EVERLEIGH PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held at Collingbourne Ducis Village Hall on Tuesday 13th January 2026
Chair: Cllr D Bottomley.
Present: Cllr K Wheeler-Mallows (vice Chair); Cllr A Earle; Cllr H Waight; Cllr P Evans;
Cllr T Martin; Cllr L Wheeler-Mallows.
In Attendance: Ms H Boulton (Parish Clerk); Cllr C Williams (Wiltshire Counci);
- Chair’s Opening Remarks. The Chair announced that the main objectives for the meeting were:
- To consider the budget and set the precept for FY 2026-27.
- To confirm plans for Everleigh Enhancement in 2026.
- To review the Parish Council’s IT situation.
- Apologies for Absence: PC J Kinge & PCSO R Kaur (Wilts Police).
- Declaration of Interest in Items on the Agenda. None declared.
- Co-option. None. There are currently no vacancies.
- Minutes of Previous Meetings.
- Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on Tuesday 28th October 2025. The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on 28th October 2025 were signed by the Chair as a true record. Action: Clerk
- Matters Arising. There was one matter arising. At Item 5.2, the Marlborough Road Post Box, closed since October 2024, is now in operation. Cllr K Wheeler-Mallows was congratulated for his efforts to resolve this issue. Item closed.
- General Public. No members of the public were present.
- Wilts Council. Wilts Cllr C Williams submitted the following feedback from a Full Wilts Council meeting on Wednesday 7th January:
- Capital Funding for St Stephens Multi Storey car park in Trowbridge was not agreed and is to be reviewed at a later date.
- The introduction of a council tax second homes premium was not approved.
- The extension of council tax long term empty homes premium was approved.
- The fees and charges framework for the next FY are likely to increase in line with the rate of inflation.
- Wilts Police Reports.
- Ludgershall and Rural Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT). Recent NPT reports had been circulated to Parish Councillors prior to the meeting. Key points:
- October 2025. There were no Incidents relating to Everleigh. Police priorities were anti social behaviour, theft, hare coursing and speed enforcement.
- December 2025. There were 2 incidents of note: damaged fencing and suspected hare coursing at West Hill Farm; and theft of a safe and landrover from Cotton House Farm (Marlborough), with the safe found later in woods in Everleigh.
- Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Police Updates. Key points:
8.2.1 Wilts Police need to deliver a minimum of £4.6m savings in the next FY.
Effects – Wilts Police are proposing:
- An increase to the police precept of £15 a year for Band D properties. A survey to gauge public opinion is on the village website at www.everleigh.org.
- Efficiency Measures: Redesigning structures; reviewing posts; embracing technology and equipment; and rationalisation of the estate.
8.2.2 Wilts Police have secured land for a new southern policing hub at Old
Sarum.
8.2.3 Supt Brain, Wilts Police Hub Commander for Neighbourhood and Rural
Policing, has reported that Wilts Police are taking part in Operation
RAGWORT, a SW regional effort against rural crime. The priorities are to
prevent theft, hare coursing and poaching.
- Correspondence. All correspondence has been circulated previousl;y.
- Forecast of Events. After reviewing the Forecast of Events for 2026 Cllrs RESOLVED that
the Everleigh Village Walk will remain as Saturday 6th June (Plan A), with a fall back
option as Saturday13th June (Plan B) in the event of bad weather. In both options,
timings are 9am – 1230pm with the start/finish point being the village playground.
- Planning.
11.1 PL/2025/09030 Lower House Farm, Everleigh, SN8 3EU. After two retrospective
planning applications have been refused for conversion and rebuild of six barns
at Lower House Farm, a third retrospective planning application has been
submitted with the footprint and scope reduced to two barns (with one
extended) for a residential dwelling and garaging. After consideration by the
Planning Sub Committee, the Parish Council RESOLVED to raise no objections to
this scaled down application and responded to Wilts Council accordingly on 21st
December 2025.
- Property.
12.1 Grass Cutting. Cllr K Wheeler-Mallows reported that the grass verge south of the
A342 has been cut 7 times in 2025 at a cost of £370 and after discussion Cllrs
RESOLVED that the plan for cutting this grass verge in 2026 will be 7 cuts @£60 per
cut, ie £420 for the cutting season. Action: Cllr K Wheeler-Mallows
12.2 Play Area. Remedial work on playground equipment identified on the annual
RoSPA Playground inspection (24th October 2025) will be conducted on the
next playground work party on Saturday 18th April 2026. Action: Cllr Earle.
12.3 Streetscene Minor Works and A342 Road Safety. Situation:
- A342/ Marlborough Road – Safety & Infrastructure. Update:
- The Summerdown Farm bend chevron has been replaced.
- The missing 40mph Signat the northern 40mph gateway signs on Marlborough Road, has been replaced.
- Repair of the grips on the verge of Marlborough Road near the Linden Farm entrance is subject to further consideration.
- General Streetscene Matters. Update on the procurement of signs for The Street and Marlborough Road:
- Wilts Council will provide 2 name plate signs for Marlborough Road by the end of this FY.
- The official name of the road known locally as The Street is “the road south off the A342 to Pigleaze Dairy,” according to the National Street Gazeteer. A name plate sign can not be provided until this road is renamed as The Street with a new postcode. This would result in a change of address for 51 households and a cost of c£3.3K. After discussion, Cllrs RESOLVED not to proceed with this initiative at present.
Action: Cllr Bottomley.
- Everleigh Street Map. After discussion, Cllrs RESOLVED to implement the following plan:
- Cllr Martin is to make further amendments to the latest draft.
- We will request that a draft version of the Street Map be posted on the village web site for comment by 1st March 2026.
