dursley town council

Dursley Town Council

Annual Report 2019/20

Town Clerk: Mr John Kay Jacob’s House, Castle Street,

Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 4BS Telephone: 01453 547758

Email: [email protected] www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/

Mayor’s Overview

It has been a privilege and honour to serve Dursley as the Town Mayor for 2019/20 and I am pleased to continue in the role for 2020/21.

The Council has achieved a great deal in the last year, as we continue to serve the community in changing and challenging times.

During 2019/20 we have seen several changes within the Town Council and, in particular toward the end of the year and into the 2020/21, we have had to adjust and respond to the unprecedented challenges we all face in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The restrictions placed upon us all have meant that we have not been able to hold Dursley’s Annual Assembly meeting or the local elections, which have now been postponed until May 2021.

This Annual Report will highlight many of the changes over the last year and the Council’s achievements which would not have been possible without the help and support of the local community and key partners.

Councillor Mandy Woodward was re-elected as Deputy Mayor for 2019/20 and made a significant contribution to the town in this role. I am pleased that Councillor Woodward will continue as Deputy Mayor for 2020/21. I very much look forward to working alongside her and my fellow Town Councillors over the coming year.

We welcomed Councillors Denver Thirlwell, Joanne Smee, Kate Reynolds and John Rubin to Council. Councillor Suzi Abraham decided to step down due to other commitments. Suzi had been a Town Councillor since 2016 and served as Deputy Town Mayor for a time, as well as a valuable member of the Town Improvements Committee, Planning Committee, Policy & Finance Committee and Staff Committee during that period.

Councillor Matt Nicholson decided to step down due to other commitments. Matt was one of the longest serving Town Councillors, having been in the role for almost 13 years and in recent years was instrumental in setting up the Community Speed Watch group for the town.

During 2019, Councillors Brian Cairns and Tom Arnold also decided to step down due to other commitments, both made valuable contributions to the town. Brian chaired the Council’s Staff Committee and was Vice Chair of the Green Spaces Committee and Tom played a significant role in the town’s ‘Festive Dursley’ activities.

The past year has been a busy one and we have embarked on many improvement projects for the town including:

• Opening the new Long Stay Car Park on Long Street. • The installation of a new Petanque court on the War Memorial Recreation Ground, which was funded with

the help of a Sports England grant.

• The refurbishment of the seats at the bus station, designed and installed by the Breakheart Quarry Community Project.

• Installing new play equipment at Kingshill Play Park to replace older wooden pieces and agreeing plans to do similar at Highfields Play Area.

• Supporting Dursley in Bloom, Festive Dursley and Dursley Welcomes Walkers with their activities.

• Agreeing to trial a Visitor Information Centre at Dursley Library, in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council and supporting the Cotswold Edge & Severn Vale Tourism Network.

• Awarding a substantial sum in grant money to a wide variety of groups and organisations offering support to Dursley residents, including the Dursley & District Community Association, Home Start, the Chantry Centre, Kingshill House, MOBS Dursley and the Dursley & District Good Neighbours scheme.

To be able to continue improving the town and to plan for the future Council has to set a budget. Details relating to the 2019/20 budget are outlined in the Policy and Finance section of this report. At the beginning of 2020 Council agreed, after careful thought, to increase the 2020-2021 budget by an average of £4.05per household per year or 8p a week (band D household). Our share of the overall Council Tax bill is very small and this year’s total budget is £518,950 of which £494,650 will be met from Council Tax (Council 2020/21 budget attached as Appendix 1).

Neil Grecian Town Mayor 2019/20

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DURSLEY TOWN COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20

The budget will enable the Council to continue managing and maintaining the Kingshill Cemetery, Allotments, Council owned Play Areas, the Long Street Car Park and the town centre.

We will continue to improve our green spaces, fund youth sessions at the Vibe Youth Centre and support a number of local community groups and events through our grants programme.

I have had many invitations to join in celebrations of different groups over the year and I have enjoyed them all greatly. The civic engagements I have attended are listed on page 3.

Dursley has much to be proud of. The combined effort of local organisations, traders, dedicated volunteers and the Town Council, has led to many achievements over 2019/20.

The Dursley Walking Festival continues to grow, drawing a greater number of walkers and visitors to the event year on year, putting Dursley firmly on the map. The 2019 walking festival took place from Wednesday 2nd October to Sunday 6th October and was very successful. The event featured 41 walks crossing beautiful countryside and woodlands located in Dursley and the surrounding area.

2019 saw the Dursley In Bloom team retain their Gold award. A fantastic achievement following the hard work and support of local volunteers. We are extremely proud of all their achievements and our sincere thanks go to all the volunteers, their supporters and sponsors, for making our town more attractive throughout the year. The ‘In Bloom’ team is always looking for extra hands, so if you are interested in helping, please contact the Council office. The Council continues to support the group with grant funding and plants.

The War Memorial Recreation Ground continued to be well-used by Dursley football clubs throughout the year and the playgrounds, tennis courts and outside gym equipment continue to be popular. We hope that the new petanque court is well used also. The ground was also used for other events including the annual fireworks and a funfair.

