Hungerford Town Council Update September/October 2024

These notes incorporate some but not all of the matters discussed at the HTC meeting on 7 October 2024, the agenda for which can be found here. The official minutes of the meeting will in due course be found on the HTC site. Any references below to “the meeting” refer to this event unless specified otherwise. Any such issues are not necessarily covered here in the order in which they were discussed.  This report may also include information about HTC’s activities which were not discussed at the meeting. 

Full Council Meetings generally take place at 7pm in the Library on the first working Monday of every month, or on the first Tuesday if the first Monday is a bank holiday. 

The agenda for the future meetings (as well as for the Council’s various committee meetings) can be found in this section of the HTC website

See the foot of this post for more information.

HTC = Hungerford Town Council; WBC = West Berkshire Council; WAPC = WBC’s WBC’s Western Area Planning Committee. NDP = Neighbourhood Development Plan. H2036 = Hungerford’s NDP (so-called until October 2023). HNP = Hungerford’s NDP (from October 2023). DC = District Councillor; TVP = Thames Valley Police.

For HTC updates from previous months, please visit the archives here.

Presentation by the Head of Hungerford Primary School

Lucy Smith, the recently appointed head of Hungerford Primary School, gave a brief presentation to the meeting.

She explained that she had worked in both rural and semi-urban schools in the area, a combination which she felt had given her a good insight into many aspects of the profession. She said she was honoured and delighted to having been chosen to lead Hungerford Primary School: the fact that it was a maintained school rather than part of a multi-school trust provided her with more autonomy, she felt.

She outlined some of her ambitions. These included further raising the profile of the school, further engaging with the community, further improving outcomes, continuing to work with parents and showcasing the school such as at various events deigned for parents and carers in October and November. She also expressed her delight at the success of the parent-support groups

Any forthcoming Ofsted inspection was, she said, welcomed: although being aware that the body has had some critics, she stressed that her last experience of an inspection had been positive. She added that she looked forward to engaging positively with the inspectors to explain her vision of how the school would develop under her leadership.

There were challenges, she admitted. These included areas in which the school could improve (such as IT) and in addressing problems of wellbeing and mental health that were, she suggested, not helped by the perception that these were dealt with too much by early diagnosis, rather than putting in place effective support and teaching about the issues. In this regard, the NHS-sponsored My Happy Mind initiative was one which the School was actively engaging with.

In addition, the falling birth rate in and around Hungerford presented demographic challenges, as did the different appeal that smaller village schools were able to offer. The latter point was one that the various engagement events were designed to address.

HTC thanked her for for her positive and honest appraisal and wished her well in her new role.

Presentation by a trustee of the Croft Hall

Tony Dewer-Trump provided HTC with a brief summary of the fundraising plans for the 125-year-old Croft Hall which is run as a registered charity.

The building is, he explained, used by about 7,000 local residents in a typical year, is the town’s premier performing-arts venue, provides important services for young families and community groups and is a popular venue for private events.

Although the building is largely self-funding for its normal activities, a number of structural problems have recently become apparent which require attention. These include the flooring, the kitchen and the seating and tables. The costs for this (phase one) are estimated to be £138,000.

Thereafter, further improvements (phase two) , estimated to cost perhaps £300,000, would include increasing the energy efficiency and acoustics, restoring the scissor-beam Victorian roof,  improving the garden and rear storage areas and upgrading the small hall.

However, it’s phase one that’s the immediate challenge.

Greenham Trust has pledged up to £30,000 as match funding, so doubling any donations from other sources up to this sum. Other applications are being considered through the WBC CIL fund and other local and national funding bodies. The hope was expressed that HTC could make a grant.

The value of the Croft Hall and the need for funding was supported by HTC at the meeting but it was stressed that no budget existed in the current financial year. However, it was agreed that this would be considered for the 2025-26 budget, work on which will be starting soon.

Trophy presentation

The Mayor presented the Margaret Wilson trophy to Stuart and Simon Hunt-Hall,  the winners of the most eco-friendly garden in the 2024 Hungerford in Bloom competition

Councillor Nick Schlanker

The Mayor said that Councillor Nick Schlanker had resigned from HTC and thanked him for his contributions to the Council, in particular his work with chairing the Highways and Transport committee and his work on a number of projects, including lights (both the Christmas ones and the street ones).

This leaves two vacancies on HTC (Councillor Mark Cusack having left last month) and, once discussions had been held with WBC, the method by which replacements would be sought would be publicised.

