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What's on and happening in Kington, Herefordshire and surrounding districts.
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Spring 2015
Did the Ancient Greeks play tennis?
I’ve no idea but the other day at
Eardisley Tennis Club, I was playing opposite this student
home on holiday. I asked him what he was studying and he replied he was working towards
a phD in “Athenian Democracy”. Later on I collared him and said
that although it must be fascinating, what on earth is the r e l e v a n c e o f A t h e n i a n
Democracy to modern day life? He tried to explain the purpose
of his phD but I had to ask him to stop and explain it in layman’s terms. This is a
summary of his explanation: Ancient Greece was the home of
our modern democracy but the vast majority of people could
neither read or write, or had any access to knowledge and information, yet their system
enabled the ordinary voter to influence what went on.
Compare that with today; when in the UK, the vast majority of people can read and write, have
access to a virtually infinite library of information and can
keep up to date with every political development; yet we
stand by whilst power is held
very much in the hands of a tiny minority.
Sobering words but as we move into a period of electioneering
there are two things that stand out. First, as an individual,
although I don’t have much power, the little bit I do have I need to wield, so it is essential I
cast my vote. Otherwise I’m not even living up to the standards
of the peasant farmer breaking his back in the hot and dusty fields of two and a half thousand
years ago. Second, I need to use the tools that we’re lucky to
have. I can read and write, I can access the internet and I
can find out what’s really going on;-but do I?
We at MAP can’t help you make your decisions about voting but
we can help if you’re nervous or worried about getting online. Give us a call on 01544
231771 or pop in to the Old Police Station in Kington.
Julian Reeves
Stonewater 2
Kington Town Council 3
Kington Young Farmers
3
Kington Museum 4
Co-op Car Park 4
Rooms for Hire 5
Local Markets 5
Kington Remembers 6
Lady Hawkins’ School 8
Kington Town Council Annual Report
9 - 16
Meadows 17
Kington Car Share Club
18
Trees 19
Volunteer Drivers 24
In this issue
Hergest Croft Gardens are looking for volunteers to help maintain the interesting
gardens. Please could you contact Melanie Lloyd on 01544 230106 for more information
Page 2 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Stonewater in Kington
Welcome to the latest in our regular
bulletins, keeping you up to date with what
Stonewater is doing in Kington.
Stonewater who?
I’m sure many of you reading this article are
thinking the above. Who are Stonewater and
where have they come from? On the 1st January
2015 Marches Housing Association, along with the
wider Jephson Group, joined together with Raglan
Housing to create one new organisation,
Stonewater.
Together, we are now one of the UK’s largest
social housing providers. This creates more ways
to improve services and build new homes for those
in need. But this doesn’t mean that everything
has changed overnight. At the moment things are
still the same and the only big changes you will
see are the name and the logo! The office is still
in the same place and the telephone numbers to
contact us are still the same. We will keep you up
-to-date, through this publication, of any changes
as they happen but for now it’s “business as
usual”.
Image courtesy of
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Zero tolerance to anti–social behaviour
Stonewater takes a zero tolerance approach to anti
-social behaviour (ASB), whether in the community
or towards staff members.
The County Court has recently granted an
Injunction for a recent ASB case. The injunction is
a court order to prevent noise nuisance and
threatening verbal abuse, including threats with a
weapon. The injunction has been served to
prevent any further disturbance and to protect
individuals and the community.
It is important to us that that all residents who live
in our homes live without fear, are happy in their
homes and comfortable in their neighbourhoods.
If you are experiencing ASB and have spoken to
your neighbour to try to resolve the problem,
please contact Housing Officers Lysette Phillips or
Hannah Bragg on 01568 619607 for further
assistance.
In the Limelight!
The Stonewater Asset Management Team are hard
at work in Kington. They have a number of
community projects underway which will see
improvements to three schemes in the town.
A £17,000 new bin store along with
structural repairs to balconies at Llewellin
Road flats - starting in mid February
Lighting upgrade and redecoration to the
communal access in Lower Cross
Replacement roof project for maisonettes in
Greenfields (below)
Before After
If you would like to know more or have an enquiry
on any of the projects please contact the Asset
Management Team on 01568 619673.
**Watch this space for further updates in the next
edition.
Neighbourhood Walkabouts
Lysette and Hannah will be walking around our estates as usual this spring. They would like to meet as
many people as possible, to share ideas for improvements.
We want to hear YOUR views on the areas that YOU live. Join them on the following dates:
Kington Date
Lower Cross, High Street 1.30pm Thursday 20th February & 24th April
Passey Court, The Square, Church Street 2.00pm Monday 24th March
Park Road, Park Green, Park View, The Crescent, Oak Plock,
Churchill Road 3.00pm
Monday 24th March
Greenfield 2.00pm Thursday 20th February, 20th March,
24th April & 22nd May
Hatton Gardens 2.00pm Thursday 08th May
Llewellin Road 1.30pm Thursday 13th February & 17th April
Arrow View, Brunley Close, Brilley 2.00pm Monday 17th March
Victoria Court 2.00pm Monday 05th May
Aconbury Leigh, Wall Hills Close 2.00pm Thursday 15th May
This page has been paid for by Stonewater 4
Page 3 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
This year’s Annual Town Meeting will be at 7
o’clock, Thursday 19th March in The Training Room, Old Police Station, Market Hall Street,
Kington. The Annual Town Meeting is different to the
monthly Council meetings. It is a public meeting, called by the Council, for the
residents and electorate who are all invited to bring subjects for discussion to the meeting. If you would like a question or discussion
topic to be considered for the agenda, please contact the Clerk on 01544 239098 by Friday
6th March at the latest.
