Charlton Kings Parish Council: Our Year in Review 2022/23

A from the Chair Jan Honeywill

My first year as Chair of this remarkable Parish Council has been quite a journey! It has been a privilege to lead this dedicated team of elected councillors who work tirelessly without any payment, alongside our hardworking and efficient part-time staff. Together, we have managed to provide a full range of support for our community which you will read about in this review of our parish year 2022/23.

This publication has been made possible by the many hours of unpaid work volunteered by our Editor, Councillor Helen Evans, who has contributed her professional expertise for the benefit of all. This newspaper has been printed on 100% recycled paper, by a company whose printing presses are entirely solar powered.

It has been a difficult year for all of our residents in the current economic climate, and we have taken action to

Contents

3 MEET THE TEAM

The councillors and staff who make up Charlton Kings Parish Council.

4 HOW THE COUNCIL WORKS

An introduction to the structure and processes within the Council

5 LATEST NEWS

Read about two new projects - the Charlton Kings Library of Things and a Tree Guardian scheme

6-7 COMMUNITY EVENTS

The community events we run are a real highlight for us!

8-9 HEALTH & WELLBEING

One of the council's main priorities is the health and wellbeing of all members of our community

10-11 YOUNG PEOPLE

Read about the work we do with young people in our community.

12-13 CLIMATE, NATURE & PEOPLE

The CK Futures team work on a variety of projects and initiatives

14-15 GRANGE FIELD

Read about the improvements that have been made, and are planned, for this community green space

mitigate some of the after effects of lockdown and other unavoidable pressures, working with residents, businesses, schools, places of worship and partners in our parish and beyond.

This annual report, was put together collaboratively with contributions from our councillors and staff - we hope that this has allowed us to demonstrate the continued commitment and energy that is invested into our parish, Charlton Kings.

Please let us know your impressions by completing the brief questionnaire on the back pages. Your responses will guide us as we move forward and plan activities in 2023/24. As our strapline says, we continue 'working to support our community'.

Finally, if you have a few hours to spare, and can offer some skills or experience that could help us with our work, please consider applying to join us as a councillor. It is a very rewarding way to contribute to your own community, and we are a friendly and welcoming group of folk. Making the decision to become part of this has been one of the happiest choices I have ever made.

16-17 CHARLTON KINGS MAP

Some fascinating facts about Charlton Kings and an illustrated map of our community

18-19 ALLOTMENTS

Find out about Charlton Kings' allotments, and how you can get growing

20-21 CONSERVATION WORK

Read about the Parish Council's conservation work and its custodianship of Ravensgate Common

22-23 PATHS FOR ALL

The Parish Council helps look after the network of footpaths in Charlton Kings.

24 PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE

Find out about the Council's role in the preservation of Charlton Kings' historic places and monuments

25 PLANNING

Read about the Parish Council's role in the planning process for building development.

26-27 FINANCE

Find out how the Parish Council is funded.

28 ROADS & PAVEMENTS

Read about the Parish Council's role when it comes to maintaining our roads and pavements

29 COUNCILLOR DROP-INS

Come and meet us for a chat

30 INFORMATION

Where to get help with common issues and how to contact the Parish Council

31-32 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Tell us what you think in our Parish survey.

Meet the Team Councillors Staff

Allotments Committee

Councillors Alan Hawkins (Chair), Paul Cockwill, Janet Honeywill, Jane Morton, Pat Palmer

Committees

Community Assets Committee

Councillors Duncan Munro (Chair), Shane Beard, Ian Gosling, Russell Grimshaw, Penny Hall, Alan Hawkins, Ned Holt, Janet Honeywill, Pat Palmer

Community Engagement and Wellbeing Committee

Councillors Pat Palmer (Chair), Paul Cockwill, Helen Evans, Raj Gandhi, Penny Hall, Ned Holt, Janet Honeywill, Lynda Johnson, Jane Morton, Felicity Parnham

Finance & General Purposes Committee

Councillors Raj Gandhi (Chair), Alan Hawkins, Janet Honeywill, Duncan Munro, Pat Palmer, Felicity Parnham

Planning Committee

Councillors Russell Grimshaw (Chair), Shane Beard, Ian Gosling, Penny Hall, Ned Holt, Janet Honeywill, Pat Palmer

Ned Ho

Fel

Jan Honeywill almer

Duncan Munro

Jane Morton

Shane Beard

Penny Hall Ian Gosling

Lynda Johnson

Russell Grimshaw

Helen Evans Raj Gandhi

Paul Cockwill

Alan Hawkins

Joanna Noles Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer

Helen Johnston Deputy Clerk

AboutCharltonKings

harlton Kings is a large parish, with a population of over 10,000, which is surprisingly 75% rural despite the number of homes. It benefits from easy connection to the centre of Cheltenham and the surrounding countryside which is within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There are higher proportions of people aged 0-15 and over 65 in Charlton Kings than is the average for Gloucestershire and England and it is well served by a range of quality state and private, primary and secondary schools.

To many of its residents, Charlton Kings is a village that has always had a separate identity and which retains its village character and community feel.

It is a thriving, vibrant community with

many cultural, sporting and health and well-being groups. The area around St Mary’s parish church is a focal point for many, with the library, pubs, shops, Baptist Church, and schools close by. Grange Field and the Beeches provide play areas for children and space for community gatherings. The popular Charlton Kings Parish Council Summer

and Autumn Fayres are held here.

To the north there are the bustling shops, cafes, and pubs at Sixways, with Holy Apostles Church on the London Road; these serve those who live in nearby Ryeworth, Battledown and Ewens Farm. The QEII playing fields are on the outer boundary. On the western fringes of the parish, we find Charlton Park and Cox’s Meadow – a great space for exercise and coffee.