The 2024 Freedom of the Town

The Mayor announced that Barbara Barr, Tim Crouter, Sandie Crouter and Susan Mayes had been awarded this honour and a ceremony was held on 6 October to formalise this.

Parking issues

This matter was covered in some detail in last month’s report (which generated a large number of responses to the consultation). The Mayor confirmed that the 24/7 charges for off-street parking (agreed separately) would apply whereas the 24/7 charges for on-street ones (the subject of the recent consultation) now would not.

This presents an obvious anomaly with people being likely to use on-street bays overnight to the detriment of residents and, perhaps traders (particularly on the evenings before the Wednesday markets), in the process reducing overnight revenue from the car parks to almost zero. Councillor Hudson suggested that WBC could deal with this by not implementing, or not enforcing the off-street regulations.

The Mayor said that HTC would continue to oppose this. There was a possibility that WBC could look at this again in six months or so, particularly if problems or financial loss ensued.

The Mayor also announced that the new regulations at Tesco would limit parking to two hours though the car park was available for the store’s customers only. At present there are no plans to require shoppers to register their number plates. Parking outside store hours will be forbidden.

The Three Swans

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor recently met the Manager at The Three Swan with two issues being discussed.

The first was delivery lorries causing blockages and possible pavement damage on the High Street. The Manager promised immediate action of this and said that the delivery company involved should already have known that this was forbidden for these reasons.

The second concerned parking by guests on the High Street on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, so potentially preventing the market stalls from setting up. It was agreed that signs (possibly provided by the Town and Manor) would be positioned in the foyer on Tuesdays and guests reminded of the fact. The Manager also said that car registration numbers were now being taken from guests so making it easier to contact them if necessary.

Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor said that the Manager had been very keen to help on these matters.

The Mayor’s report

The Twinning Association

It’s been five years since we’ve been able to welcome back our twin town Ligueil to Hungerford.

Arriving a little later than originally planned, Members of the Twinning Association hosted a welcome reception in the Hub. Although very tired, it didn’t take long for us to reacquaint the long-established friendships. The visit was short, but their schedule was full. I was delighted to join the group for lunch, held at Terrace View following the tour of the wetlands project. 

An account of the trip can be found here.

WBC’s Planning Forum 

Alistair and I attended this in person with James and Stella attending on-line.

I thought the forum was well attended with a real mix of people. I was particularly interested to see the new planning portal launch, which feels more intuitive. Other topics discussed were new housing numbers passed down from government, most of these will come from brownfield sites. Thatcham will need to deliver a significant number of new homes. Hungerford’s neighbourhood development plan will need to align with WBC’s local plan but the town’s housing numbers have not (yet) increased. 

Parking

I wish to thank WBC for listening to Hungerford resident concerns. Due to the community’s response to the latest parking consultation, the 24-hour parking charges will not be implemented for on-street parking, meaning evenings will remain free to park. There will be an increase in daytime charges,

I think this is a fair compromise. Sadly, off-street parking charges will remain. HTC will watch the impact of these closely. I am hopeful, that in time we can reverse this decision. 

Sustrans, Greenham Trust, WBC, Canal & Rivers Trust  – Reimagining the Kennet & Avon Canal 

I attended this informative presentation in Padworth village hall. 

The Kennet and Avon Canal is the living waterway threading its way through West Berkshire. Originally designed to transport goods from Bath to London, it has since become a haven for wildlife, leisure, exercise, commuting, holidays, and much more. 

However, it now requires a crucial upgrade to make it accessible to the entire community, whether for walking, cycling, pushing a buggy, or using a wheelchair. 

The ambitious plans, detailed below, are likely to cost in the region of £20m and take around 10 years to complete. 

  • Heart of Newbury – Linking Newbury Football Club’s ground to Northcroft Leisure Centre.
  • Breaching the Barriers – Extending the recently completed Aldermaston Wharf Project to Calcot.
  • Completing the Connection – Extending the Brimpton Road resurfacing from Thatcham Station to Aldermaston.
  • Two Towns Link – Bulls Lock to Thatcham Station linking Newbury and Thatcham.
  • Beyond Newbury – Improving the poor and inaccessible towpath from the Monkey Bridge to Marsh Benham.
  • Creating the Connection – Upgrading the towpath from Marsh Benham to Kintbury and Hungerford.

Hungerford is phase six of these ambitious plans. Funding would be used to undertake a feasibility study if successful.

