Introduction
Welcome to the second edition of the revamped quarterly Bulletin from your Council. As before, this edition of the Bulletin includes articles by members of the Parish Council on aspects of the Council’s activities in which they are particularly involved. But it also includes articles by non-members who are involved in aspects of fulfilling the recommendations that emerged from the Parish Plan.
We were very sad to receive Betty Harris’s resignation from the Council two months ago. For all her seventeen years Betty was the perfect councillor in so many ways: always speaking to the point and listening to others even if they weren’t so disciplined. When something new came up she would often point out, very politely, that it wasn’t new at all and would then go on to tell us how it had been dealt with in the past. We are already missing that experience of being brought gently down to earth.
We are delighted to be joined by Guy Ritchie. He has been in marketing all his life and now works as a brand consultant, much of the time from home in Freshford.
Guy is married to Rosy, secretary of the Baby & Toddler Group and working alongside Claudia Towner as secretary of the Committee set up to launch and run a new Pre-School next September.
They have three children, the eldest of whom has just started at the village school.
We’ve asked Guy to join the Natural Environment Group and to lead the search for funds such as those that have been tapped into for the setting up and equipping of an improved play area for the children between 8 and 13, and for funding the building and equipping the new shop
Guy is already a member of the Communications Group which was formed following the recommendations of the Parish Plan. That group and others like it have always included members who are not on the Parish Council. Indeed, as was said at the launch of the Parish Plan, very few of its recommendations could be realised without ‘lay’ help. The article in this Bulletin on the Natural Environment has been written by Candy Harrison who heads that group. And Dan Towner, a member of the communications group, has written about the Freshford website and how it is now available for anyone to use as a ‘notice board’ for their event – and as a means of ensuring that it doesn’t clash with someone else’s.
There is still much to do, and areas that haven’t even been touched, on the implementation of the ideas and proposals contained in the Parish Plan. Many people were involved in the assembly of the Plan and we are wide open to approaches from any of them, or anyone else, who would like to help in bringing that work to fruition.
Incidentally, there are still some copies of the Parish Plan available. If you would like one please let us know.
If you have any comments to make or points to raise please do get in touch. Perhaps you would like a letter published in the next edition of the Bulletin. One of the easiest ways to contact us, for whatever reason, is via the contact page on the website. We look forward to hearing from you.
Hugh Delap
Affordable Housing - a new way forward
At November’s meeting of the Parish Council we were pleased to welcome Louise Davidson, Regional Development Manager for the South West for English Rural Housing Association. Present also to hear what Louise had to say were Simon Coombe, Chairman of Limpley Stoke Parish Council, Clare Elsey, representing Hinton Charterhouse Parish Council and Gary Ward of B&NES (Housing Department).
Having now had the opportunity to speak with Louise on several occasions I hope that readers will be interested to hear what she has to say.
Q. Affordable housing seems to many to be a relatively new concept but I suspect your experience is rather different.
A. Well, after graduating from Swansea University in 1990 I joined Woodspring District Council and for the next 17 years worked in the affordable housing sector .From 1993 I worked specifically to ensure that affordable housing was built across the District. With the house price increase of the last decade, more and more households struggle to afford a home of their own, particularly in rural areas.
Q. And just how do you get affordable homes built?
A. There is no single answer but you have to be both systematic and imaginative, and must work within detailed local planning policy requirements. I built up a wealth of knowledge by taking a post graduate degree in Housing Studies and I have used that knowledge and general experience to explore the many ways in which proposed schemes can be taken forward. Delivering affordable homes in a village is far harder than in the towns: finding an appropriate, affordable site is always a challenge.
Q. So the move in 2007 to English Rural Housing Association was for you a natural progression of your interest in affordable housing?
A. Very much so. As the Regional Development Manager for the South West I am now in a position to influence the rural housing agenda and to actively deliver affordable homes in the villages. The Association concentrates exclusively on village housing and is a nationally recognised specialist in this field.
Q .Can you tell me what schemes have been developed by the Association in the course of this year?
A. We are currently building 12 new homes in Churchill as well as working closely with Wrington, Wraxall, Winscombe, Winford, Blagdon and Chew Magna Parish Councils to consider affordable housing need and to advance new opportunities for development.
Q. And closer to home?
A. In Freshford I would favour a ‘back to basics’ approach as it is some time now since the housing need of the village was considered and sites identified. A new housing needs survey is suggested, using the format recently approved by Bath & North East Council. We then need to look afresh at sites, discussing the issues with the community and talking with the planners in an attempt to gain fresh momentum. At their Chairman’s invitation I am also due to speak to the members of Limpley Stoke Parish Council.
