Siston Parish Council

04/06/2026

Good Morning

Just to remind everyone that South Gloucestershire Council are still consulting on the future of special expenses (how that money will be collected in your council tax bills in future and how they are proposing to hand over assets to parish and town councils, toilets, parks and open spaces) in future.
https://specialexpensespolicy.commonplace.is/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSOOhdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9jO9EgvxqEmsjIHIUnXP-10Ou9ZSR4dnetJw2FGoffFhtiTsSMBgSQHo_XA_aem_sj2Yw3Qyiu0XrEpw7PtiRg

In addition we have received notification on another consultation on their Climate Change and Nature Strategy. The document outlines how the authority will be working towards net zero. You can have your say on their plans here:
https://cns26.commonplace.is/

Find out about the proposed new Special Expenses policy and respond on behalf of your council by Sunday, 21 June.

27/05/2026

Residents are always welcome at parish council meetings to speak to the councillors about things that are important to them in the parish and share their ideas and feedback. We have an item in our agenda every month for any members of the public who wish to speak. Our meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 7.30pm in the Penny/Vowles room in Warmley Community Centre.

It is useful to know if you wish to speak in the meeting, so that the council can prepare any information in advance, but that is not always necessary.

You can also contact the clerk in writing at [email protected]

26/05/2026

You may be aware from previous communications that the South Gloucestershire Local Plan is being reviewed by central government inspectors. There were three days of meetings last week and more meetings coming up. Two parish councillors and the clerk attended the meetings last week to present our view points, with further attendance planned. There is one meeting where Warmley North will be discussed and we have invited Context Planning to represent the parish during this meeting. Collectively we are trying to influence the best possible outcome for Siston Parish.

26/05/2026

Just a heads up the parish council will be working with Creative Youth Network to run the skate jam again this year - currently booked for Saturday the 19th of September 2026!! This has been a really successful event over the last two years, for residents and bringing more people into the parish, using our local shops and services.

There will also be fun event again for the month of August - our Hedgehog trail proved very popular. This year it will be based in the Forest Park and all residents will be invited to search for ten hidden squirrels - in the big squirrel search!! all generations are welcome to join the fun!

There is also something new coming - with the parish council supporting two days with Swift Sports for families requiring childcare in the summer holidays. More details to follow directly from Swift Sports. They already work with Bitton parish council and come highly recommended for their work.

15/05/2026

A grant opportunity from South Glos. Council...

"We are excited to let you know that applications for Small Sparks are now open!

Small Sparks is a grant scheme to support community-led initiatives, bringing local people together to work on things that matter to them.

Small sparks grants of £100 to £500 are available. Grants can be used to fully fund or contribute to local projects, events or activities that take an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach to achieve positive benefits for communities in South Glos.

Visit http://www.southglos.gov.uk/small-sparks to learn more about the fund and how to apply. Please note that the principles have changed for 26/27. Small Sparks projects, including ones already funded, can only be funded twice.

We look forward to seeing how your ideas will shape the future of our communities"

This grant supports projects that are community-led, bringing local people together to work on things that matter to them where they live.

15/05/2026

The parish council funded the purchase of oak posts, which were installed by South Gloucestershire Council without an additional charge on top of council tax paid, at Webbs Heath. These replaced posts that were already in place for many years, but had rotted away. The common land was being used by vehicles as a cut through, particularly when the water main recently burst and it was causing a safety issue for families who live adjacent to the grass, with children not being able to play outside. With the improvements made we hope the area will be a safer place to walk and play.

15/05/2026

Following feedback from residents concerned about safety at Chapel Lane and Warmley High Street junction, the parish council funded and organised for six bollards to be installed to prevent parking on the pavement. The work was completed to improve visibility when exiting the junction in a vehicle and for pedestrian's to cross the road safely, particularly with pushchairs and for people using wheelchairs. The bollards have not yet prevented all the parking, but we are reviewing the situation and engaging with the park legally team at South Glos.