We held a successful open day at the ‘Dursley Festival’ event in the town in the summer. Councillors and staff spoke with many people on the day; many enjoyed visiting Jacob’s House and looking around this historic building for the first time. This year the Festival is scheduled to take place on 11th July but this will need to be confirmed in light of the ongoing Coronavirus situation.

The Christmas Switch-on event continues to be a large event for the town. The 2019 event drew more crowds than ever. The fireworks, snow and ‘Winter Wonderland Garden’ features in the town centre and at St James’ Church for the event made it an even greater display! The 2020 event is being organised by the Festive Dursley Working Group with help from local traders, ourselves and local organisations and will take place on Friday 27th November 2020.

We also responded to Stroud District Council’s Local Plan review which entered the Draft Plan stage, working closely with members of the community engaged in the consultation process.

These events and activities could not take place without the support of committed volunteers within our community. I would like to thank all those volunteers that help to make this town such a great place to live in. This includes: Dursley in Bloom (DIB), Walkers are Welcome, members of the Cam and Dursley Youth Forum and Festive Dursley. It also includes all those Community Street Volunteers who have stepped forward to help with the Cam and Dursley Coronavirus Community Response efforts.

Alongside our Annual Report 2019/20, we have published a ‘Councillor and Community Group Report’ which outlines in more detail some of the work and activities taking place across the town.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the Town Council office in Jacob’s House holds a wide range of visitor and service information and residents can also view plans and report potholes, faulty street lights, etc. The office is open from 10.00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday and regular updates are posted on the Council’s Facebook page and website www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk .

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Town Mayor’s Civic Engagements 2019/20:

Town Annual Assembly

Pederson Bike Meet

Judging ‘Paint the Town Pink’

Shop Windows

Dursley Christmas Lights

Switch on

Henlow Court Open Day

Official Opening of the

new Petanque Court

Dursley Rotary Club Carol

Service Reading

Official Opening of Long

Street Car Park

Dil Raj 30 year Celebration Radio Gloucestershire Interview

About Dursley

Dursley Festival

Gloucestershire

Association of Town &

Parish Council’s AGM

Opening Tyndale Arts Week

Remembrance Day Parade &

Service

Spoke about the ‘Role of the

Mayor’ at Dursley Methodist

Church

Annual Flower & Produce

Show

Laying the Wreath at the

Recreation Ground WW2 Memorial

Guest Speaker at Dursley Air

Training Corps Annual Dinner

Green Spaces Committee Report The Green Spaces Committee meets 6 times a year to deal with matters relating to Council owned and managed green spaces; this includes the War Memorial Recreation Ground, Kingshill House Play Park, Highfields Play Area, Kingshill Cemetery, Kingshill Allotments and St Mark’s Burial Ground. In 2019/20 we continued to carry out improvements to our green spaces and play areas.

At the 2019 Annual Assembly members of the public were asked to submit ideas on how they would improve Dursley. We considered 20 suggestions and among those supported was the purchase of new watering cans for Kingshill Cemetery. We installed a petanque court on the War Memorial Recreation Ground, which was officially opened in October 2019. The installation followed a request from members of the public for the facility and a successful grant application to Sports England. Unfortunately, in 2019 there were some incidents of vandalism in the playground at the War Memorial Recreation Ground, resulting in extensive fire damage to litter bins. The local police team were however able to use clear images from our CCTV system, to help identify the culprit and take action. The incident was resolved successfully. In February 2020, we agreed plans to install new play equipment at both Highfields Play Area and Kingshill Play Park, to replace older wooden pieces reaching the end of their life. The first of this work included the installation of a large climbing pyramid at Kingshill Play Park, which was completed in March 2020. In 2019/20 we reviewed our Cemetery Regulations; we continue to regularly review green spaces policy and practice on a regular basis. We continue to hold an annual meeting with our allotment holders and regular users of the War Memorial Recreation Ground. Unfortunately, the 2020 meeting had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions relating to social distancing. We did however carry out a consultation with allotment tenants to see whether we could do more to encourage pollinators by allowing bee keeping on a disused area of the allotment site.

Councillor A Stennett, Chairman of Green Spaces Committee 2019/20 & 2020/21

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Town Improvements Committee Report

The Town Improvements Committee meets 4 times a year to deal with matters relating to Council owned

and managed street furniture (including benches, bus shelters and notice boards), the Broadwell area,

festive lights, planters, town centre trees and, as of December 2019, the Long Street car park. The

Committee also works closely with groups such as Dursley in Bloom (DIB) and the Cotswold Edge and

Severn Vale Tourism Network.

In 2019/20 we continued to support Dursley in Bloom with the planting scheme for the town, which won a

Gold award from the Heart of England in Bloom judges. The DIB volunteers devote so much time and effort

into making the town look lovely and they do a tremendous job.

