HIGHER COUNCIL SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2019

At the same time we have continued to more journeys on foot or by bicycle. We Chair’s provide all our existing services such as have recently been informed that as a direct footpath maintenance, allotments and floral result of this a funding application to the Welcome displays. Welsh Government has successfully attracted £218,000 for community access projects in We are doing more than ever before and at Dear Residents of Litchard, Pendre and Coity Higher. Coity, it’s a pleasure to introduce our the same time Pendre, Litchard and Coity summer newsletter which outlines the hard have the joint lowest council tax in the To put this success into context our annual work and successes the Community Council County Borough (BCBC). budget is approximately £100,000, yet this year alone we have attracted an additional has achieved over the last 6 months. I hope you enjoy this newsletter and find it £248,000 to deliver key projects within your informative. Coity Higher Community Since we last wrote to you the council has community. been recognised with two awards within the Council is here to serve you, if you have and Welsh Town and Community Council queries, suggestions or ideas of how we can sector. do that better please get in touch. Awards Success But it’s not about receiving awards, my Councillor Martin Williams (Chair) Coity Higher fellow councillors, our staff and I are Community committed to providing the best service Funding Success Council were possible for Coity, Litchard and Pendre represented at the while keeping our council tax precept The Community Council has One Voice affordable. been successful in attracting Innovative Practice significant funding to improve £ Conference in So far in 2019 we have been successful in essential assets within our community. March. The conference is an opportunity to attracting £30,000 in match funding that network with other Town and Community will allow us to refurbish two play areas in Following a survey of all play areas within Councils in Wales to share best practice and Pendre and Coity and a staggering £218,000 the Coity Higher community it was gain new ideas. from Welsh Government for the Safer established that the facilities at Great Routes to School project. Western Avenue and Coity had deteriorated The conference also included the Annual and needed to be replaced. Innovative Practice Awards and we are In addition to this, we will shortly be delighted to announce that the council was transferring the Great Western Avenue play We successfully applied to Bridgend County recognised in two categories. The area into our control and have expressed Borough Council’s Community Fund for Community Council’s Community Access formal interest in transferring the entire match funding to enable the parks to be Plan was Commended in the “Community playing field along with all play areas in completely renewed. In March we were Engagement” category and Highly Pendre, Coity and Litchard to enable us to informed that BCBC would contribute Commended in the “Caerwyn Roberts - preserve these essential assets for the benefit £30,000 towards completing £60,000 worth Local Council Service” category. of the community. of play area refurbishment projects. The Community Council is working hard We will be funding the summer holiday In addition to this the Community Council to deliver better services through innovation activities in Parc Derwen again this year and has been working closely with BCBC since for Coity Higher. There’s a long way to go, although it seems a long way off, have agreed 2016 to develop a Community Access Plan but it’s great to be recognised against to improve the Christmas lighting in focussed on targeted highway and footpath national competition for the achievement Litchard and Pendre. improvements to encourage people to make we have made to date. SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2019

IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING

The new equipment, which has been Bridgend Samaritans, Marie Curie, well received, includes an accessible Children’s Air Ambulance and many roundabout and swing. more. We are also delighted to announce that plans are underway for the CAE’R EGLWYS ' refurbishment of the play area. This will also include CENTENARY FIELD specially designed accessible Since putting the playing field at equipment to make the park Coity into the Centenary Fields in ACTIVE FOR LIFE inclusive to all. We are hoping to Trust to protect it as a green site, it is SUMMER SCHEME take over control of the park from good to see that the field has been BCBC, along with all other play used quite a lot in the last few months We’re pleased to let you know that areas in the wards as the council feels for various events. for the second year we’ve been able we are better placed to carry out the to fund the Active For Life summer maintenance and upkeep of these scheme. This scheme is being held in areas. Coety Primary School again this year from 29 July to 23 August from 10.00am to 2.00pm each day and is open to children aged 8 to 12 from Litchard, Pendre and Coity. We are looking into moving the scheme using alternate wards from next year to make the scheme more accessible to the children of all 3 wards. Forces Fitness held a military For further information on the full SUPPORTING challenge event in May and used scheme visit ORGANISATIONS Centenary Trust items donated by the www.bridgend.gov.uk/schoolsout AND CHARITIES Community Council such as t-shirts, medals etc. on the day. A fitting tribute as the field was put into trust PLAY AREA to commemorate the centenary of REFURBISHMENTS WW1. In return we received a donation of £200 from the event to Following the success be put back into the community. of our refurbished play area at Heol y Groes in Litchard, we have just signed a 35 year lease to asset transfer the Great Western In the last financial year we’ve Avenue play area at Pendre Fields and supported many groups and have carried out a full refurbishment. organisations, providing financial support for a range of events and activities totalling almost £2,000. These include donations to Litchard Primary School, Wildmill Table If you'd like a copy of this Tennis Club, Choirs in the Castle, newsletter in a different Jam in the Castle as well as format, please get in touch donations to Bridgend Carers, with the Clerk COITY HIGHER COMMUNITY COUNCIL