As you head south along the Cirencester Road there is Sacred Hearts Church, the Lilley Brook Golf Course, and Timbercombe Woods leading to Ravensgate and Charlton Kings Commons which provide the parish with a much welcome rural area for walks, cycling, and outdoor activities.

How the Parish Council Works

Council roles

ParishCouncilsarethefirsttieroflocalgovernment Theyarecomprisedofelected,unpaidcouncillors,aParishClerkand ResponsibleFinancialOfficer,andadministrativestaff Decisionsaremadeatmonthlymeetings,whichareopentothepublic Councillorsoftenworkinsub-commiteesandworkinggroups,onadiverserangeofprojects-fromenvironmentalandhealth relatedwork,toheritagepreservation,eventplanningandconservation Councillorsareencouragedtoinitiiateprojectsand initiativesthatwillbebeneficialtothecommunity.

Coming Soon: A Library of Things in Charlton Kings

CKFutures(theParishCouncil'sclimateinitiative),PlanetCheltenhamandVision ucestershire LibrariestorunapilotLibraryofThingson-siteattheCharltonKingslibrarythissummer.Membersofthelibrarywillbe abletoborrowitemsforasetamountoftimeforfree,andtheprocesswillbeverysimilartothatfollowedwhenborrowing abook

Initiallywewillacquireasmallnumberofitemsthatmembersofthecommunitywillbeabletoborrow,andweneedyour helptochoosethoseitems Visitwwwbitly/CKLibraryOfThingsorusetheQRcodetogotoanonlinesurveyandtellus whichitemsyouwoulduse,andifthereareanyotheritemsyouwouldliketheLibraryofThingstostock.

We have around 500 trees on roadsides around Charlton Kings, and the Parish Council is working with local resident and nature lover Mindy Pickering to form a community network of people who are looking out for these beautiful (and very useful) street trees.

The initiative aims to give everyone, no matter their knowledge level or free time, an easy way to look after their local street trees - making sure they are watered, healthy, and able to live on for many years to come.

If you would like to find out more about being a Tree Guardian in your street, there are a few ways you can get in touch.

Visit the Tree Guardians page on our website by visiting www.bit.ly/CKTreeGuardians or by using the QR code.

Email treeguardians@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

Join the Tree Guardians Facebook group at www.bit.ly/CKTreeGuardiansFB or use the QR code.

Community Events

The Parish Council hosted three events in 2022the Summer Fayre, the Autumn Fayre and the Christmas Fayre

The community events in Charlton Kings are a real highlight It is wonderful to see all age groups coming together to meet friends and family, local businesses showcasing their wares, and everyone having lots of fun Councillors also really enjoy meeting local residents and chatting with them about all things

Charlton Kings

Summer Fayre

Charlton Kings residents turned out again in June for the annual Summer Fayre, enjoying themselves despite the occasional downpour.

The entertainment on offer proved popular as always, as were the stalls manned by local businesses and craftspeople.

Local children enjoyed the funfair, the dog show proceeded with prizes duly allotted, the children’s entertainer was busy all afternoon and record sales were recorded on a number of stalls.

Our Charlton Kings Parish Council gazebos provided much information and interest, and councillors were able to obtain valuable feedback on future plans. charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

Saturday 17th June I 1 - 6pm I Grange Field

Autumn Fayre

Saturday 23rd September I 1 - 5pm I Grange Field

Christmas Fayre

Friday 1st December I 3 - 6pm I Church Piece

Autumn Fayre

he Autumn Fayre is a relatively new addition to our programme, the first one having been held in 2021 after the cancellation of that year's Summer Fayre due to lockdown.

Due to the huge success of that first September gathering, and the demand for a repeat, we decided to do it again in September 2022.

The young people from our local Air Training Corps were really helpful with setting up on the day, and they remained with us to supervise and join in playing with children on a set of Outdoor Vintage Games - a new element that proved very popular with children and parents. There was no charge to play, and no prizes, just the fun of friendly competition and lots of laughter.

The overall theme was care for the environment, with an emphasis on learning for the children with activities such as a wildlife trail, nature art and games. Our Charlton Kings Parish Council gazebos were very well attended again, with information available from our Health and Wellbeing and CK Futures teams (see detailed reports in this publication for more information) and we are most grateful to all residents who completed a survey on progress towards the environmental design and planting on Grange field. It was very helpful to receive this guidance on the next stages for the scheme. See page 15 for more information on this.

Many of the refreshment outlets were following the theme of looking after our planet, and brisk sales were achieved on stalls offering plant based foods. The children’s entertainer was as busy as ever and the raffle was very popular, mainly due to the incredible quality of the prizes. Thank you to all the local businesses who donated something.

Christmas Fayre & Light Switch On

The traditional Christmas Fayre and Light Switch On was enjoyed again by all. Father Christmas arrived with his beautiful reindeer and excitement levels were very high. The Charlton Kings Infant and Junior Schools also sang carols for us under the tree as it got dark.

Meanwhile, families could enjoy browsing the many craft and food stalls in the Stanton Hall, maybe picking up a few last minute Christmas gifts. Moosh Cafe and Smart Fish Bar were open throughout, and a local hostelry was on hand to supply drinks.

The funfair was there to provide rides and further excitement and a children’s entertainer mingled with the little ones with his clever tricks, balloon animals and other delights.

Families really appreciated the little bit of pre-Christmas magic and we have received very good feedback from many parishioners.

