (as compared to the sale of alcohol) start at 11.00am.
The premises would be open to the public for a further half hour after the times stated - presumably for drinking and exit.
The application also states that outside events are mainly seasonal from April to September.

Big Chill Update

2011-07-24T10:58:00.000+01:00

Big Chill Update

From the organizers to the Parish Council

Dear Councillor

I wanted to let you know that we are now onsite and the build for the Big Chill Festival 2011 has commenced. As previously mentioned in the letter I sent out in May the festival this year is being held from Wednesday 3^rd – Monday 8^th August 2011.

COMPLAINTS AND NOISE

Should you or anyone in your Parish have a complaint about noise or any other issue, the complaints hotline number is where this needs to be registered. The telephone number is 01531 630 230 and is currently operational from 8am – 8pm every day. This will become a 24 hour hotline from 8am Wednesday 3^rd August to 6pm on Monday 8th August.

If the answer machine comes straight on this will be because another call is in progress so please leave a message and we will call you straight back. Noise levels are regulated and monitored by our onsite acoustic consultants and Environmental Health at Herefordshire Council.

THE PREMISE LICENCE

Under the Premise Licence Number PR01471 issued by Herefordshire Council on the 26th May it states that music can be played at the following times;

Day	Time
Thursday 4th August	12.00 – 00:00
Friday 5th August	00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00* – 00:00
Saturday 6th August	00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00* – 00:00
Sunday 7th August	00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00* – 00:00
Monday 8th August	00:00 – 03:00

* From 09.00 – 12.00 the music will be limited to the kids area

In addition there will be some sound checks on Thursday evening between 17.30hrs – 19.30hrs.

FOOTPATH CLOSURES

The following Public Footpaths have been temporarily closed to ensure no danger to the public is caused during the build of the festival. The Orders came into force on 11^th July 2011, and the footpaths will all re-open on Friday 12^th August

The Public Footpath from County Road on the A438 across Eastnor Park.

The Public Footpath from the A449 opposite Barton Farm

The Public Footpath at Keepers Lodge

The Public Footpath from the A449 opposite Lower Mitchell Farm (SO Grid Ref 726 388 400) to its junction with Netherton Farm

TEMPORARY TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDERS

The following orders have been granted by Herefordshire Council’s Highway Department;

· A temporary Speed Limit of 20mph will be applied on the A449 from the county boundary for 250m past the Purple Gate entrance from Wednesday 3^rd August at 06.00hrs until Monday 8^th August at 18.00hrs.

· A temporary Speed Limit of 30mph will be applied 250m either side of Red Gate (Massington Farm). This will come in to effect from Wednesday 3rd August 2011 at 06.00hrs to Monday 8^th August 2011 at 18.00hrs.

· A temporary speed limit of 30mph will be applied from Woodside until you leave Eastnor village – in the normal 50mph speed limit. This will take effect from Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 at 06.00 to Monday 8^th August 2010 at 18.00hrs

· There will be temporary traffic lights at Purple Gate on Monday 8^th August 2011 from 06.00 until 18.00. These will operate on a 3 way basis, to allow traffic to exit the site – turning right only back to Little Malvern.

· There will be a temporary ‘no right turn’ applied to Purple Gate from the Ledbury direction into the site from Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 at 06.00 to Monday 8^th August 2011 at 18.00.

GATE MAP

The designated gates and routes that will be used for the festival are as follows:

TRESPASS / LOOTING / LOCAL BURGLARY / VANDALISM / SECURITY / UNAUTHORISED CAMPING

If someone should trespass on your land, then please call the Police. While we are not able to prevent people from accessing the public highways or keep them onsite, we will again have an on site supermarket and a variety of stalls onsite, which will be advertised both in advance publicity and on site. I hope that these measures will deter people from wandering in the surrounding area.

OTHER MATTERS

If you have any other matters you wish to raise please write to me, my address is Festival Republic Ltd, 35 Bow Street, London WC2E 7AU.

Kind regards

Melvin Benn, Premises Licence Holder, Big Chill Festival 201

Electricity from the Sun at Castlemorton Parish Hall

2011-07-13T22:21:00.000+01:00

Castlemorton Parish Council and Parish Hall Trust have just completed their project to install a photovoltaic system on the Parish Hall.

22 Ying Li 235w panels have been installed on the south facing parish hall roof.

The panels use sunlight to produce DC electricity at over 300V which is connected to an SMA SB5000TL inverter which converts the DC electricity to 240V AC and synchronises it with the grid.

The electricity generated is metered and connected into the hall electricity distribution board with the excess being exported to the National Grid.

A display in the hall shows the amount of electricity being generated at any time, the amount generated since starting and the amount of CO2 emissions which have been avoided due to the system.

The project is expected to generate 4000kWh per year thus decreasing CO2 emissions by 2.2 T/year and producing an income to the Parish Hall of £1600 per year.

The objectives of the project are:

To make a contribution to help decrease global warming.
To increase awareness of global warming and encourage local residents to take up this practical and financially attractive technology.
To help secure the future of the village hall as a community hub by allowing charges to be kept low.

The project was grant financed by the Rural Development Programme for England’s LEADER scheme and The Big Lottery’s Community Sustainable Energy Programme.

The installation was carried out by Greenearth Energy of Pontrilas.

Castlemorton Open Gardens 2011

2011-05-28T16:55:00.007+01:00

Tour some of Castlemorton's loveliest gardens. Showing at their best, at the best time of the year. All proceeds to St Gregory's Church. Buy a passport/map at St Gregory's church or where you see the (P) sign. Wonder round and enjoy a 'Cottage Tea' where you see (CT) sign.
Reference these numbers to your map
Passports, ( P) Cottage teas, (Ct) Toilet, (T) Gardening books, (G) Cake stall, (Ca )
These Gardens are Open and have the following facilities.

WR13 6BQ. St. Gregory's Church for Passports, Floral display,and a cup of tea.
WR136BQ The Old Vicarage. A 19th c. country vicarage, large garden, two ponds, and several rose gardens.
WR136BQ Glebe Cottage. A 17th c. timber framed farm house. Extensive front flower beds and vegetable garden . SUNDAY only. [ T ]
WR136BE The Old Alms House. Originally a 14 th c. truck house, extended in 17th c.with alterations spanning 400 years. Large lawns, many trees, ponds and soft fruit cage.
WR136BS Bannut Tree House. Designed by Voysey, late 19th c. very extensive ornamental gardens on several levels . [ Ct , T, Ca ]
WR136JD Grove Farm. A mid 19th. c. farmhouse, with extensive well laid out gardens
WR136AA Summercombe.Originally a 'commoners' cottage built in 1812, a varied garden including castles, fishpond, fun for children. [ Gp, P ]
WR136AA Millpond Cottage. A thatched timber framed cottage below the mill pond.Cottage teas only. Everyone welcome though this is not a 'Passport' garden'.
WR136LE Spring Bank Cottage.A 'Commoners' cottage at the north end of the village, with an extensive decorative garden and raised vegetable beds. [Ct, G, ]
WR136LG Cidermill Cottage. A 'Commoners' cottage, the small garden space is used to great effect

BIG CHILL FESTIVAL 2011

2011-05-25T09:05:00.005+01:00

CASTLEMORTON RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR NEIGHBOURS' TICKETS AT A REDUCED RATE.

Download an application form here:-

Breif notes:-

All applications must be accompanied by a contribution of £30 per ticket for all tickets required where the person is 13 years and over

Please a cheque or Postal Order payable to Castlemorton Village Hall.

Children aged 12 and under must be included on your application but will not be required to pay a donation.

The money raised from the donations will be used for Community Projects for the benefit of the residents of Castlemorton.

