Burrington Parish Council Newsletter: March 2016
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Burrington Parish Council Annual Parish Meeting 23rd March 2015 At the Annual Parish Meeting last year there was a good attendance with 25 Newsletter: March 2016 people present and 7 apologies offered. Questions from the members of the public included the use of Quads and Motor Bikes on Burrington Ham . PCSO Pen Gatenby asked for Registration numbers as it was illegal to use these machines on the common land without authority. The problem of dog fouling The Annual Parish Meeting will be at 7.30 pm on Monday 11th April 2016 was also raised and posters were to be posted in certain areas. in the Parish Room, Burrington, with refreshments from 7.00 pm The Chairman introduced Andy Mallender who explained the work of the AONB and advised the meeting of the works in progress on Blackdown and Burrington Letter from Mr Paul Keel, Chairman of Burrington Parish Council Commons. Reports were received from Councillor Liz Wells, North Somerset Council and Dear Parishioner, Mark Hughes our Liaison Officer regarding North Somerset Budget cuts and I hope you will be able to come to the Annual Parish Meeting on Monday 11th how they plan to do ”more for less” April in the Parish Room. If you are unable to attend, this newsletter should give Reports were also received about Traffic through the Villages, The Parish you an idea of the activities that the Parish Council has undertaken during the past Councils Airport Association, the Wedmore Charities and the Conservators. year. All the minutes of our meetings are available for anyone to read on the Parish Council web site. PCSO Pen Gatenby and PCSO Marie Broomfield introduced themselves; explaining the New Beat Areas, that Burrington is now in the 007 area that runs In the coming year, in addition to routine matters such as running the Burial from Puxton to Blagdon, and that we should use the telephone to report Crime Ground, overseeing the Church Yard maintenance, responding to planning and non urgent events on 101, with 999 for emergencies only. applications and managing the Public Toilets in Burrington, we will respond to many of the Public Consultations that are issued by National Government and The Annual Accounts were displayed on screen as draft and explained to those North Somerset Council. present. The Council has met eight times during the year and discussed many local issues. Two Councillors attended a Local Seminar on Tourism within the Mendip Hills. Our Activities during 2014-15 Community Resilience Group holds meetings every 6 months (see page 4). As this Village Maintenance: The Parish Council has been very aware of the flooding year is the Celebration of the Queens 90th Birthday, a sub-committee has been issues over the past few years, especially, in the Lower Langford area, discus- formed to organise village celebrations (see page 4 below). We have kept the sions have been ongoing with North Somerset Council and Wessex Water, thus Parish precept at the same level as last year and feel that we should be able to mitigating the flooding. We have been working closely with our Village Officer maintain services to the same standard Jeff Shipway resulting in many of our drains being jetted and cleared, before Please feel free to raise any questions about the activities of the Parish Council at serious flooding occurs. the Annual Meeting, with me, other Parish Councillors, or the Parish Clerk; or The Burial Ground has been mowed and cared to the standard we expect through the Parish web site: www.burrington-pc.org.uk despite the inclement weather by Jeff Martin. Alan Green our Village orderly trims the hedges and keeps many of the paths and the Bus shelters in the Yours sincerely, Parish tidy. A company called Dignity retains the Churchyard maintenance contract, as the Churchyard is closed. This is funded by North Somerset Council. Paul Keel Pete Marshall trims the Burrington/Rickford Lane twice a year. 8 1 Burrington Combe Toilets: The Parish Council has at long last taken over the Planning Applications: In the past year, the Parish Council has considered 24 Lease of the toilets from North Somerset Council, although we have been planning applications and 3 applications relating to tree preservation orders. managing and been insuring them for the last 2 years. The Parish council has Correspondence: In the past year, the Parish Council has received more than had to pay £500 towards the legal fees for the transfer but are thankful to Sir 1,000 emails and letters. David Wills and the Wills Estate for the peppercorn annual rent of £5 per annum. North Somerset Council has deposited with the Parish Council £8000, Web Site: In 2015 