Tag: community

Parish Council Chair’s Report May 2025

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

There have been 4 changes in personnel on Parish Council this year. With Flo Lloyd, Allan Sutton, Scott Walker and Kathy Walker stepping down from the Parish Council. We thank them for their efforts whilst on the Council. In May 2024 I was re-elected as Chairperson for the year.

The Parish Councillors are now K. Attwater (KA, Chair) S. Campbell (SC), C. Gibbard (CG), J. Daniel (JD), L. Davies (LD), I. Ware (IW), H. Moore (HM) and the clerk is L. Webb (LW)

Our County Councillors are F. Nicholson (FN) and S. Pugsley (SP)

The following areas of responsibility have been agreed by the councillors:

KA – Chair, LCN rep, Housing Enabler link

LD – Footpaths and Bridleways

SC – Village eyes and ears and JAPF chair

CG – Liaison with the School

IW – Defibrillator monitor, SID. Bus representative

JD – Facebook

All Parish Councillors are also trustees of the JAPF.

Over the last year there has been 5 planning applications.

EAST HARWOOD FARM
Hedgerow located between the A396 and Knowle Lane,TA24 7TD
North Hawkwell Farm, TIMBERSCOMBE,  TA24 7UH
Croft Cottage, BURROW, TIMBERSCOMBE, TA24 7UD
WELL FARM COTTAGE, TIMBERSCOMBE, TA24 7UB

Details of planning applications and our responses can be viewed on the ENP website.

Unfortunately, our requests for an enforcement notice to be served for unlawful work on one house in the village continues to be denied by ENPA.

Our request for the builders rubbish in Great House Street to be removed was more successful, thanks to help from Webbers estate agents.

Throughout the year the PC has organised village maintenance, including the cutting of hedges and grass and the clearing of roadside weeds.

We contract the emptying of the dog and rubbish bins and the filling of the salt bins and bags. We have also made repairs to dog bins.

Councillors planted a large number of  daffodil bulbs around the village and this gave a good show in the spring.

The grass cutting regime, which caused much discussion last year, has been re-evaluated and we hope that it will be more successful this year.

Our plans for Mr Fowler to replace the bus shelter, which is in a poor condition, where scuppered when he suddenly closed his business. We have now accepted a quote from Mr Evans to rebuild a slightly different shelter, with a small brick wall and a greater paving area for users to stand on.

Numerous potholes, problems caused by tree roots and damaged or missing signs were reported to Somerset Council for repair by the clerk. Problematic street lighting has been reported for repair. Parishioners should be aware that they can report problems themselves by using the “problems on the roads” page on the Somerset Council website. Alternatively, problems can be reported to the PC clerk.

The Parish Council’s query about the frequency of road sweeping resulted in the immediate siting of the sweeper in the village !

Footpath problems have been dealt with by our Footpath Liaison officer, Mr Southon, Cllr. LD or the Clerk. Reports have included trees down, vegetation blocking pathways, holes in footpaths, discarded tree guards and rubbish.

The PC has not forgotten the perennial problem of the surface water in Great House Street. The Parish Council has been working with Somerset Highways to try to resolve this problem. Unfortunately, Wessex Water refused permission for the water to be diverted to a nearby drain, as they are trying to reduce surface water entering their system. A quote of £75,000 – £100,000 was then given for a gulley to pass down the side of the road to the nearest permissible drain. This then prompted a suggestion from the Parish Council to insert a new drain to link up with a nearby drainage system. This would be considerably cheaper. Positive discussions have been taking place between Highways and a resident’s solicitor to undertake this work as a solution.

Speeding has long been an issue in the village. The Parish Council have now purchased a speed indicator device (SID) which we hope to put up shortly. One post has been agreed with Highways, opposite the Old Dairy. We are awaiting a new post at Duddings and a person to undertake the appropriate training. We are grateful to the owners of Duddings who have agreed to us siting a post on their grass.

Following concerns expressed by villagers. The Parish Council also purchased three  “slow 10mph” signs which have been put up on the 3 entry point to the village centre. The Council would like to thank the Weallans for allowing us to site a sign in their garden. We are also discussing the possibility of CCTV at the Post Office junction, following several accidents at this site.