Q. That leads me neatly on to my next point which concerns the concept of joint schemes. Are they feasible?
A. Certainly. If a couple of parishes work together to consider their affordable housing need they can share resources, experiences and a wider area across which to find a site. And there are no reasons why two communities shouldn’t work together even if they are in different districts. Cross-parish schemes may prove more complex to develop but that does not stop us examining the possibility.
Q. What size development would your Association envisage?
A. This really depends on the level of housing need identified and the requirements of planning policy. Six to eight units would be the usual size for a rural development in Bath & North East Somerset but a combined parish scheme might be able to go to 12. Density is usually based on 6-8 units per half acre, but this depends on the mix of units and the influences of the local design and density of existing homes in the village.
Q. From all that you have said it is evident that each scheme is dependent on a high degree of cooperation from all involved.
A. That is right. Delivery of rural affordable housing is collaboration between the Association, the Parish Council, the District Council (both officers and elected members) and the wider community. I am beginning to work closely with the Bath and North East Somerset Stronger Communities and Planning Policy Teams to raise awareness of rural affordable housing issues and I will continue to forge links with the village communities. I want to see villages thrive and prosper and the provision of affordable housing is one tangible way in which all that is good about village life can be enhanced and secured for the future.
Q. Finally, if any resident of the parish would like to contact you to discuss any aspect of bringing affordable housing to Freshford what should they do?
A. If local residents have any queries about affordable housing or suggestions about possible sites, they can contact me on 01934 811713 or via e-mail on louise.davidson@englishrural.org.uk. For more general information visit the Association’s web site. As work progresses in the village, there will be extensive open consultation and raising of awareness.
Louise, thank you very much.
Nick Stevens
An Electronic Noticeboard
The village website now has an online calendar which can list all the upcoming community events that are happening in and around Freshford. If you are organising a community event and would like it to be listed on the website, just follow the instructions at the top of the calendar webpage. All you need to take advantage of this new service is a valid email address. We hope that over time this calendar will become the definitive list of events happening in Freshford. If you have comments or queries, do get in touch with me at 01225 723924 or through the website contact page.
Dan Towner
Repairs to the dry-stone wall in Station Road – many thanks to the Cotswold Wardens
You may have been aware for sometime of the poor state of the dry stone field wall on your left as you approach Freshford Station. It had become com-pletley covered in brambles and was in danger of collapsing into the road. The Parish Council, with the owners’ permission, approached the Cotswold Wardens to see if they could help us and having inspected the site earlier this summer they agreed to take on the project. This Autumn a team of volunteers has regularly and cheerfully worked on the reconstruction of the wall in all weathers and in all conditions.
The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens have done an enormous amount of work for us over the years for which we are extremely grateful. The service was established forty years ago this year. For those of you who are unaware of the work of this organisation warden work parties help conserve and enhance the Cotswolds ANOB, taking part in a range of projects from dry stone walling, hedge laying, and tree planting to installing kissing gates. They work with Parish Councils and the Local Authorities who help with funding. Support, training, equipment, and travel expenses are offered in return for the volunteers’ valuable time.
We are also very grateful for all the help given by a group of Station Road residents who took it upon themselves to deal with the parking of numerous Wardens’ cars during this time. Thanks too for searching and collecting the extra stones that were needed for the reconstruction work.
Mary Stanhope
The Government’s Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West and its effect on Freshford.
Many residents become interested in the work of parish councils only when a threat is seen to be about to affect them or the community in which they live, or when communal improvements need to be made. Effective Parish Councils have to deal with both. It is also necessary for these councils to prepare themselves for any changes to what the majority of residents wish for their parishes, and in some cases beyond. Obviously, this means that they need to keep abreast of developments in local government, and often to have their say when consulted on propositions for change. This is particularly important if it is perceived that such changes might militate against their Parish Plans.
The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the South West is an example of the need to keep abreast of policy, macro and micro, both regionally and particularly within the unitary authority area. It has been a long time in preparation and will shortly become a new Government tool to help set the scene for virtually every aspect of Government in respect of spatial matters (basically the environment in which we live) for the next twenty years, and every use of space pie in which central and local government dip their fingers. They dig deep. After much consultation, including input from parishes such as Freshford, this RSS will shortly become the context which affects thinking on all spatial aspects of local government.