All applications need to be accompanied by a Stamped Self Addressed envelope which will be used to inform you in mid July of the outcome of your application. (Sorry, but no SAE = no tickets). Please include a telephone number so that if there is a problem with your application we can contact you. Unfortunately if you cannot be contacted, we will have to reject your application.

Once you have completed the application form please send it to: Castlemorton Village Hall, Church Road, Castlemorton, WR13 6BE and be received no later than Monday 20th June 2011.

You will be informed if your application has been successful.

_______________See conditions and the full information here:-

BIG CHILL FESTIVAL 2011

I thought it would be helpful to update you on the preparations for the Big Chill Festival this year, which will take place in the Deer Park, Eastnor from Wednesday 3rd – Monday 8th August 2011.

TIMES OF OPENING

This year, the festival will open to the public from 14.00 on Wednesday 3rd August for customers that have purchased an Early Bird Ticket, and then from 8am Thursday 4th August for standard ticket holders until Monday 8th August 2011. The main entertainment will take place on Friday 5th August, Saturday 6th August and Sunday 7th August 2011. It will also be possible for the public to purchase day tickets for these days.

NOISE AND HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT

If you have a complaint about noise or any other issue, you should call the complaints hotline number to register your complaint. The telephone company cannot guarantee this number at this stage and so I will include this within the July letter. The telephone line will be manned by Big Chill Republic staff, and copies of all call logs are made available to Herefordshire Council. Noise levels are regulated and monitored by our onsite acoustic consultants and Environmental Health Officers at Herefordshire Council.

Live Music can be played:

Day	Time
Thursday 4th August	12.00 – 00:00
Friday 5th August	*00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00 – 00:00**
Saturday 6th August	*00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00 – 00:00**
Sunday 7th August	*00:00 – 05:00 and 09:00 – 00:00**
Monday 8th August	00:00 – 03:00 (Note:- this means that there will be Music till 5.00am in the mornings) JBF*

* From 09.00 – 12.00 the music will be limited to the kids area

In addition there will be some sound checks on the Wednesday evening between 18.00 – 20.00.

TRAFFIC

The car parks for Early Bird tickets will open at 14.00 on Wednesday 3rd August. This year I have decided to sell an Early Bird Ticket to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads on the Thursday which will hopefully cause less disturbance to residents.

We anticipate the peak arrival time will be midday on Thursday (but this is difficult to predict and is affected by the weather etc). Last year 99% of festival goers had left the site by 15.00 on the Monday.

Bus Drop Off / Shuttle Service

We will again be offering a free shuttle service to and from the site for the public who arrive at Great Malvern station. In addition this year, we will have a shopping bus operating during the day to and from the site to Ledbury. This is to discourage people from taking their cars off site should they wish to go to town for supplies, to give business to the local town and also to provide transport for anyone that arrives by train into Ledbury (and to prevent people from walking on the main roads to the site).

Traffic Routes To Site

We have been working closely with Herefordshire Council, Worcestershire Council, Gloucestershire Council and West Mercia Police to work out the routes to site – these will be very similar to last year, and I will give you full details of these in my letter to you in July. In summary, traffic will access the site using the following gates:

Parking

We will have space for many more cars on site than we are expecting, and so do not anticipate festival goers abandoning their cars around the local area.

Traffic Regulation Orders

We have applied for the following Orders, and I will update you on these when I write again in July.

a) Temporary Speed Limit – on A449 at 'Purple' Gate

We have applied for a 30mph reducing to a 20mph speed limit to be applied from the county boundary for a distance of 250m past the Purple Gate entrance. We have requested that this will take affect from Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 at 06.00 until Monday 8^th August 2011 at 18.00.

b) Temporary Speed Limit – on A449 at 'Red' Gate

We have applied for a 30mph speed limit to be applied 250m either side of Red Gate (Massington Farm). We have requested for this to take effect from Wednesday 3rd August 2011 at 06.00am to Monday 8^th August 2011 at 18.00.

c) Temporary Speed Limit – on A438 through Eastnor Village

We have applied for a 30mph speed limit to be applied from Woodside until leaving Eastnor village – in the normal 50mph speed limit. We have requested for this to take effect from Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 at 06.00 to Monday 8^th August 2010 at 18.00.

d) Temporary Traffic Light permit

We have applied for the use of traffic lights at Purple Gate on Monday 8^th August 2011 from 06.00 until 18.00. These would operate on a 3 way basis, to allow traffic to exit the site – turning right only back to Little Malvern.

e) No Right Turn

We have applied for a no right turn to be applied to Purple Gate from the Ledbury direction into the site to take effect from Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 at 06.00am to Monday 8^th August 2011 at 18.00.

FOOTPATH CLOSURES

We have again applied to Herefordshire Council to temporary close the footpaths that cross the festival site during the build until the clear up for health and safety reasons. I will updated you on this again in July.

TRESPASS / LOOTING / LOCAL BURGLARY / VANDALISM / SECURITY / UNAUTHORISED CAMPING

RESIDENTS MEETINGS

After the festival, I will be holding a meeting for local residents for their feed back on how they feel the festival went, improvements that could be made etc. I will provide you with further details of this in due course.

CONTACT DETAILS / FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have any specific questions which are not covered here, please contact Claudia Langmead write to Festival Republic Ltd, 35 Bow Street, London WC2E 7AU

I will write to you again in July with the hotline telephone number in addition to updating you with any other information.

Kind regards

Melvin Benn, Premises Licence Holder, Big Chill Festival 2011

CASTLEMORTON PARISH COUNCIL: District Council Election results 2011

2011-05-07T10:17:00.000+01:00

CASTLEMORTON PARISH COUNCIL: District Council Election results 2011

District Council Election results 2011

2011-05-07T10:15:00.000+01:00

Morton Ward			Turnout	57%
			Ballot papers	956
Candidates	2
Seats	1	Cousins Roger James	Liberal Democrat	517	ELECTED
		Watkins David	Conservative	429

2011-05-06T13:28:00.000+01:00

‘Into a Greener Future’ - Castlemorton Village Hall Improvement Project

Improvement Plan
About 18 months ago, Castlemorton Parish Council and the Parish Hall Trust created a plan to improve the village hall. The hall is an important facility for this rural community and also serves a wider area through the organisations and clubs that use it. It was built by local residents at a time of austerity and this is reflected in the construction. This plan aimed to make the hall more environmentally friendly, more comfortable and more economic to run. It included:
Improving the insulation of the fabric of the building
Installing double glazed windows on the north facing wall
Replacing the porch with new, well insulated structure
Installing photo-voltaic panels on the south facing roof to generate electricity, with the excess being sold to the national grid.
Recent Work
In recent years, improvements to the hall have included the addition of a disabled toilet and baby-changing facilities, improved lighting and the replacement of the boiler with a more efficient condensing boiler. The new work will complement these to provide a community hub that is practical and efficient for years to come.
Funding
Funding for the new project has been obtained from a number of grant awarding bodies:
Rural development Programme for England LEADER programme
Big Lottery under the Community Sustainable Energy Programme
Community First – Grassroots
Severn Waste Environmental Fund – Welcome to our Future.

The total cost of the project exceeds £36,000. It will be implemented over the next few months.

Open Day
When completed there will be an open day [date to be announced] to celebrate and to mark the commissioning of the power generating system. It is intended to involve the community, via the Castlemorton Environmental Forum, and to encourage local residents to install their own domestic scale systems.
The project is predicted to give a net benefit energy saving of 5487Wh/year and a reduction of CO2 emissions of 2042kg/year. It will also decrease the running costs of the hall, allowing charges to be kept low for users.

Contacts
For further details, please contact the project manager, Angus Golightly on 01684 833144 or e-mail angusgolightly@gmail.com. For information about the technical aspects contact Don Lupton on 01684 833510 or e-mail: donlupton@waitrose.com .