The PC works closely with other agencies. A huge amount of time was spent by councillors on the Magna heating problems. This culminated in an agreement to hold a residents’ meeting at the village hall. The event was well attended and productive on both sides, with many inspections arranged and many jobs undertaken by Magna. The replacement of the Magna roofing in The Glebe has resolved several problems but discussions are still underway between the Parish Council and Magna about other issues.

We were delighted to hear that Magna have received a grant to retro-fit all of the Orchard properties in 2025 with up to date heating systems. Our councillors have also met with our local MP, Rachel Gilmore, about the Magna problems.

We continue to have discussions with FN, SP and Somerset County Council to try to ensure Magna are held to account at County level and above.

The Parish Council worked with Wessex Water to ensure the smooth replacement of the water mains throughout the village. This now been successfully completed and I sent a letter to Wessex Water thanking them for the efficient way the work was completed, with all areas (except Great House Street) being completed earlier than planned.

The local Citizens Advice team continue to support our residents and this year the Parish Council agreed to a donation of £315 to help them with their work with Timberscombe residents.

The Parish Council also gave a donation of £20 to the Poppy Appeal and our internal auditor donated her fee of £40 to the Red Cross. The church was given a donation of £350 to help with their grass cutting costs and £200 was donated towards the  Dunkery Tidings. We continue to fund the village website.

A one off donation of £3000 has been given to the playing field committee to enable them to pay for the lease extension legal fees and insurance.

One of the other worthy projects in the village has been the purchase of an emergency generator by the village hall. The Parish Council was pleased to support this initiative with a £600 grant. Final touches are currently being made to the village emergency plan before it is published.

IW has  now taken over the responsibility for the defibrillator. The Parish Council organised a First Aid training night in the village hall. This excellent course, run by the Minehead Defibrillator Group, was attended by 26 residents. A donation of £100 was given to the group for the training. A villagers’ Whatsapp emergency call group has now been set up to summon help in an emergency. Following the training the Parish Council also purchased a Bleed Kit, which is sited in the red telephone box in The Glebe, alongside the defibrillator.

The clerk and I have been regular attendees at the Local Community Network (LCN) which meets to ensure that local issues are dealt with. The worrying financial crisis at Somerset will inevitably mean that the Parish Council will have to do more than in the past to take up the slack. The Council has a good reserve, which has been earmarked for village projects, such as the bus shelter and SID training. It was agreed not to increase the village precept by more than the rate of inflation, which was at that time 2.5%.

Following a presentation by Victoria James, our local micro-provider lead, the Parish Council was able to obtain a grant of £3000 to enhance village resilience amongst the elderly or infirm. This grant will be managed by the Good Neighbours team which aims to use it to improve communications between villagers and micro-providers, to increase the number of providers in the village, to connect people to those who can provide help and to support the work of the Good Neighbours. So far it has funded such things as the free cream teas, connecting residents and helpers, purchased some items for the emergency plan and some disabled equipment for the team to use with its clients.

Colin Mc Donald, a rural housing enabler, also attended one of our meeting. The discussion centred on housing needs in the village, the worrying number of 2nd homes and the lack of truly affordable housing.

As trustees to the John Arlott Playing Field, the Parish Council looks after the play area. As a result of our work the play area received a very good annual inspection in October.

The JAPF have long found it difficult to secure grants for new equipment, because they do not own the land, or have a long term lease. The JAPF committee was unable to persuade the diocese to sell the land to the village but we have now negotiated an extended 20 year lease. This will enable the committee to apply for larger grants, such as the lottery.  We hope to sign this new lease shortly and we will then be able to plan for more equipment. A huge amount of fundraising will be needed. If you are interested in helping please get in touch.

Online sessions to help people understand complexities of care planning

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

Somerset Council is holding a series of free, online webinars to help individuals plan care and support needs for themselves or those they care for.

These informative sessions aim to provide valuable insights and practical advice on navigating the complexities of care planning.

The webinars follow the success of the previous in-person event held in November, which saw positive feedback. The new sessions will be held via Microsoft Teams and in the evenings and are scheduled to begin on 27 January 2025 and continue throughout February, offering another opportunity for Somerset residents to gain essential knowledge and resources.

Topics covered will include understanding your care options, financial planning, and how to access local support services. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance from professionals in the field.

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, Lead Member for Adults Services, Housing and Homelessness at Somerset Council, said:

“The webinars are a fantastic resource for anyone looking to understand and plan for care needs, whether for themselves or their loved ones.