All council meetings are open to the public, by
law. We use the term 'public' meeting to indicate a larger meeting, generally called to
discuss a specific subject. The Annual Town Meeting is such a meeting and we would really like you to attend, and to put forward
your views, questions, or any concerns that you have about things that are happening in
Kington Town. This is a time of changes and we know that many people have lots of questions about what the Town Council is
doing.
Town Clerk
Kington Town Council Annual Meeting
Kington YFC is a thriving social club that offers a range of fun activities along with training and
the opportunity to learn new skills. There is also the option of bringing out your competitive side!
Young farmers isn’t just for young people from farming backgrounds or rural areas, it’s open to everyone aged 10-26 who might be looking to make friends, improve their skills, broaden
their horizons and have a lot of fun. Recently, we’ve been Bowling, and taken trips to Quack-ers, Cheltenham Races, skiing in France, and various dances and do’s around the county. We
also took part in a ploughing match (no ploughing for us unfortunately) but this did also in-clude cookery, metalwork, craftwork, hair and nails, fancy dress, scavenger hunt, and egg whisking which is always a highlight! We have a few members who do very well in Stock Judg-
ing and compete at county level too. We also came 3rd in a recent Hedging Match. Not only do we put on social events for our members, provide training and attend competitions, we also
fund-raise, and last year we donated to the Air Ambulance. Regular meetings are held in Kington at The Old Police Station, Market Hall Street, Kington,
HR5 3DP. For more information about Kington YFC and how to get involved, please contact Lydia Phillips, Club Secretary on 077915 33026.
Kington Young Farmer’s Club
Page 4 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
The museum officially opens for the 2015
season on Saturday 28th March at 10 30 am. However, there will be a Pre-Season Preview
on Friday 27th March from 7 pm, to which you are cordially invited. There will be a drink and a nibble, the
opportunity to peruse the displays (most of which are new and include Farming, Milling,
1950s, Kington Railway and Church Street Through Time) and perhaps to volunteer your services.
Thanks are due to all those individuals who have generously donated or loaned items for
the displays. The museum will be manning Rita’s Charity Shop from Saturday 21st until Friday 27th
March. We are a charitable trust run by volunteers
and any funds raised will be used to go towards the running costs and improvements
to your museum. Consequently, if you have any saleable items please contact Ros Williams on 01544267472 or 07855861743.
Items can be dropped off at the shop from Friday afternoon, 20th March, as she will be
there setting up things. Alternatively, items can be left at the museum. Last year’s Limerick competition was very well
supported with over 150 entries ranging from
the scurrilous to the sublime. Many thanks to
all those who entered. This year we invite you to enter a Clerihew
competition. Once again there will be excellent prizes. Clerihews have just a few simple rules:
1. They are four lines long. 2. The first and second lines rhyme with each
other, and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. AA BB
3. The first line names a person or pet, and
the second line ends with something that rhymes with the name of the person or
pet. 4. A clerihew should be funny. Here one of Edmund Clerihew Bentleys’:
Sir Christopher Wren Said, "I am going to dine with some men.
If anyone calls Say I am designing St. Paul's."
Curator, Kington Museum
The Guzzunder Did you use one of these in
the 50s?
Kington Museum
The sudden arrival of ticket machines and parking restrictions in the Co-op car park took
everyone by surprise, not least, I understand, the staff at the Co-op themselves. The event attracted a lot of publicity with coverage in the local press and on local radio.
Representations to the Co-op’s Manchester head office were quickly made by the local councillor, Terry James, Kington Chamber of Trade and Kington Town Council as well as local residents.
On 20th February we met with the Co-op’s Operations Manager to set out our concerns about
the impact this would have on the town and the added pressure on the other nearby car parks, which the Town Council is in the process of taking over.
We asked that the free parking be available for four hours with no restrictions on overnight parking. They have agreed three hours free parking and no overnight restrictions and will
consider our request for an extension to four hours. They will also review the situation again on three months’ time. We will keep you posted.
Bob Widdowson
Deputy Mayor
Update on Co-op Car Park
Page 5 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Have you thought about using Marches Access Point for
your next meeting, or even to show a film?
MAP Rooms available for hire
The Hergest Room
Our biggest room at nearly 600 sq ft, the
newly refurbished Hergest Room is ideal for training, large meetings, conferences and film shows. Wi-Fi enabled, with a smart
board and fully kitted out with 11 pc’s including one with wheelchair access, you
can give your delegates a mixture of traditional and online presentations.
With the ability to seat up to 60 comfortably, refreshments always available, and rates
starting as little as £15.00 per hour, we believe The Hergest Room offers real value for money in the centre of Kington.
The Bradnor Room
Our smaller room offers privacy for meetings
or breakout groups of up to 8 people. With separate facilities and a rate of just £10.00 per hour why not hold your next meeting in
The Bradnor, away from your busy office?
We try to be as flexible as possible in the way we offer our facilities. Give us a call to discuss your particular needs.
01544 231771 or email: [email protected]
The once a month Saturday markets, and the new Friday markets at Kington Market Hall are now gain-
ing in success and popularity. Originally started as a Chamber of Trade initiative on the third Saturday
every month, the new weekly market on Fridays was set up by a group of local producers last year.
Providing opportunities for local producers to offer their wares, both markets are also ideally suited to
community groups wishing to raise funds and publicise their activities in the town and there are pricing
options for stall-holders to suit different needs.
