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PITMINSTER PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER Issue 40 - Autumn 2017

Chairman's Notes: which provides a wider picture of Finally from me, the dates for the next Much has happened within the (and some parts of Devon) that Parish Council meetings to be held at Parish over the past 6 months since the directly impact on this Parish. Your Angersleigh Village Hall are: Annual Parish Meeting in May 17. Parish Councillors are: - 23 Nov 17 - General Meeting - Although one of the largest geographical - 14 Dec 17 - General Meeting - Council areas in Somerset it is also one Eric Newcombe (Chair) - 18 Jan 18 - General Meeting - of the least populated - nonetheless, all Tel. 01823 420106 the normal functions are continually dealt [email protected] Parish Council Audit: with on a monthly basis. In 6 months your Area of Responsibility (AOR): Links with The full audit of the Parish Council has Council have Resolved 6 Planning TDBC/SCC, Playing Fields Association, been signed off by the Auditor. The audit Applications and made observations to Youth Club, Village Fete, Environmental completion certificate may be viewed on Deane on 9 others. Not all Health. Newsletter, Complaints. the notice boards. The Annual Return and applications to date have been fully Governance Statement with the auditors’ resolved and we are continually Liz Christie (Vice Chair) signature may be viewed at monitoring their progress. However, you Tel. 01823 421756 http://www.pitminsterparish.org.uk/ edit/ too can follow their progress: copies of all [email protected] app/web/upload/file/Audit%20report.pdf Planning Applications, past and present, AOR: Local transport, Community Safety Last year the Government stated that can be found at (Defib), Website, Local Businesses. parish councils should make Agendas, http://www2.tauntondeane.gov.uk Minutes, documents and finance details /asp/webpages/plan/plapplookup.asp David Edmondson more transparent. A good start has been In addition, there have been 2 Tel. 01823 421217 made and It is worth noting that all the Environmental and 7 Enforcement issues [email protected] accounts and expenditure may be viewed all of which have been presented, AOR: Highways, Village Hall, WI. on the website - more documents are researched and progressed accordingly. being added all the time. The finances There have also been other issues that Margaret Lee are in good shape; once again, the parish have been brought to the Council's Tel. 01823 421808 council only raised the precept by 0.3%. attention and have been championed at [email protected] A while ago ANESCO erected a solar County Council level - AOR: Blackdown Hills AONB. farm up on the Blackdown Hills and speeding, hedges, litter, verges etc... the donated some money to list goes on. To keep up-to-date your Roger Neale and Pitminster councils. This year £500 of Parish Councils actions and directives, Tel. 01823 421260 this donation was used, together with a Agendas and Minutes can be found at the [email protected] grant from the Big Lottery Fund through website www.pitminsterparish.org.uk. AOR: War Memorial/Stone. the Heartbeat Trust, to purchase a Also, information is displayed on the Defibrillator which is at the Pavilion on the Parish Notice Boards. Over these months Adrian Whatmore playing fields. there have been changes; it is with great Tel. 01823 421751 sadness that I have to write that [email protected] Blagdon Hill - Defibrillator: Councillor Richard Morgan passed away. AOR: Pitminster Charity, Speed-watch, A volunteer group has been established Richard worked tirelessly for the people Footpaths, Churches, Broadband. to help anyone who has cause to use the of this Parish and continually placed their defibrillator. The group have received needs at the top of his agenda. As a Richard Tyzack (Clerk) training and we are currently mapping the Councillor since May 13 he had Tel. 01823421889 area, so that volunteers will know the represented Pitminster Parish at all levels [email protected] location of all the houses. Once that has using reason, intelligence and a been completed, we will advertise an wonderful sense of humour. Last month Additionally, we have 2 new Councillors emergency phone number, so that once a Richard received a Chairman's Award for who recently volunteered to be co-opted person has called 999 for an ambulance Services to the Community from the onto the Committee: they can call and ask a volunteer to bring Chairman of - the defibrillator to their address and help the Chairman's final word of the citation Elizabeth Carolynne Burnett the patient as necessary. We also applied read, 'Richard provided wise council and Tel. 01823 421758 for a grant from a new fund set up by direction, his knowledge of the local area [email protected] Taunton Deane to pay for another and occupants have enhanced the Parish defibrillator - we have been successful; Council's ability to work for the Simon Canniford the new defibrillator would be sited at the parishioners; he has always wanted to Tel. 01823 270651 Queens Arms, Pitminster. More news to genuinely put people first. Throwing [email protected] follow himself into and supporting all local initiatives he has displayed selfless District Councillors are: Litter Pick: courage.' .... The next litter picks will be on 18 Nov 17 Pitminster Parish Council meetings are John Thorne and 7 Apr 18 - all are welcome to attend. open to members of the public, they Tel: 07811675262 On both occasions we will meet at the should not go on longer than 2 hours and [email protected] playing field car park at 1000hr for a you are welcome to join us. Copies of briefing. Come prepared for the weather, Planning Applications are available to Ross Henley armed with bin bags and hi-viz clothing if view before we discuss them at the Tel:01823 665988 possible. Routes will be identified and meeting. Additionally, we invariably have [email protected] rubbish will be collected at the end of the representation from the County Council day from a centralised collecting point. Footpaths: Finger Posts: Post Office - Outreach Service: Pitminster, Angersleigh, Blagdon Hill and This Parish has 20 directional fingerposts A Post Office Outreach Service operates Poundisford have over 100 miles of public on our roads. The County Council has no out of the Blagdon Hill Playing Fields footpaths, extending through pasture and finance for the up-keep these signs and Pavilion on Tuesdays from 1300 until