CHARLCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS:
The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council followed by an ordinary meeting of the Parish Council will provisionally take place on Tuesday 9th May 2023 at 7.00pm, in the Lansdown and Langridge Village Hall, Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 9BT. The agenda for the meetings will be posted here about a week before the meeting.
If you are a member of the public and would like to participate in the meeting, please email the Clerk at charlcombepc@gmail.com no less than 24 hrs prior to the meeting.
The draft minutes from the 14th March 2023 Parish Council meeting can be read here .
NEWS:
Notice of Parish and Town Council Elections 2023
Details of the number of Councillors to be elected for Charlcombe Parish Council and the election process can be found here. Nomination papers must be taken to the Brunswick Room, in the Guildhall in Bath by 4pm on Tuesday 4th April.
B&NES Council offers help applying for photo ID needed to vote at May elections
Residents without accepted photo ID, who want to vote at the polling station in the local elections on 4 May, can call into Bath & North East Somerset Council offices to get help applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.
Changes in national legislation mean that for the first time, voters will need to show photographic ID when they vote in person at the polling station. It is a new requirement introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act, which comes into effect from 4 May 2023. Voters will also need to be on the electoral register.
A passport, photocard driving licence, Blue Badge, Older Person’s Bus Pass (including Diamond Travelcard) or a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass are some of the documents that will be accepted as proof of identity when voters go to the polling station to vote in the local elections. The full list of accepted photo ID can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website or by calling 0800 328 0280. Out of date photo ID can still be used providing that the name is the same as on the electoral register and the photo is recognisably you.
Voters who don’t have an accepted form of photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate online or by completing a paper form.
They can also apply for the certificate in person at the following council offices:
The Guildhall in Bath
Bath Housing, Welfare and Advice Service on Manvers Street
Keynsham Information and Advice Service
Midsomer Norton Information and Advice Service
To apply for the certificate, residents will need to provide a passport-style photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number. Staff will be able to take a photograph to accompany their application.
The deadline to apply for a certificate for the May election is 5pm, Tuesday 25 April.
You can check if you are on the electoral register by calling 01225 477333 or emailing elections@bathnes.gov.uk. The deadline to register to vote for the May elections is Monday 17 April. Residents can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at the same time as registering to vote.The requirement to show photo ID only applies to people voting in person at a polling station. If you vote by post, you will not need to provide photo ID.
Our three new noticeboards are now in place
The parish council has bought three new noticeboards to replace the twenty year old noticeboards in Langridge, Woolley and Upper Weston. The first was installed in Upper Weston with the others following in February. A huge thank you to the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens for their help in assembling and installing the noticeboards.
Staying safe around livestock when out walking
The National Farmers Union website https://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/care-for-the-countryside/countryside-code/ provides some excellent guidance for how to keep safe and to enjoy your time out walking in the countryside. It includes a video giving specific advice about walking with your dog near livestock.
Improvements to drainage on Osborne’s Lane
This section of the lane, which is used by pedestrians travelling between Broadmoor Lane and Weston, has been prone to flooding making it near impassable to those on foot. Recent work to add a larger drain and culvert have helped mitigate the issue.
Improvements to the footpath behind Charlcombe Church
Using funds from the Ward Councillor Empowerment Fund, the Parish Council commissioned the installation of addional steps and handrails on the very step footpath that runs behind Charlcombe Church, making it easier for walkers to use.
Grassland Restoration Advisory Service
As part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Bathscape project, this service provides advice to owners of fields and meadows with potential to become more flower-rich and biodiverse.
Flower-rich grasslands along with their considerable benefits for wildlife have declined enormously over the last 80 or so years. To help address this, available is a free grassland restoration advisory service, potential to access small grants for meadow restoration, botanical surveying and a party of volunteers who can carry out work such as wildflower seeding using local provenance seed.
If you are a small landowner within Charlcombe parish who would like to find out more about engaging with the grassland service, please contact Rob Stephens who is working on this project for Bathscape Rob.Stephens@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
Future Bright offers FREE career coaching, training and support to help individuals develop the skills and confidence they need to take their next step. They provide support, advice and skills training to specific groups within B&NES. For more details visit www.futurebright.org.uk or call 01225 395555 or email futurebright@bathnes.gov.uk
Notes from Annual Parish Meeting – Wednesday 18th May 2022
All residents of Charlcombe Parish were invited to the Annual Parish Meeting on Wednesday 18th May in the Lansdown and Langridge Village Hall. The notes from the meeting can be found here.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Following a transfer of service back to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 1st
July 2022, the number to ring if you suspect an adult is being abused or neglected
(this could be you or someone you know) will be 01225 394200.
Phone lines are open Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays 8.30am
to 4.30pm; at all other times, call the Emergency Duty Social Work team on 01454
61 51 65 (evenings, weekends and bank holidays). If you think someone is in
immediate danger, ring the emergency services on 999.
You can also report a concern via email; there is a new email address to use for
safeguarding referrals; please use Safeguarding_Adults@bathnes.gov.uk.
Worrying about Money?
Advice and support is available within B&NES for those who are struggling to make ends meet – further details are here
One farm through one century
An opportunity to hear about life at Manor Farm in Langridge going back to 1917 via this Bathscape Podcast https://footprints.captivate.fm/episode/105-years-at-manor-farm-langridge
It’s very interesting, going from pre-mechanisation to war-time to modernisation. The current owners describe their successful Emorsgate seeds business.
Bath Preservation Trust – New Quick Guide to Energy Efficiency in Old Homes
B PT has released its new quick guide on how old homes can help cut carbon emissions, as an update on our existing energy efficiency guidance in Warmer Bath. This new publication includes a number of helpful no cost and low cost tricks and tips to reduce energy usage whilst keeping old homes warmer, and is intended to empower residents to make changes this coming winter with minimal risk to historic fabric. You can find the guidance available via our website: https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/new-quick-guide-from-bpt-advises-how-all-old-homes-can-help-cut-carbon/