Whitminster Parish Council – Meeting Notes (November)
Wednesday 5 November 2025, 7:30pm, Village Hall
During the Public Forum, residents raised concerns about speeding on School Lane (west of the village). The discussion noted the existing 20 mph application already in progress and the likelihood of further speed reductions linked to the development adjacent to Schoolfield Close.
Under District and County matters, County Councillor Steve Davies reported that this year’s Member Community Fund provides £20,000 per councillor with applications to be made online. He will also chase an update on the digital bus signage. The District Councillor reported on the Local Plan, confirming that the Inspectors have rejected Stroud District Council’s latest updates and advised the Council to withdraw the plan again. Regarding the land off School Lane, the application is not expected to be called in to the Development Control Committee; members will continue to monitor comments posted over the coming week.
In Police and Community Safety, members noted the Police’s concerns about the parking layout within the proposed 45-dwelling scheme. Under Planning, the Council raised no objection to the Rosedale application. For the 45 houses, the Council reiterated that it notes the Police objections to parking arrangements and will continue to seek call-in of the application. In relation to the solar farm amendments, the Council agreed to object to proposals that would remove the requirement for landscaping prior to commissioning and to object to removing the requirement that battery storage be sited on the far side of buildings away from existing residential properties. On broader planning matters, it was noted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has confirmed £6.4 million to complete the canal project, with an upgrade to Walk Bridge likely to be single-lane and signal-controlled.
Turning to village projects, the Skate Ramp requires landscaping and levelling; this will be coordinated by Chairman Paynter, who will confirm whether a pickaxe will suffice or if a mini-digger is needed. A maintenance quote is to be sought for the outdoor gym equipment—ideally ahead of winter—otherwise rust-protection measures will be required. Under Accounts, payment for the Remembrance Day wreath was approved. Routine checks of the village defibrillator were confirmed as satisfactory.
Regarding communications and infrastructure, the Council agreed to renew the current website as-is, move Parish email to a .gov.uk domain in the near term, and defer a full website refresh on the .gov.uk domain until mid-next year. The Council also noted a potential contribution towards village entry signs, subject to the County process and funding.
Items for future agendas include School Lane speeding measures and any Highways proposals, a parish poll to gather suggestions for future Parish Council projects, ongoing monitoring of the Local Plan situation, updates on canal and Walk Bridge funding and programme, the status of the 45-home application (including the Police’s parking concerns), and the solar farm conditions relating to landscaping and battery siting.