Draycot Cerne

Annual Parish Meeting – 13th April 2016

All residents of Sutton Benger Parish are invited to attend your Annual Parish Meeting Wednesday 13 April 2016.

Along with an update from the Parish Council and other village organisations, there will be presentations by:

  • Meril Morgan, Arts Development Officer, Wiltshire Council – Ideas for an arts project within the village using the Arts Funding (£24,000) received from Redrow’s Park development
  • Daniel Everett, Flood Drainage Engineer, Wiltshire Council – Details of the flood mitigation works in Seagry Road and on the High Street.

An informal social session rounds off the meeting when you will be able to enjoy some Cheese and Wine.

The Date: Wednesday 13th April 2016
The Time: 7.45pm
The Venue: Sutton Benger Village Hall

Contact Linda Bragg, Parish Clerk for further details on 07757 351584 or via the contact form.

PDF iconDownload the invitation

 

 

Clerk’s Report: December 2015

Parish Council Latest News from Linda Bragg, Parish Clerk – December 2015

There is no Parish Council Meeting in December but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy….

Salt Bin – We have purchased a new high-capacity salt bin to ensure that the village has adequate supplies before the weather deteriorates.  It has been installed at the Village Hall on the left-hand side of the entrance (where the old recycling bins used to be).

B4069 Weight Restriction –Wiltshire Council is considering the implementation of a permanent 18 tonne weight restriction (except for access) for the route from Draycot Cerne to Lyneham.  However, prior to any final decision being taken, it has been decided that an informal pre-consultation process should take place, to ensure that there are no issues with the proposal and the Parish Council (PC) were asked to comment by 6th January 2016.  We have fully supported the proposal.

Draycot Cerne Chapel – Work was completed in early December 2015 on the new roof for the Draycot Cerne Chapel of Rest.  The result of the hard work by a small team of volunteers that set up a charity to repair and maintain this important and much loved, albeit abused feature of the DC community.

Many people don’t realise, but when the tiles were stolen from the roof, it became apparent that the chapel and graveyard is owned by the people of the village. It was given to the village in the late 1800’s. In the past it has always been maintained by village residents on a voluntary basis and since the early 1980s this has been done almost entirely by Rueben Couzens, to whom we are indebted.  The PC were pleased to support the repair of the roof by granting the Friends of Draycot Cerne Chapel £500 under the Community Grant Fund.

New Benches on the Rec – The PC has purchased two new benches costing £1,128, which are now installed on the Playing Field.  The benches were donated to the Sutton Benger Village Hall as part of the playground renovation project.

Arms Farm – the Appeal was Dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate on the 11 December 2015.

Read the Planning Inspectorate’s full decisionPDF icon

Vacancies – there are currently 4 vacancies on the PC and it would be great to have some new Councillors to join us.  If we cannot fill the vacancies there is a danger that Wiltshire Council may have to make direct appointments of people (from outside our community) as parish councillors.  Please contact the Parish Clerk for more information or tel: 07757 351584.

Overgrown Hedges –Land owners (including Wiltshire Council) and occupiers are required by law to trim any hedge or grass next to a road, footway, cycle way or public right of way where the growth is preventing the passage, or affecting the safety, of the highway user, including cyclists and pedestrians.  Report an Overgrown Hedge, Verge or Footpath to:

Wiltshire Council Highways / Street Care Service – 0300 456 0105

Email: localhighways@wiltshire.gov.uk

www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/roadshighwaysstreetcare/mywiltshireregister.htm

Or via the MyWiltshire app – available to download at both the App Store (for iPhones and iPads) and from Google Play™ (for Android phones).

The next Parish Council Meeting is on Wednesday 13 January 2016 at the Sutton Benger Village Hall, commencing at 7.45pm.

We would like to Wish You All A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Draycot Cerne Chapel of Rest Has its New Roof

Draycot Cerne Chapel of RestIf you’ve driven down the Draycot Straight during the hours of daylight you can’t have failed to notice that, after being in a state of disrepair for a number of years, the Draycot Cerne Chapel of Rest has a new roof.

This was completed in early December 2015 as a result of the hard work by a small team of volunteers that set up a charity to repair and maintain this important and much loved, albeit abused feature of the DC community.

Many people don’t realise, but when the tiles were stolen from the roof, it became apparent that the chapel and graveyard is owned by the people of the village. It was given to the village in the late 1800’s. In the past it has always been maintained by village residents on a voluntary basis and since the early 1980’s this has been done almost entirely by Rueben Couzens, to whom we are indebted.

The situation highlighted the need for a formalisation of the ownership of this village asset for a number of reasons. One of the fundamental issues is that the building was not insured and you cannot insure something you don’t have a legal claim to, i.e., a tenancy or legal title. The team set upon the road to achieve legal title of the property to be able to repair it, insure it and secure its future as a village asset for generations to come.

The charity was established, which subsequently made a successful claim to the Land Registry to hold the title of the chapel and cemetery.  This will give current and future residents control and security of what is our only communal asset, and primarily our ability to be in charge of our own place of rest for evermore, for those already resting there and those whose wish  to be there at some point in the future.

The Friends of Draycot Cerne Chapel’s sole purpose is for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery and chapel.

The target is £15,000 in order to get the roof repaired and to pay for insurance for several years. Whilst the team have raised the funds to repair the roof, which was the primary objective, the target has not been met and there are a number of other jobs that need doing. It is hoped that people may still be kind enough to donate in the future.

The Parish Council was pleased to provide £500 under the Community Grant Fund scheme to be used towards the repair of the roof.

For more information, or to make a donation, please contact the Trustees: Philip Greenhill, Richard Dutton or Jeremy Bent or by post to: Friends of Draycot Cerne Chapel, C/O Lake Farm, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, SN15 4SQ.