The Parish Council meets Monday 10 November at 7pm at the Kempsey Community Centre.
Residents can attend and ask short questions at the start — but not during the main meeting.
🧾 The Main Issues on the Agenda
1. Routine Business
- Approving minutes, financial reports, and correspondence.
- Councillors will again be reminded to declare interests and fill out paperwork.
🔹 Comment: Standard procedure — but these formalities take up a large chunk of each meeting.
2. Footpath Changes
- Worcestershire County Council wants to divert part of footpath KP-509 (near the old Footpath 3 area).
- Parish Council invited to comment before 31 December 2025.
🔸 No major cost, but the Council will need to decide if it supports the diversion.
3. New Art, History & Nature Trail Project
- The Community Builder (Cathy Garner) is proposing an application to Severn Arts for funding a “trail” project combining art, local history, and nature.
- The Council will decide whether to support the application.
🔹 Comment: Potentially positive cultural idea — but adds yet another project to a long list of unfinished ones (bridge, café, youth hub, pump track).
4. More Funding and Grant Updates (Again)
Cllr Waller will update everyone on multiple ongoing grant applications.
a. Legacy Grants
- Council to consider:
- Paying for a licence to export solar power from the Youth Centre back into the National Grid.
- Getting crushed stone from the Environment Agency or Jacksons Civils Ltd for the long-delayed pump track project.
🔸 Comment: More administrative spending before construction even begins — still no start date or confirmed funding for the pump track.
b. Rural Fund Grant
- Council has been awarded £7,321 to support the Kempsey Community Café (at the Pavilion).
- Clerk to sign legal agreements and subsidy forms with the district council.
💸 Key point: The café project, approved last month for up to £14,500 in refurbishment spending, is now partly funded by this grant — but still likely to cost residents around £7,000+ in local funds.
c. Other Grants
- A “Warm and Welcome Spaces” grant update — unclear if any new funds have arrived.
🔹 Comment: The council is juggling at least six separate funding schemes at once — increasing risk of overlap and administrative confusion.
5. Finance
- Standard approvals: bills, bank reconciliations, and the capital budget.
- Nothing new announced on cost control or efficiency.
6. Committee Updates
Finance & General Purposes (F&GP):
- Budget meeting for the 2026/27 precept (local council tax rate) is set for 20 November.
- Proposal to sign a new contract preparing for the move from analogue to digital phone lines (UK-wide telecoms change).
🔸 Comment: Sensible but potentially costly upgrade — council should confirm cost limits before signing.
Environment Committee:
- “Love Kempsey” planting and maintenance updates.
Community Centres Committee:
- Proposal to add more CCTV cameras at Plovers Rise playing fields.
💸 More spending for security — unclear how much, or why existing cameras are insufficient.
Infrastructure Committee:
- Proposal to hire a contractor to cut hedges at community land (Old Road South / Pixham Ferry Lane).
🔸 Comment: Routine maintenance that could be planned better to save repeated small spends.
Commons & Recreation & Planning:
- Routine updates expected — no major new proposals listed.
7. Policing Priorities
- Council will agree up to three policing priorities for the next quarter — e.g. anti-social behaviour, parking, speeding.
🔹 Comment: Residents should raise any specific safety concerns during public question time if they want them included.
8. Chairman’s Report
Cllr Waller will cover:
- Kempsey Times newsletter deadline (17 Nov).
- A Councillor recruitment video to attract new members.
- The Remembrance Service arrangements.
🔹 Comment: The recruitment video reflects ongoing struggles to retain councillors — following several resignations this year.
9. Confidential Items (Public Excluded)
Two sensitive issues will be discussed privately:
- Kempsey Live Event – Hire Agreement Update
- Likely relates to contracts, venue costs, or insurance.
- Staffing Matters – Deputy Clerk’s hours
- Council considering a contractual change in working hours for the Deputy Clerk.
🔹 Comment: Fair enough to handle privately, but residents may wish to know how staffing costs are changing overall, given rising spending elsewhere.
⚠️ Key Takeaways for Residents
| Topic | What’s Being Decided | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Community Café | Signing £7,321 grant agreement, total project spend around £14.5k | Still unclear if café will be financially self-sustaining |
| 🌳 Pump Track / Bridge | Buying stone and arranging groundwork — no build date yet | Risk of endless prep without delivery |
| 🖼️ Art/History/Nature Trail | New project application | Another addition to council’s crowded project list |
| 📹 Extra CCTV Cameras | New security spend for playing fields | No cost given; unclear benefit |
| 📞 Digital phone system | Signing contract for new phone system | Sensible upgrade — but need transparency on costs |
| 💼 Deputy Clerk hours | Confidential staffing changes | Could raise staff costs again |
| 👮 Police Priorities | Picking 3 focus areas | Residents’ chance to influence local policing |
🧩 In Plain Terms
Kempsey Parish Council is meeting again with another round of new projects and spending proposals.
Highlights:
- More money going toward the community café and CCTV.
- New “art trail” project added to the ever-growing list of half-finished ideas.
- Pump track still in limbo, though stone might finally be bought.
- Staffing costs and telecom upgrades likely to rise.
While some of this is routine, the overall picture shows a small council taking on too many costly projects at once, with limited signs of completion or cost-saving discipline.
