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You Asked, We Answered: What Is The Parish Council’s Stance On The Frampton Festival?

Frampton Festival and the Parish Council

Recently, there has been some discussion and speculation amongst our parishioners regarding Frampton Cotterell Parish Council’s stance on the Frampton Festival.

As we do not want our parishioners to feel that we aren’t being open, and we do want to make sure you all have clear and accurate information on the matter, we have put together an official statement. We hope that this statement will clarify the situation.

In brief, Frampton Cotterell Parish Council have been avid supporters of the Frampton Festival for years. We love seeing the joy it brings to the community every bit as much as you do. We are certainly not opposed to the Frampton Festival! However, there is one key issue presently standing in the way of the Festival going ahead: namely the collapsed wall on Mill Lane. Our efforts to resolve this problem are ongoing.

For our full stance on the various concerns which have been raised in regard to the Frampton Festival, please see our full statement, below.

1: Biodiversity & Grass-Cutting at Centenary Field

It is true that we are passionate about biodiversity and protecting the animals and plants with whom we share our village, but this does not have to stand in the way of the Frampton Festival! The Parish Council’s Climate and Nature Committee have worked with the Frampton Festival to develop a grass cutting plan.

In 2021 (resolution minute number CN/2021/11ii), it was resolved that the Centenary Field is mown if required for the festival in June on a rotational basis. This grass cutting plan was developed with ecologists, and it allows for the Festival to happen without harming our wider plans to enhance the nature of our local area.

Additionally, our plans to make Centenary Field into a Nature Reserve will have no impact on the future of the Frampton Festival being held at this site, nor upon the field being used by walkers and their dogs, or for other recreational purposes.

The Parish Council understands and cares about balancing the needs of our local environment with the enjoyment of visitors to Centenary Field and Frampton Festival goers.

2: Tree Planting & Parking

In 2021 and early 2022, alongside the Frampton Cotterell Scouts and Frampton Cotterell Nature Group, we planted new trees at Centenary Field as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy for the Platinum Jubilee. This has left some people concerned as to whether there will still be space for vehicles at the field during the Frampton Festival. But don’t worry – these trees were planted with the festival in mind!

Our Climate and Nature committee planned the layout of the trees with input from the Festival Committee. Together we came to a solution that worked for everyone, ultimately deciding to leave enough room for vehicles and a turning bay in the top corner, near the trees. Another compromise that worked for everyone!

3: The Park

In 2019, the Parish Council resolved that the Frampton Festival 2019 should go ahead at the Park, and, if this was successful, we would consider holding it there every year (May 29th 2019, minute number 1513i).

Following the Frampton Festival 2019, the Festival Committee found some issues with the Park as a venue. These included difficulty monitoring the entrance and exit points for donations, problems keeping people out of backstage areas, and not having enough volunteers to adequately marshal the larger site. The Festival Committee were therefore keen to keep the Festival at Centenary Field in the future, rather than the Park.

4: The Collapsed Dry Stone Wall

The only reason that the Frampton Festival has been unable to take place at the Centenary Field is that there is a collapsed dry stone wall on Mill Lane. This collapsed wall has limited access to prospective Festival vehicles, and would prevent vehicles from being able to enter.

As the wall is not owned by the Parish, the Parish Council deemed that the expense of repairing it should not be paid for by tax-paying residents.

Instead, the Parish Council resolved to send a letter to the owner of the wall stating that the Parish Council would not pay for repairs (minute number 1459iv). Ongoing discussions are taking place with South Gloucestershire Council to seek a permanent solution to the problem of the collapsed wall.

So, What Are We Doing About It?

The Parish Council is as enthusiastic as our parishioners about getting the Frampton Festival back on! We are currently taking action to move the process forward.

The Parish Council has instructed the Parish Clerk to continue discussions with South Gloucestershire Council regarding the collapsed wall on Mill Lane, which is the only present problem standing in the way of the Frampton Festival going ahead. The Frampton Festival committee will be kept in the loop with our progress on this, and any further developments will be shared with all of our parishioners.

If you want more information on any of these specific issues, all of our meeting minutes are available for you to read in full.