RESIDENTS NEWSLETTER July 2022

Dear Fellow Residents

This letter is important and contains information of interest to you.  There are a number of matters affecting the village that require community engagement, and your feedback and thoughts are sought to help decide the appropriate courses of action:-

The Langley Burrell Residents Association has been moribund for several years but now needs reinvigorating to fulfil its role as a conduit for community views. A new LBRA committee has been co-opted (James Burrell Chairman, Rosemary Waterkeyn Secretary and Jon Whitby as Treasurer, plus Brenda Coleman) join Edward Barham, Abigail Chebsey, Rick Colthorpe, David Gibbins, Saritha Pilcrow, Winston Williams and Robert Whitrow. The LBRA will be working with the Parish Council to address a number of critical projects where engagement is required as follows:-

1 – Local Neighbourhood Plan (‘NLP’)

The LB LNP is now nearly 5 years old and as such no longer has the same weight in planning decisions as it did when it was first created in 2017. The LNP is a community led plan for development across the LNP ‘Designated Area’ (broadly the whole parish east of the A350), and sets out local policies which need to be taken into account by developers for housing, development and associated matters across the area.   Once finally drafted it is voted on by residents in a referendum. Work is underway to revise the current NLP but has stalled and we now need people to join a working group and assist with this process and share some of the work involved – mainly helping draft certain sections, taking photos of views/vistas, page setting and layout, and updating/revising proposed policies. It shouldn’tbe too challenging (the potential timescale for completion could be Easter 2023) but it needs your help/engagement to progress it further – please could anyone who is willing to help with this very important task contact James Burrell at .

2 – Planning & development activities -Barrow Farm area

The developers have submitted another planning application for a mixture of 230 residential houses, commercial business and service use, drinking establishment and hot food takeaway on the ground off the B4069 east of Barrow Farm, north of the existing development near Birds Marsh – application PL/2022/04681.  Please take the opportunity to register your views (assumed objections) about this speculative application at https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i3z000018ItCU/pl202204681The development comments need to be submitted by Weds 10thAug. It is expected the LBRA will be lodging an objection as one of the key community groups. The development would cover Kilverts country, irreversably covering rural green space with unwanted houses, reduce much needed community green space, breach the ‘hard outer boundary of the ‘ring road on the northern edge of Chippenham between Parsonage way and the roundabout at the A350, and is little different from the last application which was withdrawn 2020.  All comments need to be submitted by Weds 10th Aug. It is expected the LBRA will be lodging an objection as one of the key community groups. Brenda Coleman ( coordinating the response for LBRA and would welcome any assistance that you can provide.

3 – Birds Marsh Wood preservation

Initial conversations are underway with Wiltshire Council regarding Langley Burrell Parish Council potentially taking on long term responsibility for Birds Marsh Wood and preserving/maintaining it for the local community.  Issues to be addressed include the long term financial exposure and the level of ‘maintenance’ required. It is envisaged that IF Langley Burrell Parish Council do take this on, it will need the assistance of a strong local volunteer group – anyone who is interested in assisting with this project and helping safeguard it for the local community, please contact Robert Whitrow at  .

4 – Speed calming project

Speeding through the village is a major issue and work is underway to try and address this, but there is a formal process/structure to navigate with Wiltshire Council before anything can be implemented.   Folke Pope is leading the initiative on this but needs a few people to become Speedwatch volunteers and assist him compile formal data to support the initial Autowatch findings.   Please contact Folke at  to discuss what is required if you can help. Addressing the dangerous speeding through the village will not be resolved unless this gets done….

5 – CIL funding projects

The Parish Council has over £500k of Community Infrastructure Levy (‘CIL’) Funds, which can only be spent on CIL qualifying criteria and needs to be spent in the next three years otherwise it gets lost. The CIL qualifying criteria can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/community-infrastructure-levy#spending-the-levy  .    It is believed that the overwhelming community view is that Residents across Langley Burrell wish to retain the parish’s rural feel, green infrastructure and open spaces, and this has determined the potential projects being considered for CIL funding.

The Parish Council has already used CIL funding to purchase

1 – certain heavy machinery and equipment which will be used to help maintain the sports ground area and will also support the Parish Councils ability to implement an Emergency response. Equipment purchased includes a compact Tractor, Hedge trimmer and finishing mower, and the acquisition of a heavy roller is also envisaged.

2 – Defibrillators – the Parish Council has also already funded the acquisition of three defibrillators which are to be erected over the next month – one at each of Village Hall, Oakhurst bus shelter and St Giles church wall.