There were a couple of representatives from the boating and horse drawn barge community who informed the team that it was important to include mooring points as the sealed surface could be undermined with frequent mooring on the new surface. Secondly, the fast-flowing rivers are washing the earth from underneath the new path and it was felt more consideration was needed to ensure the longevity of the works. I am excited to see the continuation of the project. 

Partnership meeting with Thames Valley Police 

I recently attended a meeting with Hungerford’s neighbourhood team and inspector Hawkett, DC Gaines and Councillors Armstrong and Cole were also in attendance with a representative from Sovereign Housing. 

This was following on from various resident concerns relating to anti-social behaviour in the community. This was an opportunity to speak in confidence about some current concerns relating to drug dealing and ASB in Hungerford. 

TVP is very aware of individuals within the community who are causing some concern locally. Some Sovereign housing properties have been flagged to the police relating to anti-social behaviour. 

Sadly, and despite repeated messages, TVP is not receiving consistent reports from the community. It is so important to build an accurate picture – the more information fed into the system the better, this will ensure Hungerford becomes a priority for resources. Reporting anti-social behaviour as it happens through 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers is so important.

I understand this is tedious and sometimes you may feel like you’re being ignored, or that the police are doing nothing to help. Please know this isn’t the case and your continued reporting really does help. If you can keep a diary of activity with as much information as possible, this can be fed to our local neighbourhood team. HTC will continue to support residents and ensure TVP are kept informed. Please report all incidents of anti-social behaviour and drug related incidents. 

Skate Park on site meeting 

Members of the skate park committee met with our contractors to look at the skate park and any potential remedial works now the park has settled. There were a few very minor points raised and these will be addressed shortly. 

Some of you will have seen the new recycling waste bin situated in the park. Sadly, on our recent visit we noticed a considerable number of drinks bottles and cans strewn across the park. It was decided there may be some merit in visiting the local schools to ask the users of the park to take some responsibility for keeping this amazing asset looking fantastic. Parents and children please pass this on to other users. Please help us to provide a park our community can be proud of. 

Freedom of the Town 

On Sunday 6 October we held our award ceremony for our fantastic four, the 2024 Freedom of the Town awardees. There will be press coverage released shortly. In the meantime, HTC offers its congratulations to Barbara Barr, Tim and Sandie Crouter and Susan Mayes for their outstanding contribution to the community. Such a wonderful afternoon and so deserved. Thank you to Deputy Lieutenant Willie Hartley-Russell for attending and presenting the awards. 

Poppy collectors’ presentation 

Hungerford Royal British Legion hosted a poppy appeal presentation evening. The evening celebrates the amazing efforts of the poppy collectors who all help raise a significant amount of money for veterans and their families. I was so thrilled to receive my own certificate for five years as a collector for the poppy appeal. 

Jerry and I stole a small part of the evening to present a cheque to all the legion units for a whopping £5,950.91. This was the amount raised at the 80th anniversary D-Day weekend. Jerry and I were incredibly moved to hear the story of Peter Saunders who won gold at the Invictus games and who was helped by money raised through the poppy appeal. 

Town & Manor Social 

HTC would like to thank The Town & Manor for hosting HTC councillors and staff for an informal gathering at the Town Hall. This was a great networking opportunity. It’s always nice to catch up and discuss all things Hungerford, also to get to know each other better. It’s important our two organisations work together to benefit the community. 

District Councillors’ reports

Only DC Benneyworth was present at the meeting. The points covered included the following:

  • CIL bids. WBC was expected to make a decision on these (regarding the Rugby Club, Croft Hall and Tennis ClubP “imminently”.
  • Disabled playground equipment. The Parish Plan grant might also produce possible sources of funding.
  • WBC consultations. He drew attention to two: that on waste (see separate section); and the proposed pedestrianisation in Newbury. Click here for details of all current consultations being run by WBC.
  • The WBC District Parish Conference. This will take place on Tuesday 29 October in the Council offices and online. Click here for more details (including the agenda, when published).
  • Street-cleaning equipment. Councillor Keates said that the cleaning of the York Stone in Hungerford could best be done once or twice a year with a dedicated machine such as was used by other councils. He’s been unable to establish if WBC had one. DC Benneyworth agreed to look into this.

Contact details for the Hungerford & Kintbury ward members (and all the other ones) can be found by clicking here.

WBC’s waste management strategy

Details of this consultation can be found here. This closes on 6 November 2024.