With the help of a one off grant from Stroud District Council, following the closure of Stroud’s Tourist

Information Centre, we entered into a partnership agreement with Gloucestershire County Council to run a

Visitor Information Centre out of Dursley Library. The Library staff will run the centre, initially for a 6 month

trial period. The original 1st April 2020 start date has had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic,

so a new timescale will be agreed in the near future, following this emergency period.

In 2019/20 we continued to lead in facilitating the Cotswold Edge and Severn Vale Network for Dursley and

the surrounding areas. The group launched an Eating & Drinking map in 2019 and continues to meet

regularly, attracting representatives from local heritage and community groups, traders, accommodation

providers, attractions and venues.

We carried out improvement works in the town centre. We commissioned Breakheart Community Project to

refurbish the seating in the bus station. We also painted the wall facing the Broadwell area, improving the

appearance of this prominent gateway area of the town. Our town centre CCTV system now includes the

new Long Street Car Park and continues to help our local Police team to tackle anti-social behaviour and

other incidents.

We also continue to support the Festive Dursley Working Group to plan and co-ordinate the annual Summer

Festival and of course the Christmas lights switch on event, which attracted huge crowds to the town on 29th

November 2019.

Councillor W Thomas, Chairman of Town Improvements Committee 2019/20 & 2020/21

Policy & Finance Committee Report The Policy and Finance Committee meets 6 times a year to deal with the Council’s financial matters; most notably to draft the Council’s budget which we do in consultation with the other committees.

We try to plan the budget with a view to a stable future with a 3 year forward plan and we work with the other committees to carefully consider work programmes. Planning in this way, allows us to consider the impact of reduced funding from government and local needs.

At the beginning of 2020 Council agreed, after careful thought, to increase the 2020-2021 budget by an average of £4.05 per household per annum or 8p a week (band D household). Our share of the overall Council Tax bill is very small and this year’s total budget is £552,960 of which £477,100 will be met from Council tax (Council 2020/21 budget attached as Appendix 1). Income and expenditure for the 2019-2020 budget is outlined in the charts on page 7.

We also continually look at new and existing policies and the way Council works.

In 2019/20 we carried out a review of the following policies – Staff Appraisal Policy, the Internal Control Checklist, Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Equality Policy and Strategic Plan. We also adopted a new Child Protection and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.

We currently hold ‘Gold’ status in the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) and we are committed to maintaining this award. The award is the highest that a Council can receive, it gives us the opportunity to show that we meet the standards set by the sector and demonstrates that as a council we are at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence.

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We were the first Council in the Stroud District to receive this level of award and the second in Gloucestershire.

We continue to run a grants programme. Each year we allocate an amount of money to support local organisations who specifically provide services to the residents of Dursley.

In 2019/20 we approved grant awards totalling £25,975 to local voluntary and community organisations

Emergency Grants (initially considered by Council upon receipt)

Small Grants (payable in the same year as the application, for

individual projects)

The Shrubberies School £300 Dursley in Bloom £500

Citizens Advice Stroud & Cotswold District £5,500 Dursley & District Good Neighbours £500

Churches Together £100 Dursley Friday Lunch Club £400

Vale Vision £500

Revenue Grants Cotswold Vale Talking Newspaper £100

(payable in the year following application, for long Dursley Town Football Club £400

term projects) Stepping Stones Preschool £500

GL11 Community Project £425 Home Start – Stroud District £750

Dursley & District Community Association £5,000 Dursley & Cam Royal British Legion £500

Great Western Air Ambulance £1,750

Twinberrow Foundation £3,000

Kingshill House £1,000

MOBS Dursley £750

The Chantry Centre £4,000

Requests and applications for funding are welcome from all organisations who operate in the town. Applications for the next round of funding must be received before 31st August 2020.

We require all those who are successfully awarded a grant to submit an evaluation form so that we can review how the money has benefited Dursley. For more detailed information on our grants process and the allocation of recent awards, please visit our website https://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/grant-information-201617.html .

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https://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/grant-information-201617.html


(The charts below are based upon pre-audit figures which were correct as at 7/4/20)

Actual Income 2019/20

2% General Administration & Other Income includes – bank interest, allotment rents, War Memorial Recreation Ground fees, refunds and festive lighting donations.

Actual Expenditure (£) Against Agreed Budget 2019/20

Other Services – Neighbourhood Warden Contribution. Community grants – the ‘approved’ figure on page 5 is different to the ‘actual’ expenditure figure stated on page 6 & 16, due to the decision-making process & the payment timescales involved.

