News

Between 1pm and 6pm on Thursday 2nd June 2022, twenty-six households in Kemble and Ewen, and
the plot holders of the Kemble Community Gardens, volunteered to open their gardens to the
parishioners to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. There was a good range of garden sizes, styles
and gardening philosophies. It gave people a chance to see how other people manage both flower
and vegetable growing and hopefully provide them with good ideas for their own gardens.
The great success of the Open Gardens Event is down to Lucinda Turner, Charlotte Barr and Jill
Kingston who came to the KEPC on 1st October 2021 to ask for support to put on this event. It was
they who promoted and encouraged residents to take part. It was Charlotte and Nicky Barrow who
created the excellent map/guide for the day. The organisers visited the gardens before the day and
helped the owners to complete the risk assessments on the yellow notices at the entrance to every
garden.

The plant sale at Kemble House raised £200 for church funds. Thank you to Lucinda and her
husband for hosting the gathering of garden owners on the Wednesday evening before the day. Thank
you to Pat Ayres for the terrific display of royal memorabilia which reminded us of what the
celebration was about. Thank you to the Parish Council for giving the grant for the printing of posters,
maps and notices.

Finally, thank you to all the gardeners who in some cases overcame anxieties about allowing people
to see their gardens, and despite what else may have been happening still let us in, and who worked
so hard to make them look so good.

There was an excellent response from the villagers with many people taking time to wander around a
selection of gardens during this sunny afternoon. It was lovely to hear various snippets of information
about the owners’ houses and gardens, as well as just enjoying the sheer beauty of such an array of
planting. Thank you to the owners for being so welcoming and friendly.

It was a marvellous Community Event that, for the participants, was so easy to join in. Our communal
sense of enjoyment during the afternoon seemed to reflect the joy that many people have felt in
celebrating the Queen’s amazing years of service.

Thank you to the garden openers for their complimentary and enthusiastic feedback!

If anyone else would like to make a comment or a suggestion about the event would they please
email Charlotte at charlotte.barr@me.com

GCC TRO team will be in the village hall on Wednesday 11 May from 2pm & 6pm with the latest proposals – please attend to share your views.

Our reference: SWM1 91m 28ch

Dear Neighbour,

Bridge inspections – Kemble area

We wanted to give you notice that we will be working near Kemble to carry out a detailed examination of the railway bridges in area.

We’ll be examining the bridge in Windmill Road in the (GL7 6AN post code area) and the bridge that carries the railway over the A433 Tetbury Road (post code area of GL7 6NZ).

So, our workforce and members of the public can be safe, we’ll need to close both roads while we are carrying out these exams. There will be a diversion in place throughout the closures, times and dates of these can be found below.

We know we’re working near your home though, and we’ll do everything we can to keep any unnecessary noise to a minimum wherever possible.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions or concerns about the work taking place in your area please call our dedicated 24-hour National Helpline on: 03457 11 41 41 or visit www.networkrail.co.uk/contactus.

GCC have begun work on the Local Cycle and Walking Infrastructure Plan for Cirencester, which includes analysis of two routes out to Kemble (the current NCN on-road route and an off-road option). This has just gone out to public consultation and will remain open until the end of the month, so please do submit your opinions and share with others who may wish to do so.

https://pinpointgcccycleroute.firebaseapp.com/lcwip

The UTPS was set up about thirty years ago to monitor the Thames from its source down stream to Lechlade. The general health of the river, the fish population, bank erosion, invasive species, blockages that may cause flooding, and the condition of the Thames path are some of the aspects of the river that we have corresponded about to the relevant authority. Although canoes are now able to paddle from Lechlade as far as Hannington Bridge, it is a particular aim of the Society to enable navigation up stream as far as Cricklade.

We have around forty members, and are keen to recruit more. Anybody willing to join the committee would be particularly welcome.

For further information please look at our website – WWW.upperthamesprotection.org.uk/    or phone Richard on -01285 861253

The next village litter pick will take place on Saturday 15 January. Meet at The Tavern at 10:30am for an 11am start. It should take about an hour. Refreshments available in The Tavern afterwards.

KEMBLE & EWEN PARISH COUNCIL

Community Grant Scheme

Each year, Kemble and Ewen Parish Council gives small grants to local groups and organisations that provide a service or social benefit to people living in Kemble, Kemble Wick, and Ewen.

This year a total fund of up to £700 is available.

Depending on the submissions, the parish council may divide this between several groups, or give it all to just one group.

Organisations are invited to apply for some (or all) of this money.  Application forms are available here

The deadline for completed applications is Friday 5 November 2021

Please note that any applications received after this date cannot be considered.

Aura Power have asked KEPC to make residents aware of the following:

‘We have a team of archeologists starting trial trench evaluations on the proposed solar site this week and are expected to last around 4-6 weeks. The findings of which will feed into the determination of the planning application.

The works will consist of a small team and one machine digging a series of trenches across the site which will be examined for archeological evidence. We do not anticipate any disruption to the village or surrounding neighbours.’

At the Parish Council meeting of August 23, 2021 it was resolved that the Parish Council would seek to delay the implementation and ask GCC to consider a phased approach. If this were not possible it would request that GCC revert to the drawings provided January 2021 with the omission of Old Manor Gardens and Clayfurlong Grove.

Following the meeting, GCC were contacted regarding the above but advised that they were unable to delay having already arranged an advertisement in the local newspaper for 26th August and would be going forward with the Public Consultation. As such, you may now have seen the details advertised by GCC.

A copy of the 2017 Order, the draft Variation Order and the consultation plans together with a copy of the Statement of Reasons, may be viewed at http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/tros or www.cotswold.gov.uk . Reference CB73299.

Any objections or representations in respect of the above should be sent in writing addressed to the Assistant Director of Legal Services, Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TG or emailed to highwayconsult@gloucestershire.gov.uk (please quote reference CB73299) no later than the 17th September 2021.

Any comments that you make concerning this proposal cannot be treated as confidential. For further details about how GCC deal with your comments and personal details can be found at http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/tros

Kemble & Ewen Parish Council

26 August 2021

Please be advised of the following closure:

• Windmill Road, Kemble

This road will be closed (as per the attached plan) from 22:00 25/10/21 to 06:00 26/10/21 to allow for railway bridge inspection by Network Rail.

Emergency and pedestrian access will be maintained.