Much of its impact in terms of change will most probably not be felt in our immediate area, although there are concerns about aspects of planning and transport policies, the possible effects of which we will detail in later editions of The Bulletin if the need arises. Watch this space!
Stuart Campbell
How the PC handles planning matters
Following the completion of the present Parish Plan, your parish council has recently created two committees to keep abreast of planning matters in both the Planning Policy and Development Control Departments of B&NES Council. Their remit has been greatly clarified by the publication of the Plan and those aspects which have been adopted by the PC for operational action.
The Planning Policy Committee (presently Stuart Campbell (Chairman), Hugh Delap, Rowena Wood and Nick Stevens) endeavours to keep informed and to influence changes in the policies of the local authority, and further back the regional authorities. It formulates responses to policy consultation. The analysis of the draft RSS, mentioned in the previous article, and our comments on it, is an example.
The Planning Development Control Committee’s responsibilities are more familiar to most residents, as they deal with planning applications in the context of the local authority’s policies. This is chaired by Rowena Wood, supported by Hugh Delap, Ray Benfield and Stuart Campbell.
The two groups obviously interrelate and also keep the other councillors up to date on developments by reports tabled at the PC meetings.
Stuart Campbell
Railings by The Inn
In the Parish Plan there was a minor reference to the attraction of the traditional wrought iron railings on field boundaries and how every effort should be made to preserve them.
This was picked up by Bridget Baker who made it her task, with support from the Parish Council, to discuss the idea with the landowners, to contact the people who carry out this sort of work and to raise funds for the restoration of the railings by The Inn. Renovation should begin there early in the New Year.
We are very grateful to Bridget and the landowners for enabling that Parish Plan wish to be realised.
Hugh Delap
Our Natural Environment – and landshare
Look out of any window in Freshford and the breathtaking beauty of our natural environment is there to be enjoyed. We are lucky enough to live in a rural village environment that allows us access to, and views of, green horizons, statuesque trees, rolling fields and wooded river valleys.
During the writing of the Freshford Parish Plan we stood and gazed around, we talked to villagers and we explored many ideas for both protecting and enhancing this fabulous natural environment. We thought about ways to discover more about the flora and fauna around us with village walks, family picnics and butterfly gardens. We investigated ideas for increasing wildlife habitats through hedgerow planting and verge preservation. We discussed ways to reduce our impact on our environment using shared garden composting facilities and encouraging rainwater harvesting. We envisioned a village orchard, wild flower meadows and village allotments. In fact we were brimming over with exciting ideas for protecting and promoting, celebrating and conserving our local natural environment. If you have ideas, time, energy or enthusiasm and would like to get involved, even on a very small scale, please come and talk to us.
Just to get you thinking: one recommendation of the Parish Plan was
to introduce a garden sharing scheme whereby those with under-used gardens could be encouraged to ‘share’ their garden with other local residents who are keen to garden but do not have the opportunity to do so.’
In the months since publication of the Parish Plan the topic of landshare has come more and more into the public domain - particularly since the cause was taken up by Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall .There is now even a website which seeks to link landowners and potential gardeners through a registration scheme.
Informal landshare schemes already exist within Freshford. Is there the enthusiasm for a more formal scheme to be developed? Do please let us have your views on this together with any other ideas you may have.
Candy Harrison
Dog nuisance - an update
In the last edition of the Bulletin we gave a brief overview of some initiatives we intended to introduce. The first of these has now been running for six weeks. Considering how many dogs there are in the parish the nuisances they cause are few and quite far between; but fouling has been a cause of occasional complaint and without wanting to become a ‘nanny’ council it was felt that highlighting the incidents that did occur would lead to a reduction. It is still early to say whether the campaign in the long term will be effective but, so far, it appears to have been. The comments and publicity received to date have on the whole been very encouraging. We understand that the use of white paint to identify fouling can seem a bit of a visual eyesore, but the spray is not permanent and the key objectives are to highlight the presence of fouling to unsuspecting pedestrians, and importantly, to encourage the conscientious behaviour of dog walkers.
This initiative has been used for some time and very successfully, in Compton Dando. And whilst, so far as we know, there are no plans to hold a cleanest village campaign, we will continue to work closely with the BANES Dog Warden to reduce the nuisance and health problems associated with fouling.
Barking dogs can be also be a nuisance. This is not a major problem in the parish but it can be distressing to neighbours if it is persistent.