 The positive response from our November in-person event has encouraged us to keep this momentum going, and we hope that holding the webinars online in January will encourage even more people to join.

 No one wants to start thinking about financing care for themselves or the people they support, but it is a position that many of us will be faced with sooner or later. These online sessions aim to help the people of Somerset get the information that they need to make the best-informed decisions for their lives or for the lives of their loved ones.

 I really encourage you to drop in if you can.”

There will be a series of webinars taking place in the evenings between Monday, 27 January  and Thursday, 27 February 2025.

For those that cannot attend, the webinars will all be available online after the sessions take place. Register for the free online-only events using the following links:

Parish Council Vacancy

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

We currently have one vacancy on the Timberscombe Parish Council and are looking for a positive , enthusiastic person to fill this role.

The role need not be onerous and meetings are held once a month, usually on a Monday.

I have repeated the Chair’s annual report below , so you can see the sort of things the PC is responsible for.

If you are interested in filling this vacancy, or have any questions please reply to this email.

Timberscombe Parish Council Chair’s Report May 2024

There have been no changes in personnel on Parish Council this year. In May 2023 I was re-elected as Chairperson for the year and Flo Lloyd was elected as vice-chairperson. The Parish Councillors are now K. Attwater (KA) – Chairwoman, S. Campbell (SC), S. Walker (SW), A. Sutton (AS), Flo Lloyd (FL)- Vice Chair, I.  Ware (IW), K. Walker (KW), L. Webb (LW)- Clerk

Our County Councillors are F. Nicholson (FN) and S. Pugsley (SP)

The following areas of responsibility were confirmed in May 2023.

KA – Chair, LCN rep, Housing Enabler link

AS – Footpaths and Bridleways

KW – JAPF chair, Bus representative

SW – JAPF and SID monitoring

SC – Defibrillator Guardian, Village eyes and ears

FL – Liaison with the School

IW – Defibrillator monitor, SID.

All Parish Councillors are also trustees of the JAPF.

Over the last year there has been just one planning application (change of use at Middle Burrow),  which the Parish Council supported. Details of planning applications can be viewed on the ENP website.

Probably the most discussed item this year was the question how frequently to mow the village green. A village Survey was carried out with 59% in favour of regular cutting. We have listened to these views on this and amended our plans accordingly for the coming year.

Throughout the year the PC has organised village maintenance, including the cutting of hedges and grass and the clearing of roadside weeds. We no longer have the services of the Exmoor Highways Steward and Mr Smythe has recently been employed to carry out odd jobs within the village such as resetting the Willow Bank sign, clearing weeds from the Orchard Bungalow wall and around the play area gate, etc.

We contract the emptying of the dog and rubbish bins and the filling of the salt bins and bags. The bus shelter was treated by Councillor Scott walker but it’s condition was poor. The Council is waiting for Barry Fowler to replace the wood.

On the roads numerous potholes and damaged or missing signs were reported to Somerset Council for repair by the clerk. Parishioners should be aware that they can report problems themselves by using the “problems on the roads” page on the Somerset Council website. Alternatively, they can be reported to the PC clerk.

Footpath problems have been dealt with by our Footpath Liaison officer, Gary Southon, Cllr. Allan Sutton or the PC clerk. Reports have included trees down, vegetation blocking pathways, broken and discarded tree guards and rubbish. I took part with ENP in the removal of tree guards from Timberscombe Hill Fort. The clerk and Mr Southon also took part in the exercise.

The PC has not forgotten the perennial problem of the surface water in Great House Street. The Parish Council has been working with Somerset Highways to try to resolve this problem. Jetting of the water pipes in the road was undertaken in September and an underground camera revealed severe blockages in the system. It is hoped that this can be rectified by Wessex Water during their scheduled work in June/July. If this fails to solve the problem Highways have agreed to programme in the construction of a drainage channel to remove the water before it crosses the roadway.

Speeding has long been an issue in the village. Highways have now approved the Parish Council’s plans for a speed indicator device (SID). We have applied for a grant towards the SID and are awaiting the outcome of this application (in July) before purchasing the SID. Councillors Ian Ware and Scott Walker have agreed to take part in the required training. The total cost of the SID, posts and training will be approximately £3600, so a grant towards this would be very helpful. We are grateful to the owners of Duddings who have agreed to us siting a post on their grass at the Dunster end of the village.

