Taunton Deane Edition
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
IS TH N Child Sexual IO IN IT Travel D Exploitation E SOMERSET pages Page 17 4&5 Volunteer drivers urgently wanted A day in the life of... pages 6&7 pages 14&15 Autumn 2016 Taunton Your Somerset Deane Keeping the county moving ore than £40m has been invested in Somerset’s roads in the last 18 months to keep the county moving and drive Mits economy forward. We’ve carried out a vast amount of work on schemes to reduce journey times, improve safety, support new housing developments and provide the transport network we need to help businesses thrive. More than £5m has been spent on major improvements to key roads and key junctions, including the Horsey and Hospital roundabouts in Yeovil and the Huntworth roundabout at junction 24 of the M5. A further £900,000 has gone into upgrading traffic signals, with big schemes in Taunton, Frome, Dunster and Bridgwater. More than £2m has been spent on nearly 40 Small Improvement Schemes across the county – community driven projects to tackle local highways problems. On top of that, we have invested over £30m in repairing and resurfacing the highway network. This vast programme of works has included the resurfacing of the A3088 Cartgate link road into Yeovil, the A30 in Chard and delivery of the largest surface dressing programme ever in Somerset. This represents a huge investment of capital funds (money we Congratulations to all Somerset can’t spend on the Council’s day-to-day running costs) in the county’s infrastructure. Even in these times of massive budget students who recently received pressures, making sure we have a quality road network is critical to the county’s future growth and prosperity. And, through our their exam results. Listening Learning Changing initiative we know that’s investment It looks like being another successful year for the you really value (see page 3). county’s schools. Pictured are GCSE students We do everything we can to keep it to a minimum, but with work from Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe – on this scale some disruption is unavoidable and it can take time for new schemes to bed-in. As always, we’d like to thank road well done all of you. users for their patience. Continued on page 2... And don’t forget our new Travel Somerset website, a one-stop shop for traffic updates we’ve created to help motorists plan their journeys and avoid congestion. Find out more on page 17. Congestion solutions New moves to cut recycling site queues - centre pages 02 News Foreword John Osman Leader Transforming health and care services s the new school year gets underway I’d like to start by congratulating last Ayear’s contingent on their excellent A-Level, AS Level and GCSE results. It’s always great to hear about the real success stories. andmark plans to improve the way being admitted to hospital and recover more One that stuck in my mind is of a student with Lhealth and care services are quickly from hospital treatment. It also severe dyslexia, who having been predicted provided in Somerset are being means a shifting investment towards an E for English Language actually achieved initiatives that prevent illness, and help an A and exceeded his targets in eight developed. people stay healthier for longer. subjects. This is testimony to all the hard work All across the country NHS organisations and Our aim is to support people to remain as put in by the student and staff and I wish this local authorities are working together to set independent as possible, irrespective of age, year’s students every success. out how to make care better, more joined-up disability or illness. Also on the Council’s autumn agenda is and sustainable over the next five years. budget setting. This is a difficult time of the Somerset County Council is working year for us as we try to cope with reduced Things need to change because people are living longer with more complex illnesses and alongside NHS leaders to develop the plan, government funding and increasing demand called Somerset Together, which will look at on all our services. that’s putting increasing strain on services. all aspects of the health and care system, Everything you and your communities can do In Somerset, the focus is on the need to from hospitals and GP surgeries, to the to help us is greatly appreciated. From the big support all of our residents to lead healthier community support people receive in their stuff like becoming a foster or adoptive parent lives and avoid preventable illnesses, as well own homes. (see page 8) or a volunteer driver (see pages as making it easier for people to access help 14 and 15), to using our online services to and support closer to home. It’s still early days for this work but look out report Highways or Rights of Way issues (see for more information and opportunities to page 16 and 17). It all adds up, it all makes a This means providing care more tailored to give your views on the plans in the coming difference – and it all helps us to help the individual needs, helping people to avoid months. people who need it most. There has also been an increase in the Editor’s Info proportion of pupils achieving expected levels To get in contact with Your Somerset or to of progress in English and Maths during their advertise in this publication, contact GCSE time at secondary school. Lauren Fellingham on (01823) 359176 , email [email protected] or write to us at Your Somerset , Somerset County Full A-Level results and national performance Council, FREEPOST NAT 9109, County Hall, measures for comparison weren’t available at Taunton, TA1 4DY. success the time of going to print. But initial Key Stage We gratefully acknowledge the support of ...continued from cover. 2 data indicates that our primary schools organisations that advertise in Your Somerset , It’s a big ‘well done’ to all have maintained the but Somerset County Council can accept no improvements that have been responsibility for the products or services Somerset’s students and advertised. We advise readers to make their made in recent years and own enquires before purchasing products or pupils who picked up successfully managed major services. their results in August. changes to the curriculum Pssst... Your Somerset costs 5p per copy and assessment processes. to produce. Last year the county’s schools were the fourth most improved We are committed to helping in the country and in the top Somerset’s schools and their Correction and apology third for performance. Early pupils reach their potential. Incorrect figures appeared in the July edition of indications are that the hard Over 90 per cent of primary Your Somerset as part of the Balancing Act article. and secondary schools are The July article stated that the libraries budget was work of students, staff and £7.1m, but the correct figure is £3.784m. The parents has built on that success graded as ‘Good’ or better by £4.2m figure given for Heritage, Trading Standards, this year. Ofsted, but we are always Leisure services and other should have been pushing to improve. You can £7.580m. We apologise for this mistake, which was More than 60 per cent of find out more about our down to human error. The £3.784m libraries budget provides a network of 34 libraries and students achieved an A*-C in their English Strategic Vision for Education by visiting online services, events and activities in support of and Maths GCSEs this year, nearly a two www.somerset.gov.uk/strategic health and wellbeing, economic development and per cent increase on 2015. visionforeducation digital inclusion. News 03 Thank you! Flood reduction schemes in the pipeline ur thanks go to the questionnaire, which is still Othousands of residents available until the end of who have taken the time to September. Visit ajor schemes to reduce the So far £9m of Department for www.somerset.gov.uk/ Mrisk of flooding across Transport funding has been spent share their views through listening to take part. Somerset have been given the on flood reduction schemes set out our Listening Learning green light. More than £800,000 in the Levels and Moors 20 Year Changing roadshows and Falling government funding Flood Action Plan, including the online questionnaire. and rising demand continues will be invested in projects to to put huge pressures on our improve drainage, making it raising of the road at Muchelney and installing culverts at finances. There will be tough easier for the county’s roads to Beer Wall We’ve spoken to more than on the A372. 5,500 people over the course spending decisions in the cope with severe weather and of the summer, gathering coming months, so it’s never reduce the risk of flooding. The remaining money has now feedback on council priorities been more important that we been allocated to these additional and our vision for Somerset. get your feedback about what From Exford in the west of the projects that will address long- you think should be our top county to Compton Pauncefoot in standing issues of road flooding At the time of going to print priorities. the east, locations across Somerset caused by regular blocking of ‘helping vulnerable and elderly people’ was, for the fourth The information gathered have been earmarked for works. gullies by tree debris. year running, clearly through Listening Learning Schemes include repairing or Changing is shared with replacing gullies on major roads The Somerset Rivers Authority is highlighted as our most valued area of work.