Many thanks, once again, to all who have shown support and interest with this on-going work. And if anyone has a comment, or complaint, to make please get in touch with me
Mandy Knowles
The Galleries Shop & Post Office
The shop project has progressed with speed since our last report.
Full planning permission has been granted, the key parts of the internal shop and storage layout decided upon, a soil and environmental site survey has been successfully completed (The Shop committee have expressed their thanks to Ypres Rose Developments for the provision of a digger and driver to enable the excavations for the survey to be undertaken), and detailed quotations are expected from a range of builders.
A list of volunteers to help man the shop when it opens is being compiled, and a survey of what future customers will wish to be stocked and the levels of service which are desired for both Freshford and Limpley Stoke communities is expected to be compiled in the New Year. An experienced retail manager is being sought.
In the meantime the temporary Post Office thrives both as a sub post office and as a very popular gathering place on two mornings a week. Please watch the parish council notice boards for progress reports before the issue of our next Bulletin.
Stuart Campbell
Neighbourhood Watch and Feeling Safer.
Freshford is fortunate in having a low crime rate, although recently there have been several incidents. Nevertheless, there is a need to ensure that we can cope with anyone’s concerns, and that we can all feel safe. We all can play a part in this, and it’s called Neighbourhood Watch. This is a scheme that was started in 1982 and has grown. It is a community activity, albeit the Police have an administrator for the scheme. In its simplest form the Neighbourhood Watch coordinators will look out for anything suspicious and help each other. The Police via their computer system will forward information on crime that may be relevant to our area. This can be disseminated to resident in various ways, including the placing notices on our notice boards and the Freshfordvillage website.
The scheme has also been developed to encourage proactive activity by the communities to act as a group to counter any specific concerns, for example graffiti, or to provide support to the vulnerable. However it is up to each part of the parish to implement as much or as little of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme as they feel is appropriate.
The scheme requires a co-ordinator (a focal point for receiving and broadcasting news of anything untoward). In the past Freshford has had several co-ordinators for particular areas of the parish, but this has almost lapsed as people have moved away. It seems right that we should resurrect this. As the parish is spread out we could need several co-ordinators to cover the village centre, Sharpstone, Park Corner, Midford Lane and Pipehouse.
It’s an opportunity to help others, to inform neighbours about suspicious activity, and to reduce opportunities for crime. Please consider becoming a co-ordinator. It is not an onerous task. Stuart Campbell is the Sharpstone co-ordinator (723484) and can be contacted for a chat. In the first instance please express interest to any member of the Parish Council or to myself on 723397.
Ray Benfield
Shared Space. Making the roads more comfortable to use – for everyone
As reported in the last Bulletin (Aug 08) the PC has set up a Highways group, of PC members and residents. We continue to examine how best to tackle the range of traffic-related problems across the parish and in particular how to rebalance the priorities for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians in Freshford - with those on foot nearest the top of the list - whilst maintaining our wonderful rural environment. Cars will always exist and we are seeking integration, not segregation. This may result in proposals to make some changes to the layout of the road.
We have examined other schemes to understand the issues better. For example, we have an involvement with the Bradford-on–Avon scheme, and their consultation work aimed at “Taming the Traffic”. This was prompted by the imminent development of the former Kingston Mill site and the effect it will have not just on the traffic of Bradford but across the surrounding area.
We intend to pursue a process in Freshford that includes the involvement of Freshford residents in the selection of possible options and solutions. One of our early actions has been to engage with B&NES to ensure an understanding of our needs and to work together. At the end of the day it will be B&NES who have the funds and will implement any changes. Early discussions have considered how to present our case so that it has the best chance in the competition for funds.
The areas where it seems we are most likely to make early progress are by the school, the junction, and the road to the Memorial Hall.
Ray Benfield
Freshford Mill - progress
Since July, Ypres Rose have been working on the ground works on the site and contamination alleviation.
Residents may be aware of the large mound of rubber waste piled up on the site. Ypres Rose have informed the PC that they have now received the relevant landfill tax certificates from HMRC and will shortly commence removal to Corey Environmental’s Shortwood Landfill Site in Bristol. This is a change from the original proposal to use a site in Avonmouth.
The contact telephone numbers for the Contract Managers on the site are Ian Mitchell 07787 566014 and Ken Moore 07717767749. Please contact Ken or Ian direct if you have any issues regarding working issues on the site or vehicle access.
