Agenda Item 15. Villages Magazine Report to the Parish Council meeting 8th July 2019

The Villages Magazine has in the past kindly included items from the Parish Council in the magazine for free. Now that the Parish Council may wish to report to residents on a more regular basis through the magazine, they have asked that the Parish pay to do so. The magazine has included the Parish Council copy for the July/August edition on the basis that the Council will accept one of the two options listed below.

The 'Villages' magazine is essentially a not for profit publication but is a means to inform parishioners of local events, village news and our Church services. As it is subscribed to it is considered by the Church to therefore have a much higher retention rate than other local 'Free' publications.

The magazine covers the following areas within the Parish, Lower Compton, Calstone, Blacklands and Stockley and also covers Compton Bassett and Cherhill and Yatesbury They deliver to over 600 households in the villages. Additionally, the magazine is available at the Post Office in Quemerford which covers the remaining area between Lower Compton and Calne. It is also displayed in several Public Houses, hairdressers and doctor’s surgeries which greatly increases the readership.

The magazine does charge for commercial advertising at a rate of circa £250 per page per year (10 issues) and slightly more, pro rata, for smaller or less frequent advertisements. Where possible they offer a much-reduced rate for community projects, personal charity events and village activities where a charge is levied. Village events such as fetes, fund raisers, pantomimes etc are normally advertised free of charge.

It costs the magazine £700 to produce and circulate an issue. They produce 10 issues a year July/Aug and Dec/Jan combined. The cost to residents receiving the magazine is 70p per copy, £7 per year.

Benefits to the Council: • Currently the only means of reporting Parish Council news to this part of the Parish other than the Parish Council noticeboards. • Will be useful if Stockley has the Community Speed Watch as that will report each month. • If the Wiltshire Local Plan Review and The Review of the Calne Area Neighbourhood Plan have issues in this area it will be a useful consultation tool.

Options for the Parish Council to consider: As a significant amount of the Parish Council copy will be of local interest and does not have any pecuniary incentive the magazine is offering the Council the following options, the charge is nominally more for one off adverts to cover the need to adjust all copy to fit and liaise with their printers to affect the changes:

1. Parish Council pays £200 per year for a full page or £150 for a half page, subject to the approval of the magazine treasurer and Rev Earwicker and has the opportunity to put something in each month. 2. That the Parish Council pays when it has something to put in, if the magazine has space available at £25 per full page and £18 per half page.