12/05/2026

The parish council wish to highlight to residents of a South Gloucestershire Council Consultation on Special Expenses which commenced on the 13th of April and ends on the 19th of June 2026. If approved the changes will be implemented in the 2027.28 fiscal year and will have financial impacts for residents.

Special Expenses is a classification for discretionary services that the authority provides in parishes and is a monetary amount which is collected via residents council tax.

South Gloucestershire Council are proposing that in future years instead of them charging you the sum for special expenses, the PARISH COUNCIL will need to charge you this amount, as part of their precept (as a parish council has no cap, unlike local authorities). This will mean to Siston Parish Council an increase in council tax attributed to the parish council of 187%, in the first year, which is the highest increase throughout South Gloucestershire.

In Siston Parish area – South Gloucestershire Council propose asking the parish council to collect money for the toilet block at Warmley Station, three play parks (Ridley Avenue, Brunel Close and Chapel Lane), green spaces at a variety of locations throughout the parish, Warmley Forest Park and Warmley Heritage Garden and they will be required to manage those assets in the future, instead of South Gloucestershire Council looking after them.

The current sum they charge residents is £129,039. In the first year they have advised us they will charge the same sum, but in future years if we buy back their services, the costs are likely to increase by 3-5%, (as advised in the meetings we have attended, although this is not specifically documented in the consultation). The services we would need to source are things like grass cutting, safety checks on play equipment, opening and cleaning toilets and much more.

South Gloucestershire Council feels that this change will give local people more control how their money is spent and the opportunity to buy cheaper services, outside of South Gloucestershire Council in the longer term.

The parish council are in the process of considering this consultation and have asked for lots of detailed information using a Freedom of Information request, because they feel they cannot make an informed decision without information such as unit costs and spatial maps as a minimum. The information on the consultation is not sufficient to make a decision, and neither is it accurate at the moment, as Warmley Forest Park and the Heritage Park are in Siston, but were included an an asset for Oldland Parish on the reports attached to the consultation.

In addition, the parish council have raised other concerns such as; they have not been informed about information such as the condition of the assets being handed over and what they will cost to get up to date and whether they will need to save to purchase play equipment in the future and what happens if the parish councils decide not to accept the assets and tasks. We would also need to potentially increase future costs to salary for increased hours of our current clerk, who is the only employee and part time, other new employees, and equipment we need to buy and store if we take over the services. There is a lot to consider.

Parish Councillors are not renumerated for the roles they undertake and they will need to take on much more responsibility.

In other areas where they have town councils or larger parish councils, such as Emersons Green, they already have a grounds team and multiple employees, so the considerations are hugely different. It should be noted that there could be an opportunity to work collaboratively with other parish councils, which we already do with Bitton Parish Council and Oldland Parish Council on our skate park.

South Gloucestershire Council have now decided to hold public meetings, so they can hear directly from residents and parish/town councils, about how the proposed changes will affect them.

26th May 6.30pm Kingswood Civic Centre
1st June 6.30pm Kingswood Civic Centre
10th June 6.30pm Kingswood Civic Centre (although this date may not be held)

The parish council think it is very important that residents know about the proposed change, that has financial implications for all and what the changes may mean in future for the parish and encourage you to read the consultation here: https://specialexpensespolicy.commonplace.is/ and send a response with your thoughts to [email protected] or attend the public meetings if you are able.

Find out about the proposed new Special Expenses policy and respond on behalf of your council by Sunday, 21 June.

06/05/2026

The washing machine that has been flytipped at Norman Road - on the common, has been reported to South Glos. Council by the clerk.

23/04/2026

The Planning Inspectorate will be reviewing the South Gloucestershire Council local plan in the coming weeks. Siston Parish Councillors agreed last week to employ a planning consultant to speak on some of the days to represent the views of the residents - in particular questions which relate to green spaces.