Last year the PC received complaints from riders about abuse and dangerous driving around horses and riders on the roads. We have listened to these concerns and a number of new signs , including “horse in road” signs have been installed around the village.

The PC supported the Coronation celebrations by purchasing commemorative mugs for all under 17s in the village. A free portrait of the new king has also been obtained by the Parish Council and installed in the Post Office.

The PC works closely with other agencies. In order to acknowledge the outstanding work done by Joy Booth and her team of volunteers in the Good Neighbours, the Parish Council nominated Joy for the Chairs Award presented by Somerset Council for services to the community.

A huge amount of time has been spent by councillors on the Magna heating problems. A letter from the Parish Council was sent to Magna detailing the Parish Council’s many concerns including:

  • Air source heat pumps should be serviced once a year. This has not been happening.
  • Since all the heaters were installed at around the same time, pre-emptive checks are now needed to all other units on the site.
  • Tenants need to be reassured that all additional costs would be met before their bills needed to be paid.
  • Concern also about the alarm system which appeared to fail in the recent power cut.
  • Rebates needed for tenants who have not had the service they have paid for.

Responses from Magna indicate that there seems to be a significant gap between what was said by Magna and the reality experienced by the residents.

The clerk compiled an circulated a letter for all Magna residents detailing “How to complain” . At least one resident has taken his case to the housing ombudsman and we await this outcome with interest.

I continue to have discussions with FN, SP and Somerset County Council to try to ensure Magna are held to account at County level and above.

The Parish Council have been working with Wessex Water to ensure the smooth replacement of the water mains throughout the village. In August we met with their representatives to try to iron out any problems before their plans were presented to the public. We arranged a public meeting for November 2023, which seemed to go well. So far, it appears that all the planning is working, with villagers reporting how well the works have been progressing and how helpful the workmen have been.

The Parish Council have liaised with the Environment Agency to ensure clearance of the vegetation in the stream by the pub. Cllrs Lloyd, Sutton and myself have set up a sub-group to look at the issue of flooding in the village.

The local Citizens Advice team attended our February 2023 meeting to tell us about their work with Timberscombe residents and this year the Parish Council agreed to a donation of £300 to help them with their work with Timberscombe residents.

The Parish Council also gave a donation of £20 to the Poppy Appeal and our internal auditor donated her fee of £40 to the Red Cross. The church was given a donation of £350 to help with their grass cutting costs and £200 was donated to kick start the new village newsletter.

Cllr Kathy Walker is our representative on the local bus forum and she attends the local bus forum looking at services in the area.

Cllr Ware has  now taken over the responsibility for the defibrillator.

As you may be aware, WS and T Council no longer exists and has been incorporated into Somerset Council. The clerk and I have been regular attendees at the Local Community Networks (LCNs) which meets to ensure that local issues are dealt with. The worrying financial crisis at Somerset is likely to require Parish Councils to take up the slack when cuts are made to services such as highways maintenance. The Council has a good reserve, which has been earmarked for village projects, such as the SID. It was agreed not to increase the village percept by more than the rate of inflation, which was at the time 4.7%.

As trustees to the John Arlott Playing Field, the Parish Council looks after the play area. Thanks to Cllr. Scott Walker who has carried out weekly checks on the equipment and completed minor repairs. As a result of our work the play area received a very good annual inspection in October.

A grant of £7000 from the Morrissons Foundation was secured to remove the rotten large slide and wooden structure and replace it with outdoor gym equipment suitable for teenagers and adults. Thanks must go to Owen Rush who helped to remove the old wooden structure and has been cutting it up and using it to supply some of the elderly villagers with wood for their fires.

We understand that the Dog Exclusion Order applied for last year has finally been approved by Somerset Council and we should shortly be receiving the required wording for signage. Meanwhile we have put up temporary “no dogs” signs. We have, on numerous occasions , asked the school if they could install new gates on their field to prevent dogs from entering.

Together with the clerk I planted a large number of free daffodil bulbs around the play area and this gave a good show in the spring.

The JAPF have long found it difficult to secure grants for new equipment, because the do not own the land , or have a long term lease. The JAPF committee have put a proposal to the Diocese that we buy the land from them and are awaiting a response. If this is agreed a huge amount of fundraising will be needed. If you are interested in helping please get in touch.

Katy Attwater    21/05/24