All foodstuffs are to be of a high, standard, usually offered for sale by the
grower or producer themselves – and to be compliant with current food
hygiene standards and other legal requirements.
Other eclectic stalls such as arts and crafts, bric-a-brac, vintage items,
plants (grown by the seller) etc. would also fit well within the general
theme – any electrical goods used or offered for sale must have been PAT
tested.
People wishing to apply for a stall should contact David Pickersgill on
01544 267684.
Kington Local Producers and Community Markets
Page 6 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Following the successful launch of Kington
Remembers last October, the group has been planning events for 2015. This year we will
remember events such as Gallipoli, the first use of poison gas at the Second Battle of
Ypres, and the Battle of Loos all of which involved casualties from Kington. On November 20th, Lt. General Sir Alistair Irwin,
the former chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will round off our
series of Kington Conversations with a talk on that remarkable organisation.
We are also hoping to hold several community events for people to bring along any
mementos or memories, find out more about the Great War and help people to research their family history in the war.
Our visual display in the town centre will,
hopefully, be up and running in early Spring with information about key events in 1915, and biographies of Kington’s casualties. One
of them was Albert Henry Hamer of Kington (2nd King’s Shropshire L.I.) who was killed in
Action near Ypres on the 17th May 1915, aged 41. Albert, or Bert as he preferred to be known, was educated at Lady Hawkins’ School
and went to work in his father’s building business as an assistant surveyor. By this
time, 1891, his family was living at a house called Rock Close on Gravel Hill, Kington. Records provided by surviving relatives show
he was quite athletic and sporty. He played football for Hereford Thistle, a team no longer
in existence, and was offered professional terms to play for Aston Villa.
Two of his sisters, Honor and Sadie Lloyd in
1917 went to work at the large munitions factory at Rotherwas. With others they formed
a women's football team, the Munitionettes. and football and WW1 is a theme that Kington Remembers also wants to explore. We are
hoping to have an event on June 20th with Kington Football Club to remember Bert
Hamer, celebrate the Munitionettes and hear about football in the war. Interested? Can you help us organise it?
If you can help and want to join us please
contact the Chair of the group, Bob Widdowson, on 01544 231387 or via email at [email protected] for further
information. Dates and times of group meetings are on the Facebook page – Kington
Remembers. You will also find lots of information about Kington in the Great War
and details of the events on our webpage: kingtonremembers.org.uk.
Bob Widdowson Kington Remembers
The Gas Man. An illustrated talk by Roger W G Curtis, local historian, on the first German use
of poison gas during the Great War a hundred years ago; Britain's retaliation by the Special Companies RE just months later and attempts
to protect her soldiers against this dreadful weapon as an unreported war of the chemists
was fought. Including reference to the experience of his grandfather - a schoolmaster turned Divisional Gas Officer.
April 17th at 7.30. Venue will be advertised
nearer the date.
Kington Remembers 1914—1919
Page 7 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
The government has designated
Saturday 21st March as "Community Clear Up Day"
Check it out at www.facebook.com/ClearUpDay
As part of this initiative Kington Local Environment & Energy Network (KLEEN) is
holding a special tidy-up of the former Lyncolec site at Hatton Gardens Industrial Estate (just off the Tavern Roundabout). They
are meeting there at 10am and expect to finish about lunchtime, so why not consider
joining them? Wear sensible footwear and strong gloves. It would also be useful to bring buckets, barrows and brooms.
Alternatively you could organise a local clear
up of your own on that day. If you need black bags or any other
assistance ring Tina Davison (number below).
KLEEN holds regular litter picks all through the year and would welcome volunteers.
Contact us on 262762 if you are interested. Tina Davison
Thanks to everyone who helped to raise
nearly £1,000 in the Community Shop and to all those who offered suggestions for what to
do on the Tavern Roundabout. From the sublime to the ridiculous! There is lots of support for flowers, vegetables, trees, various
sculptures, with other ideas such as a show
allotment and even bee-hives.
Various practical, safety and legal issues have been clarified by “Highways.” It is now clear that we cannot site large obstructions or hard
objects on this roundabout. Low plantings on the roundabout (or even strategically
positioned runner-beans) and soft-sculptures
(like the wire-framed sheep) would be fine.
The “Cultivation License” has to be applied for by Kington Town Council which has now sensibly deferred this to be decided by the
new councillors after the elections in May.
It is also possible to apply for additional
planning permission for a plinth on the spit of land between the Titley road and the entrance to Hatton Gardens for more robust or solid
objects. This can be considered along with the proposed improvements to the Industrial
Estate entrance signs.
“Have You Seen The Little Piggy?”
Some of you will have noticed that the sheep
grazing on the roundabout had been joined firstly by a wire-frame outline pig and then by a little straw pig (this is sounding more and
more like “The Three Little Pigs”!) that has sadly gone missing during the January
storms! We would be grateful for any
information leading to his safe return.
Richie Cotterill
Piggy-in-the-Middle Roundabout Update
Page 8 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
SIXTH FORM PARIS TRIP
On Tuesday 27th January 2015, sixteen Level three students studying
Health & Social Care or Hospitality visited Paris for a four day residential
trip.
On the Wednesday, students visited Paris, climbing the Eiffel Tower
and taking a river cruise along the river Seine.
They were also given a tour of the main sites in
the city, including the Musée du Louvre and
the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.
On the Thursday, the students spent the day in Disneyland as well as attending subject
specific seminars and workshops which included visiting speakers and assignments to complete.
