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 Council and Dear Parishioner, Mark Hughes our Liaison Officer regarding 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 to , 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 within the . 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.

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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, , , 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].

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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 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. North Somerset Council and was used to gather information For 2016/17, the precept will be maintained at £3,000. about speeding in the parish as well as to remind motorists about speed limits. The following table summarises numbers of RECEIPTS EXPENDITURE vehicles that were recorded speeding: Balance brought forward £11,494.44 Annual Precept £3,000.00 Clerk’s Salary £1,968.00 No of Average Traffic Speed No of Village Orderly Grant £100.00 HMRC tax £32.00 Location Date from Date to speeding Daily Direction limit Days vehicles Speeders Council Tax Support Grant £79.94 Admin Expenses £114.45 A368 Bath Road Burial Fees £705.00 Audit Fees Nil Langford Green East bound 30 20-Nov-15 28-Nov-15 8.0 12,033 1,504 Burrington Combe WCs £3,235.00 Hall Hire £271.00 West of Langford Green West bound 30 20-Dec-15 29-Dec-15 7.5 9,143 1,219 East of Langford Brook West bound 30 30-Dec-15 07-Jan-16 8.0 10,012 1,252 Grant for BCWC disposal £8,000.00 Burrington Combe WCs £3,483.88 A368 The Combe Bank Interest £3.58 Subscriptions £116.90 West of Rickford Rise East bound 40 28-Nov-15 05-Dec-15 7.0 1,494 213 £15,123.52 Insurance (AON Ltd) £624.04 East of Rickford Rise West bound 40 05-Dec-15 13-Dec-15 8.0 1,016 127 TOTAL RECEIPTS £26,617.96 Burial Ground £675.00 West of Rickford Rise East bound 40 14-Dec-15 20-Dec-15 6.0 2,828 471 Langford Road East Parish Maintenance £608.00 opposite Milfort House West bound 30 07-Jan-16 14-Jan-16 7.0 1,539 220 NSC Election Expenses £89.08 opposite Milfort House East Bound 30 14-Jan-16 21-Jan-16 7.0 1,201 172 Donation (AONB) £10.00 TOTAL EXPENDITURE £7,995.05 There have also been several radar speed checks by police motorcyclists in BALANCE comprising: £18,622.91 recent months. Current Account £4,284.99 The Parish Council has been investigating the possibility of funding from North Deposit Account £14,591.52 Somerset Council and the and Somerset Police Road Safety Fund to Less uncleared cheques -£253.60 acquire a mobile sign for permanent use by the Parish.

The Parish Council also continues to discus improvements in road signing and Dates for your diary - please check the web site and notice boards for details: road markings with officers of North Somerset Council and the Police to improve road safety and the effectiveness of speed limits in the Parish . 1st Friday of every month Coffee Morning in the Parish Room at 8.45 to 11.00 am The Community Speedwatch Group compiled illustrations of road safety 28th April Gourmet 'Pop-Up' Restaurant meal in the Parish Room hazards, problems of inadequate road signing and suggested improvements in 7th May Race Evening at Burrington School signing and road markings for discussion with officers of North Somerset 24th June Ball at Burrington School Council and the Police. The Group will be resuming speed checks following improvements in road signing that are necessary for enforcement. 2nd July Rickford Duck Race 17th June Gerald Offer's Open Garden in aid of the Church 9th September Flower Demonstration and lunch in aid of the Church

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Survey of Broadband Services: Are you having problems with broadband speeds and reliability? Do you need effective broadband to work at home, run a business or study? Burrington Parish Council is concerned that the Parish has missed out on the first phase of high-speed broadband investment by Connecting Devon & The Parish Council has formed a subcommittee to arrange events to celebrate Somerset (CDS) which is nearly complete, using public funds from Broadband our monarch’s 90th birthday. To date we have organised a bonfire with a few Delivery UK. (See http://www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk/) fireworks on Rickford Rise preceded by a BBQ at Rickford Farm on 21st April, Although maps on the CDS web site show some postcodes in this parish to be the Queens natural Birthday, open to all within the Parish and children from connected to fibre-enabled telecom cabinets, these cabinets are too remote to Burrington School. The Parish Council felt it was not prudent to have a Beacon deliver a high-speed service in this parish. Your service provider should check on Blackdown on this occasion, due to the problems of obtaining the required the line before selling you a high-speed broadband service, although some exemptions and derogations from Natural and DEFRA. have failed to do so. Everyone will be welcome at the Bonfire and BBQ at Rickford Farm on It would be helpful to know what broadband speeds people are receiving and Thursday 21st April. Bring your own bottle. BBQ food may be purchased. how many people rely on broadband connections for work, business and other On the Queens Official Birthday, Saturday 11th June, from midday we are essential services, so we can seek to influence the second phase of investment planning to hold “Super Saturday” in the School Playing Field , which will by CDS later this year. involve Family Sports, sideshows, a BBQ , music and a Bar. Please check the It you don't know your broadband speeds (download and upload) tests are Parish website nearer the date, but please put Super Saturday in your diaries. readily available at several web sites, such as Also organised for the Saturday evening is a Buffet Supper at the Burrington http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest/ Inn at 7.30pm. Tickets will soon be available . Please let us know your experiences by answering a short questionnaire at And on Sunday 12th June there will be a special Choral Evensong service at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6MFJ8BS Holy Trinity Church, led by the Trinity Singers. You can also provide additional information via the Parish Council web site: http://www.burrington-pc.org.uk/feedback-and-email-notificatio/

Members of the Parish Council: Mr Paul Keel (Chairman), Rickford Farm, Rickford, Burrington, BS40 7AJ Mrs Frances Wilson (Vice Chair), The Square, Burrington, BS40 7AB Mr Roger Daniels, Lodgewood House, Bath Road, Upper Langford, BS40 5DQ Mr John Rhodes, Hylsbroke Lodge, Lower Langford, Bristol BS40 5BN Mr Richard Dors, Tankards, Burrington, Bristol BS40 7AD The Parish Clerk is: Mrs Teresa Martin, Applegarth, Rickford Rise, Burrington, Bristol BS40 7AN Tel 01761 462373, email: [email protected] 4 5