Fujitsu building 1Gbit/sec fibre network for rural areas | Broadband | News | PC Pro

2011-04-14T09:29:00.000+01:00

Fujitsu building 1Gbit/sec fibre network for rural areas | Broadband | News | PC Pro

STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED

2011-04-06T12:37:00.000+01:00

Malvern Hills

Election of Councillors

The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Councillor for

Castlemorton

Name of Candidate	Home Address	Description (if any)	Name of Proposer	Reason why no longer nominated*
BARTLETT Lionel Henry Richard	Old Orchard, Hancocks Lane, Castlemorton, WR13 6LG		Sturdee J M
BRADSHAW Beverley	Walk Farm, Castlemorton, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6BN		Plumridge S
FRYMAN Jeremy Bruce	The Cottage, Hollybush, Ledbury, HR81ET		Howick Cecily
GOLIGHTLY	Little Orchard, Golden	Retired Agriculturalist	Howick S.W.
Angus John	Valley, Castlemorton, Malvern, WR13 6AA
LUPTON	The Chase, Cutlers		Bedford M J
Don	Lane, Castlemorton, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6LU
SMALLWOOD	Fairfield, Gloucester		Baylis John
David Barry	Road, Castlemorton, Malvern, WR13 6JB
WATTS Mary Isabel	Huntsbridge, Castlemorton, Nr		Bedford M J
	Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6DA
WILKES	Upper Orchard		Harrison N J
Barbara Christine	Cottage, Hollybed
	Street, Castlemorton, Worcestershire, WR13 6DB

*Decision of the Returning Officer that the nomination is invalid or other reason why a person nominated no longer stands nominated.

The persons above against whose name no entry is made in the last column have been and stand validly nominated.

Castle Morton (Castlemorton) Billings Directory 1855

2011-03-26T09:51:00.000Z

For all interested in local history, the directory of names is particularly interesting.

Castle Morton (Castlemorton) Billings Directory 1855

Do you have relatives here.

DIRECTORY 1855
Hill Rev. John, Incumbent
Allen Charles, farmer, Holly Bush Hill
Beaman Charles, victualler, Feathers
Birchley Mary, farmer, Morton Green
Brewer Charles, farmer, Biddle’s Farm
Bullock John, beer retailer
Clinton Thomas, farmer
Colston James, carpenter, Holly Bed Common
Colston Thomas, farmer
Crump Thomas, farmer
Farmer, Elisha, carrier
Farmer Thomas, farmer, Knott’s Farm
Francis Jonathan, shopkeeper
Gamble John, mason, Druger’s End
Gaze J., farmer
Greenway Hannah, farmer, Hunter’s Hill
Harcourt Sarah, farmer, Morton Green
Hawker William, farmer, Druger’s End
Hill Charles, farmer
Jenkins Joseph, timber dealer
Jeynes William, carpenter and wheelwright, Holly Bed Common
Jones William, farmer, Eight Oaken Hill
Kendrick John, mason
Kendrick William, mason
Lane Alfred, farmer, The Hurst
Lane John R., farmer, Cutler’s Farm
Lane William, farmer
Lane William, miller and farmer
Pingree James, farmer, Holly Bed
Pope Edward, farmer, The Walk
Rogers William, blacksmith
Smith Abigail, farmer, New House
Smith Samuel, carrier, Holly Bed
Smith William, farmer, Fair Oaks
Stephens Philip, beer retailer, Robin Hood
Ward John, farmer, Rough Cast
Warrender John, blacksmith
White Thomas, earthenware dealer, Druger’s End

Carriers – To Worcester, Farmer, Wed. and Sat., 7 a.m., and Smith, Wed. and Sat., 7 a.m.

The Big Chill

2011-03-21T15:59:00.002Z

The licence application for this year's Big Chill festival is different from previous years. The organisers, Festival Republic, are asking for a permanent licence with permission for higher noise levels and loud music up to 5am. For more details see: www.ledburyreporter.co.uk/news/colwall . Please note, the deadline for commenting on the application is Wednesday, 23rd March.

In case you have noticed a 0.4% increase in your Council Tax

2011-03-15T16:33:00.001Z

The Parish Council voted NOT to increase the council tax, however some may have noticed a 0.4% difference that is due to the Castlemorton Parish precept.

Angus inquired and this is the reason:-

Good afternoon Mr Goloightly

Further to our earlier telephone conversation I can confirm the increase of 0.4% is calculated as follows :-

2010/2011 Precept £ 4,000 Taxbase 292.53 (Band D equivalent) = annual Band D charge £13.67

2011/2012 Precept £4,000 Taxbase 291.54 (Band D equivalent) = annual Band D charge £13.72

INCREASE £0.05 = 0.4%

The % difference is calculated £0.05 divided by £13.67 = 0.4%

The reason that the main preceptors ( County, Fire etc) show 0% is that we supply them with the tax base figures and they then set their precept from that figure.

I hope that this information is of help in explaining the small increase per household but please let me know if I can be of further help.

Kind Regards

Jean

Mrs Jean C Mann

Shared Services Manager (Revenues and Benefits)

South Worcestershire Shared Services

Civic Centre

Queen Elizabeth Drive

Pershore

Worcs

WR10 1 PT

I hoe this is clear to all.

2011-02-15T12:58:00.000Z

2011-02-15T09:33:00.002Z

2011-02-15T09:22:00.000Z

Comments on recent Planning proposals

2011-02-03T10:35:00.000Z

Castlemorton Parish Council is serious in it’s responsibility for the developments in the parish. We care about the quality of the landscape and the built environment .

We are therefore very concerned over a recent trend that seeks to bypass the established consultation process. When refused the applicant seeks a certificate for lawfulness and attempts to obtain permission for ‘permitted development’. As these rules have been relaxed and are ambiguous the certificate tends to be granted.

We feel strongly that this is against the spirit of ‘neighbourly’ cooperation and consultation. The applicant seeks to selfishly impose their development with little concern over the impact on either the built environment or the impact on the landscape. We have had a number of developments that have had little architectural merit and we have objected accordingly.

These two latest examples will hopefully explain and illustrate the problem, all the information is in the public domain and all applications can be seen on the Malvern Hills Web Site http://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/. Go to planning and search for the applications that relate to Castlemorton.

MHDC Ref: 10/01560/CPU

Proposal: Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for a proposed development-conservatory, two storey rear extension and single front and side extension.

Property Name/Location: Morton Green Cottage, Morton Green WR13 6LR

Castlemorton Parish Council: Comments-

The Parish Council is opposed to this development on the grounds that the cottage has already been considerably extended and the resulting development would be a detriment to the local built environment and the local landscape.

If permission was granted and the applicant was to take up the permitted development it would completely obscure the original cottage and the resulting building would not have

any coherent integrity.

The legality of the permitted development the Parish Council entrust to the planning department.

The Parish Council note that recent permissions have, as it predicted, established a precedent that is providing a loophole for unacceptable and unsympathetic developments.

Morton Green Cottage Proposed Elevations

Morton Green Cottage Proposed Plans

Application Number 58872 Ambleside Castlemorton Common

The applicant submitted these plans as a full application. The Parish Council objected and defended it’s position at a Southern Area Planning Meeting.

In particular we objected to the box like structure that was proposed in order to extend the kitchen.

Our original comment was:-

The Parish Council have carefully reviewed the plans and is sympathetic to the proposal to extend and significantly improve the internal layout and facilities. However we have considerable concerns over the single story extension.

Whilst we acknowledge that 'stylistic difference' can sometime be architecturally appropriate, in this case the flat roofed extension to form the new kitchen has resulted in an external addition that looks rather like a mobile home parked too close to the building.

