Somerset County Countil Proposed Reduction in Subsidised Local Bus Services

Somerset County Council is consulting the public on a reduction in subsidies in the local bus services and are asking for people’s views by way of a public survey. To complete the survey please log on to www.somerset.gov.uk/bussurvey. The  deadline for the responses to the survey is 20^th January 2012.

Hinkley Point C - DCO Examination Phase

EDF's application to the IPC for permission for two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point and associated development has been accepted for examination. The application is available to view on-line and copies are available at the District Council offices but the IPC are encouraging people to register online. To assist people with the registration process the IPC has arranged a series of drop-in events. The nearest drop-in point will be at West Somerset House in Killick Way Williton on Friday 9th December. Presentations will take place at 2pm, 4pm and 7pm. 

Representations to the IPC need to be submitted by 23rd January 2012. EDF will provide information about the application at a public exhibition at Danesfield School on 7th January between 10am and 2pm.

Official Office Opening

The Official Office Opening will take place Saturday 10th December at 10pm. Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP will unveil our plaque to commemorate the opening of our new office and community building.

Williton Window - Article to appear in December's edition

We have moved into the new office and are now fully open for business. The building will be formally opened on the 10^th December 2011 at 10am by our sitting MP Ian Liddell-Granger. You are welcome to come and support the occasion. We are anxious to encourage you all to make use of the building, should you wish to use it for meetings or social events you can contact the office on 01984 633979 or e-mail willitonpc@btconnect.com Some of you will be aware that the RBL Branch/Ladies Section have already made use of the facility. It is hoped to organise art exhibitions, and window displays. Please contact the office if you are interested or there are any other ideas you would like to be considered. The Council has a web site (www.willitonparishcouncil.org) and if any local businesses, shops, bed and breakfast or pubs would like a free listing please contact the Clerk.

The Christmas Festival will take place again this year on 8^th Dec 2011. If you are interested in taking part or helping please contact Graham Bigwood on 633650. Our best home Christmas decorations and best Shop Display will be judged on the 19^th Dec. Prizes are 1^st - £30, 2^nd - £20  and 3^rd - £10.

You will all be aware of the planning for the new building of the Hinkley Point C Power Station. As it is within a 15 mile radius of Williton, the Parish Council is consulted at each stage of the application and we are asked to make representation and comment on your behalf. This can be issues of road transport to environmental permits to discharge radioactive waste or cooling water and liquid effluent. If any of you have any concerns over these issues and you wish to discuss or put points forward before the deadline of 15 December, there will be a Council surgery at the Parish Office between 11am and 1pm on 12 December, when we will try to help with your questions or if we do not have the answer, we can ask on your behalf.

Other matters that we have been dealing with on your behalf include the issue of devolved local facilities. The potential closure of toilets, the task of cutting grass areas and the emptying of the dog bins are included and discussions are ongoing with the District Council. We hope to be able to give you more details in the next issue.

The Trustees of the Memorial Ground have a working group looking at the ground and the play area and ways of getting more use out of it. We have already made inquiries to try and improve the facilities in the play area, to that end we are asking for your constructive ideas that may be considered during this consultation period. If you have any, then please contact the Parish Office.

Whilst on the subject of the memorial ground, the issue of dog fouling has become prevalent and also vandalism in the Childrens play area. Please clean up after your animals, it only takes a few minutes and leave the area clean for others to use. Children can pick up some serious infections as I am sure you are all aware.

Finally, winter is on the way and the Parish Council has obtained 10x20 Kilogram bags of salt for path clearing. Should you require a bag, when the time comes, you should contact the Clerk.

We would like to offer our congratulations to Jenny Gibson, editor of this magazine, for her Chairman’s Award for Services to the Community. Thank you Jenny for your tireless work.

I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Parish Council, to wish you a safe and Merry Christmas.

Cllr Robert McDonald

Parish Council Surgery

One of the important issues being discussed at our Parish meetings at the moment are the consultations on the various environmental permits that EDF Energy has submitted to the Environment Agency in preparation of their planned development at Hinkley Point. More information on these applications can be found on http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/132474.aspx. The deadline for your responses to these applications is the 15th December 2011.