The trip was a fantastic opportunity for
students to see their subjects applied in practice in one of the biggest theme parks in Europe.
SIXTH FORM ARCHAEOLOGISTS.
Lady Hawkins’ students have had many opportunities to work with professional archaeologists
over the past few years. They have helped excavate
Roman artefacts at Lyonshall, they have identified features
unearthed at Eardisley Castle and they have
surveyed the site of the wartime US hospitals at Hergest Camp. Sixth
Formers are now working with Clwydd-Powys Archaeological Trust in the Walton Basin area.
Last week, Sixth Former Gemma Rath helped to survey the site of an abandoned medieval village near Old Radnor focussing on relict
field boundaries and trackways. Over half-term, Gemma and some other Sixth Formers
are going to get digging on a local Roman
site. We look forward to seeing what they
find!
YOUNG ENTERPRISE Outlines is our current Young Enterprise group which started in October 2014 and comprises
of seven Year 12 students. Outlines is participating in the national Young Enterprise
Company Programme, which involves students setting up and running their own company for the whole academic year.
This year the company has decided to make
handmade home décor. The team recently participated in a trade fair at Old Market Hereford and had a highly successful day.
They were praised for their lovely products and beautifully dressed stall. They also had a
stand at ‘Santa Sunday’ in Kington Market Hall, selling their produce to the community.
HEREFORD HOSPITAL VISIT
On the 26th November the Year 13 Health
and Social Care students visited Hereford County Hospital to see what goes on behind
the scenes in the different departments. The group were lucky enough to see the Emergency Department, Pharmacy,
Laboratories and were even allowed on the Maternity and Children Wards and given an
inside look at the Special Care Baby Unit. The day was very worthwhile and gave the group a real sense of what Hereford County Hospital
does.
LHS FUNDRAISING Students and staff alike have been busy raising money for various good causes both in
school and out over the Christmas and New Year period. £145 was raised for Unicef by
staff deciding to donate instead of sending Christmas cards to each other. Students have taken part in a Readathon for Click Sargeant
& the Children’s Cancer Charity and are now gearing up for Red Nose Day events including
a ‘silly selfie’ competition organised by students from the School Council.
Lady Hawkins School
Lady Hawkins’ School
Page 9 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a continued increase in the workload of the
town council, when compared to just a few years ago, before government cuts and Herefordshire Council’s decision to dispose of
assets in the market towns.
Under negotiation for transfer are the Old Police Station, the Museum building, the Market Hall and Place de Marines, the Coach
House and Public toilets, three Car Parks and the three Play Areas/Open Spaces at Crooked
Well Meadow, Old Eardisley Road and Garden Close. Read more about progress on all of this in Bob Widdowson’s update later in this
report. The Kington Community Asset Trust has been
set up to both hold and manage the assets once transfer has taken place, subject to a
business plan. It is likely that by the time you are reading
this report the Town Council will have taken on the Market Operators License, meaning
responsibility for management of the Market Hall area and the running of markets is done within Kington (previously Herefordshire
Council). Initially this will be done on a voluntary basis, and if successful in
generating an income stream, then funds could be allocated towards management and maintenance through the Kington Community
Asset Trust.
Kington now has a good working relationship with our Balfour Beatty locality steward who supplies the Town Council with regular
updates on road repairs and a schedule of planned works in the area. As previously
reported, a vast reduction in the amount of roadside grass cutting will be seen this year.
Task and Finish Groups have been set up to look into helping make general improvements
at the entrance to Hatton Gardens Industrial Estate, the roundabout at Sunset and the area of the War Memorial.
At Remembrance Day this year, Kington was
chosen to host the Queen’s representative,
the Lord Lieutenant Lady Darnley. It was a particularly poignant occasion due to the
recent loss of Oliver Thomas whose young life was tragically cut short whilst serving in far-away Afghanistan.
The new town council which will be formed
after the elections on 7th May, will be faced with much to do in view of all the changes and challenges ahead. We need willing people
prepared to work together, to give of their time and share their skills as part of a team.
Anyone wishing to find out more should contact the town council office on 01544 239098.
The Kington in Bloom group produced
colourful hanging baskets in Place de Marines again last year, and added to the number of
planters in the town centre. Many hands make light work - joining the Kington in Bloom group to increase enjoyment of the
town for residents and visitors alike is a great way to help, without the formalities of
becoming a councillor yourself! Contact the council office if you wish to be put in touch.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing town councillors for all they have
contributed, and members of the public attending meetings for taking an interest in the affairs of Kington Town Council.
Cllr Celia Kibblewhite, Mayor.
Kington Town Council Annual Report May 2014 – March 2015
Page 10 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Asset Transfer Update
The new company has been formed and regis-tered. It is called the Kington Community As-
sets Trust. The first three nominated directors are Lawrence Banks (Kington United Chari-ties), Bernard Ray (Kington Chamber of
Trade) and Cllr Bob Widdowson (Kington Town Council). The next step is to apply for
charitable registration and then appoint three further directors with relevant skills.
We are aiming to transfer the assets by the end of March this year but this will depend on
whether the charitable registration can be achieved by then. The assets will first be transferred to Kington Town Council and then
leased, on a long lease to the new company. This ensures that ownership remains vested in
the town council.
The open spaces at Kington Park, Crooked
Well and Garden Close will pass to a re-vamped Kington Recreation Ground Trust. At
present the sole trustee is the Town Council but we are hoping to change this to include wider representation from the community.
