Summer 2015

WinkfieldParish Council News Council Offices, Fernbank Road, Ascot, SL5 8JW Tel: 01344 885110 [email protected] Chairman: Cllr Stuart Tarrant, Clerk: Annemarie Edwards

South Hill Park Arts Centre is the place to be this summer. Whether you fancy celebrating the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland or enjoying a day of folk, roots and acoustics – SHP has it covered. There’s also a plethora of workshops, a range of outdoor summer drama and cinema offerings.

And don’t forget, when the sun is shining, there’s nowhere better to enjoy a tasty lunch and cold drink.

The packed summer schedule follows a successful couple of years for the arts centre, which have seen record Panto audiences and a series of packed in-house productions including Blood Brothers, Stepping Out and Oh! What a Lovely War.

In 2014/15 over 270,000 people passed through the doors of South Hill Park, up from 232,585 two years earlier, and reflecting a steady improvement in audience figures across a range of activities.

The growth can be attributed partly to the new Box Office system, installed in early 2013 thanks to a generous donation from Parish Council. The system has helped the Arts Centre to better market its programme to audiences and boosted online sales.

We can highly recommend that you head down to South Hill Park over the summer with your family. Our top pick is Alice in Wonderland – an interactive promenade production around the grounds of the arts centre. The audience will be transported down the rabbit hole, playing croquet with the Queen of Hearts, joining in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and chatting with the Cheshire Cat.

Alice is a South Hill Park production and is on between August 13 and 23.

For information on these and so many more events at South Hill Park, please visit www.southhillpark.org.uk

ARTS WEEK STARTS 25TH OCTOBER!!! www.arts-week.org The Arts Week has become one of the highlights of the year and continues to grow in popularity. The Art/Craft Exhibition is particularly popular attracting a host of visitors. As part of this event visitors are invited to pick and vote for their favourite exhibit. Those who chose the most popular one were entered into a prizewinning draw. Last year’s lucky winner was Valerie Ellis who lives in Winkfield. She was the proud recipient of her very own pet portrait drawn and coloured in pastels by talented local artist Emily Williams. Working from a photograph only, Emily did a great job in capturing the character of Valerie's daughter Kirsty's pet Shih-tzu. Kirsty now lives in Australia which is where the picture is destined. Emily Williams excellent website showing the full range of her work can be found on www.emilysinspirations.co.uk

ANNUAL CYCLE RIDE - This year’s Cycle Ride was a great success with over 150 riders taking to the country lanes of and Winkfield. The weather was good to us and everyone enjoyed the event which was started by the Mayor of Forest, Cllr Mrs Dee Hamilton. Visit our website www.winkfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk

PROTECT YOUR LOCAL PUB Report by Gareth Forster Pub Preservation Officer Campaign for Real Ale South-East Branch What would you be willing to do if your favourite local pub was put up for sale, or under threat of imminent closure? Is there even anything you could do to put up a fight and keep it open? These are questions local residents of Woodside, Berkshire, had to face in 2014 when Greene King failed to renew the lease with the landlord of the Rose and Crown and put the pub up for sale. However, within 6 months, with the support of local residents, the Parish Council and CAMRA ,Greene King backed down, renewed the lease and took the pub off the market. Unfortunately, success stories like this are not very common as pubs are closing at an increasingly alarming rate. We are currently losing pubs at the rate of 29 every week. In South East Berkshire alone 8 pubs have closed in the last 3 years including most recently the Royal Hunt in North Ascot, and we’ve also lost 2 further pubs which have been converted to Indian restaurants. This is terrible news not just for those of us who love pubs but also for lovers of real ale (or cider & perry), as there's nowhere better to drink beer than in a pub. The good news is that active campaigning by CAMRA and others has saved many pubs from being lost forever. This has been aided further by the 'community right to bid' for 'Assets of Community Value' (ACV), introduced by the Localism Act 2011 which requires Councils to maintain a list of 'community assets' nominated by community groups. Whilst a pub with ACV status does not prevent the eventual sale or closure it does provide 6 months moratorium, allowing community groups to come up with a bid should they wish. At the very least this buys campaigning time. However, as seen with the Rose and Crown, it can also work as a deterrent to the sale of a pub. What is also often overlooked is that change of use (from a pub to either a shop, café/restaurant, or office) can be made without the need for planning permission. An ACV however, provides further protection against these changes as planning permission must then be obtained before the premises can be converted, or even demolished. Therefore, ACVs should ideally be applied for prior to the asset coming under threat. Nominating a pub for an ACV is fairly straightforward and can be done online on the council website. This can only be done by certain groups such as Parish Councils, neighbourhood forums and community organisations (including the local CAMRA branch). What is crucial to any application is the justification as to why the Council should conclude that the pub is of 'community value'. Whilst the local CAMRA branch will be more than willing to help with any application, this justification does need to be provided by local people who know and use the pub. So, if you love your pub and don’t want to see it disappear like many others then please get in touch with the Pub Preservation Officer from your local CAMRA branch ([email protected]) for more information.