Councillor S Creswick, Chairman of Policy & Finance Committee 2019/20 & 2020/21

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Planning Committee Report The Planning Committee meets monthly to discuss and comment on planning issues affecting the town. These applications include the development of new dwellings, change of use, extensions, works to listed buildings and trees. We also comment and make representation where necessary on Stroud District Council licensing, street naming and road closure consultations. Members of the Committee take it in turns to review the plans prior to the meeting and present findings and comments on the night. Members of the public are welcome to attend and can make representations. 2019/20 was a busy year for the Committee, we deliberated and commented on 62 planning applications and 1 licensing consultation. We can consider and comment on pre-application consultations before the actual applications are submitted to Stroud District Council. The Council signed up to the Pre-Application Community Involvement Protocol for the Stroud District Parishes back in January 2014 and we remain committed to this. We invite people to attend Committee meetings when necessary and we also raise concerns with Stroud District Council when required. We continue to dedicate time to respond to consultations which will shape the way local government operates in the future. In 2019/20 we considered 8 consultations and responded where appropriate, this included the Stroud District Local Plan Review consultations on the Emerging Strategy and the Draft Local Plan. In December 2019 and January 2020, over 60 members of the public attended our meetings to raise their concerns about the Local Plan. There was strong opposition to the possible inclusion of site PS29 (North of Ganzell Lane). We submitted our detailed response based on this feedback from our community and Stroud District Council subsequently dropped the site from the draft plan. We continue to monitor this review closely. We continue to refer to our Neighbourhood Development Plan when we respond to planning application consultations as it is a statutory planning document. We continue to be a member of the town and planning support service ‘Planning Local’ for a small membership fee, this helps us to ensure we have all the latest planning information and advice we need.

Councillor S Ackroyd, Chairman of Planning Committee 2019/20 & 2020/21

Car Park Committee Report

The car park project was by far the biggest project we have embarked on in recent years. We opened the long stay Car Park for use in June 2019. It is free to use and is managed with the help of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. Following the purchase of the site in 2017, the Car Park Committee was set up to oversee and facilitate the development of the new car park until it opened. The work involved a site survey and demolition of the old office building, design, resurfacing and arrangements for lighting, CCTV, signage and landscaping, as well as plans for how it would operate when it opened. Now that this project has been successfully completed the Car Park Committee has been dissolved and the management of the site now falls under the remit of our Town Improvements Committee.

Councillor S Ackroyd, Chairman of Car Park Committee 2019/20

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Staffing

The Town Clerk, John Kay, is employed by the Council to provide professional advice, management and administration support for the Council’s activities. The activities undertaken by the Clerk are very broad and include organising meetings, issuing agendas and recording minutes, project and property management, managing risk and insurance, managing data and records, dealing with electoral matters, public relations and managing contractors and staff. The Clerk is also the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer, managing financial affairs in accordance with regulations, taxes and proper practices.

The Staff Committee meets when required to discuss issues relating to employment.

Town Council Staff Structure

The Town Clerk is supported by a team of full and part-time Council employees who assist with activities:

Staff Training

We recognise the benefit of having a trained workforce and continue to invest in and support staff to undertake training relevant to their job and the Council.

The Town Clerk holds a Certificate of Higher Education in Community Governance, as well as the CILCA qualification. The Certificate is an advanced qualification, tailored specifically to the needs of local council officers who work within local communities, it is highly relevant to the Council’s work and is recognised in law as a qualification for clerks.

During 2019/20, the Town Clerk attended training on Health and Safety Awareness and Legionella & Legionnaires Disease Awareness as well as the Society of Local Council Clerks events and the Gloucestershire Association of Parish & Town Council Clerk Networking meetings.

The Deputy Town Clerk also holds the CILCA qualification and is currently on the ROSPA Register of Play Inspectors (at Level 1).

Town Clerk

John Kay CertHE

Administration & Accounts Assistant

Ann Lyon

Project Officer

Anita Gambie (PT)

Senior Amenity Groundsman

Gerry Guerin

Amenity Groundsman x 2

Shawn Wyatt

Graham Leach

Deputy Town Clerk

Leah Wellings CiLCA (PT)

(P/T) = Part time

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During 2019/20, the Deputy Town Clerk attended training in Health and Safety Awareness.

The Project Officer holds the nationally recognised Prince 2:2017 Foundation qualification and during 2019/20 attended training in Health and Safety Awareness.

Members of the Ground Staff team are currently on the ROSPA Register of Play Inspectors (at Levels 1 & 2). During 2019/20, they attended the training on Health and Safety Awareness.

Staff Appraisals are carried out each year and reviewed by the Staff Committee.

Council Office

The Council office is based at Jacob’s House, Castle Street, Dursley and open Monday to Friday 10:00 am

to 3:00 pm.

Address: Jacob’s House, Castle Street, Dursley, GL11 4BS Tel: 01453 547758 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DursleyTownCouncil Twitter: @DursleyTC

Councillor S Ackroyd, Chairman of Staffing Committee 2019/20 & 2020/21

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http://www.facebook.com/DursleyTownCouncil


Dursley Town Councillors (as at May 2020)

Highfields Ward Mr John Rubin

Ormond House, 13 Bull Pitch Tel: 07747120800

john.rubin@ dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

Highfields Ward Mrs Joanne Smee

37 Forge Road, GL11 4PE Tel: 07960150778

joanne.smee@ dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

Highfields Ward Mrs W Thomas

The Old School House, 4 The Broadwell, GL11 4JE Tel: 07570 931816 wendy.thomas@

dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

Highfields Ward

Mr N Grecian (Town Mayor) 9 Ferney, GL11 5AB

Tel: 546608 neil.grecian@


Highfields Ward Miss A Sheffield

23 Second Avenue, GL11 4PE Tel: 07813168690

[email protected]

