SWT Council Business Bulletins

Benefice Newsletter 6th January 2023

  • Police Notice

A workshop has been unlawfully entered on a farm in Brompton Ralph, this was discovered on 1st. The suspect gained entry via the main doors to the workshop, without force, and once inside stole two orange chainsaws, before making off. Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting reference number: 5223001832 stating

NHW release. Or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Thank you for your support.

Attachments: securing-your-garden-and-outbuildings.pdf

  • Eat fresh in 2023 with Somerset West Lottery

The Somerset West Lottery New Year Bolt-on Prize is now open, offering players a chance to win year’s supply of fresh food recipe boxes to eat healthier and save money in 2023.

Anyone buying one or more tickets between now and Saturday, 25 February, could win 12 monthly deliveries of fresh ingredients to plan and cook up to 20 delicious meals from scratch from food recipe box provider, HelloFresh, courtesy of external lottery management company Gatherwell.

HelloFresh is a food recipe box delivery service, developed to help customers plan for their weekly food delivery without the need for a meal planner.

Please click here to read the full press release.

  • Meet the Team building Rainbow Way, Minehead

SWT and Classic Builders are hosting a drop-in open event for members of the public to come and learn more about this important zero carbon development.

The event is open to anyone wanting to know more about the project and to meet the team delivering the works. Doors open at 3pm on Friday 20 January 2023 at Minehead Cricket Club (Luttrell Way, Minehead, TA24 6DF), and the team will be there until 6pm.

  • Somerset County Council (SCC) – Council pushes for urgent landlord action on A358 land slips

SCC is working with a local landowner to ensure work is carried out urgently to prevent any further landslips onto a vital county route. This week the Council’s Highways team is carrying out essential drainage upgrade and clearance works along the A358 at Combe Florey. This key route links Taunton to West Somerset and a number of recent incidents have caused closures and significant disruption.

Two flooding incidents in August (and September just weeks apart, occurred after heavy rain produced run-off from fields which saw tonnes of soil slurry and potatoes run onto the road at Combe Florey. A closure and major clear-up operation was needed on both occasions. On 20 December another smaller incident occurred in the same location, which also resulted in a closure.

At the time of the first incidents a local tenant farmer was asked by the Council to carryout remedial measures to prevent another incident. Although some works were undertaken, they proved to be insufficient to stop the slip on 20 December. The Council is now in negotiation with the Landowner and will require further remedial measures.

Please click here to read the full press release.

Reporting a Pothole

Alerting SCC to potholes or a host of other problems on the road is now easier and quicker – and you can track its progress after you’ve reported it. Gone is the need to make phone calls or send emails – thanks to a new upgraded online system with an improved interactive map, members of the public can report a problem 24/7 and the Highways team will get on the case. From potholes, blocked drains and broken manhole covers, to overgrown vegetation, damaged pavements or cycle paths, faulty traffic lights or missing markings – they can all be reported in just minutes from a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The full range and how to report is available here  www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem-on-the-road/. The new development means that if you’re reporting a fault, you can now track its progress. If it’s safe to pull over, all you need to do is take a quick picture of the fault, then visit the Report It site on your phone, answer a few simple questions and upload your picture. You’ll be sent a link which enables you to track its progress.

Please click here to read the full press release.

  • “Bus It” for £2 on single bus journeys across Somerset

Bus users in Somerset will be able to travel on most routes in the county for just £2 from January. The major fare cut is part of an initiative funded by the Government aimed at boosting bus use while helping passengers to save money as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, fuelled in part by high petrol and diesel prices.

The £2 single fare is available from all participating operators from 1 January to 31 March. The initiative will apply to the majority of routes in Somerset. You can check here https://www.somerset.gov.uk/busit to see find out more about the scheme. Please click here to read the full press release.

  • Think Travel Can Help

A one-stop travel information website has been launched by Somerset County Council to support more local people to access public and community transport. If you don’t own a car – or want to leave it at home and travel more sustainably, Think Travel can help you with your transport options. Whether it’s getting to the doctors, shops, travelling to work, college, or school, or just into town to meet friends or family, the new travel planner shows you what’s available. It covers public transport, community transport, the Slinky demand responsive transport service and car sharing.

To start your search, all you need to do is enter your journey start point and destination in the planner and Think Travel will find the available options for you.

As well as information on train and bus services, there’s also a dedicated car sharing notice board you can sign up to, where offers or requests for car sharing journeys can be posted.

The aim is to grow this facility and encourage local car sharing networks to evolve.

You can check out “Think Travel” here: https://somerset.thinktravel.info.

Website Statistics

During 2022 the village website was as active as ever, with nearly 9,000 visits to the site over the year!!

Thanks must go to Bill Hodgson who has put together a short PDF summary explaining activity on the website, what people look at, where they come from and what was popular this year.

Thanks must also go to the 6 website editors, who have posted items throughout the year.

Click below to download and view the PDF.

2022 Timberscombe Website Roundup

Messages

Christmas Trees.

Rather tan taking your REAL Christmas trees to the recycling centre. Feel free to drop them off at no 2 Ford Cottages in Timberscombe. We have sheep that will happily dispose of them.
Thank you Paul & Tamara

Oil Rebate Update

If you live in Great Britain and use alternative fuels, there are now two ways you could receive your one-off £200 grant from the government, depending on how you pay your electricity bill:

  • If you pay for electricity directly to a supplier, you should get this payment automatically from your electricity supplier in February 2023.
  • If you don’t pay for your electricity bill directly to an energy supplier, you’ll need to apply for your grant from February. You’ll be able to do so via an online portal, which is yet to launch.

YOGA CLASSES

Yoga is a fantastic activity to support your physical and mental health!

The NHS recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, including some activity each day, and that adults 65 and over should include ‘activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week’.  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-older-adults/

The Monday morning class at Wootton Courtenay are slow moving, low impact, load bearing sessions that vary each week.  We move slowly.  We build core strength and balance. We stretch muscles and mobilise joints.  We breathe deeply. We relax.  And we usually have a giggle!

The Monday evening class at Wheddon Cross is a longer session.  We work with stronger postures, so need longer to warm up, and have a longer relaxation at the end.  Again, moving slowly, gradually building strength and increasing flexibility.  Again, regular giggles included!

Yoga classes are starting again next week on the 9th January:

Wootton Courtenay Mondays 10 – 11am

Wheddon Cross  Mondays 7 – 8:30pm

Drop in classes £12.  Half term package of 5 weeks: £50

Email me with any questions, or head over to my website for more info and to book your space:  https://shiatsuyoga.co.uk/inpersonyoga/

Whether you’re practicing yoga, or something else – remember to keep moving your body! This will keep it healthier and happier for longer!

Happy New Year!

Terry Bruce
Yoga Teacher & Shiatsu Practitioner
Exmoor Wellbeing Safari
www.shiatsuyoga.co.uk
07961 892526

Updates

Happy New Year to all our readers

Reminder- If you use the Village Hall make sure you have booked your dates for 2023 via the website.

Reminder all recycling and refuse is one day late this week  Garden waste collections are suspended for the festive fortnight.

Benefice Newsletter 30th December 2022