Ambleside has been much extended and expanded, its elevations celebrate steep pitched roofs and the elevations are all brickwork. The change of materials, whilst 'natural' are not appropriate for an extension to any of the elevations. This extension including the flat roof will be seen from a number of viewpoints and in our opinion it will not make a positive contribution to the building or the environment.

We cannot support the application and encourage the applicant to reconsider the need for an extension on the rear elevation or seek a radical re design.

Ambleside WR13 6DA have now submitted a further application REF; 11/00095/CPU.

Lawful Development Certificate

Parish Council Commnets:-

Once again we seem to have little say in the development of a significant and prominent building in the locality.

The use of a certificate of lawfulness effectively rides roughshod over any local consultation.

We regret the applicant has chosen to take this approach and is promoting a building of such an unfortunate design which will be to the detriment of the building and to the local environment.

We hope the applicant will reconsider the design. If the box structure at the rear extension is built as per these plans, it will significantly devalue the architectural integrity of the building.

The full set of documents can be seen on Malven Hills Planning site.

Ambleside Elevations (showing the contested box structure)

The Parish Council do not have any problems with the front elevation.

THE LOCALISM BILL WILL AFFECT YOU.

2010-12-12T13:15:00.000Z

Eric Pickles 'localism bill is about to be published.
It will significantly change the way we handle our local responsibilities, and contains a lot of issues that could be highly contentious.

It promises:

Local people and organisations will have the right to buy significant public buildings. If a council decides to sell a property community organisations will get extra time to develop their bid.
Communities can question how services - such as children's centres, care homes and transport - are being run and potentially take them over.
More power for local people to overrule planning decisions, decide where new homes should go and protect green spaces.

We will keep you updated on issues that could affect Castlemorton. One significant issue will involve changes to Malvern Hills Local Plan, this will be reviewed and a new plan actioned for 2013.

Jerry and Lionel went to one of the first meetings that will help to shape the new plan.

Your feedback is sought too, so use this forum to feedback issues, questions and ideas that you think may help to shape Castlemorton's future development.

BT Infinity roll out Hereford & Worc September 2011!

2010-12-01T12:12:00.000Z

GREAT NEWS! THESE EXCHANGES ARE READY FOR BT INFINITY

Fallings Park, Great Barr, Hednesford, Leamore, Northern, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Tettenhall, Walsall, Wednesbury

31ST DEC 2010

Berkswell, Bromsgrove, Burntwood, Droitwich, Earlsdon, Evesham, Fazeley, Fernhill Heath, Heath Hayes, Kenilworth, Knowle, Leamington Spa, Lichfield, Polesworth, Rugby, Solihull, Swadlincote, Warwick, Worcester, Worcester St. Johns, Worcester St. Peters

30TH SEP 2011

Birmingham Central, Hillside, Hereford and Worcester

31ST DEC 2011

Chapel End, Donnington, Four Oaks, Headless Cross, Shirley, West Midlands, Southam, Streetly

30TH SEP 2012

Alsager, Cheslyn Hay, Stratford-on-Avon

BT INFINITY RACE

2010-11-22T16:55:00.002Z

You may already know about the "Race to Infinity" in which BT agrees to upgrade the broadband service for the first communities which register 1000 votes; Malvern has just been one of the first successes.

Apparently as our exchange has less than 1000 users we cannot achieve this requirement.

However if 75% of the people connected to the exchange register votes BT promises to engage with us about upgrading.

There are quite a lot of people in the Parish who need good broadband for business and working from home. So could I suggest that we all vote, and also ask friends and neighbours to vote. Maybe even register votes for neighbours who don't have computers?

It is straight forward, takes little time and can be found at www.racetoinfinity.bt.com

Votes can be placed up to the end of December and progress can be seen on the BT site.

Regards

Don

Badgers Sett : Appeal decision

2010-10-30T06:42:00.000+01:00

Appeal Decision
Site visit made on 14 September 2010
by K E Down MA(Oxon) MSc MRTPI MBS
The Planning Inspectorate
4/11 Eagle Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6PN
0117 372 6372
email:enquiries@pins.gsi.
gov.uk
an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State
for Communities and Local Government
Decision date:
22 September 2010
Appeal Ref: APP/J1860/D/10/2134076
Badgers Sett, Morton Green, Welland, Worcestershire, WR13 6LR
• The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
against a refusal to grant planning permission
• The appeal is made by P Garland against the decision of Malvern Hills District Council
• The application Ref 10/00638/HOU, dated 14 May 2010, was refused by notice dated 28
July 2010
• The development proposed is a domestic extension
Application for Costs
1. An application for costs was made by P Garland against Malvern Hills District
Council. This application is the subject of a separate decision.
Decision
2. I allow the appeal, and grant planning permission for a domestic extension at
Badgers Sett, Morton Green, Welland, Worcestershire, WR13 6LR in accordance
with the terms of the application, Ref 10/00638/HOU, dated 14 May 2010,
subject to the following conditions:
1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than three years
from the date of this decision.
2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance
with the following approved plans: 978-001A, 978-002, 978-004, 978-
005, 978-006, 978-007, 978-008 and 978-009
3) The materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of
the extension hereby permitted shall match those used in the existing
building.

Main issue
3. There is one main issue which is the effect of the proposed extension on the
character and appearance of the original and the existing dwelling and the
surrounding countryside.

Reasons
4. The appeal property, Badgers Sett is set in substantial grounds near the edge
of a scarp slope and has wide ranging views to the south east and south west.
It is well screened from land to the rear, which lies within the Malvern Hills
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), by existing vegetation. The
dwelling was originally a small cottage but has been significantly extended on a
Appeal Decision APP/J1860/D/10/21340762
number of occasions in the past and is now a substantial house. In
consequence much of the original cottage is masked by extensions and its
character has been considerably altered. However, part of the original front
elevation and one original side remain visible.

5. The proposed extension would result in a further significant enlargement of the
property. Nevertheless, the scale and design of the extension would be broadly
in keeping with that of the existing dwelling, it would have no material effect
on the living conditions of neighbours and it would not in my view adversely
affect the character or quality of the area or any important landscape or
topographical features, notwithstanding that it would be visible from a local
footpath. I therefore find no conflict with Policies DS3 and QL1 of the adopted
Malvern Hills District Local Plan 1996 – 2011 which expect new buildings to
respect and be appropriate to the surrounding area, including the immediate
setting and landscape character.

6. However, the extension would materially affect parts of the original building. It
would bring forward and replace part of the original front elevation and would
substantially alter the existing mixed, single storey and two storey side
elevation, replacing it with a uniform two storey wall and concealing that part
of the original dwelling which is currently visible. It would therefore conflict
with Policy CN9 (a) which requires extensions to be subordinate to the original
dwelling and not substantially alter their original character. Notwithstanding the
effect of the previous extensions, this policy conflict indicates that a further
extension to the dwelling would be inappropriate and that the appeal should
not succeed unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Of most
significance is the fallback position.

7. In March 2010 the Council approved a Certificate of Lawfulness for a
substantial extension to the front elevation of the dwelling. This would in part
cover the same footprint as the appeal scheme but would extend the dwelling
further forward, well beyond the existing front building line, and would be
larger and more visually intrusive than the appeal proposal. It would
incorporate a large expanse of glazing which would be uncharacteristic on the
principle elevation. Overall the extension would dominate and materially harm
the front of the building and would be the most prominent feature when viewed
from the nearby public footpath. Nevertheless, when seen from the side, part
of the original dwelling would remain visible, a fact to which the Council
attached significant weight. However, it would be dwarfed by the proposed
extension, which would have a higher ridge and eaves and would have an
awkward juxtaposition with the original roof.

