Open Gardens - Kempsford & Dunfield Open Gardens 2010
Sunday 13th June 2 - 5 pm
Teas, cakes, refreshments & plants for sale. Raffle - win tickets to the RHS Malvern autumn show. Parking & tickets for sale at Kempsford village hall & Langet House, Dunfield. Entry to all gardens - £5, children free. All proceeds to Kempsford village hall fund. Enquiries - Tel 01285 810474
BT Payphones in the Parish
You may have read in the press recently that BT is undertaking a National programme of removing payphones due to the substantial reduction in demand.
The Parish Council received notification of the proposed removal of the payphones in Kempsford and Dunfield, to which they objected.
Nationwide there has been strong public interest in retaining the red cast iron type boxes as they have become an iconic part of our national heritage and contribute greatly to many a village scene.
In acknowledgement BT have developed an 'Adopt a Kiosk' programme. This initiative offers the opportunity, where usage of the public payphone service is limited, for communities to take ownership of the telephone box, ensuring the kiosk, minus the payphone equipment is retained in situ for generations to come. The only traditional red cast iron type box in the parish is at Dunfield. The Parish Council has applied to BT to adopt this kiosk under the above scheme.
To date the Council has not received any further information regarding the kiosk at Kempsford.
You may be aware BT removed the red cast iron kiosk at Whelford last year following a traffic accident. This is a great shame, as it would have qualified to be adopted in the same way as Dunfield. Residents of Whelford have expressed a desire to replace the kiosk. The cost of a similar traditional type box would be £400. The Parish Council would consider contributing towards this cost if additional funds could be raised either by donations/fund raising.
If you would like to make a donation towards the cost of replacing the kiosk at Whelford, however small, please leave this in a marked envelope with the Clerk or any of the Councillors. Addresses are shown in the latest newsletter.
Kempsford to Whelford Foot/Cycle Path
A parishioner has contacted me to draw attention to the Foot/Cycle Path from Kempsford to Whelford.
Apparently people are riding on the footpath in front of the houses on the Whelford Road and not coming off or going on the cycle path where indicated. As a result people coming out of their houses and driveways along there risk getting hurt. They already have to dodge horse and dog mess and rocks falling from the lorries using the road.
Please be considerate cyclists, riders and dog walkers.
Recycling Bins at the Village Hall
If the recycling bins are full, please do not leave bottles, cans etc by the bins as they will not be removed and can be a health hazard. Please take any bottles etc away and return them later. Many thanks.
Flood Prevention/Protection
As part of the Councils above plan, we are requesting that residents of houses and business premises evaluate their property to establish the risk of flooding and the source which poses that threat, whether it be inside their curtilage or from outside. We can then work to eliminate or greatly minimize that threat.
As our Parish was severely affected, and little help was available from outside agencies during the crisis, our aim is to be as self-sufficient as possible as well as obtaining as much help as we can from Cotswold District, County, Environment and many other agencies offering assistance.
We are also looking for volunteers to monitor the street or close they reside in (like the Neighbourhood Watch) and to report to the Parish Council any problem which could escalate into a major incident, so remedial measures could be put into operation immediately and hopefully avert disaster. (One or two volunteers per close, street or road would suffice). Residents could in turn relay their concerns to these monitors.
We are also looking for volunteers for the workforce, who will turn out, in all weathers in an emergency to help prevent a problem worsening, suitably clothed, booted and with any useful equipment that they have. (We will have some equipment already stored). There are items of equipment that can be obtained from Cotswold and County Councils and the grant we have applied for will help too but it is not inexhaustible and will have to cover many things.
Also required - if anyone has available any equipment that they are willing to loan and/or operate in a disaster, or can offer any expertise in this field, we would be pleased to hear from you. Some of the items which may be required are listed below:
picks, shovels, chainsaws, generators, pumps, snow plough to shift debris, torches, tractor/trailer etc., etc.
These are but a few of the items that may be required. As stated above some items may be obtained from other sources but if we know what is available in our Parish we can tailor our requests accordingly and spend our grant money wisely.
If it became necessary, rest/evacuation centres would be established, manned by Red Cross personnel residing within the Parish. Items such as blankets (very scarce these days), food, baby food, water, first aid, pet care items, dry clothing, etc., etc., would be required for this; very limited stocks are already kept as a matter of course by some personnel.
Storage space (in each village) easily accessible for storing of equipment, sand bags, machinery and such like.
We request that replies relating to any of the above paragraphs be in writing by email to: tonywilliams@kempsford.net or letters to any Parish Councillor - names in Parish Newsletter. No phone calls please.