🏛️ Kempsey Parish Council – September 2025 Meeting Summary
Main message:
Lots of enthusiasm for community projects — but more evidence that the council is juggling too many expensive schemes without clear priorities or follow-up, risking wasted time and public money.
💸 Spending & Financial Highlights
1. Insurance Renewal – £5,957.50
- The council renewed its annual insurance policy with Hiscox for nearly £6,000.
- No long-term deal or tender savings; just a one-year renewal.
🔹 Comment: Annual renewals like this miss out on potential multi-year discounts.
2. Youth Projects and Equipment
- The YMCA Youth Hub officially launched.
- The council agreed to spend up to £2,642 on new equipment to support it (computers, gaming kit, etc).
- They already spent money last month on similar items, plus there was another earlier debate about coffee machines.
🔹 Concern: Spending continues piecemeal with overlapping projects and unclear accountability.
3. Community Builder Role – More Funding
- Council extended the “Community Builder” project again, accepting another £6,500 grant.
- No measurable outcomes reported yet.
🔹 Concern: The role is repeatedly extended without clear evidence it’s delivering value for the community.
4. Bridge and Pavilion Refurbishment Projects
- Still chasing grants for a replacement bridge in “The Rocky” area and security upgrades for Plovers Rise playing fields.
- Councillors struggling to get quotes — suppliers either refusing or not responding.
🔹 Comment: Repeated delays and poor procurement management risk projects being abandoned mid-process.
5. “Community Café” Bid Stumbles
- The council’s £7,250 café funding bid was rejected because planning permission hadn’t been obtained.
- They’re now trying to argue that planning shouldn’t be required.
🔹 Concern: Another sign of poor preparation before applying for grants — wasting time and credibility.
6. Fly Tipping at Pixham Ferry Lane
- Costly issue with rubbish being dumped repeatedly.
- Council debated paying for a cleanup company vs asking volunteers to do it for free — chose volunteers.
- They’ll also ask Severn Trent Water and Jacksons about installing CCTV to deter dumping.
🔹 Comment: Relying on unpaid volunteers to fix recurring environmental problems while discussing costly community cafés and coffee machines looks inconsistent.
🏗️ Ongoing and Planned Works
- Bus Shelters: Considering moving or enlarging shelters, possibly with electronic info screens – cost not yet estimated.
- Security Upgrades: Getting quotes for bollards and CCTV at Plovers Rise playing fields.
- Tree Planting: 15 new trees to replace those removed for utility works, plus potential wildflower planting at Stonehall Common.
- “Love Kempsey” Project: Daffodil bulbs ordered, landmark tree secured – ongoing minor beautification spending.
🏘️ Planning & Development Updates
- Pump Track (£80k) and Youth Cabin (£80k) grant bids still pending; planning approval still not sorted.
- Solar panels for Youth Centre (£40k) still awaiting quotes.
- New housing developments (e.g., Napleton Lane, Bath Road, Brookend Lane) under review — council focusing on street naming and access issues.
🔹 Comment: The council keeps chasing new ideas while existing projects are stuck or delayed.
🧾 Council Administration
- Audit of 2024/25 completed successfully — no concerns flagged.
- Council discussing moving to gov.uk email domains and better cybersecurity (finally catching up with standard practice).
- Parish Clerk praised for administration work.
🗣️ Public Concerns & Councillor Comments
- Residents worried about fly tipping, traffic, and bus shelter costs.
- Suggestions made to involve Severn Trent in CCTV efforts.
- Councillors complained that county surveys (like the Local Nature Recovery Strategy) are “too complicated” — so they won’t submit a response.
🔹 Comment: Skipping consultations because they’re “too long” isn’t a great look for a public body.
⚠️ Summary of Waste, Inefficiency, and Risk
| Issue | Concern |
|---|---|
| Multiple big grant applications (pump track, youth hub, café) with no planning approval | Risk of wasted officer time and lost credibility |
| Ongoing “Community Builder” funding with unclear results | Possible misuse or duplication of effort |
| Short-term spending on equipment and coffee machines | Poor cost control and lack of central planning |
| Maintenance issues and unpaid volunteer reliance | Overstretching volunteers for essential public services |
| Expensive insurance renewal with no competitive review | Missed opportunity for savings |
| Declining to respond to county consultations | Missed chance to represent residents’ views |
🧩 In Plain Terms
Kempsey Parish Council continues to pour time and public money into a patchwork of small, disjointed projects — some useful, many not yet ready.
They’re chasing grants before plans are in place, spending without long-term strategy, and depending on unpaid volunteers to fix local issues like fly tipping, while still authorising thousands of pounds for youth equipment and coffee machines.
Overall, it’s a council with energy — but not much focus or financial discipline.