We are still working on a lot of the fine detail
such as boundaries, particularly for the car parks, operation of markets in the Market Hall, and management issues at Mill Street
car park so still much to be done!
Cllr Bob Widdowson, Deputy Mayor.
Owning our Own
Page 11 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
A year ago, the Town Council was told that
Kington Library faced closure by March 2015 because of funding cuts at Herefordshire
Council. To prevent this we suggested that rather than closing the library its future could be ensured by extending its role to include a
range of other services that could attract oth-er funding.
Across the country many libraries are devel-oping their role as centres for wellbeing: the
starting point being that libraries by definition are places of wellbeing. Examples can be found in London, Devon, Lincolnshire, Suffolk
and Surrey.
Herefordshire Council commissioned a study
and last December Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet agreed a recommendation that:
a wellbeing centre is established in King-
ton at the current customer services and
library from a combination of funding from customer services and health pre-
vention from April 2015; and £78,000 capital funding is allocated to
improve the facilities at the centre.
A review of this report by the Kington Town Council Services Committee welcomed the di-rection that Herefordshire Council was taking,
but noted also that further thinking on the ways in which the library could be developed
were needed and two town councillors volun-teered to provide a supplementary report. Their report endeavours to take the thinking
further, to achieve both an effective service for Kington and its surrounding area.
Cllr Bob Widdowson, Deputy Mayor.
The future of Kington Library
Page 12 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
May 2014
New Mayor elected, plus two deputy Mayors in line with new policy.
Appointments made from Town Council
to committees and outside bodies.
June 2015
Reports of forthcoming cuts to local bus services.
Launch of Neighbourhood Plan in Huntington.
Assurance from Herefordshire Council that unspent 106 monies would be made available after a settling in period for the
new contractors, Balfour Beatty. Request for some of 106 monies to be
spent on signage and road safety improvements at Crooked Well meadow and Llewelyn Road referred to Task and
Finish Group.
July 2014
Report of large reduction in grass cutting along roadways, now limited to
dangerous visibility splays only. KTC complain to Marches Housing
Association regarding problem dogs in
the area. Task and finish group set up to follow up
106 monies. KTC objection to large Broiler Unit
development just outside Kington.
Report from meeting with Doctors surgery regarding difficulties in accessing
appointments and loss of Paramedics car from surgery – referred to Services
committee.
August 2014
Great War group lottery application approved.
Tender for erection and removal of
Christmas lights to be circulated by Clerk.
Kington in Bloom prize-giving Accepted Auditors report. Arranged meeting with new Balfour
Beatty locality steward to determine
breadth of remit within the locality.
September 2014
Task and finish group set up to inves t iga te improvement and
enhancement of War Memorial surroundings.
Task and finish group set up to explore
ways to manage Sunset roundabout in the future.
Rights of Way Scheme scheduled for discussion with Balfour Beatty locality
steward. Task and finish group set up to
investigate improvements to the entrance to Hatton Gardens Industrial Estate.
Clerk to be paid for extra hours in connection with Asset Transfer matters
and allowed up to a further 130 hours within the financial year in connection with Asset transfer matters, if necessary.
October 2014
Presentation from Inspector Paul
Crumpton of West Mercia Police on local policing. Emphasis on advantages and
disadvantages of living in an area with a low crime, resulting in low visible police presence. Still important to report
incidents. Kington Remembers (WW1) group
announce launch of project: a talk by Professor Jack Spence entitled “War
Versus Diplomacy”. Website now up and running.
Report from meeting with “Caring for
God’s Acre”, the PCC and KTC - now awaiting response from PCC regarding
proposal to manage a small area of the churchyard as a wildflower meadow.
Accepted the transfer of assets from
Kington Town Council’s Year
Page 13 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Herefordshire Council subject to business
plan. Solicitors instructed to register the new
Community Asset Company at companies House and apply for charitable status.
Adopted business plan and instructed the Clerk to complete the tasks identified in
the plan prior to asset transfer. Kington Recreation Ground Trust to seek
legal advice through the clerk on
amendments to enable transfer of open space assets to the Trust.
Planning and Local Green and Spaces consultant be appointed to assist with the Neighbourhood Development Plan.
(funding to come from a grant, not KTC’s general funds)
November 2014
Internal auditor appointed for the year.
War memorial group report members of British Legion broadly in favour of
suggested new design for War Memorial area.
Task and finish group set up to
investigate installation of speed indicator device for areas in Kington.
KTC to use Blachere to put up and take down the Christmas lights again this year.
December 2014
Report of concerns over time taken for an ambulance to arrive following recent incident in Kington. Clerk to contact
Ambulance service to clarify target response times, and whether this had
been affected by removal of Paramedic service from Kington Medical Centre. Clerk to set up meeting with Ambulance
service. KTC and Lafarge Tarmac to meet twice
yearly to monitor problems in Back Brook.
Grants awarded to local organisations as
per recommendations of grants panel. Kington Town Council to protest to
Dudley Building Society following sudden closure of Kington Branch. Also KTC to
write to MP expressing concern about loss of rural services in general.
Kington Festival committee decision not
to hold festival in 2015 due to lack of
volunteers. Wheelbarrow Race will still take place plus a football related event
to be organised by the Kington Remembers group.
Recreation Ground trust to be
approached about storage of festival equipment in the future.
Successful week in the Community Shop has raised almost £1000.00 money to be banked with the Town Council but ring
fenced for improvements to the roundabout.
