Downton Parish Council

18/08/2022

Your Parish Council has been required by Wiltshire Council to revise the Downton Neighbourhood Plan which was endorsed by you in the 2015 Parish Referendum. This Plan has protected the parish from mass development on Greenfield sites over the past 7 years and has provided guidelines for the Parish Council to take account of your wishes when improving future facilities and business opportunities within Downton.

We now need to ask your views once again in order to update the Neighbourhood Plan. Your views on how you would like to see Downton grow and prosper in these days of political and economic uncertainties are important so your voice needs to be heard.

Over the next few days a survey will be posted through your letterbox and we would ask you to answer the questions, as far as you are able, so the Neighbourhood Plan Revision Group can best represent your views and ideas in the revision document.

You can either complete the paper copy by hand and post it into the Survey Boxes situated at the Co-op, Library, Downton Surgery, the Borough Cafe, the Leisure Centre or at any one of the three Public Houses in the parish.

Alternatively, you can complete the online version from 18th August to 3rd September 2022.
https://downtonparishcouncil.gov.uk/

The existing Neighbourhood Plan is available in hard copy at The Library or online at the Downton Parish Council website.

Thank you.

Home Neighbourhood Plan Revision Survey Aug-Sept 2022 Parish Council Web Site Welcome to the website for Downton Parish Council. On this site you will be able to find information about the activities and work of the Parish Council. The Parish Council is the first tier of Local Government. The next t...

21/07/2022

Statement on License for The Goat
The Parish Council received a large quantity of representations/ letters from members of the public in relation to a license for events that The Goat has applied for. Councillors have worked with both local residents and the owners of The Goat to come to an agreement on some alterations to the license, that 1) takes into account local residents’ concerns, and 2) accommodates the vast majority of what The Goat is trying to achieve from the license.

The following changes to the license have been agreed:
• Outside Live Music and Performance of Dance are no longer being applied for
• Up to a maximum of 15 events per year
• No events to be held from Monday to Wednesdays, except Bank Holiday Weekends or/and bigger events happening in Downton
• Events will end at 10pm
• The number of people attending will be kept under control
• There will be a decibel limit (no more than the minimum required for the size of the event)
• Residents will be notified in advance - via social media updates, letters through the letter box, emails to the nearest residents
• Toilet and parking arrangement will be kept under constant review
• Noise must be managed in accordance with the Noise Management Plan submitted to the licensing authority. Any changes to the Noise Management Plan must be agreed in writing by the Licensing Authority.

Live events will be handled on an ad-hoc license basis by The Goat, as and when required. However, the vast majority of the events The Goat are looking to organise do not include live music.

The Council would like to thank the owners of The Goat for working collaboratively with the community to ensure the license is put in place. Along with all residents, it wishes The Goat well for these events and looks forward to seeing their events on Downton’s events calendar in the near future.

15/07/2022

Resignation of the Parish Clerk and the Parish Administrative Officer

As many residents of Downton Parish will already know, the Parish Clerk, Mrs Bev Cornish, has given her resignation for the post that she has held for over 17 years. This was followed with the resignation of the Parish Administrative Officer, Mrs Alison McGowan, who has been in post since April 2020. Although this is clearly disappointing, the Council accepts the decisions which they have each made.

During her employment, Mrs Cornish has gained nationally recognised qualifications and a high level of experience which has bought many benefits to the Council and Downton residents and she will be missed. We wish her well in her future endeavours.

Although with the Council for significantly less time, the Council has also appreciated the experience and contribution of Mrs McGowan and similarly wishes her well in the future.

The Parish Council is now taking urgent steps to appoint to the vacant posts in order to ensure the continued operation of the Council. It is recognised that there will probably be some disruption to the level of services provided, and that the priorities for local developments may need to be reconsidered, until such time that the new staff members have been appointed and are fully up to speed. We ask residents for their patience over the coming months of this period of transition.

Jane Brentor
Chair of Downton Parish Council

11/07/2022

Please find below a link to the Agenda for this evening's Parish Council meeting being held in the Bonvalot Room at the Downton Memorial Centre at 7.30 pm

16/06/2022

NO MOBILE POST OFFICE VAN - FRIDAY 17TH JUNE
The Council has been advised that due to a seatbelt/airbag system warning light failure, the Mobile Post Office has had to be withdrawn for a few days to be repaired. It therefore won't be at either location in Downton tomorrow. Kevin May who organises it has asked that his apologies are passed on to residents.