The Parish Council is keen to support any opportunities for people to get together and socialise, and among other things we also assisted with the Sixways Victorian themed Christmas event, where businesses stayed open late and various choirs and entertainers attended.

Our website and noticeboards carried advertisements and reminders and councillors and staff were always available to advise - many attending and enjoying themselves on the night. We hope that this event will grow in popularity and more people will discover the hidden gem that is the Sixways community.

or many people, connecting with support groups and outreach community services within their neighbourhoods is critical to achieving health and wellbeing. We want to connect our residents to the information they need to access these groups and services.

In 2020, we launched our first Health & Wellbeing Directory, and in 2022 we

Tackling the

As part of the council's Digital Inclusion project, we were delighted to welcome the DigiBus from IT Schools Africa to Charlton Kings in the Spring of 2022.

Over 2 days the DigiBus offered help to more than 20 individuals and small groups with setting up email accounts, accessing online shopping, doctor’s appointments, social media and video conferencing such as Facetime.

We look forward to welcoming the DigiBus to Charlton Kings again in 2023. Keep an eye on our website for details.

Skills Courses in CK

Digital Divide Digital

In partnership with Adult Education Gloucestershire and Charlton Kings Library, five 4-week digital skills courses were held throughout the year for 40 learners. We are in the planning stages for running more courses in 2023, working again with Adult Education, the library and Cheltenham Borough Homes.

Thefeedbackhasbeenoverwhelmingly positiveandwehopetorunmore coursesinthefuture

Julie King, Adult Education Learning CoOrdinator

Following the launch of Cheltenham Borough Council’s ‘Warm Cheltenham’ project in November 2022, we were very pleased that a number of local organisations (Charlton Kings Library, Holy Apostles Church, St. Mary’s Church and the Charlton Kings Club) offered their 'warm spaces' as part of the scheme for residents who were struggling to keep warm over the winter months.

We co-ordinated their efforts, creating

and coffee

We also opened up the Stanton Hall on a cold January Sunday afternoon to welcome residents to a comedy film show with refreshments.

Thanks to the charity Severn Wye, who gave us a box of their booklets on energy saving tips, which we distributed to several community organisations across the parish.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

Charlton Kings Parish Council is committed to finding solutions for tackling anti-social behaviour across the parish, working closely with agencies who have a statutory responsibility under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 – this includes the police and Cheltenham Borough Council. Working together with other agencies rather than in isolation gives all partners the opportunity to tackle local challenges effectively and to make a positive difference to community safety Here are details of the action being taken

YoungPeople

An ongoing project to support children and young people

in Charlton Kings.

Youth Work

Whilst public funds for intensive youth work programmes remain scarce, over the last two years the Parish Council has allocated funds to the Cheltenham wide Detached Youth work partnership project, co-ordinated by Cheltenham Borough Council. Two youth workers have been employed for the street-based work in Charlton Kings to engage with young people, build relationships and 'signpost' them to relevant information and health services. A recent review has highlighted additional

needs for young people, which the Parish Council is responding to with plans to run an independent pilot youth work project before the year end.

Youth Taskforce

Youth Working Group: Pat Palmer, Jan Honeywill, Joanna Noles, Lynda Johnson, Raj Gandhi

Did you know?

In 2022 a multi-agency Charlton Kings Youth Taskforce was formed by the police, supported by the Parish Council. The task force meets quarterly with the aim of sharing information, identifying problems and coming up with creative solutions to tackle anti- social behaviour.

You can report anti-social behaviour incidents as they occur through phoning 101 if the crime is not an emergency, or 999 if a crime is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger. You can also report an incident online by visiting www.bit.ly/ReportASBGlosPolice or by using the QR code.

Health & Wellbeing Survey

InlateNovember2021,over100 studentsfromYears8,9and10in BalcarrasAcademycompletedahealth andwellbeingsurveydesignedbythe CKHealthConnectProjectteam,with theassistanceofourpartnersEmily Vincent,EducationalPsychologistand teachersfromBalcarras.Wewantedto findouthowyoungpeoplehad experiencedlockdownandwhat supporttheyfelttheyneededgoing forward.Asummaryofthesefindings,

together with recommendations, were compiled in a report by Emily Vincent, commissioned by and presented to the Parish Council in March 2022.

Responses from the survey focused very much on the personal feelings of young people, who reported that what matters most to them in maintaining their health and wellbeing is 'being with friends and family', 'being listened to', 'support and validation', 'safety

and security', and participating in outdoor sporting and indoor recreational activities. Concerns were expressed about managing school homework and access to mental health support.

We have used the findings from the survey to help us to plan projects and activities to support young people in Charlton Kings.

Summer Activities 2022

The Parish Council sponsored a programme of summer activities for children and young people in August 2022, with over 250 children and young people, ages 4 – 18, attending events and workshops in the Stanton Hall, Kings Hall, Grange Field, and Timbercombe Woods

The programme featured a range of

Gavetheyoungpeopleachance

activities,includingartsandcrafts, digitalmedia,cookery,music,nature and sport.Someofouryoungpeople alsogotinvolvedintheGloucestershire

CountyCouncilHolidayActivity&Food Programme(HAF),ledbyInspireto Aspire,whofundedaseriesofsporting activities,lunches,andadaytripto'Go Ape'forestadventureparkintheForest ofDean.

WatchoutfordetailsofourAugust HolidayFunProgramme2023–Play, Bake,Create-onourwebsite.

