Council Meeting Report – 2 August, 2022

On Tuesday, your Town Council met to consider how best to maintain and improve our town. As well as the standard oversight and scrutiny, we decided to…

Horsepool (duck pond)
Apparently the pondweed is now so thick in some areas that the ducks can walk on it! After talking with our maintenance expert we are working on this issue. However, following up with him after the meeting, there are a few issues with removing the weed quickly or entirely.

The warm weather lately will reduce oxygen in the water, which can seriously distress the fish, as will disturbing the water by removing large amounts of the weed. We are therefore taking a cautious approach, depending on the oxygen levels and weather. Our expert will be measuring the oxygen levels, and if it’s not safe, will start removing the weed bit by bit in September.

Our expert has also checked the water level, which is fine at the moment.

Thank you to everyone that reported these concerns to us, our Contact the Council has advice on how to resolve many issues and how to contact us if you’re not sure who can help.

Funding success
We have secured £6,806 from GWR to provide information boards on the Redesdale Hall, and to create a heritage trail around Moreton-in-Marsh. We will call for help once the funding has been received and the steps arranged – stay tuned!

20mph zone queried
Following concerns raised in the meeting by a local resident, we will ask Gloucestershire County Council and our local Police to tell us how effective the new zone is.

Transport Hub progress
Having now decided on a preferred design consultant to lead the design work on behalf of the Town Council. We continue to work with GWR to prepare the site for the next phase of its existence, tackling the traffic and parking problems which have plagued this town for decades.

For a general overview, see our Transport Hub Project page.

Playparks Working Group
The Town Council recommitted to improving the Queen Victoria Gardens playpark, setting up a working group that will consider how to deliver improvements in a quick and agile way, bringing in external funding wherever possible. The first meeting of this group will focus on how best to do this.

This group will also look at the sport court behind Redesdale Place.

Skate Park Maintenance
The Town Council noted the erosion and other issues around the skate park, and resolved to repair them. The timeline will depend on the availability of our maintenance contractor.

Speedwatch Working Group
The Town Council intends to access the new Community Speedwatch Fund to install a number of Community Speedwatch cameras in speeding hotspots around the town. These cameras are small units, unlike the large, yellow Police-operated units that issue fines, and are widely recognised as being effective for moderate and persistent speeders.

Welcome new councillors
We would like to welcome our newly co-opted councillors to Moreton-in-Marsh Town Council! We had three applicants for the two vacancies, so a vote was held and Cllrs Helen Dunster and Robert Eastoe were duly co-opted. Congratulations to both, we’re delighted to have two new faces on the Council. We’ll update our Councillors and Staff page soon with their information.

Commiserations to the third applicant, but there may be another option. Now that the two co-option vacancies have been filled, we can again call for nominees to stand for the last vacant seat, which may only be filled by public election.

We would like to remind you that you are welcome to attend any public meeting of the Town Council – see our Meetings Calendar for dates, or the Agendas and Minutes page to check what we’ll be discussing. Hopefully, we’ll see you at the next meeting!