Projects that have been reviewed but rejected as infeasible or impractical include an extension to the Village Hall (insufficient footprint available), the purchase of NFU building in the village for development as a local business centre, and the installation of two hard tennis courts on the sports ground area.

The Parish Council has compiled a list of CIL qualifying projects for consideration which include potentially funding:-

 – an upgrade of the internal facilities (toilets/changing rooms) at the Village Hall

– creation of a series of Trails utilising public footpaths across the parish – a ‘Kilverts Trail’, Heritage Trail and Nature Trail.  Work to develop the Heritage Trail is already underway with researchers working closely with the Victoria County History team, but anyone who would like to assist in developing this Trail or the Kilverts Trail or the Nature Trail please contact Robert Whitrow at  .  

– publically accessible toilets by St Peters Church – for use by people using the Trails with access shared with the church

– a flood alert warning system at Maud Heaths Causeway to alert drivers when the water is too deep to pass through – review underway to identify potential solutions – all thoughts to 

– a children’s play area – ideally outside Oakhurst (subject to clarification of ownership of the green area adjoining The Common), or near the Village Hall (space permitting)

– the Village Hall Trust in the acquisition of a 25year lease over the sports ground area north of the Village Hall. sports ground. This will then enable further grants to be obtained in due course

– the ‘enhancement’ of the Sports Ground to develop greater use by the community – all subject to the Village Hall Trust obtaining the 25year lease referred to above, and also the relevant permissions from the Scott Ashe Estate plus any required planning permissions.  These ‘enhancements’ envisage the creation/development of a quality cricket pitch on the northern area and a 5-a-side football pitch on the southern area. 

The Langley Burrell Cricket Club has been reconstituted after over 20 years, and is seen as a ‘locally focussed’ organisation which will provide good community engagement and offer opportunity and development for the local residents. The Parish Council are providing CIL funding to help re-establish the club by supporting the acquisition of relevant equipment, funding improvements to the sports ground to enable the development of a quality cricket wicket, and fund peripheral equipment such as practice wicket, mobile nets, wicket covers etc. All those interested in joining LBCC should contact Jon Mason at  or Nick Cox at 

– the provision of a rural village type cricket pavilion to be located on the northern edge of the sports grounds (subject to obtaining planning, Scott Ashe permission and Village Hall Trust agreement)

– appropriate storage facilities at the sports ground for both cricket equipment, grounds maintenance equipment and general storage on the sports ground area, whether these comprise steel container(s) or purpose built steel sheds is to be decided (also dependent on Scott Ashe Estate and relevant planning permissions).

  • potential funding of installation of external gym equipment by the Village Hall (interest/appetite/demand from community to be established)
  • re-landscaping the overflow car park by the village hall
  • repairs to the existing storage container by the village hall

 Further projects under consideration include the potential funding of repairs to Mauds Heath Causeway and/or support for the ongoing maintenance of Birds Marsh Wood if LBPC take on responsibility for it over the long term.

The Parish Council AND the LBRA would like the community’s views on the priorities for providing CIL funding and/or any other potential CIL qualifying projects for consideration, and you are requested to make any thoughts/suggestions know to James Burrell at LBRA or Robert Whitrow as appropriate.

5  – Website

The Langley Burrell Parish Council website is located at https://www.langleyburrellparishcouncil.gov.uk/ .   It details all the official Parish Council information including notices of meetings, agendas, minutes, parish finances and general parish council information. There are also three official notice boards at St Peters church, Oakhurst and by St Giles on which formal notices are erected, and a fourth is being erected by the Village Hall.

The Parish Council website will also contain links to local interest and community group websites but will not maintain these separate websites itself. The linked websites need content creation and development, and the involvement/support of anyone with expertise in the creation/development of websites and/or with expertise in the field of social media (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok etc) would be gratefully appreciated. Please contact Rosemary Waterkeyn (LBRA Secretary) in the first instance at  

It is also envisaged that there will be a regular newsletter to Residents and anyone who is interested in helping produce this please also contact Rosemary Waterkeyn.

The LBRA is due to hold an AGM sometime between the Spring and Summer 2023, at which all the current members of the Committee will stand down and full elections will take place.  In the meantime, Langley Burrell faces a constant challenge on multiple fronts and we urge you to get involved in order to enable us all to carry on enjoying the rural environment and village life we all currently enjoy. There is a huge amount going on and to preserve what we have needs community engagement across a range of areas – together we can achieve things, but it needs volunteers to step up and get involved……Please get involved, share your expertise and skills and help preserve our way of life..

In hope

Robert Whitrow (Chairman LBPC)   and James Burrell (Chairman LBRA)