8. The lawful extension would provide a spacious and practical internal layout and
I consider that there is a significant possibility that it would be built. This would
result in a dwelling that was larger than the appeal scheme and an extension
which, in my view, not only failed to be subordinate to or sympathetic with the
original cottage but also significantly harmed the character and appearance of
the existing dwelling and was materially detrimental to the character of the
surrounding area. I therefore find that substantial weight should be afforded to
this fallback position which I consider to be sufficient to outweigh the conflict
with Policy CN9 (a) that I have identified.
Appeal Decision APP/J1860/D/10/21340763

9. I conclude on the main issue that the materially detrimental effect that the
proposed extension would have on the character and appearance of the original
dwelling is clearly outweighed by the curtailing of the risk that the lawful,
fallback extension, which would have a seriously harmful effect on the
character and appearance of the existing dwelling and the surrounding
countryside, might be built. For this reason the appeal should be allowed.
10. The Council has suggested a condition requiring the proposed extension to be
built using materials which match the existing dwelling. This is necessary in
order to preserve the appearance of the dwelling and the surrounding area. In
addition, a condition requiring that the development is carried out in
accordance with the approved plans is necessary for the avoidance of doubt
and in the interests of proper planning.

11. Third parties, including the Parish Council, have raised objections to the appeal
proposal because they consider that the dwelling has been enlarged enough
already, that the proposed extensions would fail to comply with adopted Local
Plan policy and that the appellant is attempting to gain permission by
threatening to build something worse. However, the lawfulness of the larger
extension has been established and as such the appellant is entitled to exercise
his right to build it. This is a material planning consideration which I have found
to be of sufficient weight to justify allowing the appeal.

12. For the reasons set out above and having regard to all other matters raised I
conclude that the appeal should be allowed.
K E Down
INSPECTOR

Council waste strategy needs local people's views

2010-10-07T18:31:00.000+01:00

Worcestershire County Council wants to know what local people think about how all the waste produced in the county should be managed, including possible locations for where waste management facilities could be allowed or, if not, why not and what they think it should say.

More than 50 locations, mostly industrial estates, have been identified as being suitable in principle for waste facilities, provided they also comply with a whole set of tests to protect the environment and local people. All of the details have been put online and the council wants to know whether Worcestershire residents agree with the plans.

Access more here:-

BT - The Race to Infinity

2010-10-04T09:55:00.000+01:00

BT - The Race to Infinity

Man, 76, avoids jail over Castlemorton Asbo breaches

2010-09-17T09:11:00.000+01:00

Richard Dawe, 76, of Hollybed Street, Castlemorton, must observe a curfew after admitting three breaches of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). An elderly man who tormented his neighbours by singing loudly outside their homes and insulting them has been given a 16-week suspended jail term.

The Asbo bans him from causing neighbours fear or distress, Worcester Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Police said Dawe subjected neighbours to daily verbal abuse and threats.

Sgt Geoff Murphy, from South Worcestershire Police, said Dawe had been the subject of Asbos since 2004 and had breached them on several occasions.

In December 2008 he was charged with breaching the Asbo in the Worcestershire village, he said.

Mr Murphy said: "It started with threats, verbal abuse and from there it just moved on to (what) some people would regard as perhaps antagonising behaviour but when it happens day after day after day and you wake up with a knot in your stomach not knowing if it's going to happen again today it must be a pretty awful feeling."

Dawe was given a three-month curfew which requires him to be at home between 2200 and 0600.

Draft Minutes September meeting

2010-09-16T13:17:00.001+01:00

CASTLEMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

Draft minutes of the meeting of Castlemorton Parish Council held on
Thursday 2nd September 2010 at the Parish Hall, commencing at 7.30p.m.

Present:

Angus Golightly (Chairman), Mary Watts, Bill Bowen, Lionel Bartlett, & Don Lupton,

In Attendance:
Members of the Public:	0

27/2010. Apologies

Apologies Cllrs. Smallwood,Bradshaw,Downs & Fryman and accepted, also District Cllr. Watkins.

28/2010. Declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest.

29/2010. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

It was RESOLVED that the draft minutes of the annual meeting of 6^th July 2010 were a true record of that meeting.

30/2010. Progress Reports

Footpaths: As Parish Path Warden the Chairman reported that he had advised the County Council of temporary closure of footpaths CM562 (North end) & CM 564 (West end) whilst bridge/drainage/improved access work was carried out by local resident (Mr David Wood) at the rear of his property Bannut Tree Cottage. Mr Wood having previously contacted the County Council to no avail. The work is near completion and the Chairman has reinstated the footpath way signs.
The chairman reported that there was confusion over the finalisation of work to complete footpath CM 595 in the area of Chandlers Cross. The fence obstruction was to be removed and a new footpath finger post erected. The residents have now expressed concerns about track maintenance. Cllrs agreed that this footpath would be maintained in a similar manner to all other parish footpaths including those in conjunction with Malvern Hills Conservators and finalisation of said footpath be completed ASAP.
Highways 17/2010: Clerk was seeking written/verbal confirmation from the County Council of the areas of repair actioned and to be actioned. Only a Hub receipt to date.

Further highway matters to be reported include damaged marker bollards opposite The Old Smithy on the B4208, south side of New Road and pot holes along quarry road in the vicinity of Bowling Green Farm.
Winter Service Report completed by County Council. Awaiting news of grit bins.

31/2010. Finance Report

Payments

It was RESOLVED that the following payments be made:

	£	£	Description	Authorised Payment	Cleared
Balance 6^th July		11648.25

Less Expenditure
No 656 Clement Keys	158.63		External Audit	Yes	No
No 657 Clerk	126.98		Wages Aug/Sept	Yes	No
No 658 Watts	52.00		Parish Hall blinds	Yes	No
Less		337.61
Monies Available 2^nd September		£11,310.64

NB Clement Keys charge rates are directed by Councils receiving grants hence this invoice is an increase on previous years.

32/2010 District Councillor Report

Cllr Watkins reported on:

The impending Medium Term Financial Plan

Changes affecting the NHS across Worcestershire including management of the new Malvern Hospital.

33/2010. Planning

a) Report of planning applications received/decided since last meeting was noted.

Number Description Address Status

10/0622/HOU	Proposed 2 storey rear and side extension with dormer windows.	Sherwood Cottage Eight Oaks	MHDC: Approved 14/7/10
10/0648/HOU	Demolition of outbuilding and construction of single storey extension to provide dependent accommodation	Grove farm Druggers End Castlemorton	MHDC: Approved 3/8/10
10/0638/HOU	2 storey side & front extension alternative to approved scheme. 10/00106/CPU	Badgers Sett Morton Green	MHDC: Refused 28/7/10. Applicant appealed 18/8/10
10/00910/HOU	New entrance and replacement roof over existing garage.	Hope Orchard Glos. Rd. Castlemorton	PC: No objection

In his absence Cllr Fryman had previously reported to the Parish Council that he had received acknowledgement from his letter to Harriet Baldwin MP re permitted development. (Minute 17/2010)This includes responses from The Planning Inspectorate and Communities and Local Government. In conclusion the aim is to ''radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which the inhabitants live.''

Alleged Breach of Control re Biddles Farm & Caravan at Broomhill Coppice. MHDC have allocated a Physical Harm Priority 3 to both these cases and they will be investigated by the Enforcement Officer.

34/2010. Correspondence

A list of the correspondence, Appendix 1 received, was advised by the clerk to councillors and hardcopies were available for Councillors to view.

35/2010. Parish Hall Trust

Trustees reported;

2 blinds have been purchased for the west windows at a cost of £52.00 and awaiting installation.
Faulty fan in the ladies toilet, RESOLVED new fan be purchased/fitted by electrician asap.
Specification for replacement windows being presently sought.

