Minutes of Castle Combe Parish Council Meeting on
Thursday 20th of November 2025 at 7.30p.m.
Present: Cllrs. F. Winup, J. Halliday, and G. Hare. Unitary Cllr. J Atkey. 8 members of the public, Clerk S. Parker
Welcome to all
The chairman opened the meeting with a tribute to his predecessor Adrian Bishop, who passed away five years ago today.
He loved this village and was a truly outstanding chairman for so many years. He is very much missed.
1. Apologies for absence. Cllrs. Bettles, Blair, CleggLittler and Mackelden.
2. Declarations of interest. None
3. Minutes of PC meeting on 25th of September 2025. Cllr. J. Halliday proposed they are correct seconded by Cllr. G. Hare. All Approved.
4. Matters arising.
(i) 4A. Area Board. Cllr. Winup said the next meeting is on 9th February. Attendee to be decided at next meeting.
(ii) Parish Forum. Next meeting is on 26th November. Cllr Winup will attend
4B. Parking Review.
There were 249 visits in September with 62 observations and 20 bookings.
There were 96 visits in October with 37 observations and 22 bookings.
Unitary Cllr Atkey arranged a very useful site visit this month attended by Martin Smith, the Unitary Council Cabinet Member for Highways Streetscene and Flooding, Peter Wragg the Economic Development and Tourism Portfolio Holder, and Dave Thomas the Traffic Engineering Manager. Cllr Winup was joined by Mike Roberts and Hilary Baker on behalf of interested villagers.
There are three major issues necessitating an immediate review of traffic flows within Castle Combe:
1. Environmental Health and Safety.
2. Dangers to all types of road user.
3. Excessive visitor numbers and the effect in village life.
Environmental Health and Safety:
PM2.5 is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air, comprised of particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller. These tiny particles can be inhaled deeply into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing serious health issues.
Air monitoring equipment was recently installed in the Market Square by the Unitary Council’s Environmental Control and Protection Team.
There are six levels of severity.
During October 2025, level five peaks were reached in the Market Square on eleven separate days, with level four being reached on fifteen others. Only five days did not record these levels.
Following a site visit, and after observing the high levels of traffic movements in this restricted location, the Unitary Council’s Environment team is now installing more sophisticated equipment, capable of registering other types of pollution, including nitrogen dioxide. This is directly due to the narrow roads, local terrain and current vehicle volumes.
Dangers to all types of road user:
There is very limited parking available in the village centre and following the imposition of charges in the car park, the incidence of drivers coming down the hill, circling the Market Square, and then returning up the hill has increased dramatically.
This has clearly exacerbated both the environmental issues and the potential for collisions due to the conflict between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians on the hill and throughout the lower village, particularly in the area around the Butter Cross.
Around 50% of visitors are from overseas and are unfamiliar with our road priorities. Both they and British visitors spend more time looking at their cameras than at their immediate surroundings.
Traffic needs to be calmed and reduced to reflect the reality of the road area needing to be a shared space between these users. This needs to be achieved without spoiling the aesthetics of the village, therefore signage and road markings need to be minimised, and other calming techniques brought into play.
The success of the changes on the hill provides an encouraging example but also highlights the need to consider knock-on impacts.
Excessive visitor numbers and the effect in village life:
There are just too many visitors coming to such a small village. We are not aware of any residents, or indeed businesses, that do not want fewer visitors.
Peak visitor times of bank holidays and spring/summer weekends create the biggest problems, but overall, we need fewer visitors across the year.
Many visitors come to the village largely ignorant of what they are coming to see, with many not really understanding that this is a normal village with many full-time residents.
We are taking steps to improve the information available to visitors, both before and during their visits, and are working with VisitWiltshire to ensure that key influencers are also on board.
Potential solutions:
The lower village, including the hill, to become a resident only parking zone with appropriate signage in the car park and at key locations on the B4039 and the hill. This would help to prevent the constant circulation of cars around the Market Square. This is a keystone step on which many of our other suggestions are built, which would also reduce the need for the revised road markings and surfaces in the Market Square area which were discussed earlier this year (although these may need to be revisited in the light of experience, especially in the case of speeding cyclists).
Dunns Lane to become one way up the hill from the junction of Combe Hill to the entrance to the car park. This will stop the flow of traffic into the village on a very narrow and dangerous stretch of road.