Ifyouhaveanyideasforactivitiesyou wouldliketoseefeatured,please contactourDeputyClerkat

deputy@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

FeedbackfromSummerActivityPartners

Parentsreallyappreciated

Richard Opio works with young people through the Charlton Kings Baptist Church. Last summer he helped to run an open-air basketball event, JAM - Charlton Kings Basketball Collective, whose aim was to bring young people together to play basketball and eat together. He was recently successful in an application for a Community Grant from the Parish Council, enabling the Basketball Collective to develop the scheme further.

ThecommunitygrantawardedtotheCharltonKings BasketballCollectivehasenabledustostepforwardinour workwithyoungpeopleWiththefunding,weareabletoget equipmentthatwillbehelpfulindevelopingthebasketball skillsofyoungpeopleinCharltonKings

Thiswasabrilliantopportunity,and everyonemadethemostofit

Richard Opio, Charlton Kings Baptist Church

JAM - Charlton Kings Basketball Collective

A Parish Council initiative connecting people, climate and nature, supporting the community to live sustainably and tackle the climate and ecological emergencies.

We hear a lot about the climate and ecological crises, and it is an area that we know people in Charlton Kings are concerned about. But it is such a big and complex issue, and it is sometimes hard to know what we can do to help, whether as individuals, families, or as a community.

Charlton Kings Parish Council created CK Futures in 2020 as a way of working with the community to build a more sustainable future. We recognise that we all live our lives differently, and have varying levels of knowledge and awareness, so we see our role as one of connecting, informing, supporting and enabling people to take an active role in making change happen, in our own lives and as a community.

2022/23 was an incredibly busy one for CK Futures.

Our Councillor-led team hosted eight free evening events throughout the year, on a diverse range of subjectsfrom a workshop giving grown-ups ideas for things to do in nature with kids and a screening of the inspiring film '2040', to talks from Birmingham's Green City Manager Nick Grayson and Science Editor of the Times, Tom Whipple, discussing ways of tackling the climate and ecological emergencies.

Lead Councillors

Felicity Parnham & Helen Evans

We worked with local schools on climate and nature projects, including Charlton Kings Junior School, where we challenged pupils to get outdoors in the holidays and connect with nature in different ways.

We also recorded eleven 'Losing Our Cool' podcasts, collaborated on a series of Sustainable Living Workshops at the Front on Sixways and, perhaps our favourite project of the whole year, we put on a range of activities at the Charlton Kings Summer and Autumn Fayres.

Talking Points

Shopping

In 2023/24 we will host more speakers, workshops and podcasts covering energy, sustainable living, planting for a changing climate, the circular economy and more. We will continue to work with partners to provide and deliver events, activities, and repair shops, and we are currently working to establish a 'Library of Things' in Charlton Kings with Gloucestershire Libraries, Planet Cheltenham and Vision21. See page 5 for more information.

The Parish Council is committed to improving biodiversity in Charlton Kings - we are working in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council, FOLK (Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common), and the

Cotswold National Landscape to enhance the grassland on Ravensgate Common, and with the Cotswold Wardens to open up our rural environment through Charlton Kings Rights of Way. We are also launching our 'CK For Nature' initiative. See page 15 for more information.

We are also encouraging people to think local, buy local, and support local, and in this way reduce their carbon footprint and continue to build a strong community in Charlton Kings.

If you would like to find out more, or get involved with any of our projects, please feel free to email

Grange Field is an important community green space, which is well used for dog walking, family games and some of Charlton Kings' popular community events.

Unfortunately there are still incidences of Anti-Social Behaviour occurring in the area of Grange Field and Church Piece Robust efforts as part of Charlton Kings Parish Council’s youth initiative will continue to try and address these concerns which have a negative impact for local residents wanting to use and enjoy the facilities

We lease Grange Field from Cheltenham Borough Council, allowing us to make improvements for the benefit of the whole community.

Improvements to our Space

The Parish Council has made a number of improvements to Grange Field in the past year, including completion of Phase 1 of the Council’s Grange Field improvement project. The final project design was achieved through discussion with local residents.

Residents have expressed their concerns about occasional flooding across the footpaths near Kings Hall in times of heavy rain. This is a very complex and expensive issue to solve as the site is a former landfill and there is little existing drainage. The council has had a topographical survey done to better

understand the issues involved. The data from the survey is due to be analysed and the next steps will be agreed later in the year.

Improvements this year included:

Addition of two new paths connecting the Air Training Corps car park with Buckles Close and Church Piece.

Construction of wooden play equipment for younger children. New markings on the tarmac next to the basketball court for play.

Addition of a table tennis table and a lower height shooting ring. New closed top bins to prevent spreading of litter by birds.

New Grange Field signs. New gates, fencing and hedging plants near the ATC car park. Two new benches installed to make the most of the hill views.

Did you know?

By successful application for grant funding and the strategic use of CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy), the Parish Council has been able to fund the vast majority of its work on Grange Field without the use of precept monies (the contribution residents make towards the Parish Council).

Lead Councillor Pat Palmer

Grange Field

We want Grange Field to be a place that every member of the community can enjoy, that helps bring our community together and creates space not only for people, but also for nature and wildlife.

At the Autumn Fayre in September 2022, we launched phase 2 of our Grange Field project, with a public consultation on a proposed design for 'Grange Field for Nature'.

The plan is to use some space at the southern end of Grange Field to create a biodiverse garden, with a combination of formal raised beds planted with flowers and shrubs for those with limited mobility, and a more natural area with a range of planting to attract insects, birds and other wildlife. These areas will be connected by accessible paths for people using buggies, wheelchairs and mobility aids.

We asked a local landscape architect to produce some plans showing an environmental planting scheme at the southern end of Grange Field. The draft designs were displayed at our Autumn Fayre on Saturday 24th September 2022 and had a positive response from residents.

