2025 Annual Parish Meeting

/in /by

Many thanks to those who attended Sherborne’s Annual Parish Meeting on Monday 19th May. It was a great opportunity for the Parish Council to hear directly from the community and understand the issues that matter most.

Key topics discussed included:

– Grass verge management
– Cotswold District Council proposed Local Plan Policy EN18/National Trust Estate Masterplan
– Traffic and road/maintenance safety considerations
– National Trust communications

Formal minutes will be shared in due course but in the meantime, a couple of National Trust related topics:

National Trust Brook Management Plan briefing sessions

– Saturday 7th June at 10.30 AM, Sherborne Social Club
– Wednesday 11th June at 6 PM, Sherborne Social Club
– Please only attend one of the sessions.
– The sessions are a pre-cursor to the Trust’s full planning application due to be submitted on 13th June.

Open drop-in session with Andrew Danson (National Trust)

– Monday 17th June, from 5 PM to 7 PM, National Trust office

National Trust newsletter

– Express your interest by emailing sherbornenews@nationaltrust.org.uk

Notice of Sherborne Parish Council meetings: Annual Meeting, Parish Council Meeting & AGM

/in /by

Sherborne Parish Council
4 May 2025

Notice of meetings: 19 May 2025, Sherborne Social Club

Annual Parish Meeting 6:00pm-7:15pm

Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
Minutes of 2024 meeting
CDC EN18/National Trust Sherborne Estate Masterplan strategy
Verge management survey
Community agenda items & priorities for next 12 months (please feel free to submit additional agenda items you would like to raise/discuss, via clerk@sherborneparish.org, by 12 May)

 

Parish Council Meeting and AGM 7:15pm-8:30pm

Agenda
• Welcome to Olivia Portman – new Parish Council Clerk
• Minutes of last meeting
• Matters arising
• Planning applications
• CDC EN18/National Trust Sherborne Estate Masterplan strategy
• AOB.

 

Sherborne Parish Council

clerk@sherborneparish.org
www.sherborneparish.org

Windrush Art Exhibition – 12 April

/in /by

Please see the attached poster for full details.

 

 

NT Estate Masterplan/CDC Policy EN18 correspondence update

/in /by

Click on the links below for the latest correspondence received from the National Trust and Cotswold District Council.

 

National Trust not ready to participate in the agreed ‘NT Masterplan Community Consultation Group’

NT response to PC concerning Community Consultation Group

 

CDC confirm a date for the agreed ‘CDC Policy EN18 Community Consultation Group’

Date for first CDC Policy EN18 Community Consultation Group agreed

National Trust tree planting in the news

/in /by

Two articles featuring recent tree planning work in and around Sherborne

National Trust planting 800 football pitches worth of woodlands over winter | The Independent

More than 50,000 trees being planted on Cotswold estate

Don’t forget: Please take a few minutes to participate in the Grass Verge Management survey.

/in /by

Many Parishioners have shared their views (at Parish Council meetings, via email, and general conversation) on how Sherborne’s grass verges should be managed throughout the year.

Some prefer to see all the verges within the 30 mph signs cut on a regular basis, whilst some are keen to see a ‘more natural look’ throughout the year. Many have complimented the recent grass trimming work conducted by the National Trust.

As 2025 is upon us, and before too long we will start to see the first signs of Spring, it’s timely to add a more empirical view to the debate. This short and simple to complete questionnaire is intended to provide everyone with an opportunity to share their ideas. Please have a read and return your completed questionnaire by 14 March via the returns box in the Village Shop, or simply take a photo of it and email it to any Parish Councillor (Councillors – Sherborne Parish Council).

Copies of the questionnaire have been delivered to all Sherborne residents. Copies are also available in the Village Shop. Additionally, a downloadable and online versions are available at Verge management – Sherborne Parish Council

The summary report will be made available to all Sherborne Parish residents, the County Council, and relevant local landowners. Any subsequent actions/plans will be discussed at future Parish Council meetings to which all Parish residents are always welcome.

Thank you in advance for your participation

NT response to PC request for Sherborne Estate Plan consultation update – 15 February 2025

/in /by

Recently, the Parish Council wrote to the National Trust (22 January 2025) asking for an update on the Trust’s plans for ‘big nature, better access’ estate masterplan community consultation.

The Trust’s reply is here – NT response to PC request for Sherborne Estate Plan consultation update – 15 February 2025 – Sherborne Parish Council

It is disappointing to learn that the National Trust are still not ready to discuss their extensive proposals for Sherborne Estate with the community. A commitment to do so was a key outcome of the public meeting held during March 2024, and as you can see from the email chain below, it is not the first time the Trust have resisted progress.

Considering the proposals contained in the various National Trust documents (National Trust Big Nature Big Access Documents – Sherborne Parish Council) which were revealed during the CDC Policy EN18 Consultation period early last year, many of which would bring about significant changes to the community and its general social wellbeing for many years, we believe it is entirely appropriate for the National Trust to engage in meaningful community consultation without delay.

We urge the Trust to take this matter seriously and to respect the deep-seated feelings running through the community and those of our neighbouring Parishes.

Online version of the Grass Verge Management survey is now available.

/in /by

In addition to the printed questionnaires delivered to all Sherborne residents, there is now an online version here – Village Grass Verge Management Research

However you choose participate, please try to have your response in by 14 March.

Further details are here – Verge management – Sherborne Parish Council

Thank you.

Daily Telegraph: National Trust management of Sherborne’s ‘let estate’ in the news

/in /by

Fury as National Trust ‘lets historic cottages crumble in Gloucestershire village of Sherborne’ – Daily Telegraph

PC request for proposed CDC Policy EN18 community consultation update – 20 January 2025

/in /by

At the NT/CDC Policy EN18 briefing meeting held at the Social Club (18 March 2024), Cotswold District Council committed to convene regular Policy EN18 community consultation meetings.

Earlier this week, the Parish Council wrote to CDC asking for a progress update. A copy of the email is here –

PC request for proposed CDC Policy EN18 community consultation update – 20 January 2025 – Sherborne Parish Council

Replies will be posted as soon as they are received.