Annual Report 2023-24

Report Chairman's

It is my pleasure to present to you the Annual Report for Keynsham Town Council. Throughout the past year, Councillors and Council staff have worked side-by-side to serve the needs of our community and make Keynsham a better place to live, work and visit.

May 2023 saw residents head to the polls and a new group of Councillors elected to represent Keynsham and its residents. The Council saw many familiar faces return across all three wards, as well as some welcome new Councillors. As a group we remain committed to the Council’s mission of serving the people of Keynsham and continue to work closely with local businesses and organisations to support the community.

This past year also saw the introduction of many successful community events including the first-ever Spring Show, which allowed all our talented residents to shine The Coronation Picnic in the Park event brought the community together to celebrate the crowning of a new King and enjoy the company of our neighbours The Winter Festival this past year saw record numbers in attendance and was hailed a great success

Alongside this, Keynsham Town Council remained committed to our Environmental & Sustainability vision with the continued support and protection of our green spaces such as Fox and Hounds Lane Conservation Area and The Paddock The Council also gave out free hand outs of wildflower seeds and bulbs to increase biodiversity in our community and of course our wellloved hedgehog highways were distributed This year, the Town Council also partnered with Keynsham Eco Festival to put on a sustainable fashion show, called Keynsham Reloved For this event, Keynsham Town Council worked closely with the charity shops along the High Street to put on a fashion show and create a marketplace that encouraged people to think about more sustainable fashion and lifestyle choices

The Town Council also continued its support of local sports teams who use Manor Road playing fields, with the Pavilion having a well-deserved refurbishment of the interior, including new showers and changing facilities In addition, a new defibrillator has been installed to the exterior of the building, providing 24-hour access for the community Defibrillator training also occurred in August, which was very well received with 81 residents attending and donations of nearly £300 going to Great Western Air Ambulance We will look to hold the defibrillator training again in the coming year

This year hasn’t been without its challenges, in particular the cost-of-living crisis, which has put pressure on all residents and businesses. As a community, we have come together to support one another through these difficult times. In particular, I would like to thank those local businesses, Churches and local community facilities that participated in the Warmer Spaces initiative giving people the opportunity to work and socialise in a friendly and warm setting.

Looking ahead, plans are a foot for a new Rose Garden section at the Keynsham Cemetery which will provide the bereaved with an alternative way to remember their past loved ones. As we move forward into the coming year, I am confident that we will continue to build on our successes and work together to make our town an even better place to live. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our community

Cllr Hal MacFie Chairman, Keynsham Town Council

ReportbytheEvents,Arts, Tourism&HeritageCommittee

“We are grateful to those Keynsham organisations that assisted in making it such a wonderful hit."

Winter Festival 2023

Last year was a bumper year for Keynsham events In addition to the Winter Festival and the Remembrance Parade, the Town Council were also able to put on the first ever Spring Show, King Charles III investiture celebrations and even a Fashion Show highlighting the re-lovable fashion items from our local charities and shops All of these events were tremendously successful, and we hope to be able to bring some of them to you once again in the coming year

The Remembrance Parade went particularly well again and the weather held together better than we had initially thought Keynsham residents were, once again, out in force and it’s wonderful that the event gains strength each year. We should pay special tribute to the Air Cadet Band that plays regularly for us, to the commitment of all of those organisations taking part, for Rev. Anika Gardiner who presided so ably at St Johns and at the Park Gates and to our Town Clerk, Dawn Drury, who made an excellent job of arranging and organising along with the Royal British Legion and our local churches. Thanks to all of them for such a wonderful morning.

The Winter Festival was well attended this year with many residents enjoying the activities and getting into the festive spirit. The Christmas Parade and lanterns were a tremendous hit, and more market stalls were there than ever before. We are grateful to those Keynsham organisations (too numerous to mention) that assisted in making it such a wonderful hit and special thanks must go to our Deputy Town Clerk, Katherine Sears, for the extraordinary work she managed ‘over and above’ for this spectacular event

Cllr Dave Biddleston Chairman of EATH (Events, Arts, Tourism and Heritage) Committee

ReportbytheEnvironment& SustainabilityCommittee

"Keynsham Town Council had a new intake of Councillors in May 2023 who have given new energy to making progress on environmental issues."