For Nature

Following the positive responses to the consultations, we applied to Gloucestershire County Council for funding from its Build Back Better initiative.

We are currently waiting to hear whether we have been successful in our application.

Welcoming intoCharltonKings Nature

We are very lucky in Charlton Kings to have beautiful countryside on our doorstep, with a wonderful variety of different habitats, from grassland and woodland to rivers and ponds. But we know that globally and locally, biodiversity is declining and our wildlife is threatened

That is why we want to focus on what we can do as a Parish Council, as a community, and as individuals, to protect the habitats in Charlton Kings, improve the biodiversity and

wildlife-friendliness of our gardens and green spaces, and create opportunities for people to connect with the nature that surrounds us.

We have lots of talks, workshops and events planned over the next few months.

Sign up to our CK For Nature Newsletter to keep up to date. Go to www.bit.ly/CKForNatureNewsletter

To kick off the CK For Nature project we are giving away 175 packets of native wildflower seeds. To get yours email us at ckfutures@charltonkingsparishcouncil gov uk

Allotments

The Parish Council's five allotment sites offer a opportunity for local residents to grow their ow fruit and vegetables.

We were really pleased that most of the allotments in Charlton Kings were taken up and cultivated last year, showing how popular being an active gardener has become.

The weather threw allotment holders a few curved balls during the growing season, with a wet Spring and extremely hot and dry Summer reducing vegetable crops but increasing the productivity of fruit producing plants.

The very dry Summer affected natural habitats too, making our allotments very attractive to the local wildlife.

Without a doubt, climate change will create challenges and we will need to think about problems such as appropriate planting and water conservation as well as protection from wildlife damage and site security.

The Parish Council has a good relationship with the local police and their Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) carry out regular visits to all of the Charlton Kings sites, but even so all sites were affected by crime of some sort.

Did you know?

The Parish Council owns five allotment sites in Charlton Kings. Three are located near the Beeches area, and two are situated between Greenway Lane and Ryeworth Road

There are 250 plots in total

Allotments Committee & Staff: Jane Morton, Al Hawkins, Jan Honeywill, Pat Palmer, Helen Johnston & Debbie Dockree

The Role Council's

Thecouncil’s responsibilitiesinclude upkeepof communal pathwaysandperimeter fences,annualrenewalof leases,dealingwith problems,biannual inspections,maintaining theregisterofallotment holders andregular communications.

We are tackling all the little challenges as a community, and they haven't dampened the enthusiasm for growing vegetables, which is really flourishing throughout Charlton Kings.

For more information about allotments and how to apply to get one, visit www.bit.ly/CKAllotments or use the QR code

Thecouncillorson our AllotmentsCommittee willingly givemany hours oftheirtime, with professionalsupportfrom ourcolleagues intheoffice andtheparticipation of community representativesfromthe sites.

Chair: AlHawkins

Committeemembers: PatPalmer, PaulCockwill, JanHoneywill,JaneMorton

Staff: HelenJohnston, DebbieDockree

A cheeky visitor to Haver allotment last summer

Community and Easy Access Allotments

The Community Allotment started in July 2020 after Friends of Charlton Kings asked the Parish Council for a small plot on the Sappercombe Allotment.

With the help of a brilliant group of local volunteers the area was strimmed, dug over, weeded and transformed into a working plot with four beds and two raised beds next to the fence line as well as a refurbished shed, a donated greenhouse and two compost bays built from donated pallet wood. It was amazing to see the plot take shape so quickly with community support.

Since then the site has grown to encompass the Easy Access Site which was developed by the Parish Council and has hard paving and three raised beds to make it accessible for people with different levels of mobility.

The team grow food organically, and have also developed a wild flower mound to encourage the local wildlife, and installed a small pond to encourage

frogs which will help to keep the vegetables free from pests that might otherwise want to eat the vegetables.

The Community Allotment welcomes visits from local schools and community groups, and 'Josie's Kitchen', a local cookery group for children, regularly goes to the allotment to pick produce and learn about where their food comes from.

The Community Allotment team is very friendly and meets socially at least once a month. In the cooler weather they tend to meet indoors but in the summer they have been known to take cake and biscuits to the allotment too.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Community Allotment and/or would benefit from using the Easy Access Site please email admin@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk and we will put you in touch with local residents who can show you around and introduce you to the team.

Restoring Cheltenham's Escarpment Grasslands Project (RCEG)

This has been the second year of our major partnership with the Borough Council and FOLK (Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common), aimed at improving biodiversity, restoring key archaeology, opening up landscape vistas, and improving access for people across the steep Cotswold escarpment slopes

80% of the first two years’ National Grid funding of £175,000 has been spent

and more works are planned for next year. Perhaps the most visual image of these activities has been the new herd of British White and English Longhorn cattle on Charlton Kings Common which have proved hugely popular with visitors to the hill.

Readmoreaboutthe RCEGproject www.bit.ly/CKRCEG

Conservation Work

The Parish Council is the custodian of Ravensgate Common, and we work with Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold Landscape, and Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common (FOLK), to protect and enhance this precious habitat.

Ravensgate

We have continued to develop our role as the custodian of the common under common land legislation. £69,000 has been allocated under the RCEG project over three years. This is what we have been getting up to this year

We have resurfaced 160 metres of the perennially wet and seasonally muddy section of the Cotswold Way by Wistley Plantation to create a great new walking surface

Many trees had grown up and shaded important limestone grassland as well as creating a rain of seeds to form dense thickets of new Ash saplings Ash die back disease halted this process but left many dangerous trees that needed immediate felling Some 50 mature Ash were felled in the summer and some wonderful old Hazel stems were re-coppiced. Many trees, especially Silver Birch, have been left as landscape features and as perching and roosting places for the common’s many birds

Did you know?

Some interesting facts about Ravensgate Common...

Since 2005, from 59 UK butterflies, 33 species have been recorded on the common.

On one August day, 39 species of birds were recorded, including Red Kite, Raven, Buzzard, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit, and Nuthatch.

Grasshoppers include the Meadow, Field, and Common Green species.

The area of grazed common is some 11 hectares which includes about 9 hectares of grassland and 2 hectares of scattered scrub.

Ravensgate common has a 3 kilometre perimeter, mostly fenced and with some hedge and dry stone wall. The fence needed major repairs and over half the fenceposts had to be replaced this summer.

The most urgent need has been to restore short grassland. The fabulous ‘Robomower’ once again did its job, eating through the dense vegetation. We were unable to rake off the mulch of cut material this year and this will need volunteer work parties in 2023.

One of our most important goals has been to create improvements to the landscape and we have opened up the spectacular views across to Cheltenham, the Severn Vale and Wales, as Cotswold Way walkers emerge from Lineover Wood.

The common's perimeter is 3,000 metres long.

Ravensgate Common is a ‘Key Wildlife Site’ - one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Gloucestershire.

With access comes responsibility

Follow the Countryside Code: Care for nature, give all animals plenty of space, enjoy your experiences and leave no trace of your visit.

Comma butterfly

Meadow Grasshopper

Willow Warbler

PathsforAll

Charlton Kings Parish Council is proud to have the stewardship of the over 70 Public Rights of Way (PROW) within the parish. By working with volunteers, guardians, wardens, landowners and partnerships we will continue to maintain, repair, upkeep and enhance the paths aiming to establish paths for everyone to use.

So far we have established and consolidated a survey of the status of all paths to determine any that require maintenance. We will continue to survey and maintain the paths working with the Cotswold Wardens and volunteers as required.

Lead Councillors

Ian Gosling & Ned Holt

How you can help

Iof time is entirely up to you and no specific commitment is required, so please contact the office directly if you are interested.

If you know of specific paths that you feel need to be improved please contact the Charlton Kings Parish Council Office

Guardian: A Guardian is a custodian of a dedicated area or paths and would report issues such as broken stiles, overgrown paths, resurfacing or anything that helps maintain the paths. Volunteers: A volunteer is similar to a Guardian, but they are involved with Working Groups with other volunteers arranged by the Cotswold Wardens to help resolve any issues identified.

Who are the Wardens?

Cotswold

The Cotswold Wardens are a group of local volunteers who play an important role in keeping our Public Rights of Way maintained across Gloucestershire. The Cotswold Wardens were established in 1968 and have continued to grow into the 400-strong membership of today. The wardens are our network of dedicated, skilled, and enthusiastic volunteers – helping us in the work we do across the Cotswolds National Landscape.

We are very fortunate to be working with Liz Spencer who is a very active and passionate Cotswold Warden.

Did you know?

The funding for maintaining the network of paths is minimal and currently relies on grants, donations, volunteer’s time and the time of office staff to support.

As stewards of Public Rights of Way in Charlton Kings, we work to maintain, upkeep and enhance the many paths around our community.

Charlton Kings Maps Walking

In Charlton Kings we are lucky to have an abundance of interesting and picturesque walks right on our doorstep. We have been working on a project to map some of these magnificent walks across the parish. We are pleased to present the first batch of maps which all show circular walking routes around the local area. Each of the walks are graded easy, medium or hard, taking into account time & terrain. Walkers will be able to explore a mix of urban and rural areas making use of the well-known footpaths and perhaps discovering some of the lesser-known ones.

To date we have generated six urban and three rural walks all starting from Church Piece and varying from 1 to 3 hours. We will continue to add more urban and rural maps over the coming months from different starting points. We also aim to link up to other parishes to have longer walks around Cheltenham. We will be working with various other organisations who have established walks that we can publicise on the website.

Paper copies are available from Charlton Kings Parish Council office or can be downloaded from the Charlton Kings Parish Council website. Visit www.bit.ly/CKWalkingMaps or use the QR code.

The Team

Councillors Ian Gosling and Ned Holt lead on these projects, supported by Helen Johnston from the Charlton Kings Parish Council Office

Email

Ian.gosling@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk ned.holt@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk deputyclerk@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

Did you know?

This project is funded from a generous donation, enabling us to produce and print the leaflets.

Ian Gosling

Ned Holt Helen Johnston

St. Mary's Churchyard

The history of St Mary’s Churchyard dates back to 1154 when land was given to build a church and churchyard For the next 700 years, apart from a narrow perimeter, the churchyard was confined to the area to the north and west of the church

By the 1820s, the population of the village had grown, and more space was required to accommodate the number of burials In 1852, cottages to the south of the church were purchased and demolished and the churchyard

extended. The present stone wall and railings were built to enclose the new perimeter.

When a churchyard no longer has sufficient space for new graves, there is provision for its closure and responsibility for maintenance to pass to the local council. In 2020 Charlton Kings Parish Council took over this responsibility. In addition to putting in place an annual programme of grass cutting and tree surgery, the council has undertaken repairs to the Lychgate

roof and is in the process of implementing a three-year programme to repair the perimeter walls.

