Great Shefford Annual Parish Meeting 12 May 2025

The Annual Parish Meeting of Great Shefford Parish Council (GSPC) was held in the Village Hall and was attended by Parish Councillors, the West Berkshire Council (WBC) ward member Clive Hooker, representatives from the Environment Agency (EA) and the Thames Valley Police (TVP) and about ten members of the public.

The police team

Two representatives from the local TVP team, Chris Tayler and Lee Bremner, were present. There have recently been re-organisation in the local neighbourhood force which has caused some public controversy. The only reference made to this was that Chris Tayler admitted that, as a result, he wasn’t as familiar with the immediate area as he would have wished.

Much of the information about the responsibilities, staffing and activity of the TVP Hungerford and Lambourn Neighbourhood Policing Team can be found on this page of the TVP’s website. Information is also provided in other sources, including the Great Shefford PC website, Penny Post and Great Shefford News.

The main message was that people should report crimes and incidents: ways of doing this can be found on the above-mentioned web page.

The Great Shefford Flood Defence Scheme (FDS)

Richard Hancock from the Environment Agency (EA), who has been involved in this project since its inception nearly ten years, gave an update on the project. The key points were:

The construction: this started in late May 2024 and was scheduled to take six months. It took nearer twelve, mainly due to heavy rainfall and raised groundwater levels.
The completion: work is now effectively done. It includes 720m of pipes, 180m of open channels and two trash screens. The system has been designed both to hold back and to divert floodwater and then to release it in a controlled way into the SAC- and SSSI-protected River Lambourn.
The groundwater: the project was not designed to protect properties from groundwater ingress. This is a separate issue and the exact extent of this is currently imperfectly understood. It was hoped that the monitoring of the FDS would help with this.
The other work: recent re-lining work in the area has been done by Thames Water on its foul-water system, to address yet another water-related problem in the area. This is unconnected with any of the EA’s work on FDS.
The maintenance: the FDS is owned by the EA, which has a legal duty to maintain it. Any help it requires from the community will be given publicity here and elsewhere.
The sluice gate: the EA does not, however, have any ownership or responsibility for the WBC-installed sluice gate. The EA has doubts as to how beneficial this is but he confirmed that no moves would be made to seal it up, as some reports had suggested.
The future: there will be a consultation on EA partnership funding launched soon (details to follow) and he urged residents to respond to this. The current arrangements tend to make smaller schemes such as this one hard to build: indeed, he implied that Shefford could count itself fortunate at having had this provided.
Thanks to: he thanked many people, in particular Steve Ackrill who had led the Great Shefford Flood Alleviation Association which had raised £80,000 of the funds (and who did so much to keep the project alive and force it onto the EA’s works programme); and encouraged residents, here and elsewhere, to challenge the EA and other bodies to produce similar projects in future.

Reports from local groups

Although it wouldn’t be her intention to claim credit for all of these, many of these summaries were read out by the indefatigable (and seemingly also ubiquitous) Denise Herrington, due in some cases to others not being able to attend. Organisations referred to included:

The Welford Park Cricket Club: an increase in coaching for children, activities or matches at the beautiful ground most days in the summer and an encouraging number of local players progressing through the ranks. Click here for more information.
The Great Shefford Bellringers: about eight people currently, more always welcome for ringing once a month and at special occasions and practice every Wednesday evening. There’s also an open day on Saturday 23 June to which all are welcome: more details to follow. Click here for more information.
The Great Shefford Village Hall: A number of regular clients for this vital community asset which requires constant TLC in the form of repairs and maintenance: donations, and more booking, always welcome. Click here for more information.
The Great Shefford Under-fives: this organisation – which certainly is something for which Denise can claim direct credit, though not for all of the 54 years it’s been in operation – meets in the Village Hall four days a week with seven staff and currently caters for over 20 local children. There are potential funding uncertainties hanging over it due to government childcare reforms. She stressed that early-years help and support is of vital societal benefit. Click here for more information.
Great Shefford Church: there are various services every week and a range of other activities and events as well. Click here for more information.
Great Shefford Speedwatch: more volunteers are needed to operate the equipment and record infractions, particularly during rush hours. Click here for more information.
The Great Shefford Allotments: the radius for possible applicants has been extended to five miles from the Village Hall and five plots are currently available. Click here for further information.
Great Shefford News: this is an online monthly publication covering the parish and subscriptions (for free) and contributions were welcomed. Email gtsheffordnews@gmail.com for further information.