The upper parking area on the hill to be reviewed and possibly moved/reduced in size to minimise the pinch point. Sufficient resident only spaces to be retained for the amenity of those living in School Lane.
The lower parking zone on the hill to include a designated drop off and pick up point for minibuses. It is likely that they would still need to turn around the Butter Cross, but they would no longer produce the pollutants currently emitted there whilst their engines are running during the pick-up process.
There should be a crackdown on the numerous unlicensed operators. We have already contacted the police in this regard.
Following the site meeting several suggestions for exceptions have already been made. We need to ensure however that the scheme is kept as simple as possible, otherwise the necessary signage will become just too confusing and contradictory.
Cllr Winup proposed that details of the proposals should be included in the next newsletter with a date for a village meeting solely devoted to this topic.
The meeting date will depend upon our finalising our own views in finer detail and is therefore likely to be in the New Year. Seconded by Cllr Halliday and agreed.
Cllr Halliday advised that Bourton-on-the-Water parish council receives 50p per vehicle from Cotswold Council in respect of car parking charges and uses these funds for general improvements to the village environment and amenities. Councillors asked Unitary Councillor Atkey to investigate the potential for a similar scheme to apply in Castle Combe bearing in mind the substantial impacts of visitors on the village environment.
4C. Footpaths.
Conditions will be monitored and additional shingle laid if available.
Flooding continues to occur on the lower Long Dean footpath.
Roger Munnings advised that considerable works will be required to deal with dead ash etc in Beckers Wood. Work will commence in February and will involve traffic controls for safety reasons. Disruption will be kept to a minimum where possible and re-planting will take place on conclusion of the works. Mr Munnings will draft an insert for the January Combe Courier outlining more details
4N. Congregational Chapel Car Park.
5. Finance
Income
Lloyds Bank balance on 24th of October 2025 3186.75
Shawbrook 100-day balance 58,523.90
Shawbrook fixed bond balance 15,729.11
Payments during Sept/October.
A. Reeves 20.44
Playsafety Rospa 192.00
Sheila Parker 880.45
Cllr. Winup digiprint 87.57
Water2Business 177.24
Smartest Energy 20.65
Lloyds Bank charges 37.25
Cllr. Hare 13.00
HMRC 322.52
Visit Wiltshire Membership 358.80
Wilts Council Election costs 310.00
Total 2419.92
A promised donation of £500 from filming was not received despite chasing. Following the retirement of Kevin Oliver at Wiltshire Council, there was a knowledge gap at the Council regarding the need for prior liaison with us before granting filming permissions in the village. One potential donation of £500 slipped through the net as a result. This gap has now been rectified.
The quarterly finance review has been completed by Cllrs Winup and Blair.
(a) Precept. Statutory and other costs continue to exceed income by over £3000 per annum. Filming income has often filled the gap but is now less frequent, partly due to the removal of various tax advantages. Our precept remains well below the average for Wiltshire Parish Councils but will need to increase over time to avoid diminution of our capital reserves. The chairman proposed an increase to £7300 (from £6600), which equates to an additional 5p per week per parishioner. Seconded by Cllr. Halliday and agreed.
(b) Budget. The 2026-7 budget was reviewed showing administration costs of £11750 against income of £9300 including the revised precept. The shortfall will be met from reserves. Capital costs of £7500 include possible works on the upper play area but these may not be necessary once fully reviewed. Cllr Winup proposed that the budget be accepted, seconded by Cllr. Hare and agreed.
6. Correspondence. None.
7. Planning Applications Determined. None
8. Planning Applications Received. Planning Applications Received.
PL/2025/08808 – Listed building consent (Alt/Ext) and PL/2025/08518 – Full planning permission Congregational Chapel. Alterations to part of former chapel building to create a separate dwelling. Enlargement of residential curtilage to provide access and parking. Castle Combe Parish Council supports the proposal to create a separate dwelling within the former chapel.
However, the Council strongly objects to the proposal to provide a new vehicle access, which we consider to both unnecessary and dangerous.
The application makes no mention of the existing vehicle access, which has none of the adverse safety issues entailed in opening a new access on the B4039.
The existing access is in a quiet lane with minimal risk, if any.
There is no reason why this should not continue to be the access point.
Although “crashmap” indicates that the only recorded incident was of a minor nature 850 metres away, two separate fatalities occurred less than 80 metres away and a very serious life changing injury occurred immediately opposite the proposed new access.