Rowena Wood
Street Lighting
At some stage in the dim and distant past, Freshford Parish Council took on responsibility for street lighting within the parish. The positive result of this decision is that we are able to chose where we have lights (and where not) and the style of lamps and columns that are installed. Not so positive is the fact that we have to fund not only new lamps, but their maintenance and running costs, out of precept (that part of the Council Tax which is the Parish Council’s annual budget).
For some years parishes in our position have been protesting that this amounts to a double taxation. Residents of Bath and of those parishes who chose to let the local authority organise their lighting have this paid for through rates with no extra precept charges. Currently, after sidelining the protests for a number of years, B&NES are looking into the matter and the situation may change.
When I took over as Clerk, I inherited a batch of 39 lights, many of them charming Edwardian examples, functioning on 60watt household light bulbs and highly prone to failure after strong winds. Despite residents’ attachment to these, it was not possible to upgrade them to take the more sophisticated 75watt low-energy and long-life ‘SON’ lamps currently used in street lighting systems. The Parish Council has operated a rolling programme of replacements, targeting two or three bracket lamps per year, or one of the more expensive column lamps. To date we have 29 new lamps around the parish, and are hoping to replace a further 5. The remaining five are the more modern sodium lamps which, whilst not very attractive, are functioning efficiently and so Councillors feel that it would be extravagant to replace them for purely aesthetic reasons.
After discussion, it was decided to use some of our lighting budget this year and last year to fit complex photocells to all our new lamps, enabling them to be switched off at 1am and to come back on at 5.30am until dawn. It is a complete anomaly that, in an era of concern for green issues, the lamps come from the manufacturers with a default “all night burn” setting. Whilst we are aware that some residents prefer to have the lights burning all night, Councillors feel that providing security lights is an individual responsibility and that from a budgetary as well as a “green” point of view, turning street lights off late at night is the best option.
One other suggestion from a resident is being considered; the provision of low-level lighting on the pathway running from the War Memorial, behind the Glebe, down to the Village Hall. These lights look like bollards and just illuminate the footway, making it safer for those wanting to walk from Sharpstone and the centre of the village to events at the Hall and to the new shop.
If you notice that a light near you is not working, please ring me (Stephanie Jenkins 722270) with details of location and I will report it to SEC who maintain the lights for us. They usually act within two or three days of my contact, but I don’t always know when a light is out and so it can be weeks before someone meets me in the street and complains!
Stephanie Jenkins
Freshford Station
Unfortunately Freshford Station did not win any awards in the Station Gardens competition. A number of village residents are now undertaking maintenance work on the gardens on a rota basis.
First Group have installed a second cycle rack at the station. They have also investigated increasing the car parking area at the station by using adjacent land owned by Network Rail, but unfortunately this has not proven to be possible.
There will be a new train timetable starting on Sunday 14 December – a copy will be available on the village website and on the notice boards. It appears that there will be a change to times of trains around 9 a.m.
Business on the No 94 bus is relatively booming and the No 95 continues to run every Tuesday between Limpley Stoke, Freshford and Bradford-on-Avon (stopping at Sainsbury’s). Please do try to use this service if you can.
Rowena Wood
Construction work at the Sewage Works
Essential environmental improvement works at Freshford sewage treatment by Wessex Water, which should have taken place this winter, have been postponed until the second quarter of 2009
Rowena Wood
A Pre-school in Freshford - Progress Report
The Freshford Pre-school project is progressing well. To date almost £3,000 has been raised towards the start-up costs, through grants and donations. An application has also been submitted for Awards for All Lottery funding. A Committee of eleven parents has been established, and the Pre-School Constitution was formally adopted at a meeting on the 16th September.
The plans are to provide four or five half-day sessions per week of pre-school for children aged 3 and 4. Initially, sessions will last for 2½ hours, in line with the Nursery Education Grant allowance. This will increase to 3 hours in September 2010. The pre-school will run for 38 weeks a year in line with Freshford Primary school term dates. After one year of operation the number of sessions offered will be reviewed and the possibility of offering two sessions in one day with supervised lunch linking the sessions considered. Priority for places will be given to children living in the catchment area of Freshford School.
Care and education will be provided for approximately 12 children with two paid qualified staff and one volunteer per session. A maximum of 16 children could be accommodated, in which case three paid qualified staff will be employed with one volunteer. The Pre-school will be located at the Freshford Memorial Hall, primarily in the committee room, but with access for part of the session to the main hall for physical play. There will also be access to the extensive grassed area at the rear of the hall for outdoor play. The Pre-school will be run as a charity with a committee of volunteers. Any profits will go back towards funding equipment/activities for the care and education of the children.