Information on some of the other community groups which were not able to be represented at the meeting can be found here.

The ward member’s report

WBC Councillor Clive Hooker provided a summary of some local issues, both in the parish and district-wide:

The pub: he lamented the fact that this local amenity had been closed for so long (the Chair reported it had recently been bought by a local resident and renovations were in hand, currently paused pending approvals by WBC and the EA).
The flood scheme: he congratulated the EA for having got this done and echoed Richrd Hancock’s thanks (see above) to Steve Ackrill and others.
Speeding: he was glad that the village had been able to benefit from his member’s bid to secure funds for vehicle activated signs (VARS) – the ones with the smiley or frowning faces depending on your speed. He said that this had proved of great benefit in other parishes.
WBC’s newsletters: he pointed out that there are several of these, including the weekly Residents’ Bulletin. More information about signing up can be found here. (Note: due to a recent change of systems, you may not any longer be receiving these: if so, you may need to re-subscribe via the above link.)
WBC’s new CEO: He was involved in what seemed to have been a rigorous selection procedure for the new CEO. Joseph Holmes, who had been the interim CEP since the resignation of Nigel Lynn, was appointed to the role full-time.
WBC’s finances: it’s been widely reported that these are in a parlous state, mainly due to the increasing demands of social care and childrens’ services. (This is a problem that all councils responsible for these services are experiencing.) WBC has applied for an has received £16m in Exceptional Financial Support.
Waste collections: WBC has decided to move from fortnightly to three-weekly black-bin collections from some date to be confirmed later this year. (Many views on this matter exist: you can read Penny Post’s summary of the issue here.)
Devolution of services: WBC has identified perhaps fifty different services – ranging from dog bins to library opening hours – which it might shed: the challenge (or opportunity) for parish and town councils then being whether it wants either to take these on or pay WBC to continue to perform them. This might result in higher precepts (there’s no limit on how much towns or parishes can raise these, in contrast to the cap on council tax). On the other hand, he suggested this would enable more hyper-local flexibility of supply.
Local government reorganisation: as has been widely reported, in Penny Post and elsewhere, the government has announced a shake-up of the complex system of local government. The most immediate issue was the need for larger unitary (single-tier) authorities. WBC’s current first choice is a merger with the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire (not currently unitary authorities) to form what’s been termed Ridgeway Council. Although there are a number of points in favour, the government’s response has not yet been received. This could take effect from 2027 or 2028.
WBC’s local plan: this provides the policies (subject to changes in government policy) for informing planning decisions, the current one being due to expire in 2026. He offered his view of the recent history of this complex and important document, which has recently been declared sound by the planning Inspector subject to the Main Modifications being adopted.

Great Shefford Parish Council

The section below was provided by GSPC.

Introduction

This report summarises the activities, decisions, and key discussions of the Great Shefford Parish Council (GSPC) from May 2024 to April 2025. The council has worked diligently to address community concerns, manage local projects, and ensure the smooth operation of parish affairs.

Council Members during report period:

Chair: Louisa Freeman
Councillors: Miranda Armstrong, Tony Coard, Jessica Copcutt, Piers Storey, Carol Turner, Eunice Tweedie
Parish Clerk: Louisa Freeman (Acting Clerk), Mel Taylor (Locum Clerk)

Meeting Highlights

April 2024

Asset of Community Value (ACV): Discussions on registering The Great Shefford pub as an ACV.
Planning Applications: Various applications were reviewed, including extensions and conversions.
Finance: Issues with SSE overcharging were addressed, and action to resolve this is ongoing.
Village Issues: Speed Awareness Scheme, playground equipment repairs, and flood alleviation updates were discussed.