04/06/2022

❗️UPDATE: LANCASTER FLYPAST IS CANCELLED ❗️
The Council has been advised this morning that with poor weather conditions at Exeter Airport where the aircraft has been parked overnight, the routing for today has had to be altered and sadly they will not have enough fuel to overfly Downton.

Consequently there will be no road closure in place this afternoon. Please could everyone who has shared the original post, please share this post so that it can reach as many people as possible. Thank you.

Lancaster Flypast - Saturday 4th June 2022
The Council has received confirmation of the timing of the Lancaster flypast on Saturday afternoon (which is now slightly earlier than previously advised) at 15.53 hrs give or take 5 minutes. The aircraft is coming from West Dean (Salisbury) so will fly along the B3080 from Redlynch to the Headlands and then round again on the same route for a second flypast before it heads off to Exeter.

There will be a Road Closure in place on the B3080 from The Headlands to Tannery Bridge from15.15 hrs and the road will be re-opened at 16.40 hrs or earlier if conditions allow. To ensure the safety of pedestrians, the Council would ask that cars are not moved within the closure during those times. Thank you.

01/06/2022

Lancaster Flypast - Saturday 4th June 2022
The Council has received confirmation of the timing of the Lancaster flypast on Saturday afternoon (which is now slightly earlier than previously advised) at 15.53 hrs give or take 5 minutes. The aircraft is coming from West Dean (Salisbury) so will fly along the B3080 from Redlynch to the Headlands and then round again on the same route for a second flypast before it heads off to Exeter.

There will be a Road Closure in place on the B3080 from The Headlands to Tannery Bridge from15.15 hrs and the road will be re-opened at 16.40 hrs or earlier if conditions allow. To ensure the safety of pedestrians, the Council would ask that cars are not moved within the closure during those times. Thank you.

23/05/2022

Collision with Iron Bridge
The Parish Council is aware of the vehicle collision with Iron Bridge this morning and has reported the incident to Wiltshire Council's bridge and highways engineers. Their contractors will be arriving this morning to make it safe for continued use by pedestrians and vehicles.

11/04/2022

REMINDER: Please come along and have your say
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING TONIGHT AT 7 PM AT THE MEMORIAL HALL - ALL WELCOME
Guest Speakers are:
Mr Philip Wilkinson, Police & Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire & Swindon; and
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, Wiltshire Police
who will be providing an update on policing matters and both will be responding to questions from councillors and residents.
The purpose of the meeting is also for the Parish Council to explain what it has been doing over the last year and enables electors to have their say on anything they consider to be of importance to the people of the parish.

09/04/2022

REMINDER: Please come along and have your say
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING ON MONDAY 11TH APRIL AT 7 PM AT THE MEMORIAL HALL - ALL WELCOME

Guest Speakers are:
Mr Philip Wilkinson, Police & Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire & Swindon; and
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, Wiltshire Police
who will be providing an update on policing matters and both will be responding to questions from councillors and residents.

The purpose of the meeting is also for the Parish Council to explain what it has been doing over the last year and enables electors to have their say on anything they consider to be of importance to the people of the parish.

06/04/2022

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING ON MONDAY 11TH APRIL AT 7 PM AT THE MEMORIAL HALL - ALL WELCOME

Guest Speakers are:
Mr Philip Wilkinson, Police & Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire & Swindon; and
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, Wiltshire Police
who will be providing an update on policing matters and both will be responding to questions from councillors and residents.

The purpose of the meeting is also for the Parish Council to explain what it has been doing over the last year and enables electors to have their say on anything they consider to be of importance to the people of the parish.

01/04/2022

BOLLARD PAINTING FROM IRON BRIDGE TO THE LIBRARY
TODAY UNTIL 2 PM
Wiltshire Council's contractors are back again today painting the black bollards from Iron Bridge to the Library. Please be alert to the signs advising you of work being carried out and to the fact that the new paint on the bollards may be wet. Thank you.