Central Ward Mrs J Burdge

95 Budding Way, GL11 5BE Tel: 519702

[email protected]

Central Ward Mr A Whitwell

1 Orchard View, Tilsdown, Cam GL11 5QN Tel: 07894434932

[email protected]

Central Ward

Mrs S Creswick 3 The Slade, GL11 4JX

Tel: 548123 [email protected]

Central Ward Mr P Hayes

1 Cedar Drive, GL11 4EB Tel: 546009

[email protected]

Central Ward Mr S Ackroyd

36 Woodmancote, GL11 4AQ Tel: 07477404056

[email protected]

Kingshill Ward Mrs M Stennett

28 Oak Drive, GL11 4DX Tel: 549813

[email protected]

Kingshill Ward Dr A Stennett


alex.stennett@ dursleytowncouncil.gov. uk

Kingshill Ward Mrs M Woodward

(Deputy Town Mayor) 41 Severn Road, Woodfield, Cam

GL11 6NG Tel: 07807236353 mandy.woodward@


Kingshill Ward

Kingshill Ward Mrs L.V. Patrick


loraine.patrick@ dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

Kingshill Ward

Mrs J.A. Ball 109 Woodview Road, Cam,

GL11 5SD Tel: 545563 jane.ball@


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mailto:john.rubin@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:john.rubin@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:joanne.smee@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:joanne.smee@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:wendy.thomas@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:wendy.thomas@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:neil.grecian@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk

mailto:neil.grecian@%20dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk








http://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/images/934613/large.jpg


Boundary Wards

Dursley Town Council covers the Parish Boundary of Dursley and is sub-divided into three wards (Kingshill,

Central and Highfields). There are 17 members of Council split over the 3 wards.

A ward boundary map is attached as Appendix 2. For a list of Street Names and Ward Locations in the

Dursley Town Council boundary please visit our website www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk or contact the

Council office.

Overview of Councillor Changes during 2019/20

There were no Town Council elections held in 2019.

Neil Grecian was re-elected as Mayor for 2019/20 at the Annual Council Meeting and Councillor Mandy Woodward was elected as Deputy Town Mayor for 2019/20. Both continue in their positions for 2020/21.

In 2019 Councillors Suzi Abraham, Matt Nicholson, Brian Cairns and Tom Arnold all decided to step down as Councillors. Suzi had been a Town Councillor since 2016 and had served as Deputy Town Mayor for a time. Matt was one of Council’s longest serving Councillors having been in the role for almost 13 years. All made valuable contributions to the Council and the town.

During 2019/20, we co-opted Councillors Denver Thirlwell, Joanne Smee, Kate Reynolds and John Rubin to join the Council team.

The elections originally scheduled for May 2020 have been postponed until May 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Attendance at Meetings

Councillors have a responsibility to:

• Attend meetings when summoned to do so.

• Consider, in advance of the meeting, the agenda and any related documents.

• Take part in meetings and consider all the relevant facts and issues on matters which require a decision including the views of others expressed at the meeting.

• Take part in voting and respect decisions made by the majority of those present and voting.

• Ensure, with other councillors, that the council is properly managed.

• Represent the whole electorate, and not just those who voted for them.

The 2019/20 attendance data for Councillors is attached as Appendix 3. The agendas for forthcoming Council meetings are published on our website www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk along with the minutes of the meetings.

Inspection & Internal Control Programme

We have an inspection programme in place. As well as commissioning independent inspectors to carry out checks and audits for us, for example on our finances and playgrounds, Councillors are responsible for carrying out monthly inspections of each of our main sites, our street furniture by ward and internal financial controls.

A Councillor inspection rota is issued at each full Council meeting. The 2019/20 inspection data for Councillors is attached as Appendix 4. Councillors can, and do, raise issues at any time in between inspections.

Councillor Training

We recognise the benefits of training and continue to invest in and support Councillors to undertaken training relevant to their role on the Council. All new Councillors receive a starter pack and attend an induction meeting with the Town Clerk.

During 2019/20, Councillors Smee and Reynolds attended the training on Being a Better Councillor and Councillor Ackroyd attended training on Chairmanship Skills.

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Youth Services

We support the young people of the town by managing the ‘Vibe’ Youth Centre. We share use of the space with the Dursley Tabernacle and work in partnership with them to maintain and manage the centre.

In 2015 we jointly commissioned youth services with Cam Parish Council. ‘The Door’ was appointed to provide youth sessions and support out of Vibe and the Cam Youth Centre. They started in September 2015 and currently provide 4 sessions at Vibe a week.

Following a re-tendering process in June 2018, The Door were successfully reappointed to deliver the contract for youth services until 2021.

The Vibe Youth Centre has been successfully hosting a wide variety of youth sessions since it opened.

In 2019/20 we spent £46,180 on youth provision.