June 2024

Finance Meeting: Approval of the internal audit report and annual governance statement. The council claimed exemption from external audit.
Dormant Funds: Efforts to recover dormant funds from Barclays were ongoing.

July 2024

Planning Applications: Continued review of applications and decision notices.
Village Issues: Speed Awareness Scheme updates, SAGLUV committee involvement, and flood alleviation scheme progress.

September 2024

ACV Application: Submission of the ACV application for The Great Shefford pub.
Planning Applications: Updates on pending applications and decisions.
Finance: Renewal of the council’s insurance policy and submission of CIL reports.

November 2024

Christmas Carol Service: Funding approved for brochure and poster printing.
Speed Awareness Scheme: Data collection and potential applications for speed reduction areas.
Defibrillators: Transfer of responsibility for maintaining village defibrillators to the council.
Village Events: Community litter picks and website updates.

January 2025

Speed Awareness Scheme: Continued data collection and volunteer involvement.
Village Events: Successful Christmas tree light switch-on event.
Village Communications: Enhancements to the website and social media presence.
ACV Application: Preparation of a business plan for The Great Shefford pub.

March 2025

Service Delivery Offers: Consideration of additional services from West Berkshire Council.
Traffic Calming: Acceptance of a grant for a replacement Vehicle Activated Sign.
Planning Applications: Updates on new applications and decisions.
Recruitment: Approval of the job description for the permanent Parish Clerk vacancy.
Village Matters: Community litter picks and website improvements.

April 2025

Traffic Calming: Replacement of the faulty Vehicle Activated Sign.
Village Events: Continued community litter picks.
ACV Application: Withdrawal of the application due to the sale of The Great Shefford pub.
Flood Alleviation Scheme: Ongoing construction and monitoring.

Financial overview

GSPC managed its finances responsibly, addressing issues with overcharging and ensuring proper documentation and audits. Efforts to recover dormant funds and manage community infrastructure levy funds were successful.

Community engagement

GSPC actively engaged with the community through open forums, village events, and regular updates on the website and social media. Initiatives like the Speed Awareness Scheme and SAGLUV committee involvement demonstrated the council’s commitment to improving village life.

Community feedback

Throughout the year, the council received valuable feedback from residents, which helped shape decisions and initiatives. Key points of community feedback included:

Support for ACV Application: Residents expressed strong support for registering The Great Shefford pub as an ACV, highlighting its importance to the community.
Speed Awareness Scheme: Positive feedback was received regarding the Speed Awareness Scheme, with residents appreciating efforts to improve road safety.
Village Events: Community members praised the organisation of village events, such as the Christmas tree light switch-on and litter picks, noting their positive impact on community spirit.
Flood Alleviation Scheme: Residents provided feedback on the flood alleviation scheme, expressing concerns about potential impacts on properties and suggesting improvements.
Communication: Feedback indicated a desire for enhanced communication through the website and social media, leading to efforts to improve these channels.

Future plans

The council aims to continue its efforts in traffic calming, flood alleviation, and enhancing community facilities. Recruitment of a permanent Parish Clerk is complete and ongoing improvements to village communications is a priority for the coming year.

Conclusion

GSPC has made significant progress in addressing community concerns and managing local projects. The council remains committed to serving the village and ensuring a vibrant and well-maintained community.

Further information

For more on GSPC, visit GSPC’s website.
Penny Post’s weekly Lambourn Valley Weekly News section (updated every Thursday evening) provides links to and summaries of the minutes of GSPC’s meetings and information about village events and activities.
Information exclusively about Great Shefford can also be found in the monthly Great Shefford News (see above).