The Environment and Sustainability Committee has continued supporting the people of Keynsham and its communities to become more environmentally friendly over the last 12 months

The Council is committed to its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030

Keynsham Town Council had a new intake of Councillors in May 2023 who have given new energy to making progress on environmental issues

The following things have been actioned and supported by the Committee this year:

The Council has supplied trees to local schools, including Wellsway and Two Rivers, and possible future sites for tree and shrub planting have been identified and more planting is planned in 2024/25

Supported the successful ‘Reloved’ fashion show event, promoting the reuse of clothes.

The Grants Committee has continued to support local initiatives with environmental groups by awarding a ring-fenced sum of £15,750 to environmental projects This has really made a difference to enable groups to help themselves with putting their plans into action.

Give-aways at events and the Keynsham Farmer’s Markets of native wildflower seeds (well over 1000 packs so far since we started this) to encourage residents to help our bees and insects

Continued with our ‘Hedgehog Highways', to encourage people to make their gardens more hedgehog friendly Flower bulbs to help promote our Spring Show and brighten up our environment and help wildlife.

Again this year we gave away 50 small potted Christmas trees to be planted in people’s gardens to grow and be ‘reused’ for many years – to help absorb carbon and reduce ‘one use’ Christmas trees

The Environment and Sustainability Committee continues to liaise with other councils, particularly in South Glos, to develop cycle routes to provide better access to Keynsham and onwards to Bristol

Visit to Wessex Water’s Keynsham sewage plant to understand and discuss the issues of pollution from waste water.

The Environment and Sustainability Project Plan has been updated

Over the course of the next year, we will continue to support local groups to help endeavour to implement many of the projects from the Environment and Sustainability Committee plans as possible We also hope to enable members of the community and groups to become, or continue to be, more environmentally friendly.

Finally, a big thank you to all those groups and individuals working across Keynsham helping to tackle the Climate and Ecological emergencies and we look forward to working with you again over the next year

Cllr Alan Greenfield Chairman of Environment and Sustainability Committee

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ReportbytheFinance&Policy Committee

"We are blessed with a financially experienced and knowledgeable group of Councillors who take a keen interest in all things financial."

The Finance and Policy Committee meet at least monthly. We are blessed with a financially experienced and knowledgeable group of Councillors who take a keen interest in all things financial. Our debates can by heated as we take care to look after Keynsham's money.

At our meetings we review Town Council expenditure, we review annual budget preparation and audit reports In addition to this, we also look at investment strategy, risk strategy, review Council policies and procedures We cover procurement terms and conditions, as well as finance and government regulations

The Committee also reviews the Capital Projects Programme and makes recommendations to Town Council on the procurement of large capital items such as mowers or vehicles or new playground equipment, as well as ensuring our properties are all kept up to standard, including the Cemetery, Manor Road Pavilion, the Bandstand and all play areas/other spaces

This year has been a busy one for us, with a number of new staff given the increasing financial workload that comes with a growing town and an expanding population, which means we can implement improvements to our business processes, and also allow our Town Clerk to concentrate on other vital Council work and issues

This year the Council completed the upgrade of the Manor Road Pavilion which is now fully in operation once more, increasing the income of the Council It is continuing the remedial work required on the chapel/tower in the Cemetery, and the repairing of pathways and walls within the cemetery area

Cllr Andy Wait Chair of Finance and Policy Committee

ReportbytheCapitalProjects Committee

"The role of this Committee is to maintain a list of Capital Projects and to ensure they are maintained and developed within the resources of the Council."

