Are you ready to vote in the May elections?🗳️

Open this to read March's Cotswold Roundup
View this email in your browser
Share
Tweet
Forward
Share
March 2024
Welcome to the March edition of Cotswold Roundup.
Spring is almost upon us and the weather is definitely getting warmer. Despite the tough financial challenges that ours, and many other councils face at the moment the district council has facilitated some great events in the last month, including the unveiling of the new hare mosaic at Brewery Court in Cirencester and the first ever Cotswold Homes and Interiors Festival.
Both events have had a really positive response. I was delighted to unveil the mosaic at Brewery Court in Cirencester, part of our project to breathe new life into this part of the town centre.. We have such a rich heritage in the Cotswolds and the newly restored mosaic celebrates our Roman roots.
The Cotswold Homes and Interiors Festival, held at The Corn Hall earlier this month was made possible with funding from the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and was opened by the Cotswolds very own interiors guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. The event featured workshops from local design professionals and a multitude of local businesses. We have received some excellent feedback about this event, from businesses and attendees and we will consider running the event again next year.
Lastly, we have extended our Local Plan and Cirencester Masterplan consultations until April 7, to allow residents plenty of time to take part. We had a positive consultation event in Moreton-in-Marsh recently and if you haven’t given us your views yet, there’s still time. Go to your.cotswold.gov.uk to take part.
Kind regards,
May 2024 Elections
Are you ready to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in May?
Make sure you are ready to vote in the upcoming elections on 2 May and play your part in local democracy. Below is a checklist for you to make sure you are prepared:
- Are you registered to vote? Deadline for registering is 16 April
- Are you applying for a postal vote? Deadline for applications is 5pm on 17 April
- Are you using a proxy vote? Deadline for applying for proxy votes is 5pm on 24 April
- Have you got the correct photo ID if you are intending to vote in person at a polling station? Without valid photo ID you will not be eligible to vote. Click here
to find out more.
If you don’t have ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate – the deadline to do so is 5pm 24 on April.
All the information you will need to get ready for the elections
The Holiday Activity and Food programme is back!
Cotswold District Council is working in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council and local community organisation World Jungle to deliver another Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for eligible children across the Cotswold district this spring.
Check out the activities
Cotswold District News
Brewery Court has been refreshed!
The £50,000 regeneration project at Brewery Court has been completed, marking a significant milestone in restoring the area's historical charm.
Residents and business owners gathered alongside civic leaders on Friday 23 February to witness the unveiling of the newly restored hare mosaic, a centrepiece of Brewery Court's refresh efforts.
Originally crafted as a replica of the fourth-century mosaic discovered in Beeches Road in 1971, the hare mosaic in Brewery Court had endured over 40 years of wear and tear. As part of the Council's commitment to preserving the town's heritage, the old mosaic has been replaced with a new replica of the ancient hare mosaic, designed by local artist, Russell Kirk.
Read more
Seeking views on design of residential spaces
We're inviting residents to help shape our approach to the future design of new build developments.
Our Local Plan Design Code Consultation seeks to understand residents’ views on what recent housing developments got right, what could have been better, and what they most enjoy about their area.
Read more
Fairford residents sentenced for Universal Credit and Council Tax Reduction fraud
A couple from Fairford who fraudulently claimed over £23,500 in Universal Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and a further £2,000 reduction in their Council Tax have been sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court.
Find out more
Council Tax Support Extended for Care Leavers
We are offering more support for young people leaving care by increasing the age they will be eligible for council tax support from age 21 to age 25.
Find out more
Restoration opportunity for historic Old Station
We are seeking new partners to invest in the renovation of the Old Station building in Cirencester.
The Old Station is a Grade 2 Listed former station on the edge of the Town Centre. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the station opened in 1841 and transferred into the Council’s ownership in 1968.
Learn more
Wheelie exciting news!
In collaboration with Life Cycle, we have installed 51 new community bike stands in the Cotswolds including in Lechlade, Fairford and South Cerney.
The bike stands are part of the Take a Stand scheme and will help local cyclists by ensuring there are places for them to store their bikes.
Find out more
Providing relief for businesses in the Cotswolds
Eligible businesses will continue to receive up to 75% business rate relief up to a cash cap of £110,000 through the Government’s Retail, Hospitality and Leisure scheme for the financial year 2024/25.
Find out more
The Cotswold Homes and Interiors Festival was a success!
Thank you to everyone who attended the first ever Cotswold Homes and Interiors Festival on Saturday 2 March!
Without you all, it wouldn't have been as successful as it was, so thank you for coming out and supporting local businesses.
We are hoping this will be an annual event going forward!
This event was funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Find out more about the UKSPF
Events
The Repair, Maintenance and Energy Efficiency of Old Buildings
The King’s Foundation, in collaboration with the Council, is running a two-day workshop all about the repair, maintenance and energy efficiency of old buildings.
The workshops are being led by the Tywi Trust, who recently delivered some great training on the same subject to our Councillors.
Get your ticket
Are you thinking about getting an electric car but want to know more?
Why not join our ONLINE session and learn how you can 'Go Electric'!
We've partnered with the Energy Saving Trust to run this online session where we will be covering:
- What is an EV?
- Charging an EV
- Why the switch to EVs?
- Myth busting
There will also be a chance for you to ask any questions at the end with a Q&A.
The session is taking place on Tues 19 March, 6pm - 7pm.
Sign up now
Cost of living support
Could the Household Support Fund help you?
The Household Support Fund is there to provide assistance to the most vulnerable households as living costs rise significantly. If you, or someone you know, needs help with living costs have a look to see if you could be eligible for the support. Also check our cost of living pages which have a wide range of other ways you could access help.
Household Support Fund information
Cost of living support
============================================================
We're always looking for ways we can improve this newsletter so please fill out the form ** here
.
** Twitter
** Twitter
** Facebook
** Facebook
** LinkedIn
** LinkedIn
** Instagram
** Instagram
** Website
** Website
Copyright © 2024 Cotswold District Council, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
Our mailing address is:
Cotswold District Council
Council Offices
Trinity Road
Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1PX
United Kingdom
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences
or ** unsubscribe from this list
.