Annual Report March 2006

This report delivered to 1200 homes via the most recent issue of the Village News


West Monkton Parish Council Annual Report March 2006

Taunton Deane Local Plan
The plan for the Monkton HeathfieldlBathpool development was registered by Taunton Deane Borough Council in the closing months of 2005. This is the outline plan submitted by the Monkton Heathfield Consortium (Persimmon Homes and Redrow Homes). Parishioners will recall that a number of consultation meetings took place, following which a Development Guide was prepared by the officers of the TDBC Planning Department, taking into account the views of parishioners and Parish Council. The Plan submitted has some departures from that suggested in the Development Guide, and there will be an opportunity for you all to see this and to speak to representatives of the Consortium at an exhibition at Taunton Rugby Club, from mid-day until 8pm on Wednesday, April 5th We urge you to visit this exhibition at some time during the day, both to see what is planned, and also to speak to the developers. The Parish Council Planning Committee will be meeting Consortium representatives on March 29th, having already discussed the submitted Plan with planning officers of Taunton Deane. The Plan has yet to be approved by TDBC, then we shall begin to receive the detailed Planning Applications.
INSIDE THIS REPORT
1 Taunton Local Plan
Planning Matters
Footpaths
2 Highways
Other Matters
Local Action Team
Parish Councillors
3 Meetings
The Website
4 Financial Information
Then the hard work will begin as the Parish Council considers the various plans put forward for housing and other features in the Plan.
Planning Matters
The planning sub committee is made up of the whole council, other than when individual councillors declare a personal interest in a particular application.
A good number of Applications are considered each month, and the Parish Council then forwards its comments to the TDBC Planning Department.
The majority of Applications considered in the past year relate to the building of extensions and conservatories, with a smaller number of requests to build new dwellings. Applications to carry out work on trees also feature regularly on our agendas.
During the year, the Parish Council were pleased to act as Agents for the Planning Application made by the Village Hall Management Committee for the new Annexe to the Hall. This enabled the Management Committee to obtain a reduced fee when the Application was presented.
Footpaths
The Parish Council's Footpaths Officer is Councillor Gloria Day, who ensures that the footpaths in our area are kept in good order. A good deal of time has been spent in the last year on trying to get the footpath that runs from the bottom of Yallands Hill to Aginghills Farm reinstated. This footpath was closed by the landowners in June 2005; the Parish Council was informed within a day of the closure, and immediately contacted Tamsyn Matthews, the County Rights of Way Officer. It transpired that there was an anomaly in that the County's Definitive Map giving the designated footpaths: this showed the footpath concerned as passing along the eastern side of the Alien's Brook, rather than the location known to most of the residents, i. e, on the western side through the field. Further investigation showed that the Parish Council's Definitive Map has the footpath on the
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Western side, as do two different Ordnance Survey maps; in addition, many parishioners have walked the path over the last twenty years, and one has worked on it for the Parish Council on more than one occasion. All this evidence has been submitted to the County authorities, who have put in an application to reinstate the path. Meanwhile, we wait - the wheels turn rather slowly with such matters ..
Highways
Our Highways Officer, Councillor Besley has been kept busy over the last year with regular matters appertaining to the roads and lanes of our Parish. The main road through Monkton Heathfield was resurfaced, and much repair work has been done, particularly in filling potholes etc. Clearing ditches is another on­going maller, and flooding in Blundells Lane has seen a number of attempts to cure the problem; further work is 'in the pipeline' (excuse the pun'), and we hope this will solve the problem for good. Road markings were repainted at the Goosenford junction with the Gollon lane, and signs erected in order to control traffic on this winding and dangerous stretch of road.
We are still trying to get a pedestrian crossing at the start of Mead Way, and to persuade the relevant authorities of parking problems along the A38 near the Hyde Lane junction in Bathpool. Recently we have been in touch with the County Highways department regarding the dangerous junction at Monkton Elm, where the A38 and A3259 meet, and where there have been a number of serious accidents. We are urging them to re-examine the safety measures at this junction.
Other Matters ....
One of the vandalised seats removed from the children's play area (a memorial to the late Cllr Bishop) was repaired by Cllr Warren and placed on Mead Way; a second such seat will be positioned at Sidbrook Cross when the necessary ground clearance has been done.
Still with seats, we had the saga of the New Cross seat at Cherry Grove. Back in the summer, the seat, placed in memory of Mr. and Mrs Cecil Besley, and Mrs and Mrs Reg Knight, having been damaged (we assume by a car), was torn from its base, and thrown onto Farmer Warren's corn. It was recovered after harvest, and taken to Deane DLO who made a splendid job of