Chairman reported that the Bat Survey by J Birks of Swift Ecology (at a quoted cost of £988 plus vat) was under way the first count recently conducted.

Still seeking 25% support grants to the main Leader application for the major proposed capital work on the Parish Hall. Looking at Awards For All, Landfill and Community First – Grass Roots.

In anticipation of success with grant applications it was RESOLVED to seek support with Bank Rolling (Bridging Loan) from MHDC – Finance & Resources as previously advised by Joel Killer. This would assist finances, so paying contractors when tasks completed prior to grant receipts.

36/2010. Big Chill

Revenue for Parish Hall Trust following donation from ticket receipts was £1,775.00.
The chairman was due to meet Big Chill organisers for a post event evaluation.

37/2010. CALC Updates

Particular Issues:

Competence and The Big Society & Capping the Precept

38/2010. Any Other Business/Items for the next Meeting:

Any further agenda items should be advised to the Clerk prior to the next meeting including any areas of work within the remit of the Lengsthman.

39/2010. Next Meeting

It was RESOLVED that the next meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on Thursday 4^th November 2010 in the Parish Hall.

Future dates for Parish Council meetings as follows:

Thursday 13^th January 2011 NB THIS IS A DATE CHANGE

Thursday 10^th March 2011 Thursday 12^th May 2010

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 9.50 pm.

Nimby' charter will help small groups block development. Good or Bad?

2010-08-15T09:39:00.000+01:00

David Cameron's Big Society vision will make it easier for a handful of Nimbys to block new homes in rural areas, killing village life and hastening the demise of post offices, schools and pubs, a damning report will warn this week. It condemns a plan to allow just 10 per cent of villagers to block new homes for local people as a "giant step backwards".

Proposed Development Hope Orchard,

2010-08-14T10:12:00.001+01:00

New Entrance and Roof over Garage. ref:10/00910/HOU

Image Album. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Jerry.Fryman/HopeOrchard2010August?feat=directlink

From Hope Orchard 2010 august

Eastnor Parish Council Unhappy with the BIG CHILL Arrangements.

2010-08-04T15:06:00.009+01:00

This is a copy of a letter sent to all the Eastnor Parish residents.
______________________________

EASTNOR and DONNINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

As from: 2 The Triangle, Eastnor, HR8 1RA

31st July 2010

To the Residents of the Village of Eastnor, Forming part of the above mentioned Parish.

The wording and presentation of some of the letters you have received concerning this year's event have not been in the style or tone that we would have liked; indeed letters from Big Chill Republic were meant to have been sent to us for approval prior to postage. Big Chill Republic have apologised for this as an oversight on their part.

When the original organisers of the Big Chill first brought the festival here in 2001 this council was asked if it would distribute free one day tickets for the residents of the parish on their behalf, as with intimate local knowledge we would be able to do so most fairly. At that time it was agreed within the council that this activity, whilst being more in line with what a residents association might do and NOT within the remit of a Parish Council, could be included within it's activities, as a gesture of goodwill both to the festival and the residents.

Every year the Parish Council has acted in accordance with the wishes of the organisers of the Big Chill as to what is given to whom and when, not on any other initiative.

The new owners of the Big Chill, rather than being a new organisation of old faces, are a much larger organisation with more experience in facilitating an event of this nature on this scale. In fact, this is a rather smaller event than some others in their portfolio, with a lower public profile. Understandably, they do things differently, hopefully better than we have experienced before, because it is what works elsewhere.

Collecting money from residents in return for access to the event is something that they do, with success, elsewhere. This is why you have been asked for £25 for each adult at your home, and why you have been asked to make payment to this Parish Council, even though the ticket remains ostensibly free.

When this was presented to us, we replied that we did not think that this would be acceptable here, even though the principle is laudable and that things could probably always have been this way.

However, it is not this Council's decision to make, nor is it within it's power to oppose. Nor was the subsequent decision that some residents should not pay at all.

Whilst we regret all this, we are not in a position to do anything about it. Any resident who wishes to do so must make any complaint to Big Chill Republic.

In the case of any local inconvenience before or during the festival Big Chill Republic (01531 635371) are keen to be informed as soon as possible so that it may be dealt with as swiftly as possible. In the case of any suspected criminal activity or trespassing then the Police must be informed as well.

We and Big Chill Republic are keen to hear any and all comments about this year's event, and plan to hold a public meeting at around the time of the next scheduled Parish Council meeting at the end of September.

Matthew Collis-Long, Chair,

Eastnor & Donnington Parish Council

Villages could get housing development powers

2010-07-23T09:30:00.000+01:00

The government plans to enable villages in England to build homes without seeking council planning permission.

Watch this space and prepare to wear your seatbelt... arguments could tear villages apart.

Follow this link:-

BIG CHILL 5th - 6th AUGUST 2010

2010-06-22T08:21:00.000+01:00

CASTLEMORTON PARISHIONERS
BIG CHILL 5th - 6th AUGUST 2010
Application forms for Big Chill Festival Neighbours
Tickets ( for residents of Castlemorton ) are available
from the Parish notice board at Castlemorton Parish Hall,
Church Road, Castlemorton, WR13 6BE
Closure date for applications ( only on their form ) is
FRIDAY 9th JULY. Please read their detailed information
carefully & follow the instructions accurately
CPC

Badgers Sett Proposed Front & Rear Elevations June 2010

2010-06-11T14:16:00.001+01:00

Please comment folks!I have sent the documentation to all and I am sure that MHDC will be interested in your opinion

Lib Cons new manifesto for communities and local government.

2010-05-20T15:40:00.008+01:00

The Government believes that it is time for a fundamental shift of power from Westminster to people. We will promote decentralisation and democratic engagement, and we will end the era of top-down government by giving new powers to local councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals.
•
We will promote the radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. This will include a review of local government finance.
•
We will rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils, including giving councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing’.
•
In the longer term, we will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning.
•
We will abolish the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission and replace it with an efficient and democratically accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects.
•
We will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities.
•
We will maintain the Green Belt, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other environmental protections, and create a new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities.

•
We will abolish the Government Office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government Offices.
•
We will provide more protection against aggressive bailiffs and unreasonable charging orders, ensure that courts have the power to insist that repossession is always a last resort, and ban orders for sale on unsecured debts of less than £25,000.
•
We will explore a range of measures to bring empty homes into use.
•
We will promote shared ownership schemes and help social tenants and others to own or part-own their home.
•
We will promote ‘Home on the Farm’ schemes that encourage farmers to convert existing buildings into affordable housing.
•
We will create new trusts that will make it simpler for communities to provide homes for local people.
•
We will phase out the ring-fencing of grants to local government and review the unfair Housing Revenue Account.
•
We will freeze Council Tax in England for at least one year, and seek to freeze it for a further year, in partnership with local authorities.
•
We will create directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors.
•
We will give councils a general power of competence.
•
We will ban the use of powers in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) by councils, unless they are signed off by a magistrate and required for stopping serious crime.
•
We will allow councils to return to the committee system, should they wish to.
•
We will abolish the Standards Board regime.
•
We will stop the restructuring of councils in Norfolk, Suffolk and Devon, and stop plans to force the regionalisation of the fire service.
•
We will impose tougher rules to stop unfair competition by local authority newspapers.
•
We will introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to bid to take over local state-run services.
•
We will implement the Sustainable Communities Act, so that citizens know how taxpayers’ money is spent in their area and have a greater say over how it is spent.
•
We will cut local government inspection and abolish the Comprehensive Area Assessment.
•
We will require continuous improvements to the energy efficiency of new housing.
•
We will provide incentives for local authorities to deliver sustainable development, including for new homes and businesses.
•
We will review the effectiveness of the raising of the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers.
•
We will give councillors the power to vote on large salary packages for unelected council officials.