Keynsham Town Council leases and owns a number of key sites and spaces in Keynsham, these include ownership of the Keynsham Cemetery and Chapel, the Bandstand and Skate Park in the Keynsham Memorial Park and two pieces of land, the Fox and Hounds Lane Conservation area and The Paddock Sites that we lease include Manor Road Playing Fields and eight children’s playgrounds around Keynsham. We are fortunate in having a skilled and dedicated team of staff who look after the sites so well The role of this Committee is to maintain a list of Capital Projects and to ensure they are maintained and developed within the resources of the Council. This year the following actions have been taken:

Keynsham Cemetery is lovingly cared for by the staff and is well used by people visiting the graves of loved ones or attending funerals. It’s therefore essential the Cemetery is safe for people to visit and this year we have discussed significant repairs to the Chapel, how the Cemetery walls can be maintained, ways of resolving flooding issues and improvement of signage for people driving around the site

A Quinquennial Survey was carried out in May 2022 on the Keynsham Chapel and recommended that repairs be carried out to the Chapel Steeple The Council is seeking to determine the costs of this work and also seeking permission from the Bath and Wells Diocese to carry out the work.

The Council also identified that a more strategic plan is required to determine the future of the Cemetery and Chapel and plan the actions that will be required in the next few years. We are, therefore, going to produce a Management Plan for the site and buildings This will help the Council plan for use of its resources and assist in any grant applications

In September, as part of Heritage Open Day the Cemetery was open to visitors and a number of displays highlighted the history of the Cemetery and also the Roman Buildings that lie beneath parts of the Cemetery A report of the event was included in the ICCM Journal

At Manor Road Playing Fields the parking will be improved which will help ease some of the congestion when the pitches are fully used, we are also looking at how the pavilion could be better utilised by the community if it was rebuilt

In respect of the land behind St Johns Church, known as The Paddock, we are going to obtain an archaeological and structural survey of the site including the derelict building

Cllr Martin Burton Chairman of Capital Projects Committee

ReportbythePlanning& DevelopmentCommittee

"The Planning & Development Committee has again, over the past year, experienced a high degree of activity as the portal for Keynsham Town Council on planning related issues."

The Planning & Development Committee has again, over the past year, experienced a high degree of activity as the portal for Keynsham Town Council on planning related issues The Committee has a regular monthly flow of planning applications by individuals and businesses to discuss and support or object within the criteria of planning law Additionally, the Committee had to consider larger planning applications from Developers before submitting a recommendation to B&NES.

Finally, the Committee agreed positions on general planning issues related to Bristol Airport and Local Plans established under the authority of B&NES.

Total applications considered – 97, (plus 15 Tree Preservation Orders, not included in below data)

80 applications were supported by KTC

17 objections

87.5% of KTC decisions concurred with B&NES final approval or refusal.

Cllr Clive Fricker Chairman of Planning & Development Committee

ReportbyYouthService(TimeOut)

"We are fortunate to have our own music studio and practice room at TimeOut, where budding musicians can receive expert support from our Music Studio Manager"

Keynsham Youth Service, TimeOut, has continued to grow from strength to strength since the re-launch in October 2022 The purpose-built Youth Club on Bath Hill had been shut for some time, however, since the launch of its opening it has been a buzzing place

This last year we have been learning about different cultures from around the world, cooking popular dishes, listening to some local music, and learning some cultural practices including dances and games. We have monthly themes where we explore and focus activities, such as well-being and relationships. Along with delivering our own workshops we have offered various workshops to young people where external artists and practitioners come in to share their expertise; these have included learning magic, photography, spray painting, drumming, dancing, upcycling, DJing and pottery.

We had a residential at Mendip Activity Centre last year where the group tried a range of outdoor activities including climbing and bush craft. During the summer months we try to get outside to the park and play games and last year we organised a skateboard competition which we are bringing back again this April

We are fortunate to have our own music studio and practice room at TimeOut, where budding musicians can receive expert support from our Music Studio Manager Battle of the bands was a huge success last year and we look forward to running this again in the lead up to the Music Festival this summer

The service provides a place for young people to relax and have fun with friends, chat to staff about issues important to them and engage in music and art workshops Young people can set up their own activities & events such as D&D and live music gigs Currently young people are curating the Kaleidoscope tent for Keynsham Music Festival They meet on a Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm with staff from the Youth Service and Keynsham Music Festival to plan the youth side of this event

We are open as usual throughout the holidays

For the current Timetable see the Youth Service page on the Keynsham Town Council website

Abi Gray Youth Development Officer

Reportbythe GrantsCommittee

"We should take a moment at times during our year to think of the work done by our clubs, charities and societies in our community."

The Council are well blessed in Keynsham with an extraordinary number of wonderful groups and charities that work tirelessly for our community in a whole host of ways. It is my pleasure then to write to you on behalf of the Committee about the work we do to help to sustain these groups with grants and assistance for the wonderful work that they do. There is a great deal of work carried out behind the scenes and ably coordinated by our Council’s officers.

We should take a moment at times during our year to think of the work done by our clubs, charities and societies in our community From working with children with learning differences, to Football for all ages, Hockey, Table Tennis, Performing Arts and even training people to save lives, the variety is incredible In fact, I’d be surprised if there was an aspect of anyone’s lives in Keynsham that has not been inspired or supported by those groups and then consequently through the money that Keynsham Town Council manages to donate

Over these past few years, money has been more difficult for everyone, so we are very pleased to report that last year the Town Council were able to run their Grants funding initiative and provided over £38,000 in grants to those groups In all, we were able to assist 45 Groups looking for additional assistance and we were pleased to receive so many applications specifically serving Keynsham residents

Cllr Dave Biddleston Chair of Grants Committee

Reportbythe PersonnelCommittee

"Keynsham Town Council is fortunate in having a highly skilled and dedicated workforce."

Keynsham Town Council is fortunate in having a highly skilled and dedicated workforce consisting of 20 members of staff, this includes 3 full time Office Staff, 5 part-time Office Staff, 5 full-time Grounds Maintenance Workers, 1 full time Youth Leader and 4 part-time Youth Support Workers, plus 1 fixed term part-time Music Studio Manager and 1 part-time Music Studio Worker. The staff are all passionate about delivering a high-quality service and always go the extra mile to meet the needs of residents in the services the Council delivers. The role of the Personnel Committee is to support the Clerk in ensuring the Council is complying with all HR legislation and best practice and that the workforce is deployed effectively.

Key actions by the Committee this year have included:

Appointing new staff in conjunction with the Clerk

Advising on the implementation and development of HR policies

Ensuring that the work force is supported in developing their skills and knowledge through training

Where services have needed to respond to local issues, to ensure that this is well managed and the resources are deployed effectively

Supporting the Clerk in managing any HR issues

In addition to the paid staff, we are also looking at how we manage volunteers who can provide added value to the services we provide

Cllr Martin Burton Vice Chairman of Personnel Committee

Council Staff

Town Clerk

y townclerk@keynsham-tc gov uk

Responsible Financial Officer

Amanda Hazell RFO@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Administrative Officer

Vivienne McDonnell vivienne@keynsham-tc gov uk

Youth Development Officer

Abi Gray youthleader@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Youth Support Worker

Ibby Kramar

Ibby@keynsham-tc gov uk

Music Studio Worker

Vacancy

Grounds Maintenance Worker

Tony Morris

Deputy Town Clerk

Katherine Sears deputytownclerk@keynsham-tc gov uk

Business & Community Engagement Officer

Kate Ward kate@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Administrative Assistant

Jackie Sydenham reception@keynsham-tc gov uk

Assistant Town Clerk

Alan Jenner alan.jenner@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Administrative Assistant

Lisa Edwards admin@keynsham-tc gov uk

Youth Support Worker Youth Support Worker

Jamie Osbourne Jamie@keynsham-tc gov uk

Youth Support Worker

Louise Pearce Louise@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Grounds Maintenance Supervisor

Kelvin Bush groundsmaintenance@keynshamtc gov uk

Grounds Maintenance Worker

Kevin Summers

Vacancy

Community & Music Studio Manager

Lewin Hayes lewin@keynsham-tc gov uk

Ground Maintenance Worker

Allen Richards groundsman@keynshamtc.gov.uk

Grounds Maintenance Worker

Robert Bonfield