PreservingourHeritage

Charlton Kings’ many trees enhance the beauty of our parish and are good for biodiversity and our wellbeing. St Mary’s Churchyard has both native and ‘exotic’ species. A Self Guided Tree Walk was published to coincide with the Parish Council’s 'Celebration of Trees Week' in November 2022

The Parish Council is custodian of The War Memorial, erected following the First World War. The Parish Council received an Award from Cheltenham Civic Society for its sympathetic upgrade of the monument and addition of the names of the fallen from World War Two. Charlton Kings in Bloom volunteers maintain the planting around the memorial.

The Village Stocks stand on land adjoining St Mary’s Church Hall on New Street. In 2015 the Parish Council arranged for their renovation and relocation, preserving their 250-year heritage at the heart of the old village.

One of the responsibilities of the Parish Council is to look after, repair and preserve the historic places and monuments in our village.

Lead Councillor Duncan Munro

Planning

What is Planning, and how does it work?

A discussion by the Charlton Kings Parish Council Planning Committee Chair Russell Grimshaw.

What is planning? Who decides?

Planning exists to balance the rights of a property owner to develop a property with the impact that may have on neighbours and wider society.

In Charlton Kings, Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) is the Planning Authority which decides on (in planning parlance, 'determines') an application.

CBC’s Planning Committee meets monthly to discuss and determine applications. However, most applications are determined by Planning Officers, using powers delegated to them by the Committee. Applications come before the Committee if they are referred to it by a Borough Councillor or (and this is where we come in) the Parish Council.

Some planning committee stats from 2022

ParishCouncilPlanningCommitteemeetings:22

Membersifthepublicattending:29

Applicationsconsidered:180

The role of Charlton Kings Parish Council

While it is Cheltenham Borough Council that determines applications, they have a statutory obligation to consult other bodies, including the Parish Council, the Highway Authority (Gloucestershire County Council) and utility companies, among others.

Charlton Kings Parish Council’s Planning Committee meets fortnightly, to discuss and consider, in public, every application in Charlton Kings Members of the public, who often have detailed

When is planning permission not needed?

Works that don't need Planning Consent are deemed Permitted development. Exactly what will or won’t need consent is governed by many factors, including the scale of the works, the age of the property, previous works, if permitted development rights were withheld in the original consent, the location (eg. in a Conservation Area) and many other factors.

Planning Committee

Objections:19

Comments:15

knowledge about a particular application, are invited to these meetings, to assist the Committee in its deliberations

National Policy has 'a presumption in favour of development', unless there are sufficiently strong grounds, based in planning law and policy, for a development not to proceed. This does not apply to the parts of the Parish that lie within the Cotswolds National Landscape (previously termed Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)

Therefore, an application cannot be objected to because it is unpopular; there have to be valid planning grounds

Councillors Russell Grimshaw (Chair), Shane Beard, Ian Gosling, Penny Hall, Ned Holt, Janet Honeywill, Pat Palmer

for objection. For example, if a proposed dwelling overlooks someone’s garden, that is not sufficient loss of privacy for an objection If, however, the windows of the proposed development have a line of sight to, and are less than 20m from another property’s windows, that would be an excessive loss of privacy.

Other valid reasons for objection include impact on the streetscape, on highway visibility or access, on surface water flooding/run-off, and on the quality of life ('amenity') of surrounding Parishioners An extension must be subservient to the original structure.

Lead Councillor Russell Grimshaw

@CkParish

Parish Councils get their funding through the Precept, as well as through other channels such as grant funding.

What is a Precept? How is it raised?

The Parish Council receives a small proportion of the local Council Tax. It does not receive any direct funding from Central Government. The funding collected pays for the running of the council and the services it provides.

In addition to the precept the council seeks funding in the form of grants for some of its projects. We also receive Community Infrastructure payments.

Cheltenham Borough Council collects your Council Tax on behalf of themselves, Police, Fire and the Parish Councils in their district.

Councillors consider financing future and ongoing projects.

Budget for 2023/24 How is it calculated?

The budget is set by the Parish Councillors in January for the following financial year and it is at this time that

The total net expenditure in the budget for 2023/24 is £213,095. This is an 8% increase in expenditure from 2022-23 which was £197,160.

How much does the average household pay towards the Parish Council?

The precept total is apportioned per household according to Council Tax band and is presented in terms of a Band D equivalent.

The 2023-24 precept of £213,095 will cost a band D household £42.57 per year or 82p per week. This is an increase of 14p per week from last year.

Increases are never welcome, but we took the following points into consideration before settling on this figure:

Inflationary pressure on the costs of labour and raw materials, which impact our capital spending and maintenance work

Inflationary pressure on the costs of utilities

Our increased use of specialist consultants to help deliver projects.

We believe this remains good value for the services we provide and is comparable to, or lower than, many parishes of a similar size.

charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk 01242 250087 clerk@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk 26

Funding Comparisons

Charlton Kings 2023-24 proposed Precept of £42 57 ranks 117 against 2022-23 precepts

Conscientious monitoring of income and expenditure over the years has enabled Charlton Kings Parish Council to create a stable financial base, from which to deliver projects for the community.

From Strategy to Action

For the last few years Charlton Kings Parish Council has held a ‘Strategy Day’ in October. The aim is for Councillors and staff to reflect on the progress made in the current year, discuss what further work is needed, identify lessons learned and start to shape the key activities for the next financial year which begins the following April

As part of this process, we start to share our ideas and consider the budget needed to make things happen. This is just the beginning of the planning process, and a number of meetings take place to prioritise and consider options, before a final plan and budget are submitted to the Full Council at the end of January

There are so many things to be tackled but our highest priorities are to listen to our community and ensure the precept is realistic and affordable for CK residents Also, despite being an active council we are constrained by the number of Councillors and have had two vacancies for most of the year, which has an impact on how much can be achieved from one year to the next.

