Welcome to Williton Parish Council.

The Parish of Williton covers Williton and the villages of Doniford, Egrove, Stream, parts of Five Bells and to the outskirts of Washford, Samford Brett, Watchet, Monksilver and West Quantoxhead.

Williton is a Village and has been the administrative centre for the District of West Somerset since 1974. Williton is situated at the junction of the A39 and the A358. It is almost equidistant between Minehead, Bridgwater and Taunton. Williton Parish has two railway stations, Williton station and Doniford Halt which serves the nearby Haven Holiday centre. The stations form part of the West Somerset Railway who operate services using both heritage steam and diesel trains. Doniford has a popular beach accessed via a car park and ramp which the Parish rent for the Community to use.

Williton Parish Council comprises of up to twelve elected members from our Community which are unpaid for their work, (Parish Councillors) we administer the Parish for the community. The Parish Council also employs two Clerks to facilitate this process.

Williton Parish Council act as the Trustee of the Williton War Memorial Recreation Ground. This involves the day to day maintenance of the field. Including contracting groundworks, grass cutting, shrub/hedge maintenance and to maintain the play equipment. The Parish Council also maintain the War Memorial. Recently the Parish have installed CCTV on the Recreation Ground to improve security for all users. The Parish Council hold regular events on the Recreation Ground including Duck Racing and the Village Fete.

The Parish Council leases land for the Community at: • Doniford , where we maintain the car park for the beach • The Copse , near Saint Peters Church, which the Parish Council have planted with some trees and is popular with dog owners • Bellamy’s Corner (corner of High Street and Bank Street) which is maintained as an open space with picnic tables for all to use. The Parish Council and the Community come together each year to decorate the corner and the main street at Christmas. This is a popular spot during the summer to have a lunchtime snack

Parish Councils have limited powers, but we are consulted on numerous issues which are likely to affect the Parish. Below is a selection of items which are under the Parish Council’s remit: • Allotments – There are allotments in Williton which are situated out of the Village along the A39. There has been no demand for an allotment closer or in the Village • Burial Grounds, Cemeteries, Churchyards and Crematoria – there are no plans for the Parish to investigate this option as there has been no demand • Bye-laws – there are a number of bye-laws in regard to the WWMRG • Clocks – public clocks can be provided and must be maintained – there are none within the Parish however, one is planned for the Pavilion front when built • Community Centres, Conference Centres, Halls, and Public Buildings – The Pavilion project will cover this provision. The Parish also own, maintain and rent for use the changing rooms and kitchen area on the Recreation Ground • Drainage – of ditches and ponds – the Parish successfully organise the Local Flood Wardens which meet regularly • Footpaths – There are a number of footpaths / Public Rights of Way within the Parish. The Parish Council are progressing with adding new paths, including a safe route from Williton to Doniford • Planning – The Parish must be notified of, and display for residents, any planning applications for the area. Any comments submitted to the planning authority by the parish council must be taken into account • Public conveniences – Provision and maintenance of public toilets however, this is District Council led presently • Seats (public) – the Parish have provided a number of benches throughout the Parish including picnic tables on the WWMRG and at Bellamy’s Corner

The Parish Council receive regular updates from the police concerning local crime figures/statistics. We also receive printouts from the speed monitors which are positioned around the village from time to time. The Parish Council have established the Community Speed Watch (CSW) to raise the profile of the need for drivers to slow down going through the village, (30 MPH). The initiative continues to go from strength to strength and more volunteers are always welcome to join us.

The “Flood Plan” which the Parish Council implemented following the 2012/13 flooding has worked well. The Parish have a healthy number of volunteers which help out in and around the Parish. The Parish Flood group are members of the West Somerset Flood Group (WSFG) which has recently won a prestigious award. The WSFG have representation at District Council, County Council level and also the Somerset Rivers Authority, (SRA).

The Parish continues to work on the Pavilion Project. The Parish has succeeded in gaining a considerable amount of match-funding for this project and continues to attract interest. There is a user group, please do get in touch if you are interested in using the facility when it has been built.

Next Month the Parish will start work on improvements to the War Memorial including a hard standing area, community garden, seated area, and a new path from Long Street. This will be in ready for ‘Remembrance Sunday’.

Councillor Keith Richards Chairman Williton Parish Council June 2016