CHEDWORTH SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
Dear Members,
We held our AGM in April 2016 and I was elected as Chairman following Yvonne Stayte’s decision to step down. I had not previously been an active member of the Society but I felt it was a body with so much to offer that it should not lose its influence within the community.
A new committee was elected as follows:
Chairman. Martin Harrison
Vice Chairman Mark Aveline
Secretary Dave Whittles
Treasurer Ian Morgan
Committee member Jan Harrison
Robert Young then gave a fascinating talk on the history of farming in the Cotswolds.
SOCIETY REVIEW
The new Committee’s first task was to listen to the views of the membership expressed in the last survey. The most important issues were:
Scrutiny of planning applications.
Amenity enhancement.
Contribution to local plans.
The committee has concentrated on the planning applications and now has a new planning sub- committee comprising Jan Harrison, Mark Aveline and Dave Whittles which comments in detail on non-routine planning applications. They also track the applications to ensure that changes are investigated and commented upon; these changes are often not directly communicated to interested parties by Cotswold District Council (CDC). I have recently met CDC’s senior planning officer to build a rapport and also established that the Chedworth Conservation Area Statement is still a valid document at CDC. It was prepared by CDC in close collaboration with Chedworth Parish Council and The Chedworth Society. It was adopted by CDC as supplementary planning guidance on 28 May 1998.
The main amenity enhancement project over recent years was the waterwheel between the Manor House and the Seven Tuns. Regrettably this project had to be shelved as the maintenance costs would have been unaffordable even if a mechanical solution had been realised. We have reached agreement with Tim Hamilton, the landowner, that he will accommodate or remove it as he sees fit.
Other than planning issues, the Society:
Paid for the Gigaclear connection to the Village Hall.
Made a donation for the EU referendum debate.
Made a donation for the Chedworth Show.
Acted as the Bank of Chedworth for the Chedworth Show by facilitating payments and production of invoices.
These donations and funding support are examples of ways in which the Society has been using its position to facilitate provision of amenities in Chedworth. We hope to develop this aspect of our
work with your active support.
FINANCIAL REPORT
For the year to January 2016 we generated a net income of £106. Our income came from subscriptions, the sale of the book “The Chedworth Story”, and a drinks party, as well as interest on funds on deposit. We continued to act as bankers for the Chedworth Remembers project. Given our reduced level of events we have discontinued our public liability insurance which in previous years had been our biggest single outlay. Our net assets now stand at £8,114.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
It is that time of year again, subscriptions are due for January 2017.
Individual Membership £4.00
Household Membership £5.00
The collection of subscription remains a bit of a challenge. We offer members several ways to submit their subscription:
Annual Standing Order
Direct Online Bank Transfer
Our bank details are as follows: NatWest sort code 60-03-27, account number 78137284
There will be a PayPal facility on our web site: http://chedworthsociety.org.uk/
You can of course pay in person to any member of the committee
It costs about £0.50 to process the payment, so a contribution to this cost is much appreciated
EVENTS
We held a garden party at the Musgrave’s house on 2 July and all had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening. The next event will be a drinks party on Saturday 18 February at Whitegates, my home (and Jan’s). Catering by Claire Booth ensures fine food, from 6 to 9 PM – further details will be published on the web site, Chedworth Chatter and the Chedworth Facebook page.
THE SOCIETY’S ROOTS
As part of my familiarisation with the roots of the Society I noted it was founded in 1969 out of concern that the pressures and demands of modern living could result in a gradual loss of Chedworth’s natural, architectural and social charms. With current living in the digital age exerting far more pressures than in 1969 there is even more concern that Chedworth could be adversely changed by poorly planned development. It will become even more important for members to support the activities of the Society so that the Committee knows it has the backing of the membership when we have to state our views in the public arena. I appeal to you to attend the Society’s events starting with the drinks party in February when, as well as socialising with fellow members, your views on the future activities of the Society can be heard in an informal setting. The committee will be compiling an agenda of activities in 2017 but we need your support.
I wish you all the best for the New Year and hope you can all contribute to restore the Society’s strong and respected place in the village.
Yours sincerely
Martin Harrison
Chairman
Chedworth Society
