JUNE 2015
SEDGEMOOR DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mark and Wedmore Ward
Polly Costello – polly.costello@sedgemoor.gov.uk 01934 713564
Will Human – will.human@sedgemoor.gov.uk 01278 641795
During the last few weeks Will Human and Polly Costello have been attending a number of meetings and training courses in their new role as District Councillors. They have attended Wedmore and Mark Parish Council meetings which have proved very interesting as these are at the very heart of what they want to do – find out the issues in the community and then help to try and solve them. Mark in particular has the ongoing issue of parking at the primary school during drop off and pick up times. Will and Polly organised for the new local MP, James Heappey, to attend the school at pick up time to witness for himself the chaos that is Mark Causeway at 3.00 to 3.45 every school day. He was suitably appalled and has promised to try and help get the problem sorted out with Somerset County Council. We await the results.
Polly and Will have attended training sessions for Planning as this is one of the crucial roles that Sedgemoor plays in the local communities. The course gave them a better understanding of the planning process and this will help them to be of better service to Mark and Wedmore as they are able, as Ward Councillors, to comment either in favour or against local planning applications and then to speak in favour or against applications at Planning Committees. Will is to speak at the Planning Meeting on Tuesday 23 June in support of a local applicant.
Polly and Will are due to sit on a number of committees over the next few weeks as well as their local Parish Council meetings and the Cheddar Cluster Group Committee
MARK PARISH COUNCIL
CONDOLENCES
On behalf of the Parish, the Council offers its condolences to the family of Robert Goodwin, aged 27 years, who lost his life early Saturday 30 May 2015 when the car in which he was travelling crashed into Mark Yeo at Locksbroad.
PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY
The Parish of Mark is criss-crossed with several Public Rights of Way usually prefixed by the letters AX. In brief, a public right of way is not, strictly speaking, a path, but a right possessed by the public to pass along linear routes over land at all times along signed route. Unfortunately, in Mark the sign for AX 23/7 (Coombe’s Drive) for the section south of River Road to Burtle Rd has been removed by person or persons unknown. The Public Rights of Way in the Parish of Mark are listed on a definitive map issued by Somerset County. Examples are:
· Bridleways: on which there is a right of way on foot, on horseback and leading a horse. Cyclists may use bridleways provided that they give way to other users. In some cases, as in Mark, droves double as public rights of way. We are very fortunate that farmers keep most droves maintained.
· Footpaths: on which there is a right of way on foot.
· Roads Used as Public Paths: highways mainly used by the public for the purposes that footpaths or bridleways are used.
· Restricted Byways: highways used as footpaths and bridleways on which there is a right of way for all traffic.
· Cycle Tracks: paths with a right of way for all types of pedal cycles, but not mopeds, including electrically-assisted cycles, with or without a right of access on foot. Cycle ways are not shown on a definitive map.
Vehicles may be used by farmers accessing fields and property adjacent to droves, which are also Public Rights of Way.
NATIONAL GRID
The Risk to Mark. The Daily Telegraph ran a story on 10 June of a wealthy Canadian who saw £9 million wiped off the value of his £12 million 547-acre Scottish country pile after losing a battle with an energy company to stop pylons being built across the estate. One thought for the devaluation was the construction of a power line by Scottish and Southern Energy through the wooded estate. The Canadian was prepared to pay for the line to go underground but this was rejected by SSE. SSE also compulsory purchased land near the estate in order to lay a haul road to support construction.
WEBSITE – www.markvillage.co.uk
Councillor Jendy Weekes reports that the website received nearly 3,000 hits during the month of May, of which, for some reason, we had over 948 visits from the United States! The two main “hit” areas are Mark village information and Mark Parish Council. It is most important that the website is kept updated so do, please, let Jendy have anything you want advertised or information that needs changing. We would also love to have more photos to put in the gallery. She can be contacted via the website.
If anyone wishes to advertise their business on the website, please contact the Parish Council via the website to discuss.
PARKING ON THE CAUSEWAY
The yellow hatching in the general area of Mark School during school ‘rush hour’ continues to generate friction between competing components in no order of priority
- Residents unable to leave or enter their properties. A substantial quantity have lived in the vicinity for many years.
- Parents and guardians collecting children from the School, a number of whom do not live in Mark.
- The public using the narrowest part of the Causeway either as drivers, pedestrians, cyclists or horse riders.
- The Cricket Club who would like to move to a field to the rear of Croft Farm and, in so doing, help finance a safe place for children to be collected..
The Parish Council, the School and Mark Cricket Club are all in close agreement that the solution lies within the local authorities but there is an impasse. With this mind, the matter was referred to our new MP, James Heappey, and when he visited the site on Friday 5 June, a particularly bad ‘rush hour’ saw traffic grind to a halt for several minutes. He also met a resident, who gave him a robust appreciation of the situation.
NEXT PARISH MEETING
Next Parish Council Meeting will be held in the Village Hall on 7th July 2015 at 7.30 pm. Members of the public are invited.
Nick van der Bijl
Mark Parish Council
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