Report that two Doctors shortly to be leaving Kington Medical Practice. Report on the Neighbourhood Plan public drop-
in event at the Market Hall during November.
January 2015 Further reports of delays in ambulance
attendance at recent incidents.
Report of potential loss of Citizens Advice Bureaux from Herefordshire due to
funding cuts. This despite an extra £400,000 being allocated to Balfour Beatty for grass cutting.
KTC to write to Head of West Mercia Ambulance Service documenting poor
attendance at incidents and requesting attendance at a Town Council meeting.
Report on latest developments at Kington Medical Practice, Mayor authorised to call a public meeting
pending outcome of meeting with Deputy Mayor, MP Bill Wiggin and others at the
Practice.
February 2015
Herefordshire Rural Business and Crime
Forum advance notice of forthcoming event for Kington
Report of car parking charges introduced
at Coop store. Resolved to set up a workshop on the
future of Kington Library in partnership with Herefordshire Council.
Page 14 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
During 2014 the Town Council in partnership
with Huntington and Kington Rural and Lower Harpton Parish Councils have been preparing
a NDP using new planning powers granted by government. These new powers mean that local communities now have a greater say in
where development goes and where it doesn’t, the speed at which development
takes place and the character of that development. However the overall planning framework remains the responsibility of
Herefordshire County Council and policies in the NDP must conform to County policies. In
addition the Neighbourhood Plan will only come into force only if a majority of Kington Area voters support it in a local referendum.
Because of this, considerable effort has gone
into involving the whole community in the preparation of the Plan through public
meetings, discussion with a range of organisations in the area, distribution of information to all households and a website
(Kingtonareaplan.org). We appreciate the help and expertise given by many residents and
organisations in the town especially MAP. We have also benefitted from the close working relationship that has been established
between the Town Council and the rural Parish Councils.
Work on the NDP has coincided with a major review of County Planning policy and the production of a new Local Plan the Core
Strategy 2011-2031. A major part of this strategy relates to housing and it proposes
200 new dwellings for Kington Town during
the Plan period. However it provides little
guidance on where these might be located or justification for the numbers. Elsewhere in the
county the Core Strategy identifies housing sites but uniquely this task is left to the NDP in Kington. This is both a challenge and
opportunity. That we can decide where development goes and where it should not, is
a strong power. However decisions about siting and numbers are already proving controversial.
As a next stage in the Plan preparation we will
be collecting detailed evidence about both documented housing need, the sites which could accommodate new housing and also
identifying particular local green spaces that should be protected against development. We
hope that all residents will provide us with help and guidance in this task.
The Plan could also have great influence on the future of the town centre and help protect
our retail economy. The Hereford Core Strategy includes a commitment to improving
the High Street and we are considering how our Plan can highlight and strongly encourage this commitment so that it is implemented
early in the Plan period.
Our aim is a Plan that gives clear guidance to developers as to what we want for our community. If our policies show clearly that
we will only support development that respects the character of our town and the
beauty of our rural areas, be sustainable, and be innovative in keeping our local economy vibrant it will give us all greater certainty in
the future. Cllrs Martin Fitton & Ros Bradbury
Kington Area Neighbourhood Plan
Page 15 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Kington Town Council Finances Accounts 2013/14, Estimated Income and Expenditure 2014/15
and Budget for 2015-2016
Expenses
2013/14 Actual
income and
expenditure
2014/15 estimat-
ed
2015/16 Budget
Audit 7,201 930 1,000
Churchyard 1,468 3,000 3,000
Christmas Lights 9,114 4,800 3,500
Contingency 0 0 0
Election expenses 0 500 500
Freighter 2,280 2,280 1,140
Grants to local organisations 4,979 3,116 5,000
Insurances 3,450 3,300 4,000
Kington in Bloom 807 400 900
Mayors allowance 1,000 1,000 1,000
Office cost including salaries
Neighbourhood Plan (from
grants)
5,870 6,240 2,000
Other 868 750
Premises 0 2,800 3,285
Recreation ground 2,194 9,000 15,000
Subscriptions 814 750 600
Services 1,832 1,300 1,600
Training and travel 804 1,100 1,800
Asset transfer costs 1,415 8,000 6,000
Tourist office support 0 2,500 2,500
Total expenses 72,053 82,835 85,975
Income
Precept 54,052 58,861 63,270
Council Tax Support grant 9,948 11,139 11,730
Services 1,461 1,767 1,490
Grants 900 6,240 2,000
Other 806 5,342
Total income 67,167 83,349 78,490
Balance -4,886 514 -7,485
Page 16 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Local groups supported in 2014/15 Kington Festival Association £500.00
To assist with annual Festival Kington Tennis Club £493.98
Tennis coaching for youngsters of Kington Kington Show Soc. £250.00
Provision of electric and manual scooters
for Disabled access to Show Kington Museum £300.00
Purchase of display cabinet Kington Bowling Club £300.00
Purchase of mats and rink markers
East Radnorshire Day Centre £100.00 Towards transport for dementia sufferers
from Kington to attend the Centre St Mary’s Church £500.00
To reseal floor of Parish House
KADOS £500.00 To assist the Dick Whittington Pantomime
Rough Rides £172.80
Website hosting
Staff The Council is supported by its Clerk, Gwilym Rippon, who works three days per week and
the Assistant to the Clerk, Mary Tolhurst on one day per week.
The Lengthsman and Handyman is Patrick Ed-wards and the Recreation Groundsman is Ken
Perks.