After some discussion, HTC’s response was to (a) oppose the gradual reduction of the green-bin charge; and (b) to oppose the three-weekly collection of black bins.

The Hungerford neighbourhood development plan (HNP)

More steady progress this month:

  • Regulation 14 consultation is completed and the final changes made to the Plan so its almost ready for Regulation 16 submission to WBC.
  • Key changes to the plan were not that many: emphasis on the plan being for the parish, not just the town; housing mix as Hungerford Housing Needs surveys rather than WB average; a separate cycle route plan; and more emphasis on cycle routes. The housing allocations are unchanged. A query was raised about a footpath from the rear of Cotterall Close site to the cemetery but we consider it good to retain this.
  • We have appointed our consultant to continue work but via Land Use Planning consultancy.
  • A short report has been produced on the proposed Local Green Spaces.

It’s looking like a mid 2025 date for adoption.The emerging WBC Local Plan is not proposing changes in Hungerford and is expected to be adopted later this year. It is helpful to Hungerford that it adopt its plan after this so it’s binding on the area.

Key next actions are: complete the report of consultation, for entire NDP process (which started in January 2018 as ‘Hungerford 2036’: here we are over six years later, with an end date of 2041…); forward the NDP and reports to consultants to finalise for Regulation 16; submit to WBC for Rule 16 Consultation with associated support documents; and the Regulation 16 Consultation by WBC, any responses from which then being considered by the Inspector.

For more information on the HNP project, see this separate post.

The Hungerford Community Shed

At last month’s meeting, a presentation was made about the charity (which is in the process of being formed for Hungerford) using and converting the semi-open part of the Croft Field Centre for its regular weekday activities.

HTC has recently considered the proposal. After a discussion, it was agreed that it would be happy to support the proposal, subject to a contract which would encompass the points referred to in item FC202400168 of the meeting’s agenda and other matters, such as parking issues and the terms of the reversion.

Flower tubs

Following a discussion at last month’s meeting, the need for tubs has been identified. Two can be moved from other locations and two will need to be bought. These will need to more robust than the current ones as they will also be used as unofficial bollards. A representative from Smarten Up Hungerford is looking at the the costs and will report back to HTC.

Remembrance Day marshalls

Volunteer Marshalls are required for the event on 10 November. If you’re interested, please email townclerk@hungerford-tc.gov.uk.

Socks appeal

Sunday 3 December is the International Day of People with Disabilities: this year, the theme is purple socks and the main local beneficiary is Swings and Smiles which though based in Thatcham supports many families in Hungerford. The scheme is supported by Parallel “a disability lifestyle brand with purpose and an attitude of no-limits living.”

Councillor Coulthurst gave a brief summary of the the aims and ambitions of the initiative at the meeting and said that she has socks for sale, with all the profits going to Swings and Smiles and Parallel. These will also be available from retailers in Hungerford. For more information, email cllr.stella.coulthurst@hungerford-tc.gov.uk.

HTC’s committees 

The following committee meetings have recently taken place (“last meeting” refers to the last meeting for which minutes were available on the day this post was published). Environment & Planning generally meets once a month and the others every other month. See the separate section above for meetings relating to the Hungerford neighbourhood Plan and the Town-centre Strategy.

  • Highways and Transport. (Last meeting 23 September – click here to read the minutes.) Items covered included: actions from the previous meeting, including the York stone cleaning, A-boards, EV chargers and speed limits; the new twi-bins; speeding; CCTV; a new noticeboard; the parking consultation; the Christmas lights contract; and health and safety issues.
  • Recreation, Amenities and War Memorials. (Last meeting 12 September – click here to read the minutes.) Items covered included: actions from the previous meeting, including training, tree work, repairs and maintenance and play equipment; the car park at the Rugby Club; grants; the RoSPA inspection; a possible boules court; cleaning the war memorial; bollards; warning signs; and the Cemetery.
  • Finance and General Purposes. (Last meeting 11 September – click here to read the minutes.) Items covered included: formal matters; the Tennis Court lease; a review of policies; grant applications; the Community Shed; and staffing matters.
  • Environment and Planning. (Last meeting 9 September – click here to see the minutes.) Items covered included: five planning applications (three no objection, one objection and one request for a call-in); and case officer reports.

Note: if the links above don’t work, this may be because they were linked to unadopted (draft) minutes which have since been replaced by adopted ones. If so, please visit this page of HTC’s website for the most up-to-date information on meetings past and the agendas of those yet to come.