ADULT GYM EQUIPMENT AT ALLSMOOR GOOD NEWS - a 20mph speed limit The recently installed gym equipment at Allsmoor Recreation has been introduced across Ground has proved to be very popular. This fantastic equipment Martin’s Heron and The was funded by the generosity of a Section 106 grant received Warren residential roads. We from Council and contributions from our local would now ask residents to Bracknell Forest Ward make a real effort to ensure they set a good example by observing Councillors . The this limit. Hopefully we will see a vast residents of Winkfield will reduction in speeding over the coming enjoy this for many years months. Note: Local residents are to come. If you haven’t welcome to attend the Martin’s Heron already seen the and The Warren Resident Association equipment take a stroll meetings. The next one is on Tuesday down to Allsmoor and 1st September at 8pm in the Dorothy have a go! Hayes Room at the Community Centre Picture: BFC Ward and Parish on the Martin’s Heron Tesco site. Councillors, WPC staff and a Meetings usually last for an hour. couple of local children

F U N D A Y Carnation Hall Monday 17th August 11am - 3pm

Visit our website www.winkfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk

MEET YOUR COUNCILLORS

Nigel Atkinson Dorothy Hayes Susie Phillips MBE

Winkfield and Ascot Priory Ward Winkfield and Cranbourne Ward Cranbourne Ward

883594 882360 890863

Olivio Barreto Roberta Kaye Tristan Pithers

Forest Park Ward Forest Park Ward Ascot Priory Ward

450352 486387 891732

Ray Berry David Lindop Stuart Tarrent Chair of F&GP Vice Chair of F&GP Chair of Council

Ascot Priory Ward Ascot Priory Ward Winkfield and Cranbourne Ward 882768 890953 882501

Sarah Cottle Angela Michie Derek Wall Vice Chair of Leisure Ascot Priory Ward Winkfield and Martin’s Heron & Cranbourne Ward The Warren Ward 224455 883854 882629

Pat Denhert David Parkin Robert Warren Vice Chair of Council Forest Park Ward and Chair of Leisure Martin’s Heron & The Warren Ward Ascot Priory Ward 886775 484014 412089

Moira Gaw Geoff Paxton VACANCY

Winkfield and Forest Park Ward Forest Park Ward Cranbourne Ward

886977 885874

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN, STUART TARRANT Dear Neighbour In view of the potential for increased residential housing in our area, it is now even more important to maintain comprehensive records of all traffic accidents in Winkfield Parish, however minor. The police traffic accident records only include accidents where they have been in attendance as a result of personal injury and these incomplete records are relied upon by Bracknell Forest Council in determining Highways matters for Planning Applications. Consequently, please would you communicate any traffic accident that you see in Winkfield Parish to Winkfield Parish Council and/or to myself as follows: Winkfield Parish Council: [email protected] or 01344 885110 Stuart Tarrant: [email protected] or 01344 882501 Please supply brief details ie date, location, type of accident etc Many thanks, Stuart

HEATHROW WPC urges everyone to continue to lodge any aircraft noise complaints with Heathrow on: www.heathrowairport.com/noise or by telephone on 0800 344844

Visit our website www.winkfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY KEEPING THE GREEN FLAGS FLYING IN WINKFIELD To place an advertisement in the next edition of this newsletter please contact This year eight Green Flags are the Parish Office. flying over Bracknell Forest and two of them are in Winkfield!!!

The national award, handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces across the country. A Green Flag flying overhead is a sign to visitors that the space boasts the highest possible standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent facilities.

Winkfield has retained its Green Flag Awards for Carnation Hall for the 8th year and Locks Ride Recreation for four years.

Congratulations are due to our dedicated grounds team, headed by Paul Craven, who work tirelessly to ensure that our residents benefit from some of the best sites in the country on their doorstep.

Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR WINKFIELD WPC is currently discussing the way forward to starting a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). We did put a large article in the last newsletter asking for your thoughts and offers of help but unfortunately we have received very little feedback. The most successful NDPs are led by the community and although WPC will play a role in the production of an NDP we will need volunteers from the community. One of the main criteria an Inspector will be looking for when assessing a draft NDP is whether the community has been involved to a large extent and if this is not the case the chances of failure will increase. Please do contact the office and get involved at the early stages. We really need you!!

DITCHES AROUND THE PERIMETER OF YOUR DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - PROPERTY - RESPONSIBILITIES OF A Monday 17th August - Fun Day at Carnation Hall RIPARIAN LANDOWNER 11am-3pm - Petting Zoo, Bouncy Castle, Laser Do you have a ditch around the perimeter of your Tag, Football Coaching, etc. Ice-cream van on site. property? Check out on BFCs website http:// Sunday 13th September - Footpath Walk starting www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ at Carnation Hall. Refreshments after. privatepropertylanddrainage to see what your legal 25th October - 2nd November - ARTS WEEK - a responsibilities are. week bursting with activities. www.arts-week.org

Useful Contacts To keep up to date visit our website for information on many topics at www.winkfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk Local Planning Applications - visit the Borough’s website on www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk If you do not have internet access pop into the Parish Office any weekday morning and we will help you to view online. Bracknell Forest Council Customer Services: Tel 01344 352000 or email: [email protected] website: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk Bracknell Forest Council Contact Numbers - OUTSIDE normal office hours (5pm to 8.30am) To report any urgent matter of concern (non-emergency) – 01344 786500 E&O

Visit our website www.winkfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk