Report Chairman's
It is a privilege to present Keynsham Town Council's Annual Report, reflecting on a year of hard work and collaboration that has kept Keynsham a vibrant and welcoming community. This year, the Town Council has worked diligently - both Councillors and Town Council Staff aliketo represent the interests of all residents. We are committed to making Keynsham a place to live, work, and thrive, while maintaining the community spirit that makes it unique.
Our Community Grants programme, which supports projects benefitting the people of Keynsham, remains an important initiative. We distributed over £38,000 in grant funding to a variety of Community Groups and initiatives, ranging from environmental projects to those supporting vulnerable residents. We are proud to support these efforts and look forward to continuing our work in making Keynsham an inclusive and caring place for all.
The introduction of the K1 Bus Service marked a significant step forward in improving public transport options for Keynsham residents. By linking key neighbourhoods with the Town Centre and transport hubs, the service enhances accessibility and connectivity for the local community. Keynsham Town Council is immensely proud to have played a key role in bringing the K1 bus service to Keynsham and we thank the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and WESTLocal for working with us to make it a reality.
This past year also saw the evolution of some our most cherished community events. The second Spring Show was even more successful than the first, highlighting the creativity and talent within our community. The Picnic in the Park was another highlight, bringing residents together to enjoy the atmosphere of our beautiful Memorial Park. The Winter Festival also saw a significant change this year, shifting to a Saturday celebration. The change was met with enthusiasm, allowing more families and residents to attend and enjoy the festive atmosphere. This year we also invested in upgrading Downfield Play Area by repainting the existing apparatus, installing new equipment for younger residents and resurfacing the whole play area to make it safer for those enjoying the space. Local graffiti artist Nick of Olas Art pulled the play area ‘pond theme’ together by giving the surrounding wall a new look.
Thank you once again for your continued support of Keynsham Town Council. Whether through volunteering, supporting events, or contributing to our initiatives, your involvement helps make Keynsham a special place to live. Together, we will continue to build a sustainable, inclusive, and forward-thinking community. I look forward to another year of progress and collaboration.
Cllr Hal MacFie Chairman, Keynsham Town Council
Report by the Finance & Policy Committee
"We review Town Council expenditure, we take part in annual budget preparation and respond to audit reports."
We are now halfway through the Council’s cycle so it is a good time to review our financial position and make sure we are being careful with Keynsham’s money. The Finance and Policy Committee meets 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 be heated as we take care of the communities money.
At our meetings, we review Town Council expenditure, we take part in annual budget preparation and respond to audit reports. In addition to this, we also look at investment strategy and risk strategy. 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 motor vehicle or new playground equipment, as well as ensuring our properties are all kept up to standard, including the Cemetery, Manor Road Pavilion, the Bandstand, all play areas/other spaces. We do this by checking quotes for the material or equipment needed by the Town Council employees.
The other part of the work of this Committee is to review, create or update the Council’s policies. There are many from Health and Safety to Data Protection, Safeguarding to Complaints and many more.
The more important financial decisions go either as recommendations from our Committee to full Council or if we can’t agree, those decisions will be taken by the whole Council, without a recommendation from Finance Committee. Each Town Council meeting has a section for Finance and Policy where we make our recommendations which, of course, may not get Council support.
Cllr Andy Wait Chair of Finance and Policy Committee
Report by the Planning & Development Committee
"The committee seeks to maintain the correct balance between planning law, individual freedom and community wellbeing."
Over the past year our Committee has again been extremely busy with the frequency of meetings and full agendas. Planning can be complex and subject to variations of national Government Policy and unitary level influence. The Committee seeks to maintain the correct balance between planning law, individual freedom and community wellbeing. This objective is supported by a high degree of unanimity among the Committee in decision making
In addition to processing individual applications the Committee has to focus on matters of wider interest. Consequently regular consultations on the agenda feature topics integral to future planning at town and district level.
Ultimately Keynsham Town Council is limited to supporting or objecting to an application with approval or refusal decided by B&NES. However the influence is considerable and many cases show a uniformity of view between the two Councils.
Total applications considered – 89, (plus 13 Tree Preservation Orders, not included in below data)
68 applications were supported by Keynsham Town Council, 21 objections,
85% of Keynsham Town Council decisions concurred with B&NES final approval or refusal.
Cllr Clive Fricker Chairman of Planning & Development Committee
Report by the Events, Arts, Tourism & Heritage Committee
“Volunteering
Last year was a fantastic year for celebrations and events here in Keynsham. There was more to do than ever at the Winter Festival and along with notable changes came the traditional and well attended events such as the Remembrance Parade. The Spring Show continued to be a highlight of the year and the Picnic in the Park event proved to be extremely popular. As always, we were very lucky with the weather.
This year the Winter Festival underwent some changes. We consulted with our local shops and street vendors who recommended longer and less rushed opening hours to encourage our ever-growing town to spread out a little, so that shopping wasn't so rushed and crowded. We were pleased that the response was very positive overall, and we hope to make changes and improvements again for the coming year. We must give special praise for the Keynsham Volunteers that stepped up this year and anyone wishing to help at our events, please pop into the Town Council office and ask because volunteering is such a worthwhile job.
A special mention for the Remembrance Parade again this year, which saw hundreds of residents lining the street to clap the Parade. Stirling work was done by the Keynsham Royal British Legion, St John's Church and our local groups and organisations to make sure we marked the occasion with the respect it deserves.
We must now look forward to our events in the coming year. We are almost prepared for our Spring Show and getting quite excited for the next Reloved Fashion Show later in the year. Once again, volunteering to help at an event will make our events bigger and better than ever. Our events are held by the community and for the community.
Cllr Dave Biddleston Chairman of EATH (Events, Arts, Tourism and Heritage) Committee
Photo Credit: Jack Hill
Report by the Grants Committee
“In all, we were able to assist 54 Groups looking for additional assistance and managed to provide £38,840 in Grants to those groups.”
One of the best things about Keynsham is the extraordinary number of volunteers that work for our groups and charities in countless ways. I couldn't be more pleased then to write on behalf of our Committee, about the work that we do to provide these groups and organisations with money and assistance through our grant scheme for the fantastic support that they provide for our community. Thank you too to the Keynsham Town Council Staff who carefully work behind the scenes to make the system work efficiently.
The wide variety of clubs and societies locally never fail to surprise me. Choirs, football, hockey, choirs, musical theatre, dance groups, choirs, groups that support those with additional needs, choirs (we have a lot of choirs). Almost every family will have had dealings with some of our volunteer groups along the way, and we shouldn't ever forget the things we love about our community are often provided by those of us working for nothing. See a Womble, thank a Womble.
We are very pleased to report that last year the Town Council were able to run their Grants funding initiatives and managed to provide £38,840 in Grants to those groups. In all, we were able to assist 54 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
Report by the Bus Services Committee
"WECA recently confirmed that ours is “one of the more successful” routes"
In April 2024 the Town Council set up a Working Party to look at bus provision within Keynsham and this has now become a full Bus Services Committee. Our objective was to see whether we could set up a local bus service financed from various sources (the West of England Combined Authority, BANES and Section 106 money). Some section 106 money should have been available to support a bus service for the new estates built in the south of Keynsham, but this money was eventually returned to the property developer because BANES had not spent the money within the statutory time limit.
The deadline for applying to WECA was 31 May and this meant that there was relatively little time to make the application. A huge amount of work was necessary to prepare and finalise the paperwork and to ensure that the bus route was appropriate and I should like to thank all of the council staff and councillors who helped make this happen.
The K1 bus started operations in September 2024 and has already been very well used with close to 2000 journeys made per month. There are relatively few bus services like this in the WECA area, but WECA recently confirmed that ours is “one of the more successful” routes.
The Bus Services Committee is now thinking about how to continue funding for the medium term and exploring the possibility of a second route to serve the eastern side of Keynsham.
Cllr Edmund Cannon Chair of Bus Services Committee
Report by the Environment & Sustainability Committee
"A big thank you to all those groups and individuals working across Keynsham helping to tackle the Climate and Ecological emergencies."
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.
The following things have been actioned and supported by the Committee this year:
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 Farmers Markets of native wildflower seeds (well over 1500 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.
Again this year we gave away over 45 potted ‘baby living Christmas trees’ at the Winter Festival for 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.
Provided support for a new community orchard near Winscombe Close.
Purchase of a thermal imager for Keynsham residents to use to assess their homes for heat loss and where insulation might improve energy efficiency within their home.
We’ve also worked closely with Keynsham In Bloom throughout the year and are particularly proud of the bird house project we supported. In total, 25 bird houses were built and placed in the Keynsham Cemetery, providing safe nesting spots for local birds.
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 our 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.
Once again, 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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Report by the Capital Projects Committee
"We have invested not only in on-going repairs but the upgrading of the Downfield Playground"
Keynsham Town Council leases and owns several 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, 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. The role of this Committee is to maintain a list of capital projects and to ensure they are maintained and developed, and this year the following actions have been taken:
Keynsham Cemetery. It’s essential that the Cemetery is safe for people to visit and this year we have discussed significant repairs to Keynsham Chapel following a Quinquennial Report inspection carried out in May 2022.
We also identified that a more strategic plan is required to determine the future of the Cemetery and Chapel and are therefore going to produce a Management Plan for the site and buildings which will consider the need for more space and the cost of maintaining the buildings on the site. This will help the Council plan for use of its resources and assist in any grant applications.
The Manor Road Playing fields are a well-used community resource and the Council has discussed the provision of more off-street parking on the site and the ongoing maintenance of buildings.
In respect of the land behind St John’s Church known as The Paddock, we are going to obtain an archaeological and structural survey of the site, including the derelict building, prior to making any decisions on the future use of the site
Due to the changing demographics in Keynsham our playing areas are very well used, to ensure the safety of children they are regularly inspected and this year we have invested, not only in on-going repairs, but the upgrading of the Downfield Playground. Next year we will be investing in the play area in Memorial Park as part of the overall improvement of the Park by B&NES Council.
The Council has also supported the introduction of Vehicle Activated Speed signs (VAS) to encourage drivers to reduce speed on some of our major roads.
The Council is awarded funding from new housing developments to support infrastructure projects to support the town to manage the increased population. This is known as S106 funding or Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The Council currently has approximately £333,000 in the account which will be used to invest in community infrastructure projects. This can include buildings or areas not owned by the Council and suggestions for use of this funding are welcomed.
Cllr Martin Burton Chairman of Capital Projects Committee
Report by Youth Service (TimeOut)
"Last year we
were successful in getting lottery funding and ran a Summer Programme throughout August, working closely with other organisations to put on a programme of events."
Keynsham Youth Service has continued to grow from strength to strength and attracts new young people regularly. It is also a safe, relaxing and fun place for members who have been attending for 1-2 years. Our Club is open different days for 11-19 year olds from Keynsham and those in Keynsham schools.
We are open during school holidays for young people and offer additional activities where we can. Last year we were successful in getting Lottery Funding and ran a Summer Programme throughout August, working closely with other organisations to achieve this, we offered young people something to do during the school holiday. We are hoping we can offer the same again this Summer to young people in Keynsham.
With over 6 months of planning, young people curated a tent at Keynsham Music Festival and we attracted 100’s of young people to join our free workshops and listen to amazing young acts from in and around Keynsham. We have started planning for this years Kaleidoscope Area at the Festival and can’t wait to amaze and entertain with all we put on in 2025 , working closely with Keynsham Music Festival, a proud partner.
Last year, young people made and sold their art at the Winter Festival and entered competitions in the Spring Show. We aim to support young people’s skills and interests and help people discover new interests by offering a diverse range of activities at the club.
We have recently been offering sports in the community, working with Bath City Foundation to deliver free sports at the Keynsham Leisure Centre in the cold and darker months. We aim to continue our sports offer to young people throughout the year.
Young people at the Youth Centre have set up their own Dungeons & Dragons night, which is a safe and welcoming space for young people who enjoy D&D.
We look forward to welcoming new young people in 2025 and building on our connections in the local community.
Abi Gray Youth Development Officer
Report by Youth Service (TimeOut)
"The Youth Staff have been promoting on social media and engaging with local schools to spread the word of their new session on Thursdays."
Extended Play (EP) musical release has been produced in our Music Studio
The Music Studio staff have supported young people to record a two track EP. The EP was pressed to CD, and has been available for sale online through various musical outlets, Spotify and iTunes etc. The CDs will be sold at future events.
Ongoing opportunities for Young People at Council run event
A number of youth acts were booked to perform at Keynsham Winter Festival 2024. This performance included a series of acoustic acts at Temple Court and a main act performing on the main stage in Temple Court. Some of the acts include young people that TimeOut Youth Staff have supported through our open access sessions, and helped develop their confidence and skill sets.
Hiring of the TimeOut Music Studio
A hire fee schedule has been generated, and the Council has started to promote the hire of the Music Studios.
Masterclass series
The Youth Staff have been promoting on social media and engaging with local schools to spread the word of their new session on Thursdays 4:30-6:30pm. These sessions at the TimeOut facility are targeted towards music making and development for Young People who want to focus on music. The first three sessions trialled were considered a success with the attendance being almost at capacity.
Report by the Personnel Committee
"I hope our efforts reflect in the quality of services our residents and businesses receive from our Town Council."
The Personnel Committee has met almost monthly in the last year, with our responsibilities to assist the Town Clerk, on HR matters, including staff training, appraisals and overall supervision, and ensuring as a priority the health and well being of all our staff. We have 3 admin staff, an Assistant Town Clerk, a Deputy Town Clerk, Responsible Financial Officer, Business and Community Engagement Officer, 5 Grounds Team Staff, a Youth Leader with 4 assistants, a Music Studio Manager, and Music Youth Worker, along with a number of volunteers engaged in a number of supportive roles.
The work on behalf of our residents by all the team in diverse ways should, I feel, be much appreciated and acknowledged. We have also in this year interviewed for new staff, reviewed a number of our employment policies and monitored various aspects of our staffing needs, and we have kept ourselves updated on Local Government management changes introduced by Government Departments affecting our own operations, as well as regular liaison with our own Human Resources Advisers.
Finally, I must thank all the Committee members who have supported me as we have worked hard both at our often complex busy meeting schedules and with on going ‘behind the scenes’ activities. I hope our efforts reflect in the quality of services our residents and businesses receive from our Town Council.
Cllr Andy Halliday Chair of Personnel Committee
Councillors
Keynsham North
Souzan Alenshasy
Liberal Democrats
souzan.alenshasy@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Alex Beaumont
Liberal Democrats
alex.beaumont@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01225 395981
Edmund Cannon
Green Party
edmund.cannon@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 0117 9860109
Keynsham South
Dave Biddleston
Labour Party
dave.biddleston@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 870081
Chris Davis
Labour Party
chris.davis@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Andy Halliday
Liberal Democrats
andy.halliday@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 865735
Keynsham East
Caitlin Brennan
Liberal Democrats
caitlin.brennan@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 863905 07557 223637
Caroline Leonard Liberal Democrats caroline.leonard@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Andy Wait
Liberal Democrats
andy.wait@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 867389
Adrian Beaumont Liberal Democrats
David Brassington
Liberal Democrats
david.brassington@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 867876
Martin Burton Labour Party
martin.burton@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 839193
Alan Greenfield
Liberal Democrats
alan.greenfield@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 07757 673492
Clive Fricker, Vice Chair
Liberal Democrats
clive.fricker@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 869250
Hal MacFie, Chair
Liberal Democrats
hal.macfie@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01179 863590 07786 436656
Council Staff
Town Clerk
Dawn Drury townclerk@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Assistant Town Clerk
Alan Jenner alan.jenner@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
James Gay james.gay@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Deputy Town Clerk
Katherine Sears deputytownclerk@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Responsible Financial Officer
Amanda Hazell RFO@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Administrative Assistant
Jackie Sydenham reception@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Youth Support Worker
Jamie Osbourne Jamie@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Youth Support Worker
Esme Winter esme@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Grounds Maintenance Supervisor
Business & Community Engagement Officer
Kate Ward kate@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Administrative Assistant
Lisa Edwards admin@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Youth Support Worker
Kelly Jones kelly.jones@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Community & Music Studio Manager
Lewin Hayes lewin@keynsham-tc.gov.uk
Ground Maintenance Worker
Allen Richards groundsman@keynsham-tc.gov.uk Music Studio Worker
Kelvin Bush groundsmaintenance@keynshamtc.gov.uk
Grounds Maintenance Worker
Tony Morris
Grounds Maintenance Worker
Kevin Summers
Grounds Maintenance Worker
Robert Bonfield
@keynsham_town_council