For details on HTC’s committees, including membership, agendas and minutes, please click here (and go to the “Town Council” tab).

Police report

The following report was produced for the meeting:

“September has been a quiet month in regards to reported crime in Hungerford Town. However we are into the time of year when we see an increase in rural crime offences – particularly hare-coursing and deer poaching.

“On 28 September the team, along with the Fire Service from Hungerford attended Cobbs Farm for the annual Emergency Services Day. The weather was kind and the event was well attended.

“In September there were three reports of anti-social behaviour, one of shoplifting and two of criminal damage. (in one case a window was smashed on the High Street and a male has been arrested.)”

The local police team

The current set-up of the team is one Inspector, one Sergeant, three Police Constables and four PCSOs to cover the Hungerford and Downlands area. Please see below for how to contact them.

Local events

If you have any community events for which you would like representation from your local NHPT, please contact them via the email address below. While local TVP representatives cannot guarantee always to be able to attend, they will make every effort to do so. 

General information (including contacts)

  • Please report all incidents to the Police or otherwise they will not be officially recorded – news travels fast round a community but if no one reports incidents the police may not know about it. Mentioning an incident on social media does not count as reporting the crime.
  • People are encouraged to sign up for Thames Valley Alerts. As well as local crime information, you can receive details of the latest scams.
  • Thames Valley Police has a Facebook page.
  • The local policing team also wants to draw attention to the ‘what three words’ app which is used to help with the prevention of rural crime by locating people. The app provides a three-word code for each grid which is mapped over the world. By ringing 999 and quoting it, the police can locate you.
  • If you believe you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, please report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
  • You can report incidents online but if it is urgent please continue to call on 101 (non-emergency) and 999 in an emergency.
  • If you would like to report anonymously you can do so via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
  • The team’s email address is HungerfordandDownlandsNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk  This is not monitored 24/7 and should not be used in an emergency or to report a crime.
  • The local police team is keen to promote the Herbert Protocol initiative which helps us all to try to keep vulnerable members of our community safe.

Contacting HTC

HTC can be contacted in the following ways:

  • By email to townclerk@hungerford-tc.gov.uk.
  • By post to The Town Clerk, Hungerford Town Council, The Library, Church Street, Hungerford RG17 0JG.
  • In person at the above address between 10am and 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • By phone on 01488 686 195.

Any questions for an HTC meeting need to arrive by 2pm on the day (please allow more time if you have left this on the ansafone).

Members of the public are also welcome to attend any meetings.

Contacting WBC in an emergency

You can also contact West Berkshire Council out of office hours for emergencies. These are considered to include:

  • Major incidents such as major accidents or significant flooding.
  • Fallen trees and other debris blocking or restricting roads or causing potential danger to road users.
  • Traffic lights not working (West Berkshire Council only manages fixed traffic lights, not temporary ones).
  • Emergency repairs to council-owned temporary accommodation (tenants of properties should contact their housing association, landlord or agent).

 

The sections above cover the main issues with which HTC has recently been involved or concerned: it by no means describes all of HTC’s activities. Nor is this an official record of any meeting nor of any other aspect of HTC’s activities. Links to the official minutes of this and other meetings are provided in this post. For more information on HTC, please click here.

If there’s anything that you’d like to see addressed by HTC, and perhaps also covered in this way in future editions of Penny Post Hungerford, please email claire.barnes@hungerford-tc.gov.uk. Any such suggestions should be received at least four working days before the end of the month (and preferably sooner) if they are to be included in the corresponding post for the following month. That is not, of course, to say that HTC will not in any case give the matter its attention and respond personally if appropriate.

This information has been compiled by Penny Post from information supplied by HTC and others. Every reasonable effort has been made to provide a clear and dispassionate summary of the points covered but these may contain expressions of opinion which may not accord with HTC’s official view on the matter. Links have been provided to other posts, on the Penny Post site or elsewhere, to give additional information where this has been judged useful or necessary. The presence of such a link should not be taken to imply that HTC necessarily agrees with, endorses or supports any of the material contained therein.

Brian Quinn
Author: Brian Quinn

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Print

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up to the free weekly

Penny Post
e-newsletter 

 

For: local positive news, events, jobs, recipes, special offers, recommendations & more.

Covering: Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford, Marlborough, Wantage, Lambourn, Compton, Swindon & Theale