Latest Reported Attendance figures for Youth Sessions at Vibe

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The centre can be hired out to others when not in use. Hirers in 2019/20 included Community Mentoring & Support CiC, Cam & Dursley Youth Forum, Connectat, Dursley Tab ‘Chop & Chat’ and the Dursley Tab Youth Group. Many of these hirers continue to use the centre into 2020/21.

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Working in Partnership with Others

We recognise that partnership working can help the Council to achieve its aims and deliver the best outcomes for the community. It offers the opportunity to save money, reduce risks and raise our profile in the community.

We continue to work in partnership with Cam Parish Council whenever possible.

We continue to work closely with Dursley Tabernacle to manage the Vibe Youth Centre Building, which is a shared facility.

We work closely with the local Police team on issues of concern. In 2019/20 we worked together on anti-social behaviour issues and vandalism impacting our play parks.

Our Community Speed Watch Project is supported by the Police team and local volunteers. The group is always looking for volunteers to get involved, please contact the Council office if you are interested.

We work closely with our local Stroud District Council Neighbourhood Warden, Andy Beamish, on issues of concern.

We contribute financially towards the warden service which provides residents with help and support with anti-social behaviour, abandoned vehicles, bogus callers, home security and crime prevention, hate crime and bullying, litter, dog fouling, fly tipping and lots, lots more. In 2019/20 this contribution was £2,000.

We work closely with Dursley’s District Councillors and County Councillor, receiving regular reports at our monthly Council meetings.

We work with Dursley in Bloom (DiB) to develop and implement a planting scheme for the town. In 2019 we contributed towards planting, carried out a programme of watering and helped the volunteers get the town ready for judging day. The group went on to win a Gold award for the town from the Heart of England in Bloom judges.

In 2019/20 we continued to facilitate local tourism meetings for the Cotswold Edge and Severn Vale Tourism Network. We continue to work with others in the town and surrounding parishes to develop this group and a Tourism Strategy for the Cotswold Edge and Severn Vale area. We also entered into a partnership agreement with the Gloucestershire County Council Library team to trial a formal visitor information centre located at the Library (when the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted).

In December 2019 and January 2020, over 60 members of the public attended our Planning Committee meetings to raise their concerns about the Local Plan. There was strong opposition to the possible inclusion of site PS29 (North of Ganzell Lane). Working together with the local community, we submitted our detailed response based on their feedback and Stroud District Council subsequently dropped the site from the draft plan. We continue to monitor this review closely.

We work with our local schools when possible, in 2019/20 our youth provider ‘The Door’ helped Rednock year 11 students with mock interviews and worked in partnership with teachers to devise a strategy to work more closely in an effort to bring about real change in both the environment at school and in the youth centre.

The Councillor and Community Report 2019/20 includes summary reports from local organisations and Dursley Town Council grant recipients.

We continue to build our website and encourage others to use our local ‘What’s on’ and ‘Community/Business Directory’ sections.

Please see our Community Engagement Policy for further information about how we engage with the local community and work with other organisations and sectors.

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Council Representatives on Outside Groups

Every year we agree Councillor Representatives to sit on the following local organisations/groups:

Community Speed Watch Cam, Dursley & Uley Joint Woodlands

The Chantry Centre Citizens Advice Stroud & Cotswold District Dursley & District Community Association

Dursley in Bloom Dursley Town Trust

Dursley Welcomes Walkers Cam & Dursley Joint Youth Committee

Festive Dursley Working Group Dursley & District Association for the Transport of the Disabled & Elderly

Creatives Cam & Dursley Cotswold Edge & Severn Vale Tourism

Network

Gloucestershire Association of Parish & Town Councils

Gloucestershire Chartered Parishes Group Kingshill House

Twinberrow Foundation Uley-Dursley- Cam Greenway

Vale Vision Stinchcombe Hill Recreation Ground Trust

Dursley United Charities Littlecombe Community Interest Company

Rednock School Link Representative Dursley & Cam Joint Emergency Plan

Police /Highways /Transport Representatives

See the Dursley Town Council Website www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk for information about the Council including our Services, Councillors, Meeting Agendas & Minutes,

What’s On, Community Directory, Policies, News, Reports, Updates and Much More.

Sign up online to receive the ‘Dursley Matters’ Newsletter by email.

15



Appendix 1

Dursley Town Council budget for 2020-21

We have set the budget for the coming financial year, continuing to invest in a range of projects to

benefit Dursley.

The Mayor, Councillor Neil Grecian said, “we have agreed to a very modest rise in our share of the

Council Tax for the following year to allow for inflation and staffing costs”.

The Councillors have agreed to a rise of £4.05 per year which equates to 8p per week on a Band D

household. The increased revenue will allow the Town Council to continue managing and maintaining

the Kingshill Cemetery, Allotments, various Green Spaces, Long Street Car Park and the town centre.

We will continue to support local groups and organisations including Dursley in Bloom, Dursley

Welcomes Walkers and the volunteers of the Festive Dursley group who will be arranging the

‘Summer Festival’ in addition to the annual Christmas light switch-on event (see front page 2 for

details).

In 2019/20 we awarded grants of over £28,000 to local groups and organisations.