Town councillors serving during 2014/15 Jeremy Atkinson,
Elizabeth Banks, Kay Birchley, Tom Bounds,
Ros Bradbury, Richie Cotterill,
David East, Martin Fitton, John Ford,
Christine Forrester, Celia Kibblewhite,
Julia Reid, Esther Rolls,
Bob Widdowson, Sally Williams.
Meetings
Full council meets on the first Monday of the
month except on Bank Holidays when it meets the following day. All meetings start at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend
and may raise any issues they have at the start of the meeting. Committees meet on the
third Monday of the month.
Kington Town Council information The Old Police Station,
Market Hall St, Kington. HR5 3DP Phone: 01544 239098
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kingtontowncouncil.gov.uk Office opening times:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11am – 1pm,
plus either Tuesday or Thursday.
All other report photo’s by Richie Cotterill
Page 17 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Kington Town Council is responsible for the
upkeep of Kington Churchyard and last year we met up with the PCC and a
representative, Andrea Dorking, from Caring For God's Acre to discuss the possiblilty of encouraging more wildflowers in the area.
Historically a meadow is an area of grassland
from which livestock is excluded from late spring until early summer in order to allow the growth of a crop of hay. Over the last 60
years many wildflower rich meadows have been lost throughout the country due to
changes in farming practices as grassland has been “improved” so that it only contains a few vigorous species of grass and white
clover. Yet wildflower meadows increase the variety of wildlife as a richer diversity of
plants support in turn a greater diversity of insects, which in turn are food for small
mammals, such as voles, shrews and hedgehogs and birds, which also feed on the flower seed.
Wildflower meadows do, of course,also look
beautiful! We are very fortunate in Kington as we live close to Birches Farm which has never been sprayed and has beautiful
wilflower meadows. It is situated at the top of the hill on the left on the way to Eardisley
and is currently being managed by Herefordshire Nature Trust which is hoping to raise money to buy it and thus protect it long
-term.
Luckily for us, Andrea confirmed that the grassy areas in the churchyard also contains many flower species which will flourish if left
uncut. As meadows do particularly well if they have an open, sunny aspect, not shaded
by trees, walls or shrubs, it was decided to carry out a trial area, oval in shape with a path running through the middle, on the
most southerly side of the churchyard at the bottom of the bank closest to the town. This
designated area can still be cut up to late April but will then be left until mid-July when it will be scythed. The resulting cuttings will
be removed as wildflowers do best on poor soils with a low fertility and if the cuttings are
left, nutrients would seep back into the soil
favouring the taller, coarser plants such as
willowherb, fat hen, bindweed, nettles and couch grass to grow. These would then
outcompete the meadow flowers which we are trying to encourage.
So, take a walk up to the church next June time and we hope you will be pleased with
what you find. We are hoping to invite children from both schools in the town along to draw and identify the flowers....
Although it is much easier to conserve and
encourage existing areas of wildflower meadows as is the case in the churchyard, it
is of course also possible to create new wildflower meadows even in your back garden especaillly if it's sunny. New meadows
will fare better if the chosen area has not been treated with too many chemicals in the
past. Begin by removing any grass turves and rake the exposed soil. Wildflower seed can be bought which contains, for example,
10 species of flower and 4 grass species. Sow the seed in early spring and net the area to
stop beds having an early feast! Then cut in mid-July and remove the cuttings after which it can be mown at the same time as the rest
of the lawn until May the following year.
Good luck! Sally Williams
Chair of the Environment Committee of Kington Town Council
Meadows
Page 18 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Rhyme by Clive Williams and Photo by Richie Cotterill
Kington Car Share Club
Get “On The Road”
with
Kington Car Share Club
Are you someone who – Is not a car owner but would benefit from access to a car? ...or Wants to give up your car (or second car) but just can't do without it? ... and Is interested in saving money while reducing traffic congestion and pollution?
Then the Kington Car Share initiative may be right for you! Our aim is to promote cleaner, greener travel and affordable car use.
How it works: One time membership fee of £20 Monthly subscription fee of £5 Easy online booking system Monthly usage bills based on time and mileage
(at about £1.60 per hour and 20p per mile less any petrol you have bought) Community scheme where everyone helps with the running of the club If you are interested please email [email protected] or telephone 01544 231236
Richie Cotterill - KLEEN
Page 19 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Kington Trees
At the Kington Tree Mapping meeting, last
December, we discussed our ambition to create an online digital map of the trees in
Kington. We want this to be compatible with other similar projects in the country to build up the bigger picture. This would become a
tool for keeping an eye on the growth, loss and planting of trees.
This FREE training session on Winter Tree Identification and Surveying was such good
fun we are going to offer it again this Spring.
We are also looking for suitable public sites to plant fruit, nut and coppice trees around the town next winter.
Richie Cotterill - Tree Warden
with Lewis Goldwater Sunday 29th March 2015
10am - 2pm at MAP, Kington
Marches Access Point, Market Hall Street
Free - donation welcome!
Learn how to identify a range of common native trees, use maps, aerial images and a GPS unit to locate trees; measure, record
and photograph trees and upload records to The Woodland Trust's Ancient Tree Hunt.
Bring warm clothing, sturdy footwear, maps, a pencil/pen and something to write on; a
digital camera, smartphone or GPS unit (if you have one), plus your lunch and a drink.