repairing it. Within a week of its replacement, it was removed, presumably by someone requiring a garden seal.. It was returned just before the Gazette photographer was due to photograph the empty space!
It is now firmly fixed in place.
Bus shelters have been repaired (that provided by 'Adshel' on Milton Hill suffers from wanton vandalism regularly), and a new one provided near the Menry Monk.
L.A.T - the Local Action Team
During the year, a Local Action T earn has been set up as a joint undertaking between the parishes of West Monkton and Creech St Michael. Designed to enable closer liaison between the parishes and the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, the LAT will help to reduce crime in the area. A number of meetings have taken place, as well as fundraising activities. One of the projects that the LA T is currently investigating is the provision of suitable leisure facilities for teenagers of the parish.
The Chair of the new group is Mrs Kim Cooper, 6 Hyde Lane Cottages, Bathpool
MEMBERS OF WEST MONKTON PARISH COUNCIL 2005/06
John Reeves
Chairman
Ray Tully
Henry Besley Gloria Day Geoff Wallington Hilary Corcoran
Vice Chairman
Norman Cavill
Hazel Ellis
Les Warren
CLERK TO THE PARISH COUNCIL
Mrs Tricia Cavill
'Hill Farm', West Monkton, Taunton TA2 8LP TellFax: 01823412663
Email: caviILhillfarm@yahoo.com
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MEETING SCHEDULE 2006
All parish council meetings are open to the public and there is always a Public Question Time slot (at around 8.00 p.m.) where the formal meeting is suspended while questions and comments are welcomed from anyone living in the parish.
Wednesday 12'" April
Wednesday 17'" May
Wednesday 14'h June
Wednesday 12'" July
Wednesday 13'" September
Wednesday 11'" October
Wednesday 8'" November
The Parish Council does not meet in August and December, though it has been decided recently that the Planning Committee will, in future, meet during those months to consider any applications forwarded to the Parish Council by TDBC.
Meetings are usually held in the committee room, West Monkton Village Hall, commencing at 7.30 p.m.
Collaboration with Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council
Ray T ully, County Councillor for Staplegrove is also our Vice Chairman and provides advice upon and a contact point for issues relating to the county.
Norman Cavill, Ward Councillor for TDBC is also a member of West Monkton Parish Council. His fellow TDBC Ward Councillor is Stephanie Cavill.
The Parish Council also receives advice from David Greig, Parish Liaison Officer at Taunton Deane, and works closely with all departments of both Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council.
Trafalgar Beacon
On the Friday of the Trafalgar anniversary celebrations in October 2005, we were pleased to light one of a national chain of beacons at the highest point of Hill Farm. Though the weather was pretty miserable, those of us who attended enjoyed the evening, and we thank the Cavill family for hosting and organising the celebration.
The Parish Website
Over the last year we have established our website ­www.westmonkton.net - which is run by the Parish Council. It contains a growing amount of information about the parish, and you can also read Minutes of Parish Council meetings as well as submissions made by your Council on various matters. There are links to other sites, and a number of local businesses have taken up the opportunity to advertise on the site; it really is becoming a 'Directory' of West Monkton parish. If you would like to advertise on the site, or have any activity or event which you want to publicise, contact the Clerk to the Parish Council. Meanwhile, as the TV ad used to say, "Get on line, get on line", and have a look at our website. You can also e-mail us at: info@westmonkton.net
Finally ....
From the Chairman
This has been a busy year for all of us on the Parish Council, and with the long awaited Monkton Heathfield/Bathpool development reaching a stage where things will begin to happen. There is a long road ahead, with much work to do. We are determined that we will have an addition to our parish that will be an asset to all who live here.
I record here my thanks to all my fellow Councillors for their support during the past year, and, in particular to Tricia Cavill, our Parish Clerk, who works unfailingly for the parish and its Council, and without whose constant support, my job would be very difficult to do. Finally, we are here to do the best we can for all of you, no other reason.
John Reeves
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Financial Statements
Where the money came from
Precept
Grants
Interest
Allotments etc
Sundry
VAT reclaimable
From reserves

Where the monev went
General administration
Salaries
Play area
Allotments
Dog/litter bins
S 137 Local Government Act
Burial Ground
Local developments/village hall
Bus shelters/seats/noticeboards
VAT on payments
Street lights
Contingency/election/publicity
Added to reserves

The accounts for 2004/05 have been audited.

As there were some funds remaining, the precept for 05/06 was able to be set at a lower amount. The precept for 06/07 returns to its previous level.
Plans for the year ahead include maintenance work on the new railings in the burial ground, and a project to purchase street lights for School Road.
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