- Cllr Martin will then order 2 copies size A0 @£50 each 5mm PVC foam.
- One copy of the revised map will replace the version on the fence at the Crown bus stop, courtesy of the residents at Laburnam/Ivy Cottage.
- The residents of Heathside have kindly agreed to the installation of the second copy on their fence at the junction The Street/West View.
- Cllrs Martin and Earle will now take this initiative forward.
Action: Cllrs Martin and Earle.
- Finance.
13.1 Current Liquidity State and Bank Reconciliation. A bank reconciliation to date
Is showing a balance of £4443.62.
13.2 To authorise payments made since last meeting:
13.2.1 wiltshire council election fees £340.00
13.2.2 collingbourne VH hall hire £12.00
13.2.3 play safety ROSPA £134.40 £22.40 VAT
13.2.4 ICO data protect fee £47.00
13.2.5 WCC TENs licence £21.00
13.2.6 cartridge people ink cartridges £91.42 £15.24 VAT
13.2.7 RG May & Son lamb burgers £300.00
13.2.8 Tesco BBQ Bonfire £105.70
13.2.9 Lower Field Fm Xmas Tree £75.00
13.2.10 Hazel Boulton ¾ qtr wages £543.34
13.2.11 John Bowen grass cutting £370.00
13.2.12 Lloyds bank chgs x 2 £8.50
13.3 To note payments received:
13.3.1 cash banked Bonfire £1832.81
13.3.2 Collinbourne CC donation £150.00
13.4 Parish Council IT Situation.
13.4.1 After discussion on the Parish Council’s IT situation, including official e-
mail addresses, web site support and cloud storage, Cllrs RESOLVED to
establish a sub committee to conduct further work on proposals and
costs. This IT sub committee is to comprise Cllr L Wheeler-Mallows, Cllr
Evans and the Clerk. Action: IT Sub Committee.
13.4.2 The following IT documents were reviewed at the last Parish Council
meeting on 28th October 2025 and have been issued:
- The Parish Council IT Policy.
- The Parish Council Social Media Policy.
13.5 Bonfire Night 2025 – Financial Reconciliation & Legacy. The village Bonfire
Night held on Saturday 8th November 2025 yielded a surplus of £594.47 and the
Collingbourne Cricket Club have donated £150 from the proceeds of the
event. After discussion, Cllrs RESOLVED to allocate monies as follows:
| BHF Charity | Everleigh Defibrillator 2026 | |
| Everleigh Parish Council | £300 | £294.47 |
| Collingbourne Cricket Club | £100 | £50 |
| TOTAL | £400 | £344.47 |
Cllr Evans will liaise with the BHF to arrange a presentation. Action: Cllr Evans,
13.6 Everleigh Enhancement. Updates:
13.6.1 Flower Planters. Cllr Earle reported that all was well with the village
planters.
13.6.2 Christmas Tree. Cllr Waight reported that a Christmas tree was planted
in the vicinity of the Crown bus shelter at a cost of £75 (budget £100).
Item closed.
13.6.3 Plan for FY 2026-27. After discussion of future proposals for FY 2026-27,
Cllrs RESOLVED to:
- Maintain budgets of £350 for planters and £100 for a Christmas Tree.
- Replace the Defibrillator at the 7 year point in September 2026 at an estimated cost of £1,100. Funding for a new defibrillator is now in place. Action: Cllrs Bottomley, Earle, Waight and Martin.
13.7 Budget FY 2026-27. After discussion, Cllrs RESOLVED to agree the budget for
FY 2026-27 as circulated and consequently to set the precept for the next FY
as £4453.46, which is an increase of £2.24/4,95% for Band D properties.
Action: Clerk.
- Village Events.
14.1 Bonfire Night Saturday 8th November. The Bonfire Night was a great success
with superb fireworks, a high attendance and refreshments provided as a joint
venture with the Collingbourne Cricket Club. A review of the event has been
circulated and will be considered for this year’s event (Saturday 7th November).
14.2 Christmas Carol Service – Saturday 13th December. The Carol Service was a
really enjoyable and successful community event, with a high turnout of 40+. This
was a great opportunity for the village to get together, to sing traditional carols
and to enjoy delicious refreshments.
14.3 Spring Litter Pick Saturday 7th March. A village litter pick will take place
on Saturday 7th March, meeting up at The Crown bus shelter at 11am and
finishing by 1230pm. Action: Cllr Bottomley.
14.4 Playground Work Party Saturday 18th April. A Playground Work Party will take
place on Saturday 18th April, meeting up at the playground at 09.30am and
finishing by 1230pm. The focus will be on cleaning, painting, strimming and
repaIrs. Action: Cllr Earle.
15. Highways and Footpaths.
15.1 Footpath Right of Way (RoW) 15. The Wilts Council RoW Officer continues to
explore options for clearing the permissive path for RoW 15 around the outside
of the site of the former Everleigh Household Recycle Centre (HRC). Updates
have been received from the Wilts Council RoW Officer in 2025 on 13th May and
17th October to report that this matter remains a complex issue which is being
considered at Head of Service level. Further elaboration has been requested
and Wilts Cllr Williams has liaised with the Wilts Council Head of Highways and
RoWs to seek clarification. Action: Cllr Bottomley.
16. Village Emergency Plan. After consideration of the Village Emergancy Plan,
Cllrs RESOLVED to make minor amendments and to request that the updated plan be
posted on to the village website. Action: Cllr Bottomley.
17. Date of Next Meeting: The date of the next Parish Council meeting was confirmed as
Tuesday 10th March 2026 at 7pm at the Collingbourne Ducis Village Hall.
The meeting closed at 9pm.
Signed: date:
Name:
Chair