Please book your place by phone: 231236 or email: [email protected]
Trees ID & Survey Training
Page 20 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
HERGEST CROFT GARDENS
OPEN DAILY 3 April - 1 November
12noon - 5.30pm
Visit 70 acres of gardens with spectacular colour
Flower Fair Monday 4 May
10.00am - 5.30pm
An Auction and Events in aid of St Michael’s Hospice, Hereford
A variety of plant nurseries will be selling interesting and unusual plants, as well as local
craft and produce stalls.
Plant Sales includes rare and unusual shrubs and trees Gift Shop has a wide selection of attractive gifts
Delicious homemade lunches and teas served by Ridgeway Catering
T: 01544 230160 E: [email protected] www.hergest.co.uk
For other events please check the website or contact the Estate Office
The Old School, New Radnor, LD8 2SS Manager – Jane Bartlett - 07968349456
Chairman - Shirley Hughes - 01544262185 [email protected]
www.radnorvalleylittledragons.btck.co.uk Charity number 1025851
Theme The children are enjoying the 'bird watch' theme this term based around “RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch”, they’ve been making bird feeders, bird watching; finding bird prints in the snow, making a variety of garden birds in craft activities.
Holiday Club We will be running a holiday club in February Half Term, on Wed 18th, Thurs 19th and Fri 20th from 8am until 5.30pm for only £17 per child all day with the 3rd sibling FOC, for children aged 3-14 years old, there will be lots of indoor and outdoor activities, We will also be holding a holiday club throughout Easter dates to follow.
Don’t forget…… We are now able to offer full day child care, including a breakfast club at Radnor Valley Primary School. We offer child care for 2 year olds upwards from 8.10am until 5.30pm for only £28.00 per day, £15 for a morning/afternoon session. We offer 10 hours free 3 year old funding from Powys County Council and registered with Herefordshire Council to receive 15 hours funding for 2 year olds who are eligible under their criteria for families who live in Herefordshire.
Our parent and toddler group meets on a Monday morning 9.20am until 11.20pm, a social morning for the children to play and parents to chat, tea/coffee/ snacks for the children for only £2.50. Regular visits from local health visitor.
If you would like to make changes in your diet,
improve your health condition or lose weight and you don’t know where to start, as a nutritionist I
can help you achieve your goals effectively and most important safely for your
body and mind.
Contact:
07443471224
Email:
Page 21 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Page 22 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
Page 23 The Kington Chronicle Spring 2015
ELLY INGRAM MTI Mobile Holistic Massage
Therapist Providing an individually tailored massage in the
comfort and privacy of your own home. For
aches and pains, or just to de-stress and relax,
whatever your needs are, I can provide a unique
massage just for you. No two treatments are ever
the same.
Regular massage has been shown to have many
health benefits, some of which can include im-
proved sleep, improved energy, calmed nerves,
increased flexibility, better digestion or just
maintaining good health and wellbeing, whether
that be physical, mental, spiritual or emotional.
07792 743 894 www.ellyingram.co.uk
Registered with MTI & CNHC
Diana Mann B.Sc (OST) Richard Mann B.Sc (OST)
Kington Osteopaths
Neck and back pain Sciatica Headaches ‘Frozen shoulder’ Joint problems
Muscle problems Sports injuries Overall assessments Post operative rehab e.g. post
knee, hip or shoulder surgery
01544 239210
www.kingtonosteopaths.co.uk 9 The Square, Kington HR5 3BA
The Kington Chronicle is a community project
run by volunteers in conjunction with The
Kington Area Regeneration Partnership
(KARP). As a community newsletter, The
Kington Chronicle needs your news, photos,
letters and announcements.
Advertising
If you would like to advertise in the Kington
Chronicle, please contact Emma (KARP
Administrator) on 01544 231771 to discuss
your requirements. Phone: 01544 231771
Email: [email protected]
Marches Access Point
The Old Police Station
Market Hall Street
Kington
Herefordshire, HR5 3DP
The Kington
Chronicle
The views expressed in the Kington Chronicle and the information contained therein are not necessarily
those of the Kington Chronicle nor do we vouch for or necessarily endorse the views or guarantee
accuracy. So if you feel like suing us, please don’t bother as we’re skint.
Volunteer drivers needed to keep Kington moving
I am sure most readers think, as I do, that
living in or around Kington is very enjoyable. Although I live out in the countryside I am
able to make the most of living here because I have a car and can drive. However there are a growing number in our community who don't
have that luxury. Perhaps they no longer drive, live outside our ever dwindling public
transport system, or find it difficult to walk great distances. This is where Community Wheels is able to help. The purpose of the ser-
vice is to provide door to door transport for people who do not have access to a car and
are unable to use public transport due to mo-bility difficulties or because of the non-availability of the service. Travel might be to
the doctor, hospital or dentist, or to go shop-ping, go to the hair dresser, visit friends or
relatives.............the list is endless.
The service is reliant on volunteer drivers who are paid a mileage allowance but give their time freely. The service covers the whole of
north Herefordshire but the Kington area is particularly short of drivers and recently the
charity has had to turn away clients because they could not get a driver to cover their needs.
Community Wheels is safe, accessible, cost-
effective, flexible social car scheme run by the
community for the community. We are part of the Travel Links county network and support-
ed by Herefordshire Council. Do you have a car, a few spare hours a week
perhaps and are willing to assist keep Kingto-nians moving then please get in touch with
the manager of Community Wheels in the Le-ominster office. There are no binding commit-ments; you can do as little or as much volun-
teering as you like, but as they say every little helps.
So if you are interested in becoming a driver ring Sarah Bateman on 01568 617722 or
01432 343932 If you want to make a booking for the service
the number to ring is 01568 615785
Ivor Clucas