woodlands. Many of the pathways are have asked for volunteers to maintain 1500hrs. The facility allows the use of walked daily by dog walkers, others are them in their Parishes. We have 8 postal and parcel force services as well visited less frequently. The network of volunteers who have undergone H&S as personal and business banking. pathways is maintained in a variety of training and they are currently Risk Additionally, it offers phone top-up, bill ways: Farmers, and walkers keep the Assessing each post. Further information payments, all the usual 'travel money' pathways clear and Somerset County can be provided by David Edmondson. options, gift cards, health lottery and Council do a sterling job in repairing and fishing licences. For further information replacing styles bridges and gateways. If Speed Watch: call Churchinford Community Shop and you come across a problem on a pathway Just about everyone throughout the Post Office - 01823 601026. you can report this to SCC at parish is concerned about the speed of http://www.somerset.gov.uk/roads- traffic through the village and the lanes. Village Spirit: parking-and-transport/problems-on-the- You will have seen the Speed Indicator Transportation for those that have road/report-a-problem-with-a-public-right- Device (SID) which appear on our main difficulty getting around to places further of-way/ .... or you can contact Councillor road and also we are regularly visited by afield is a service very active in the Adrian Whatmore who will progress your the speed enforcement unit. The Council Blagdon Hill, Lowton and Angersleigh observations. has recently been approached by the area. Therefore, if you are stuck for County Council to purchase our own SID transport this Volunteer lift service can be WI: but it also comes with stringent arranged to transport you to attend any The Blagdon Hill and District W.I. stipulations as to its use. Nevertheless, appointment, medical or social, to keep numbers have varied in the past months discussions are ongoing. However, there you mobile. Contact Jane Knight or Roz but the sustainability of the group is is still more we can do! The parish council Meikle. Tel: 07926148075 between currently considered unviable and, unless has a Speed Gun but we need more 1000and 1600hrs there is an influx of members, the volunteers to use it. Volunteers are Blagdon Hill and District W.I. is sadly required to attend a 2-3 hour training Village Agent: going to cease to operate in its current session with the and then they are Area 8 of the Somerset Village Agent form in Dec 17. They will be meeting in able to use the equipment at designated scheme currently does not have an Nov 17 for a demonstration from our own locations within the village. Each time the Agent. The area covers , local artist, Trudi Morgan and again in Speed Gun is used it requires 3 Buckland St Mary, Churchstanton, , Dec 17 for their Christmas Lunch. For individuals for a 20-30 minute session. If , Orchard Portman, , more information contact Peta Trott you would like to be considered for Pitminster, , Staple 421640 or Eileen Bowles 421380. There training and are available to use the Fitzpaine, , , are other nearby W.I.s at Smeatharpe, equipment at various times throughout . West Buckland, Otterford, Bishops Hull the week, please contact Councillor Anyone interested contact but... if you have any thoughts contact Adrian Whatmore. [email protected] or Tel: 01823 Peta or Eileen. 331222 Broadband: Area Inforamtion: There may be light at the end of the Village Walk: Blackdown Hills AONB’s new manager, tunnel...for some! Latest news is that Continuing on the getting out-and-about Tim Youngs, can be contacted at Gigaclear have plans to bring Fibre to the theme, Lucy and Andrew Paisley [email protected] Premises (FTTP) in the Parish. It has organise Village walks that cover the Rural Services Network provides been encouraging to see survey work Parish and enable people to meet, chat information on events and activities going underway in Pitminster at the beginning and enjoy the local area. The next walk is on in the local area and they regularly of October. It would appear that fibre will covering some of the historic features of publish a newsletter covering a variety of be delivered to some of the remote parts the Parish and will take place on 7 Jan 18 subjects from broadband in the of Corfe and to the centre of Pitminster in starting from the Lamb & Flag. countryside to all sorts of funding the first phase of the deployment over the Thereafter, a walk every 3 months. opportunities focusing on rural locations. next 18 months. To keep up to speed on Information can be found at these developments you could review the Police Community Support Officer: [email protected]. Rural Services Network newsletter at Recent changes has this Parish under [email protected] PCSO Claire Escott stationed at Taunton. Adcombe Wood Volunteers: For non-emergency police matters - The Adcombe Wood Volunteers, Blackdown Hills Youth Club: telephone 101 or contact Claire at encouraged by the Woodlands Trust, Operating out of Corfe Village Hall the Claire.Escott@avonandsomerset. have had a very successful summer in Blackdown Youth Club runs on a pnn.police.uk. creating steps along steep wooded fortnightly basis on alternate Thursdays pathways. They have more paths to work from 1900-2100hrs and is doing Dates for your Diary: on and they have great ambitions to remarkably well with a steady contingent The Playing Field Association are identify and catalogue many of the flora, of 18 young adults - the club takes girls planning for the future. fauna and insects that inhabit the woods and boys from age 11. The members - 20 Dec 17 - Christmas Party at the and local areas. They meet on the 1st choose their activities and there are Queens Arms; Thursday of every month and there is always 3 volunteers on duty at every - 20 Jan 18 - Quiz Night at Trull Village plenty of tasks for the physically fit and session - however, more volunteers are Hall; just as many for the 'not so active' required. The members come from - 23 Mar 18 - Wine Tasting (venue to be volunteer. For more information view: Blagdon Hill, Pitminster, Trull with some confirmed)' http://adcombevolunteersblog.wordpress. from Taunton. The club has, this year, - Jun 18 (date to be arranged) - Barn com/welcome/gallery-archive/blog/ achieved the “Safe and Welcoming ” Dance; Benchmark standard. For more - 9 Jun 18 - Blagdon Hill Fete. info: Emma King 01823 259781 [email protected]