Read the full deal here DIRECT GOV It downlads a PDF for you to read at your leisure.

Anyone up to 40Megabit's! this is an option.

2010-04-19T18:44:00.001+01:00

Following the official launch of the next-generation broadband services in Lyddington this afternoon, Rutland Telecom has announced similar plans to enable the village of Erbistockclose to the Welsh-English border, bringing 'up to 40 meg' speeds to a rural area where many people currently receive no broadband services at all.

"Rutland Telecom is encouraging and assisting rural communities to explore ways of raising the necessary capital such as looking at partnerships or joint ventures, which will ensure local investors get a financially attractive and acceptable rate of return. Its financial model takes into account potential population sign up and service charges and can demonstrate not only the investment required but a rate of return to be enjoyed by those willing to take part. Over the past few months we have been in discussion with several groups outside of Rutland who have all expressed interest in what we have achieved here.
This will be a joint venture between Rutland Telecom and a local group of investors. They will use the higher speeds delivered by the Next Generation Broadband service to assist with their rural commercial office development. It will also allow them to benefit the local community by providing a service in that area."
Mark Melluish, Rutland Telecom

MORE

Remember Environmental Forum Wed 14th

2010-04-11T17:07:00.000+01:00

A Discussion on Generating Electricity from the Sun
Make 8% p.a. Tax Free
In the Parish Hall at 7:30 on Wednesday the 14^th of April.
A presentation by local resident Don Lupton describing the installation, cost, performance and income from his recently installed photovoltaic system.
Entry is Free
Everyone is Welcome

LISTEN TO BBC COSTING THE EARTH - GENERATOR IN YOUR BACK GARDEN

Amended plans for Bradfords Farm

2010-03-27T12:22:00.004Z

We have recieved amended plans for the replacement farm.

You can view the elevations and plans here.

From Bradfords Farm Ammended Plans 12-3-2010

SPONSOR A YOUNG FARMER

2010-03-22T18:58:00.002Z

TOMS TOP TO BOTTOM CHALLENGE

Parish Clerk Needed

2010-03-19T10:25:00.001Z

Our existing Parish Council Clerk has left us and we seek another.

If you are interested in this fascinating administrative role please contact us.

Badgers Sett Update

2010-03-19T10:24:00.002Z

Planning Application Summary

Planning Application Summary for 10/00106/CPU

Officer name	Sarah Errington
Type of application	Certificate of Lawful Proposed Use
Decision	Approval (Lawful Proposed Use/Dev)
Decision date	10/03/2010
Appeal decision
Appeal date
Subject to 106	Not Subject to a S106
Type of development	Q26 Other - Certificates of Lawful Development
Ward	Morton Ward
Parish	Welland CP

ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM 14th April

2010-03-14T16:57:00.006Z

LISTEN TO BBC COSTING THE EARTH - GENERATOR IN YOUR BACK GARDEN

Bradfords Farm - rebuild plans

2010-02-23T18:27:00.002Z

I have archived the drawings for the proposed rebuild of Bradfords Farm.

You can view the plans here. Please comment below the Parish Council would like to hear your views of this application in such a sensitive area.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Jerry.Fryman/BradfordsFarm?feat=directlink

Badgers Sett - application Jan - Feb 2010

2010-02-02T09:32:00.002Z

From Badgers Sett. 2010

Re Application 10/00106 View the documentation on the Malvern Hills Application Search. ( a tedious process!)

We have received a rather unusual application from Mr Garlands agent. He is applying for a Lawful Development Certificate for a Proposed Use or development. This relates to some plans that he has submitted to define the proposal.

I have attached a number of documents that I hope you will peruse carefully. You will remember that we have had a number of problems with developments from this applicant and opposed his last submission to build a two story gabled extension on the rear and to replace a substandard lean to building. He was, despite our entreaties granted permission for this latest development.

Clearly this does not suit his requirements and new plans would indicate that he has revisited the project. Though this time he is employing a new tactic that he hopes will push through his proposal

In effect Mr Garland proposes to build all the previous extensions but also add some very llarge additions to the front elevation of the building.

The internal layout will be extensively modified and rationalised.

I enclose images of the proposal here:-

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Jerry.Fryman/BadgersSett2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNLVs4qc1cK4qgE&feat=directlink

There are 8 pictures, best viewed as a slide show, please allow sufficient time for them to download, I was loath to degrade their quality. The last two images have I included to remind you of the front elevation and the ground floor plan also gives you indication of the existing internal layout.

We have consistently objected to Mr Garlands proposals on the grounds of scale and inappropriate design. The original cottage (not a farm as he states) has been swamped by his previous extensions. This proposal would completely obliterate the original building.

In no way is it subservient to the original building or even the extended building. If you look carefully at the proposal the cottage can now be found as the 'lobby' in the centre of the building.

In some ways I would argue that it may be better if the whole building were demolished and an architect brought in to design something new and with some architectural integrity.

However we see in the letter from Sarah Errington we cannot object on the planning merits of the development, use, operation or activity in the application (such as amenity, design or landscape impacts) as these are not relevant . The issue of a certificate depends entirely on factual evidence about the history and planning status of the building or other land and the interpretation of any relevant planning law or judicial authority.

I personally see this as an attempt to circumvent normal planning procedures and local consultation. As the Castlemorton PC have proved difficult in the past the applicant is seeking a 'lawful' method of achieving his wishes. Thereby bypassing any planning consultation and and any constraints that may temper or modify the development.

The Planning department will be in a better position to rule on the 'lawfulness' of the application. The main issue relates to the new front extension which is applying for lawfulness as a permitted development. If granted the building could proceed and would be built without any further planning application.This refers to the amended Town and Country Planning Acts. details of which can be found here.

http://www.england-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20082362_en_1

We can only urge them to take care, as if they bow to legal pressure or the threat of further legal challenge we would be left with a precedent and an example that would be used by others to initiate other unfortunate and very inappropriate developments of which this is a example. As you can see from the front elevation the new building is in my opinion not a thing of beauty and compounds some very unfortunate designs.

We are seriously concerned that 'permitted' developments will proliferate. Extensions will be added to extensions and any notion of aesthetic or architectural integrity will be lost. If we cannot be consulted as to the merits of the proposal then the exercise is irrelevant and academic and can only be seen as a cynical attempt to bypass any planning consultation.

Please let me have your views and I will proceed with a statement that reflects your wishes. If you read the supporting statement you may well find issues that can be challenged. You can view the original on the planning hub. Comment on this site yourself using the appropriate link. The deadline is 11th February 2010

Jerry Fryman

CASTLEMORTON PARISH COUNCIL Draft Minutes of the Meeting of Castlemorton Parish Council held on Thursday 14th January 2010 at the Parish Hall, comm

2010-01-22T14:36:00.001Z

Present:	Angus Golightly (Chairman), Mary Watts, Joan Bedford, Lionel Bartlett, Jerry Fryman, Don Lupton, Beverley Bradshaw
In Attendance:	District Councillor David Watkins
Members of the Public:	-

There were no members of the public in attendance.

2010/56. Apologies

Apologies were received and accepted from Councillors Bowen and Downs.

2010/57. Declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest.

2010/58. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

It was RESOLVED that the draft minutes of the meeting of Tuesday 10^th November 2009 circulated before the meeting were a true record of that meeting and be signed as such by the Chairman.

2010/59. Matters arising

There were none.

