PARISH COUNCIL: Councillors, chaired by Councillor Tony Wilkins, heard that the culverts by the Dower House in Back Street had been filled in, the manhole cover on the pavement by the manor had been smoothed out and the road surface at the entrance to Featherbed Lane had been repaired.

The clerk had made inquiries about the provision of dog bins for the playing field.

These were available from Cotswold District Council at a cost of £76, with an extra £45.79 if a new post was needed.

They would be emptied weekly by the refuse collectors.

It was decided to leave this until the pitches and the children's play area had been inspected to see if there was a real problem.

A letter had been received from Mr Hugh Beecham of the fete committee, complaining about the state of the toilets at the playing field during the August bank holiday fete.

Coun Judy Maguire reported that the toilets were in a satisfactory condition at the start of the day but that with so many people using them they were bound to deteriorate.

The lock was broken on the ladies outside toilet but this would be repaired, and after the bonfire on October 28 the outside ladies toilet would be cleaned and locked.

Mr Beecham should be advised that the organisers of any function should be responsible for the state of the toilets during the event.

Five questionnaires, mostly from the district council, had been received recently.

The first was asking for the parish council's views on how the district council should be run and it was agreed that the parish council felt that the district should adopt Option 2, a cabinet with a leader.

The other questionnaires were on policing plans, health authority matters, parish appraisal and design statement, and the district local plan.

These were all handed to councillors to complete.

District councillor C J Saint reported that he had written to the planning department about the parish council's concerns over a new garage and that it had been given an enforcement number and was under investigation.

He would raise this at his coming meeting with the head of development control.

Notices of planning permission from the district council had been received for the conversion of roof space over the garage at Poachers Cottage, Front Street, and for the felling of a poplar at the Howard Arms.

The parish council had no objections to applications for permission to fell one hornbeam at Little Owl Cottage, Ballards Lane; for a replacement conservatory and rooflights at Rose Cottage, Frog Lane; or for the siting of a maypole in Berry Orchard.

Coun David Sabin asked whether any progress had been made in the matter of cleaning the ditch around Chilcroft.

The clerk had been told that the district solicitor had the matter in hand and that there would be some action soon.

Coun Sabin reported that he and district councillor Saint had met Mrs Joyce Peachey, of Armscote Road, after there had been an overflow of sewage in her garden.

This had happened several times before, and the housing association had sent out a plumber who rodded the sewer from Bennett Place.

Coun Saint is to ask the environmental health department to assess the nuisance value of this.

The chairman reported that he had spoken to Mr Jack Hands about the manhole at the top of Armscote Road.

He had not seen it lifted off recently, but there was an awful smell from it from time to time.