Aust Parish Council

This is a small rural parish with a large acreage but an electoral roll of only about 400. The Council does not own any property or land nor does it provide any services like grass cutting or cleaning of public places. There are two very small parcels of registered Common Land in the parish. These are The Pound by the side of the Village Hall, Aust and The Pond in Rushen Lane, Littleton. Oversight and care of these sites are the responsibility of Aust Parish.

Councillors aim to promote the wellbeing of the parish and protect parishioners' interests. Main tasks are reviewing Planning Applications and submitting written comments and recommendations when necessary, and monitoring the conditions of roads and rights of way.

Noticeable achievements in recent years have been obtaining speed controls through Elberton and Aust villages and a 7.5 ton weight restriction on Passage Road, Aust.

Council meetings are currently held monthly, on the second Tuesday of the month, with the exception of August and December, when there are no meetings.  The April Council meeting is held on the same evening as the Annual Assembly.  The next meeting will be on Tuesday 12th January 2010 in the Elberton Village Hall. Minutes of meetings are available for inspection in Aust by telephoning the Clerk.

Click here for our Model Publication Scheme, produced in February 2009, itemising how and where all parish information can be obtained.

 

Councillors

Chairman - Michael Hawkins

418249

Vice-Chairman - Ronald Gwyther

412258

John Alway

632591

Gina Dobbins

632306

John Pullin

633143

Stephen Meredith

411065

Peter Ellis

412463

   

Clerk to the Council:

 

Until December 2009:

Tom Fothergill, Hill House, Aust, BS35 4AZ

email: tom.fothergill@boltblue.com

 

632379

 

 

 

 

  
Council Meetings

The most recent meeting was held on Tuesday 10th November 2009. Apologies were received from Gina Dobbins. Other Councillors attended and Mike Hawkins was in the chair. Ward Councillor Matthew Riddle was present.

 

Main items of business at that meeting:

The circulated minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed. South Gloucestershire Council has informed us that work will commence shortly on the informal layby on the B4461 to reduce its size and to reduce the risk of flytipping which has been a constant problem.

Councillors agreed to defer taking a decision about purchasing the Aust telephone kiosk for £1 until after the next round of consultation expected next year.

An independent review of the Aust flooding problem has been approved by South Gloucestershire Council. Two more levels of approval have to be reached before funds are re-allocated to the project under the Sustainability Act of 2007.

There are 3 caravans on the Greenacres landscaping site. One will be removed, one is for the use of Bristol and Avon work people and the third, requested by the owner Mr. McDonnaugh for his use to supervise the works, is apparently occupied by some other person. MR. will take up the matter with South Gloucestershire Council's Travellers section.

A detailed letter has been sent to object to the Planning Application for a children's recreation/education residential complex at Whale Wharf. Peter Ellis spoke against at the site meeting at which over 50 parishioners were present to emphasise opposition. The Application will most likely go to Committee on the 7th January.

Extension to modernise Elberton Village Hall has been permitted by the Planning authority.

A thank you was received from Marlwood School for our donation of £15 for a book prize at their Speech Day. Councillors agreed to nominate our police beat team for a Community Policing award.

In Any Other Business Peter Ellis requested follow up of items: removal of trees in road verge in lane above Littleton Church, repainting of Sustrans milepost near the White Hart, and replacement of signposts at Elberton crossroads. Also raised were sampling and analyses of effluent water at the White Hart and the hazard of parking vehicles on the road verge outside the Elberton garage. John Pullin reported the disappearance of the litter bin from Aust Warth near Cake Pill Gout.

The Clerk, Tom Fothergill, announced that he will retire at the end of the year now that a replacement had been found.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 12th January 2010. The public is warmly invited to be present.