Please get in touch if you would like to join us as a Councillor or a volunteer supporting one of our projects We would love to hear from you

01242 250087

Charlton Kings' Winter Plan

The Parish Council has an annual winter action plan and informs Gloucestershire Highways at the end of the summer of the status of all the salt bins within the Parish ensuring that as winter approaches they are all topped up with salt. The Parish has also provided salt spreaders for local businesses to ensure access to key shops is maintained in icy conditions For several years there has been very little need for local salting but the heavy snowfall and the extremely cold conditions this year have meant that

many salt bins became empty and the Parish Council requested that they were topped up as soon as Gloucestershire Highways had the capacity to do so. The Parish Council received several requests for additional bins but these cannot be installed, at Parish Council expense, without the approval of Gloucestershire Highways who have clear criteria for site suitability and hold responsibility for for maintaining supply once installed.

This year they have agreed to two new bins which have been purchased.

Potholes&Other RoadProblems

Roads & Pavements

We liaise with Gloucestershire Highways on a quarterly basis to share information and highlight concerns that have been raised by, or which impact on, residents of Charlton Kings.

A40 40mph Speed Limit

Of particular concern this year has been the removal of the temporary 40mph speed limit on the A40 which had been instigated and funded by Dunkertons whilst major site development works were undertaken.

This has now become redundant due to the works being completed. Residents had expressed concerns to the Parish Council at the return to a 60mph speed limit and, so as part of the evidence gathering process and in order to represent the views of the wider local

community, we asked residents to complete a survey regarding the possibility of implementing a permanent 40mph speed limit from the Charlton Kings Hotel as far as Lineover Wood

The public response was overwhelmingly in favour of the project We also funded a traffic speed survey However, the Parish Council is not the decision maker in this process and despite all our best efforts we were not successful with this application which in November was dismissed by the Traffic Regulation Order team and the police. Although we have not managed to bring about this speed limit change, through our liaison meetings with Gloucestershire Highways we have been able to get the pathway width cleared of vegetation which gives a better, safer pedestrian access

Councillor Drop-in Sessions

Throughout the last months of 2022, we offered the opportunity for residents to drop in to chat to councillors in an informal setting over a cup of coffee. Several local cafes offered us space and we welcomed a number of people along the way. Some people find it much easier to talk away from the formal setting of our regular monthly Full Council meetings, although there is always time set aside at meetings to talk to us about matters which are of concern.

Councillors and the chairs of our main committees were able to discuss many aspects of the work of their teams. We take on board all concerns, and if we can’t change something ourselves, we will always guide people to the right place to find a resolution. Once residents realise how much time and effort the councillors put into their particular areas of interest, they seem to be enthusiastic and sometimes offer to join in as a volunteer.

If you think you might like to talk to us, then please come along to our next session and tell us where you feel you could make a difference, or where you would like us to try and help you.

You could even use this opportunity to complete the questionnaire at the back of this 2022/23 Annual Report and give us your personal impressions of the new format.

Charlton Kings Parish Council’s Community Grant and Support Scheme

Charlton Kings Parish Council sets aside a sum of money each year to support local charities and community projects. Applications for grants can be submitted anytime between April and January. Organisations can ask request non-financial support, such as free meeting space, instead of, or in addition to, financial assistance.

Previous beneficiaries from our Community Grant and Support Scheme include: Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common, Cotswold Wardens, Charlton Kings Basketball Collective and Charlton Kings Senior Citizens Welfare Committee.

Further information and an application form can be downloaded from our website - www.bit.ly/CKCommunityGrants - or obtained from the Parish Office (01242 250087) or by emailing clerk@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

We want to hear from you!

Thank you for reading 'Our Year in Review', the Charlton Kings Parish Council Annual Report 22/23.

We would like to hear from you. Your answers will help to shape future Parish Council activities and to develop a parish plan for 2024 onwards. Please take a couple of minutes to answer the questions and tell us what you think.

Please respond by 30 June 2023. We will collate your responses and report back in Autumn 2023.

Detach the completed page from the Report and drop it into the Parish Council Office:

Church Road

Charlton Kings GL53 8AR

Or go to our website at Charlton Kings Parish Council and complete the form and submit www.bit.ly/ParishPlanSurvey

Or scan this QR code

If there are other members of the family who want to respond please go to the website.

Charlton Kings Parish Plan Survey

Q1

As a result of receiving and reading the CKPC Annual Report do you now know more about the activities of Charlton Kings Parish Council? Please tick your answer.

A lot more More than I did

Q2

Not a lot more than I did

Q3

I have not gained any new information as I was already well informed of parish activities

Is this Annual Report comprehensive and easy to read? Please tick your answer.

Yes More information needed (please indicate what else could have been included) No

Q4

Having read about the work of Charlton Kings Parish Council, would you consider becoming a Parish Councillor?

Yes No I would need more information

Contact details:

How would you like to hear about future Charlton Kings Parish activities? Please tick all that apply.

@CkParish @charlton-kings-parish-council @charltonkingsparish @charlton_kings_parish_council

...Continued from the previous page

Charlton Kings Parish Plan Survey

Q5

What would you like Charlton Kings Parish Council to focus on from 2024 onwards? Tick all that apply.

Please give more details if you would like to. Tick

Community events

Young people

Older people

Health & wellbeing - support for all

Climate, Environment, Nature & Tree Guardians - CK Futures

Grange Field

Ravensgate Common - conservation, biodiversity & habitats

Paths for all - rights of way & walks

Preserving our heritage (eg. stocks, war memorial, churchyard)

Any other aspects you would like us to focus on

This & the environment