To promote tourism in the area we are working in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council to

develop a new Visitor Information Centre located at Dursley Library which will open in the spring of

2020 for an initial 6-month trial period.

We will continue to fund 4 youth sessions per week at The Vibe Youth Centre and oversee the

management of private hires for the venue.

We have plans to install new play equipment at both Highfields Play Area and Kingshill Play Area very

soon, replacing older wooden play equipment which has reached the end of its lifetime.

We will continue to work in partnership with other local authorities, including Gloucestershire County

Council to improve the footway in Silver Street as a result of comments received from our 2019

resident consultation.

EXPENDITURE

Green Spaces Maintenance £ 166,361

Town Improvements & Amenities £ 67,478

Youth Services £ 40,000

Community Grants £ 35,000

Council Administration £ 171,136

Other Services £ 38,975

TOTAL £ 518,950

INCOME

Use of Reserves £ -

Other Income £ 24,300

Council Tax £ 494,650

TOTAL £ 518,950

16


Appendix 2

17


Appendix 3

Councillor Attendance at Meetings 2019-2020 Key:

X = Attendance

CODE FOR ABSENCE

P = Personal (Holiday, Family)

T = Training

M = Meeting H = Illness

B = Business/Employment

A = Absent - no apology

AR = Apologies received Blue Block = Not on Council Yellow Block = not on Emergency Panel

Full Town Council Meetings

Note: B Cairns formally resigned on 2/7/2019 but agreed to attend the July Committee meetings before stepping down.

