Latest News
At May’s Parish Council meeting
Sarah Powell was elected the new
chair, and Karen Mogridge, retiring
chairman became Vice-chairman.
Minutes will be published a few days
before the June meeting.
Lake 31 Planning meeting
Members of SKPC attended the
hearing for retrospective works to
lake 31 (see stories below). The
CDC Planning Committee agreed to
defer consideration until the water
levels had dropped to enable the
extent of works to be considered.
News from GRCC
Days out without the car in the
Cotswolds from
Cotswold Discoverer.
You will need to get to Kemble or
Cirencester to use it however!
Water Lane will be closed Sat 2nd June for the Jubilee street party
Go-by-Cycle loses appeal.
SKPC had persuaded CDC that the sign on the end of Water Lane was
too obtrusive. An Inspector agrees with us.
Waterpark drowning ruled an Accident. The Gloucestershire Coroner
has ruled that the teenage girl who drowned in July 2010 at Keynes
Country Park was a result of an accident. The Parish Council had
written to CDC about the lack of lifeguards only the week before the
tragedy. CDC will now decide if criminal charges should be brought
about Health & Safety.
Lake 63 planning row now more amicable.
Spring Cleanup cashes in!
Broadband survey results
Cullimore gravel permission Quashed
The remedy for the judicial review of Cullimores being granted
permission to dig the field by the Country Park entrance was issued
yesterday 26 March See story>
Water Park Joint Cttee abolished At the annual meeting on Friday
16th March, the CWPJC was abolished More>
Garbutt Report issued
Graham Garbutt’s report into how the County council dealt with the
Water Park is published. It was presented to the County audit
committee on Monday 12th March. See WGS report.
County sells SCOEC
The South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre by the River Churn on
the Spine road has been sold. More>
Dennis Grant Latest!
The City of London Police are now further delving into the dealings of
Dennis Grant. A file or files related to dodgy leases is missing from the
GCC. See News page for back story.
Esmond Jenkins’
trial by Standards Board has finished after great support from many
locals who attended the public hearing. He was found to have
breached some minor rules, and strangely was asked to apologise to
CDCs Democratic Services Manager, Nigel Adams, although Nigel
raised no complaint. There have been at least nine reports on the Wilts
and Glos Standard website about the four day event, where Esmond
defended himself and the CDC employed a barrister at £5000 per day,
it is claimed. We invite you to read all about it in the Standard, with
much more on their website. You will have to search on Jenkins or
Standards Board as the headlines are always changing. Private Eye
also chips in. A FOI request has been made to establish the cost of all
this.
Somerford Keynes Village Hall Goes Solar
Solar panels have been installed
on the roof of the village hall. The
project was partially funded with a
grant of £4000 from the
Gloucestershire Trust with landfill
tax contributions donated by Cory
Environmental, to whom the
Management Committee
expresses its thanks More>
Mobile Library Judicial Review
The mobile library Service is still under threat. After a new
consultation some libraries will be cut, but the mobile might not
be. Result not yet clear. Next Mobile Library visit is 15 May.
Please try to use it! We now have dates to June.
CDC Report on Water Park Failings
The press reports on an internal report to CDC on various failings
with regard to the water park. This report does not appear to be
available for public inspection, unless you know better, so you
have only the reports in the WGS and their website to go on. So
you will have to make your own mind up.
The police have decided to investigate their own behaviour in not
accepting initially separate complaints from Cllr Jenkins and
Tasha Flaherty about a potential fraud by Dennis Grant. This was
only taken up after Tasha had single handedly confronted DG with
his fraud to obtain more evidence. City of London Police are
investigating the Gloucestershire response, which has now
resulted in further investigations into DGs activities.
Water Park Planning Breach
Both South Cerney PC and SKPC have made their views very plain to
the CDC, who are now trying to learn from this howler, we hear. A
further strongly worded letter has been sent by three parish councils,
SK, South Cerney and Poole Keynes, to CDC . CDC has now replied
offering a meeting between CDC, the parish Councils and Watermark.
This meeting has now been held, and the first result is that Watermark
are starting to lower Lake 31. See photo story at right (taken before
this meeting).
Watermark have now put forward a planning application to deal with
Lake 31. SKPC have made constructive proposals and OBJECT to the
application as it stands.