the Parish web site was visited on 5,664 occasions by 3,622 to be used as a means of destruction if we are unable to manage them separate visitors (1.56 visits per visitor). They made 42,309 page visits (7.46 effectively in the future, this sum is to be held in a separate account. We have pages per visit). The number of visitors was 2% lower than last year and the had the toilets decorated and some minor repairs done during the last year, number of pages visited was 8% lower. the Council is aware of the high volume of use that these facilities have and are Broadband Survey: 53 responses have been received so far (a 25% response). thankful to the groups of outdoor activity providers and the Mendip Hills Group Average speed is 2.9 mbps, but many receive less and the highest recorded that support the Council in keeping them open. With their support and the speed is 5.85 mbps. If you have not yet responded, please see the back page. donations in the “safe post” and by keeping the costs lower than in the past we are confident that we can manage to keep them open for the future at no cost Community Resilience (Emergency Planning): If you are interested in helping, to parishioners. The Husher family keep the toilets clean and to the high please contact the Chairman of the Parish Council and take a look at North standard that we would expect. The Council is actively looking at obtaining Somerset Council’s web site: http://communityresilience-ns.org.uk/wp/ grants from different sources as they are the only facilities open in the AONB Liaison with Churchill and Langford PC: a meeting is being arranged to discuss and we feel we should look to improve rather than stagnate. shared interests in road safety, flood risks and planning matters. Transparency Code: This year Local Government Rules regarding the auditing Churchill and Langford Minibus Society: A new 12-seater minibus will be and running of small Parish Councils has altered. We have been fortunate that delivered in the summer, which will help to extend activities. The Society is we have created our own Parish website in the past and by being transparent still looking to recruit new drivers (Age 25-75 & preferably with a D1 category we now have to advertise our annual accounts and the dates and minutes of Driving Licence although training will be given) to help operate the two buses meetings. We have been compliant for the last 2 years, unknowingly, however within the extended area of Churchill, Langford, Winscombe, Shipham, we have applied for funds to help offset the costs of maintaining and managing Sandford, Banwell & Burrington. The buses will continue existing services, our website. These grants are available to parishes with a precept less than including helping those who are socially isolated through the ‘Good Companion £20K. We still have to pay for in house audits and for the next 2 years while the Scheme’, and are available for everyone e.g. community groups, societies, code is accepted we will ensure we are audited by the National appointed clubs and other organisations. For further information, contact Alan Purcell auditors. The Parish Council notices are still posted in our notice boards (Chairman) on 01934 862250, Tony Hughes (Bookings) on 01934 852725 or throughout the parish as we are aware that not every house has access to a Malcolm Letts (Vice Chairman) on 01934 852314. computer or to our website, we also send reports on a regular basis to the local press, all in the need to be transparent and open. Dog Fouling of footpaths and open spaces: discussions continue with the AONB on measures to tackle this problem, including signage and the scope for Village Agent: Lyndsay Newman introduced herself at a recent Parish Council enforcement using North Somerset Council’s proposed general Public Space meeting. as Village Agent for the Parish. Village Agents support those living in Protection Order . isolated areas and put them in touch with services/people who can assist them with a variety of needs, ranging from mobility aids to support for carers. Lyndsay can be contacted on 07967 345559 (mobile) 01275 888803 (office) or by email: [email protected]. 2 7 Accounts: Road Safety: During 2015/16 the Parish Council precept was maintained at £3,000. Other receipts comprised income of £7,123.52 plus payment of £8,000.00 from Residents may have noticed a mobile vehicle-activated road North Somerset Council to be held on deposit as a fund for the disposal of the speed sign appearing at several locations in the Parish during Burrington Combe WCs. For the full year, expenditure is currently estimated at November and December 2015. The sign was on loan from £7,995.05. These are estimates for the year ending 31 March 2016.