IMPROVING COMMUNITY ACCESS

SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOLS In our Autumn Newsletter we mentioned that we had worked in partnership with BCBC to identify two strategic pedestrian routes through the 3 wards which link residents with facilities such as schools, hospitals, shops and community centres. These routes were incorporated into a bid and submitted to the Welsh Government for funding through their Active Travel Scheme and we unsuccessful but put onto a reserve list to be resubmitted this year. The bid was resubmitted in January 2019 with a greater focus on Safe Routes to Schools and the pictures below show our vision as We’ve recently received the great Above is the Schedule of submitted to BCBC. These routes news that BCBC were successful in Interventions we submitted with our will ensure safe access to school for obtaining £218k towards this bid. children fromboth primary schools scheme and we’re now working with from most areas within our wards. them to prioritise the works.

NEW MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR PUBLIC FOOTPATHS The Coity Higher Community Council wards have a large network of footpaths, many of which are very rural and we rely on the public to report the footpaths that need maintenance to us, so if you know of a footpath that needs attention, please let our Clerk know. Some of our routes however are popular urbanised pedestrian routes which are used daily and so to ensure that these are kept accessible and any steps and pathways are safe for our residents to use, we’ve put in place a regular maintenance schedule for some of the paths in the 3 wards.

COITY HIGHER COMMUNITY COUNCIL PO BOX 357, Bridgend CF31 9NT Tel: 07944 673642 • www.coityhighercommunitycouncil.co.uk • Email: [email protected] SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2019

IMPROVING OUR ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNITY AWARD NEW BENCHES MAINTENANCE WINNERS We have installed new To help keep our community a pleasant This year the winner benches in The Dell place to live we undertake small of the award, which and in Great Western maintenance projects such as additional is presented each Avenue so residents weed spraying and clearing on our spine year for outstanding can take a rest when roads and on parcels of land such as on contribution to the walking their dogs, Litchard Hill and next to the lights in community, was Mr maybe just to sit a Coity. Bill Daniel who set up Pride in Coity a while or relax and chat with friends. group which, amongst other things, has WEBSITE spent hours clearing up rubbish. NEW BINS ...and finally, if you have enjoyed reading For the first time Responding to requests from residents this newsletter and are interested in this year we also set we have installed yet more waste bins, knowing more about what we do for up a junior (under this time we've put one in Litchard Field your community then visit our new 18) award. The and there will be new ones in the two improved mobile compatible website winner was Megan refurbished play areas. We hope this will coityhighercommunitycouncil.co.uk Casson who was help with our aim to keep our nominated in recognition of her fund community clean. YOUR COMMUNITY raising work within the community. COUNCILLORS DOG WASTE Coity Ward SCHOOL Alison Hughes (07903 444150, COMMUNITY AWARD Following on from the [email protected]) success of the doggie bag Martin Williams Each year, at the end of the summer dispenser and bin we (01656 767993 / 07583 165098, term, the Community Council provides installed in Litchard Field, [email protected]) both Litchard and Coety Primary we are now delighted to Litchard Ward Schools with a trophy plus £50 worth of announce 2 new dispensers in Great vouchers each. The trophy and prize is Ceri Evans (07393 404496, Western Avenue playing fields and in [email protected]) then awarded to recognise the Coity opposite the play area. contribution made by a child or group of Cherie Jones (01656 651487, children to the community. The 2019 [email protected]) winners were Anwen Thompson for FLOWER DISPLAYS Luke Richards (07783 023125, Litchard Primary School and Megan [email protected]) Coity Higher Casson for Coety Primary School. Community Council Christopher Walburn (01656 646948, Congratulations and well done to both! residents can currently [email protected]) enjoy the lovely flower Alan Wathan (01656 719088, CHRISTMAS displays and hanging [email protected]) LIGHTING baskets we have placed Pendre Ward around the Litchard, Dean Barrington (07477 623326, Once again we will be arranging for Coity and Pendre [email protected]) Christmas lighting displays along the wards. In addition to this annual Anita Davies (07929 280518, main thoroughfares in Coity, Litchard summer display, we have an ongoing [email protected]) and Pendre wards. Each year we add new programme of spring daffodil and have Bernard Tiltman (07903 002290, motifs. This year Litchard and possibly provided poppy seeds to our primary [email protected]) Joslin Terrace in Pendre will benefit from schools so that the children can carry out Richard Young (01656 669527, vibrant new Christmas lights for our some poppy planting. [email protected]) community to enjoy during the festive season.