Septic tank registration
We have now learned that the Environment Agency and DEFRA are
reviewing septic tank registration, and thus it is not yet a
requirement for all septic tanks and package sewage treatment plants
to be registered with the Environment Agency. But You can do it on
line. If you have a newish plant that already has a permit, you need do
nothing. If your plant is jointly owned, or owned by Fosseway, you only
need to ensure that a permit exists.
Water Park Trust Membership now open.
© Somerford Keynes Parish Council and Contributors 2011-2
This website is provided by
Somerford Keynes Parish
Council and is for the whole
parish to use. The content is
thus not necessarily the
views of the Parish Council,
who take no responsibility
for views expressed by
contributors.
Use the link below to ask us
for your item, event or note
to be added. We are looking
for more photos. Send them
to the link below as reduced
sizes if possible.
If you cannot find what you
want, perhaps we don’t
know about it. Send your
comments to us here.
Page last updated 15 May 2012 Update 188
Latest updates to this site
15 May New KCP photos below
15 May new PC Chairman elected
15 May Cotswold Discover on Things to do
14 May Next history meeting in “Events”
11 May PC April minutes added to Publications
11 May PC May Agenda added to Publications
11 May Parish Plan latest: Plan page
29 Apr Diamond Jubilee events
27 Apr PC publications updated
24 Apr Sign Appeal rejected- above
23 Apr Lake 31 planning application - latest
23 Apr Inquest verdict -above
20 Apr Jubilee diary
20 Apr Village Hall AGM held
20 Apr Church services updated for May
18 Apr Drowning Inquest starts. above.
18 Apr Lake 63 planning problem.
14 Apr Spring clean report. Above.
14 Apr Thameswey Canoe Club moves in.
14 Apr ISS visible in the evenings- below
4 Apr Broadband survey results
4 Apr Parish Council page updated
4 Apr Parish Plan page refreshed
4 Apr Church page updated, psalms added
2 Apr PC March minutes added
If you have not looked for a month or more you will
find other changes too. Try us weekly! Why not make
us your Home Page?
Fly Tipping
If you see anyone dumping anything, take a note
of the vehicle number and inform the
Environment Agency Hotline 0800 80 70 60 as
soon as possible.
What is going on at Lake 31? Lake at record high.
Overflow blocked with
clay
Barbecue sites under
water
See “A Walk in the Park”
Traffic Warning- Long Term
The road past Ashton Keynes B4696 will be
closed for up to 16 weeks while Thames
Water relays the main from the AK
Waterworks towards west Swindon. They
have chosen to lay it under the road instead
of its current course through fields - must be
farmers claiming too much compensation!
The original main was laid as an MOD
contract (it fed Lyneham) and clearly not
well made as it has burst many times in
recent years. Hopefully it will be laid to high
standards now?
Cotswold Water Park Trust has released a
number of documents brokered by the
disgraced Dennis Grant. They show how the CWP
Society was to assist Watermark to gain access to
all lands adjacent to the country park for it to put
holiday homes on. A payment would go to (DG we
assume) for each home built. The documents
appear to be legal and leave the current trust with
problems.
The link above also shows Wiltshire are consulting
about their minerals sites including the Cotswold
Community land.
One document gives a right to construct a road
through KCP to the Hill’s quarry behind. The photo
below shows this road running between the two
lakes now exists. The photo below that shows Hills
land already sculpted to receive more chalets!
locals who attended the public hearing. He was found to have
breached some minor rules, and strangely was asked to apologise to
CDCs Democratic Services Manager, Nigel Adams, although Nigel
raised no complaint. There have been at least nine reports on the Wilts
and Glos Standard website about the four day event, where Esmond
defended himself and the CDC employed a barrister at £5000 per day,
it is claimed. We invite you to read all about it in the Standard, with
much more on their website. You will have to search on Jenkins or
Standards Board as the headlines are always changing. Private Eye
also chips in. A FOI request has been made to establish the cost of all
this.
Somerford Keynes Village Hall Goes Solar
Solar panels have been installed
on the roof of the village hall. The
project was partially funded with a
grant of £4000 from the
Gloucestershire Trust with landfill
tax contributions donated by Cory
Environmental, to whom the
Management Committee
expresses its thanks More>
Mobile Library Judicial Review
The mobile library Service is still under threat. After a new
consultation some libraries will be cut, but the mobile might not
be. Result not yet clear. Next Mobile Library visit is 15 May.
Please try to use it! We now have dates to June.
CDC Report on Water Park Failings
The press reports on an internal report to CDC on various failings
with regard to the water park. This report does not appear to be
available for public inspection, unless you know better, so you
have only the reports in the WGS and their website to go on. So
you will have to make your own mind up.
The police have decided to investigate their own behaviour in not
accepting initially separate complaints from Cllr Jenkins and
Tasha Flaherty about a potential fraud by Dennis Grant. This was
only taken up after Tasha had single handedly confronted DG with
his fraud to obtain more evidence. City of London Police are
investigating the Gloucestershire response, which has now
resulted in further investigations into DGs activities.
Water Park Planning Breach
Both South Cerney PC and SKPC have made their views very plain to
the CDC, who are now trying to learn from this howler, we hear. A
further strongly worded letter has been sent by three parish councils,
SK, South Cerney and Poole Keynes, to CDC . CDC has now replied
offering a meeting between CDC, the parish Councils and Watermark.
This meeting has now been held, and the first result is that Watermark
are starting to lower Lake 31. See photo story at right (taken before
this meeting).
Watermark have now put forward a planning application to deal with
Lake 31. SKPC have made constructive proposals and OBJECT to the
application as it stands.
Septic tank registration
We have now learned that the Environment Agency and DEFRA are
reviewing septic tank registration, and thus it is not yet a
requirement for all septic tanks and package sewage treatment plants
to be registered with the Environment Agency. But You can do it on
line. If you have a newish plant that already has a permit, you need do
nothing. If your plant is jointly owned, or owned by Fosseway, you only
need to ensure that a permit exists.
Water Park Trust Membership now open.
© Somerford Keynes Parish Council and Contributors 2011-2
This website is provided by
Somerford Keynes Parish
Council and is for the whole
parish to use. The content is
thus not necessarily the
views of the Parish Council,
who take no responsibility
for views expressed by
contributors.
Use the link below to ask us
for your item, event or note
to be added. We are looking
for more photos. Send them
to the link below as reduced
sizes if possible.
If you cannot find what you
want, perhaps we don’t
know about it. Send your
comments to us here.
Page last updated 15 May 2012 Update 188
Latest updates to this site
15 May New KCP photos below
15 May new PC Chairman elected
15 May Cotswold Discover on Things to do
14 May Next history meeting in “Events”
11 May PC April minutes added to Publications
11 May PC May Agenda added to Publications
11 May Parish Plan latest: Plan page
29 Apr Diamond Jubilee events
27 Apr PC publications updated
24 Apr Sign Appeal rejected- above
23 Apr Lake 31 planning application - latest
23 Apr Inquest verdict -above
20 Apr Jubilee diary
20 Apr Village Hall AGM held
20 Apr Church services updated for May
18 Apr Drowning Inquest starts. above.
18 Apr Lake 63 planning problem.
14 Apr Spring clean report. Above.
14 Apr Thameswey Canoe Club moves in.
14 Apr ISS visible in the evenings- below
4 Apr Broadband survey results
4 Apr Parish Council page updated
4 Apr Parish Plan page refreshed
4 Apr Church page updated, psalms added
2 Apr PC March minutes added
If you have not looked for a month or more you will
find other changes too. Try us weekly! Why not make
us your Home Page?
Fly Tipping
If you see anyone dumping anything, take a note
of the vehicle number and inform the
Environment Agency Hotline 0800 80 70 60 as
soon as possible.
What is going on at Lake 31? Lake at record high.
Overflow blocked with
clay
Barbecue sites under
water
See “A Walk in the Park”
Traffic Warning- Long Term
The road past Ashton Keynes B4696 will be
closed for up to 16 weeks while Thames
Water relays the main from the AK
Waterworks towards west Swindon. They
have chosen to lay it under the road instead
of its current course through fields - must be
farmers claiming too much compensation!
The original main was laid as an MOD
contract (it fed Lyneham) and clearly not
well made as it has burst many times in
recent years. Hopefully it will be laid to high
standards now?
Cotswold Water Park Trust has released a
number of documents brokered by the
disgraced Dennis Grant. They show how the CWP
Society was to assist Watermark to gain access to
all lands adjacent to the country park for it to put
holiday homes on. A payment would go to (DG we
assume) for each home built. The documents
appear to be legal and leave the current trust with
problems.
The link above also shows Wiltshire are consulting
about their minerals sites including the Cotswold
Community land.
One document gives a right to construct a road
through KCP to the Hill’s quarry behind. The photo
below shows this road running between the two
lakes now exists. The photo below that shows Hills
land already sculpted to receive more chalets!
