kington chronicle spring 2015

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

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


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


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


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


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


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

http://www.facebook.com/ClearUpDay


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


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


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


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


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


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.


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


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


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

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.kingtontowncouncil.gov.uk


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


Rhyme by Clive Williams and Photo by Richie Cotterill


Get “On The Road”

with


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



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



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:

[email protected]




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

http://www.ellyingram.co.uk

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

kington chronicle spring 2015

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