We are holding an open Surgery in the Parish Office on Monday 12th December between 11am and 1pm, if you would like to call in and discuss ways of responding to these applications with one of our Councillors, and any other parish matters that you be interested in or are causing you concern.

Williton Parish Walks

Williton Walks

This month the walk will be held on Saturday 19 November starting from the Memorial Ground. Please meet by the beacon at 2pm. We will walk to Sampford Brett via Aller Lane. From Sampford Brett we will walk to Woolston and Cottiford before returning to Williton by walking back through Sampford Brett making this a figure of eight walk.

If you would lilke any further information please ring Elizabeth Peeks on 632318.

Williton Window - Article to appear in November's edition

At the Parish Council meeting on the 3^rd of October, we had a presentation from the Council Environment Agency about the Permits applied for by Hinkley C, these were for waste disposal, a diesel  generator for backup power and for discharge of water( sewage and processed water)

We welcomed Heather Beaver as a new Councillor, thus bringing us up to full strength.

The new PCSO for Williton, Dave Rowe gave details of policing actions in the last month.  Andy Ware is our new Beat Manager.

The Council has agreed to reduce toilet facilities at the car park to 2, one unisex and one disabled with baby changing facilities and investigate other options to save money,  street cleaning will also be reduced  and then reviewed at a later date.

The County Council has agreed to investigate the positioning of a pedestrian crossing in Long Street -the biggest problem will be finding a spot with good visibility.

Magna Housing advised plans  to investigate the possibility of demolishing some unused garages to build 2 bedroom bungalows.  Councillors were invited to join Officers at their neighbourhood inspection tour, myself and others took up this invite and found it very enlightening.

The Street Art had to be cancelled due to a disappointing lack of interest, we will try again next year.

Some Councillors were able to attend the Royal Opening of Croft House, the tour was most interesting, we all hope never to use these facilities, but if we must we would be very comfortable there.

We have now moved into our new offices opposite the West Somerset Council offices. We have a community space available for hire plus a commercial office.

We would like to remind any business or organisations who wish to be included in the Parish Council website to contact the Parish Clerk as soon as possible.

The Community Council for Somerset is launching the Somerset Oil Scheme, this is a syndicate bulk oil purchase which could result in savings on a single order, contact www.somerset.cc.org.uk/oil or 0188333122

Cllr Jenny Koch

Move to New Offices

We have now moved to our newly refurbished offices located at 2 Killick Way, next to the Library, and will be opening our doors to the public on a regular basis when we have settled in. We have a Meeting Room and Foyer area which will be available for the public to hire together with kitchen and toilet use. We are also interested in hearing from anyone who is interested in renting some office space. Now that the office has been refurbished we would be pleased to show interested parties around.

Please contact the Clerk for more details of the above on 01984 633979 or email willitonpc@btconnect.com

Have your say in your village services

Delegation of Services-  This is likely to affect the way that our public services are funded and managed, street cleaning, litter collection and grass cutting are a number of services that the District Council may cease to provide or deliver to a minimum standard.  The most urgent issue we have to address is public toilet funding as this is something that is likely to cease throughout the District unless Parish Councils consider providing these services within their finances or find alternative ways of delivering this service. Our Public Toilets currently cost over £12,000 per year to maintain and they are a facility greatly appreciated by many visitors to Williton and also many residents and we would value your views before making any decision which we must make in the not too distant future. 

WILLITON PARISH COUNCIL IS THEREFORE SEEKING YOUR VIEWS BY EMAIL IT TO THE COUNCIL BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2011

Please e-mail your views to willitonpc@btconnect.com

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Do you want Williton to continue to provide public toilets for use of visitors and residents?  

If keeping the Public toilets involved an additional cost to you as a resident of Williton would you still want to provide them for use by visitors and residents?

Please detail any suggestions you may have as to how we can still provide the service but save money

Assistant to Parish Clerk

Williton Parish Council

requires a

Part-Time Administrative Assistant

to assist the Parish Clerk and to take on responsibilities for the  Council’s charities

12 hours per week including some evenings

Must be computer literate and a good communicator

For full details and an application form please ring 01984 633979 or email willitonpc@btconnect.com