2010/60. Finance Report

a) Payments

It was RESOLVED that the following payments be made:

Cheque no. 639 – AV Brown Replacement Parish Hall Central

Heating boiler £2455.56

Cheque no. 640 – Castlemorton PCC re churchyard

Maintenance £ 350.00

Cheque no. 641 – S. Normington Wages & expenses November £ 95.09

Cheque no. 642 – S. Derbyshire Structural Engineer inspection

Of Parish Hall £ 207.00

Cheque no. 643 – S. Normington Wages & expenses December £ 49.52

_____

£3157.17

b) Current Financial Situation

Income since 10^th November

None

Expenditure since 11^th November

Cheque no. 639 – AV Brown Replacement Parish Hall Central

Heading boiler £2455.56

Cheque no. 640 – Castlemorton PCC re churchyard

Maintenance £ 350.00

Cheque no. 641 – S. Normington Wages & expenses November £ 95.09

Cheque no. 642 – S. Derbyshire Structural Engineer inspection

Of Parish Hall £ 207.00

Cheque no. 643 – S. Normington Wages & expenses December £ 49.52

_____

£3157.17

Balance as 14.01.10 - £10,359.96

Unpresented cheques

Cheque no. 643 – S. Normington Wages & expenses December £ 49.52

Available monies as at 14.01.10 - £10,310.44

2010/61. Section 137 Grant

A request had been received asking for support for the maintenance of Hollybush Churchyard. This item was discussed and it was pointed out that members of the public attended both Castlemorton and Hollybush churches, with many Castlemorton Parishioners choosing to be buried at Hollybush church (particularly those who live on the Common). It was therefore RESOLVED that the Parish Council would award a Section 137 Grant to the value of £200.00 in support of this issue, however this was only for the current financial year and any future payments would have to be requested and agreed at subsequent meetings.

2010/62. Budget and Precept Financial Year 2010/11

A draft budget had been circulated to all members of the Parish Council prior to the meeting. It was discussed in details and it was agreed that it represented a fair budget for the coming financial year. It was therefore RESOLVED that the precept for the financial year 2010/11 be kept the same level of £4000 (this has remained unchanged for the past 10 years).

2010/63. District Councillors Report

District Councillor David Watkins was in attendance. He advised the Parish Council that the District Council is also considering its precept for the next financial year and is very aware of the need to keep rises in Council Tax to the minimum.

He advised the Parish Council that the next re-cycling collection system will come into force in April of this year and publicity regarding this issue is do to start soon.

The recent meeting of the Malvern Hills Conservators had discussed the issue of telephone boxes and their removal by BT. Like the Parish Council the Conservators do not wish to adopt the box at Feathers Pitch but do feel that it should be retained as a working box. The Clerk advised Mr. Watkins that the Parish Council had written to MHDC in this regard and agreed that this box should be retained as a working amenity.

DC Watkins raised the issue of the proposed electronic planning process and felt that this would detract from the level of consideration that Parish Councils would be able to give individual planning applications. He felt that Parish Councils should resist this change.

DC Watkins advised that the Highways Department are very busy trying to fill all the potholes in the County, with the recent bad weather adding to their workload. At present there are 11 teams working with 8 further teams to join them. Any potholes needing attention should be reported to Highways through the MHDC Hub.

He also reminded the Parish Council of Rural Rate Relief which is available to rural businesses. The District Council financial part of the relief and with a proportion being supplied by Parish Councils using their powers under Section 137 Grants. He enquired whether this would be of interest to the two public houses within the Parish.

The Parish Council raised the lack of saltboxes within the Parish, in particular at Hollybed Street where the recent icy weather caused an accident. One of the first tasks that the new Lengthsman will carry out is cutting grips in the verges to try and alleviate the flow of water down Hollybed Street to help alleviate this problem in the future.

2010/64. Planning

There had been no planning applications or issues since the last meeting.

2010/65. Correspondence

A comprehensive list of the Correspondence received was circulated prior to the meeting and hardcopies were available for Councillors to review if necessary.

2010/66. Parish Hall Trust

The Parish Hall Trust had met on 1^st December and discussed the wish list of improvements to the Parish Hall and the items for inclusion on the grant application.

Since the last Parish Council meeting a Structure Engineer had undertaken a visual inspection of the Hall and had advised that the best course of action regarding the porch was to take down the original structure and build a replacement. Since then Councillor Bartlett had prepared some outline plans that showed a new porch with the inclusion of toilets. Councillor Golightly had obtained an estimate for rebuilding the porch, initially just as a straight replacement and this was estimated at £7300. The inclusion of toilets would add a further £10,000. The issue of replacing the porch and its specification (with or without toilets) was discussed at length. After much discussion it was proposed by Councillor Fryman that the Parish Council should rebuild the porch, making it large enough to accommodate toilets at a later date. This proposal was carried. It was then proposed that the rebuilding of the porch be included in the grant application – this was also carried.

The other items to be included in the Leader Project grant application will be:

Replacement windows – estimated cost £2,500.00

Photovoltaic panels – estimated cost £25,000.00

Lagging of internal walls – estimated cost £10,300.00

It was also agreed that the purchase of the additional land to the rear of the Parish Hall would not be progressed.

Councillor Golightly advised the Parish Council that the date for the submission for ‘Intention to Apply for Grants’ is 5^th February 2010, with the latest date for full submission of all information and three quotations for each item being 12^th March. This causes some problems as Councillor Golightly is not available for most of February, however the Leader Project will allow some leeway for the submission of this information. This will mean that the Parish Council will not have to wait until the next date for applications, which is in June.

Councillor Lupton provided the Parish Council with the latest information regarding the installation of the Photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Parish Hall. He advised that they should generate 5.4Kw peak and the Parish Council would have to apply for the Planning Permission as they are to be sited on a public building (not required for domestic installation).

2010/67. Lengthsman Scheme

Councillor Golightly is in touch with Jeremy Moore who works as Lengthsman to Welland Parish Council with the idea that he should work for Castlemorton Parish Council for half to one day per month. The Clerk has obtained all the necessary paperwork from the Co-ordinator at Worcestershire County Council. Councillor Golightly will progress with Mr. Moore.

2010/68. Any Other Business/Items for the next Meeting

· Items for the next meeting – Parish Hall Trust, Employment of a Lengthsman

· Any further agenda items should be advised to the Clerk prior to the next meeting.

2008/55. Next Meeting

It was RESOLVED that the next meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on Thursday 11^th March 2010 in the Parish Hall.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 10.00 pm.

2010-01-04T11:53:00.007Z

Castlemorton Gardening Club

The next meeting of Castlemorton Gardening Club will be a garden visit to Hope End House, near Ledbury. This will be on Thursday, 15th July at 7.30pm. This beautiful five acre garden surrounds the childhood home of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Wine and nibbles will be provided, so let's hope for a fine evening. All are welcome to come but please note that parking is limited.

2009-11-16T17:12:00.000Z

Castlemorton Parish Hall

Thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, Awards for All, Castlemorton Parish Hall has been improved to enable its use by all members of the community. A dedicated disabled toilet has been created and baby-changing facilities have been installed. A further improvement, funded by the Parish Council from the precept, is the replacement of the boiler with a modern, more fuel efficient model. A grant from the Elmley Small Arts Grants Fund together with a generous donation from the Castlemorton Commons Committee has provided the hall with an improved lighting system featuring dimmable uplighters and spotlights, enabling more appropriate and atmospheric lighting for different events.

Low energy light bulbs were provided by the Marches Energy Agency in 2007 as a first step to making the hall more energy efficient. Currently, the Parish Council is reviewing what other improvements can be made to the fabric of the building to improve insulation and reduce fuel use, alongside other sustainable ‘green measures’.

The Parish Council holds occasional meetings of its Environmental Forum to disseminate information and discussion about green technologies and all interested people are welcome to attend.

To enquire about booking the hall, please contact Joan Bedford on 833441.