Green Spaces Committee Meetings

7th 16th 17th 8th 17th 18th 17th 14th

May July Sept October Dec February March April

Cllr J Ball X X P X X

Cllr J Burdge X X X X X

Cllr Brian Cairns X X

Cllr N Grecian X X P X X

Cllr P Hayes AR X X X X

Cllr A Stennett X X X A X

Cllr M Stennett X X X A B

Cllr A Whitwell X B B A B

GREEN SPACES

Resigned 2.7.2019

Cancelled CancelledCancelled

Possible Actual

5 4

5 5

2 2

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 3

5 1

18


Town Improvement Committee Meetings

Policy & Finance Committee Meetings

Staff Committee Meetings

7th 9th 15th 7th 14th

May July October Jan April

Cllr S Abraham X P

Cllr J Ball X A X X

Cllr J Burdge X X X P

Cllr P Hayes AR P X X

Cllr A Sheffield X X X X

Cllr J Smee A

Cllr W Thomas X X X P

Cllr A Whitwell X X X X

Cllr M Woodward X X P X

Resigned 25.9.2019

TOWN

IMPROVEMENTS

Cancelled

7th 18th 10th 22nd 10th 11th 21st

May June Sept October Dec February April

Cllr S Ackroyd X X X X X X

Cllr J Burdge X X P X P P

Cllr B Cairns X X Resigned 2.7.2019

Cllr S Creswick X X X X X X

Cllr N Grecian X X X X X X

Cllr P Hayes X X X X

Cllr L Patrick A X X X X B

Cllr A Stennett X X X X X X

Cllr M Stennett X P X X B X

Cllr W Thomas X X P B X X

Cllr A Whitwell X P B B B B

Cllr M Woodward X X P P P X

POLICY & FINANCE

CancelledJoined 16.7.2019

7th 11th 6th 22nd 10th

May June August October March

Cllr S Ackroyd X X X X X

Cllr B Cairns X B Resigned 2.7.2019

Cllr S Creswick X X X X X

Cllr N Grecian X X X X X

Cllr A Stennett X X X X X

Cllr W Thomas X X X B X

Cllr M Woodward X X X P X

STAFF COMMITTEE

Possible Actual

6 6

6 3

2 2

6 6

6 6

4 4

6 4

6 6

6 4

6 4

6 1

6 3

Possible Actual

2 1

4 3

4 3

4 2

4 4

1 0

4 3

4 4

4 3

19

Possible Actual

5 5

2 1

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 4

5 4


Planning Committee Meetings

Car Park Committee

7th 14th 18th 16th 20th 24th 15th 12th 10th 14th 11th 17th 21st Possible Actual

May May June July August Sept October Nov Dec Jan February March AprilEmergec

y panel

meeting

On-line

Meeting

Cllr S Abraham X P X X AR P 6 3

Cllr S Ackroyd X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13 13

Cllr B Cairns X X X X Resigned 2.7.2019 4 4

Cllr S Creswick X X X X X P X X X P X X 12 10

Cllr N Grecian X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13 13

Cllr P Hayes AR X X X X X X X X X X X 12 11

Cllr M Nicholson AR B A Resigned 2.7.2019 3 0

Cllr L Patrick A X X AR X P X X X X P P X 13 8

Cllr K Reynolds X X X 3 3

Cllr J Rubin X X P X X 5 4

Cllr A Sheffield X X B X X P X X B P X X X 13 9

Cllr A Whitwell X B B B X B X B B B B X 12 4

Cllr M Woodward X X X X X P P P X X X X X 13 10

PLANNING

Resigned 25.9.2019

Resigned 14.4.2020

Possible Actual

0 0

1 1

1 0

1 1

1 1

1 1

1 0

12th

Nov

Cllr Abraham

Cllr Ackroyd X

Cllr Burdge P

Cllr Creswick X

Cllr Grecian X

Cllr Hayes X

Cllr Woodward P

CAR PARK Committee dissolved 3.12.2019

Resigned 25.09.2019

20


Appendix 4 Councillor Inspections Completed 2019-2020 Each main site and the street areas by ward should be inspected monthly. If Councillors are not available to complete their inspection, arrangements should be made to swap with another councillor and inform the office. Checks include: Litter, Graffiti, Grass mown, Weeds, Vandalism, Repairs or Painting needed. ‘Covid-19 LD’ refers to the ‘lockdown’ restrictions placed on the population by the Government in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. During this period inspections were not carried out as scheduled.

MONTH

Councillor Completed Completed Completed

May-19 S CRESWICK L PATRICK M WOODWARD

Jun-19 L PATRICK M WOODWARD M STENNETT

Jul-19 N GRECIAN Yes W THOMAS Yes B CAIRNS Yes

Aug-19 P HAYES Yes A WHITWELL A STENNETT

Sep-19 W THOMAS Yes P HAYES Yes N GRECIAN Yes

Oct-19 K REYNOLDS Yes J BURDGE Yes J SMEE Yes

Nov-19 D THIRWELL K REYNOLDS Yes M STENNETT

Dec-19 J BURDGE Yes L PATRICK A STENNETT

Jan-20 S ACKROYD Yes M WOODWARD Yes N GRECIAN Yes

Feb-20 L PATRICK W THOMAS Yes M STENNETT

Mar-20 S CRESWICK K REYNOLDS A STENNETT

Apr-20 A WHITWELL Covid-19 LD P HAYES Covid-19 LD K REYNOLDS Covid-19 LD

Kingshill Cemetery Kingshill Allotment Kingshill Play Area

Completed Completed Completed

J BURDGE Yes A SHEFFIELD M NICHOLSON

B CAIRNS J BURDGE Yes A SHEFFIELD

M WOODWARD Yes P HAYES Yes S ABRAHAM Yes

N GRECIAN Yes K REYNOLDS Yes J SMEE Yes

A WHITWELL N GRECIAN Yes P HAYES

A SHEFFIELD S ACKROYD Yes D THIRWELL Yes

K REYNOLDS Yes J SMEE J BURDGE Yes

K REYNOLDS P HAYES Yes W THOMAS Yes

J SMEE J BURDGE Yes K REYNOLDS

N GRECIAN Yes A WHITWELL J BURDGE Yes

S ACKROYD A SHEFFIELD W THOMAS

J BURDGE Covid-19 LD P HAYES Covid-19 LD J RUBIN Covid-19 LD

Highfields Play AreaWar Memorial Recreation Ground St Marks ChurchyardMONTH

May-19

Jun-19

Jul-19

Aug-19

Sep-19

Oct-19

Nov-19

Dec-19

Jan-20

Feb-20

Mar-20

Apr-20

21


MONTH

Highfields - Street

Furniture

Kingshill - Street

Furniture

Central - Street

Furniture

Councillor Completed Councillor Completed Councillor Completed

May-19 T ARNOLD B CAIRNS Yes A WHITWELL

Jun-19 N GRECIAN Yes L PATRICK P HAYES Yes

Jul-19 W THOMAS Yes M WOODWARD Yes S ACKROYD Yes

Aug-19 S ABRAHAM J BURDGE Yes S CRESWICK

Sep-19 J SMEE P HAYES J BURDGE Yes

Oct-19 P HAYES Yes A STENNETT A WHITWELL

Nov-19 A SHEFFIELD Yes L PATRICK P HAYES

Dec-19 D THIRWELL M WOODWARD S ACKROYD Yes

Jan-20 W THOMAS Yes L PATRICK S CRESWICK

Feb-20 J SMEE Yes M WOODWARD Yes J BURDGE Yes

Mar-20 P HAYES Yes J BURDGE A WHITWELL

Apr-20 A SHEFFIELD Covid-19 LD A STENNETT Covid-19 LD P HAYES Covid-19 LD

Long Street Car

Park Internal Checks

Councillor Completed Councillor Completed

N/A T ARNOLD

N/A N GRECIAN Yes

J BURDGE n/a S ABRAHAM Yes

S ACKROYD Yes A STENNETT

A SHEFFIELD Yes L PATRICK

A SHEFFIELD Yes S CRESWICK Yes

K REYNOLDS Yes J BURDGE Yes

J SMEE Yes P HAYES Yes

D THIRWELL J SMEE Yes

A SHEFFIELD Yes D THIRWELL

J RUBIN Yes J RUBIN Yes

A WHITWELL Covid-19 LD K REYNOLDS Covid-19 LD

MONTH

May-19

Jun-19

Jul-19

Aug-19

Sep-19

Oct-19

Nov-19

Dec-19

Jan-20

Feb-20

Mar-20

Apr-20

22

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