Whilst these incidents are historic, they do indicate that speed is a key factor on this well used thoroughfare.
There have also been numerous non-reported near misses in the immediate vicinity.
The photos showing other sites are irrelevant, as unsafe practices elsewhere do not justify the creation of another potential hazard.
The comment regarding residents’ familiarity with the road is also irrelevant, as the vast majority of drivers are from elsewhere.
The speed limit also changes in this immediate location, and many vehicles are still travelling in excess of the official limit.
We strongly recommend that the new access is declined.
No planning application has been received regarding the roof works at Combe Cottage, the standard of which appears to be woefully deficient. The pavement is also blocked by scaffolding with no lighting or safety precautions in place. Cllrs Hare and Halliday will liaise and contact the appropriate teams at Wiltshire Council to arrange immediate visits by the relevant authorities,
9. Unitary Councillor Report.
Cllr Atkey advised that the 10-year strategic plan has now been updated following the change of administration.
Free parking will be restored for disabled drivers.
The Area Board has agreed to contribute £2500 towards installation of an ANPR camera with local parishes including us contributing towards the remainder (agreed at previous meeting). This is to help identify potential burglars. Cllr Halliday reported that there had been 52 burglaries within a local 10-mile radius in the last three months.
10. Playing Field & C.C. Circuit Reports.
There are no current issues of note with the playing fields.
Traffic issues at the Circuit can still be problematic on large event days. The police have offered to use drones if available to monitor and control traffic on major circuit days.
The recent “drifting” event passed without significant comment, possibly due to a favourable wind direction.
There are no current issues of note with the playing fields.
Traffic issues at the Circuit can still be problematic on large event days. The police have offered to use drones if available to monitor and control traffic on major circuit days.
11. Play Areas
Cllr Hare reported that the lower playground is in good condition with light weeding recently completed.
Barry Senneck kindly offered to add further wood chippings to those laid by him earlier in the year.
The upper playground needs a lot of attention and Cllr Hare will review remedial actions and potential costs.
12. Highways
Cllr Halliday reported that multiple potholes have been filled on the B4039 by the Parish Steward. Several remain as the small works gang are required to do the others, as too dangerous to do on his own. This also includes holes on the road out to Ford. She has reported this to the small works gang several times, plus the road to Woodbury Hill, but still not done.
She has chased the repainting of the white lines on the B4039 though the Upper Combe again, as the lines on the bend have disappeared. This request has been ongoing since July and includes the faded/missing white lines no roundels on the hill. All the drains and gullies on the hill have been cleared three times by the Parish Steward, luckily the day before the heavy rain last week. He often, when passing through stops and checks lol the drains on the hill, even if not on his visit to us. He has also cleared footpaths of leaves and debris in the upper village and Whitegates. Several potholes have been repaired
The large pothole on the hill that appeared after the flooding has been repaired as requested, as have a few smaller ones. Others will be done on his next visit.
All salt boxes have been filled, and an additional one will be requested to be installed near the toilets.
13 Village Environment Report.
The Unitary Council has installed a larger bin near the Roman Bridge in addition to the extra small pole bins already supplied.
Neither the Environment Agency or the Unitary Council have been particularly helpful regarding the vegetation in the river. This is the responsibility of the riparian owners, but it is still unclear as to the side facing the highway. Cllr Halliday will see whether the Parish Steward could deal with the vegetation near the town bridge, but if not, Cllr Winup will seek clarification from Danny Everett, the Council’s Principal Drainage Engineer.
The Unitary Council has closed its file on the works carried out in Parsonage Wood as there is little likelihood that the Forestry Commission will take any action.
Barry Senneck challenged the use of a quad bike on the Roman bridge and will write to Unitary Cllr Atkey seeking legal clarification.
14 Whitegates. (Cllr Mackelden written report)
Cllr Mackelden reported that there are no major issues. He will arrange to paint the bus shelter shortly.
One of the benches has broken yet again and will be removed as it is beyond repair
15. Village Hall. No issues to report.
16. TV Committee. A low signal issue in one quadrant has been dealt with. No other issues.
17. Village drinks Cllr Winup proposed a donation of £125 towards the Christmas mulled wine event Seconded Cllr Halliday and agreed. Cllr Mackelden will provide details in the Combe Courier.
18. Next Meeting 15th January 2026 at 7.30pm in Village Hall.