Town Council

There are 15 Town Councillors looking after the interests of the town, all working closely with residents and local groups. The Town Council, the first tier of government and the one closest to local people, provides a democratic voice for its community.

Its responsibilities include:

• • Managing the Town Council budget on a day-to-day basis to ensure 'best value' and to meet the requirements of the various regulatory bodies
  • Providing information about local issues and events, tourism and reporting problems to Wiltshire Council
  • Communicating with residents via noticeboards, The Chronicle and the Town Council website
  • Maintaining the recreation grounds and open spaces, cemetery, St Sampson's and St Mary's churchyards,  Fairview Fields and the Community Garden at Saxons Rest
  • Maintaining free car parks in the Town Centre and at Fairview Fields
  • Providing and maintaining children's play areas and equipment
  • Maintaining the town’s Skate Park
  • High Street enhancements and floral displays
  • Tries to identify suitable land for allotments where there is a demand
  • Considering planning applications and assessing their impact on the conservation area
  • Reviewing major development plans
  • Making recommendations on traffic issues affecting the town

Where services are provided by other agencies, it tries to make sure that they are delivered effectively by working in partnership with Wiltshire Council, the Neighbourhood Policing Team and Fire Authorities.  It works to promote the town and also with a number of community and voluntary groups to help improve overall quality of life.

Links:
Wiltshire App
Wiltshire Council
Visit Wiltshire

The latest Local Election took place on 6th May 2021

Council Responsibilities

Cricklade Town Council manages a number of services including a Tourist and Information Point, a CCTV system, recreation grounds, a cemetery, churchyards, play areas and other open public spaces. It is involved with local issues such as traffic improvement schemes, protecting the local environment and awards grants for local projects.

Where services are provided by other agencies, it tries to make sure that they are delivered effectively by working in partnership with Wiltshire Council, the Neighbourhood Policing Team and Fire Authorities.  It works to promote the town and also with a number of community and voluntary groups to help improve the overall quality of life.

Each year the council calculates how much money it needs to provide its services and planned projects.  This money, known as the precept, is collected from the residents of Cricklade via Wiltshire Council through what is collectively known as the council tax.

Further information on the precept can be found here

The Full Town Council deals with statutory business, policies, administration, grants and donations, information service and tourism, regularly monitors income and expenditure, considers recommendations from committees and civic duties. This meets every six weeks.

In addition, it has the following Committees:

Planning, Conservation and Transport deals with planning consultation, the conservation area, climate change,  traffic issues and traffic management. This meets every four weeks.

Community and Leisure is responsible for play areas and equipment, maintaining recreation grounds, open spaces, cemeteries and burials, church grounds at St Sampson's and St Mary's, Fairview Fields, and floral displays in the High Street. This meets every eight weeks.

Premises & Finance is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, associated budget setting and monitoring income and expenditure. This meets every 11 weeks.  

A Personnel Committee meets 4 times a year or when specifically called.

Full details, agendas and minutes of meetings can be found by clicking here
To view the Council’s Committee structure click here
More details about the council and the committees can be found in Standing Orders here

The History Of The Council Offices

113 High Street, Cricklade

The former Ockwells Glove Factory, a Grade II listed building was purchased by North Wiltshire District Council in 1996. The building was constructed in 1861 by a local builder, to provide the community with a Town Hall, following the demolition of the previous Town Hall. The building was used for various meetings including the Petty Sessional and Manorial Courts, the Cricklade Assemblies and the Parish Council. Services were held in the hall during the restoration of St Sampson's Church in 1862.

In 1933 the building was sold to Charles Ockwell & Co, a glove manufacturer and the town's largest employer. It continued to flourish during World War II and the building was extended to cope with military contracts. During the 1980's trade declined and the business ceased to trade in 1994. Since that time the building had been in civic ownership and subject to restoration plans.

The re-use of the factory buildings have provided a variety of community uses including a doctors surgery, multi-tier Local Authority offices, a Library, a Town Council Information Point and a multifunctional meeting chamber.

There was no demand for the building in its current form so all proposals needed to take into account the listed status of the building to ensure its visual preservation, the retention of historic fabric and historic features.

With the occupation of the surgery, the new complex is now fully tenanted by the Town Council, Cricklade Library and Cricklade Surgery, respectively.

It is pleasing to note that the development has met with approval, and in particular from the Tenants. The general consensus is that the conversion of the historic site is both visually pleasing and proving to be a viable amenity asset to the residents of Cricklade and its environs.