The Pre-School Committee is working with the Memorial Hall Committee to plan the necessary minor refurbishment to the Hall to accommodate the Pre-school. Work parties are due to be held on the weekends of 20/21 December and 3/4 January to repaint the Committee room, mount new window blinds, and construct some secure storage. This refurbishment and the acquisition of most of the equipment, toys and books needs to be completed before Ofsted inspection in Spring 2009.
A list of equipment and toys that the Committee would like to acquire for the Pre-school has been published. This can be seen at the Freshford Post Office, the Doctor's Surgery and outside the School or viewed on the Pre-school web page. If you have any of these items in good condition that you no longer require the Committee would be delighted if you would consider donating them.
The post of Pre-School leader has been advertised, and interviews of potential candidates are due to be held early in December.
For further information, offers of help on the work party weekends, donations of equipment, or to register your child for the Pre-school, contact me, in my capacity as Chair of Freshford Pre-school Committee.
Claudia Towner
New playground equipment for Freshford
Freshford playground, located behind the Memorial Hall, will have some exciting new play equipment installed early in 2009 as part of the Bath and North East Somerset Council Play Pathfinder initiative. The new equipment installed under this initiative has to be targetted at 8 to 13 year olds. With the help of Charlie Murray we have been asking the appropriate school children and Freshford and Limpley Stoke youth club what equipment they would like to see added to our play facility. The exact specification and layout is still to be finalised with BANES and the Village Hall Committee, but we are hoping to have a new house/platform on stilts at the top of the field between the tunnels and the footpath. The platform will be at least 2 metres high and will be accessed by a climbing wall and other routes designed to hopefully challenge the older children. There will also be a goal post, basket ball hoop and picnic bench located at the top of the field, and two new benches positioned against the wall by the footpath part way up the field. There is also likely to be a giant nest swing that can accommodate more than one person located in the bottom corner of the field between the existing slide and the western boundary of the playing field.
When planning the location of the new equipment we are taking special care to maintain sufficient open space, so that the traditional uses of the field such as the Fete and school sports are not affected. All installation of new equipment will be completed by the end of March 2009. Once the finalised plans have been completed they, with drawings of the new equipment, will be on display at the Memorial Hall and at the playground.
Our consultation with the young people in the village highlighted the popularity of skateboarding amongst the 8-13 year olds. It was concluded that installation of skateboard ramps on our playground site would be inappropriate, however the Parish Council are committed to finding other ways to support young people who enjoy this and similar hobbies. Whilst we develop a number of possible ideas, we would like to remind keen skateboarders that the No.94 bus and the train provide a direct service to the new state-of-the-art skateboarding facility in Trowbridge, located at Stallards Recreation Ground, near the train station.
Claudia Towner
Repairs to the War Memorial
The renovations works on the War Memorial are now completed and the PC have received a number of favourable comments on the work. We would like to thank English Heritage and the Friends of Freshford for their generous grants towards the work and especially those residents and members of the British Legion who generously contributed. Donations are still being gratefully received
We would also like to thank Ray Benfield who personally restored, reset and repainted the railings. We had received a quotation of £350 from the monumental masons to do this work on the railings but the PC felt they could not really justify this large amount. Ray offered to do the work himself and the only cost incurred was £20 for the paint!
Rowena Wood
Freshford Cemetery
The Parish Council is responsible for the running and maintenance of the Cemetery. Recently, in response to requests from Councillors, I undertook a five-year review of the income and expenditure and found, during that period, that there had been a deficit of £2,164. Whilst income is always uncertain, there are regular maintenance charges in the shape of rates, water rates, grass-cutting and tidying shrubs and trees. Over the past few years we have also had to replace a section of vandalised fence, do some work on the retaining wall on Freshford Lane and monitor the state of older headstones.
When we compared burial charges, last increased in 2001, with those of Trowbridge and Bath, it was obvious that their charges had increased considerably and so it was decided to introduce a new scale of fees. These are shown in the table below and are still well below the city rates and, in a case where they would be likely to cause financial hardship, the Parish Council would look sympathetically at an appeal.
Stephanie Jenkins
Freshford Cemetery – Charges from 1st September 2008
These fees are doubled for non-residents of Freshford
Plots
For graves £390
For ashes £180
Interment
Adult £180
Child (under 18) £135
Child (under 1) Free
Cremated remains £135
Monumental masonry
Headstone £180
Tablet (cremated remains) £120
Added inscription £60