VILLAGE NEWS
APRIL/MAY 2018
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
MARK PARISH COUNCIL
THE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018
INTRODUCTION
It has been another busy year for Mark Parish Council with Wessex Water finishing their improved sewerage infrastructure along parts of Mark Causeway and the affordable housing project getting underway on Northwick Road.
MARK PARISH COUNCIL
Following the 2017 by-election, Mrs. Jan Horn was elected to the Parish Council. It now consists of:
Chairman Nick van der Bijl BEM JP
Deputy Chairman/Public Areas Geoff Francis
Planning Anne Hanlon and Sally Flack
Highways Jan Horn.
Special Projects Eileen Corkish
Website Jendy Weekes
District Council Will Human
Clerk to the Council Richard Young
The next Parish Council elections will be held in 2019.
The Council currently has an apolitical approach to its business and focuses entirely on serving the community.
FINANCES
Our finances are healthy.
PUBLIC AREAS
Rights of Way. Defects to footpaths and bridleways are reported to Sedgemoor District Council and Somerset County Council. The Council invites public support to ensure they remain in good condition.
Fly tipping and litter on verges continues to blight the Parish. On four occasions, Community Payback has cleared up places, notably the Village Hall and some Rights of Way, at minimal cost.
On the 17th March, the Parish Councils annual village clean-up day collected over 40 bags of litter plus numerous tyres and other rubbish. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the public and Parish Councillors who gave up their time to help to clean up the village.
Mark Community Speed Watch (CSW). After about 18 months of no operations, Mark CSW was re-activated in February of this year. Speeding throughout the Parish is as major problem and has resulted in injuries and cars ending up in rhynes.
Village Hall Area. The Children’s Play Area and MUGA are regularly inspected and in a good state of repair. Defibulator awareness and training took place at the Village Hall during the year.
PLANNING.
|
PLANNING APPLICATIONS |
2017/18 |
|
Applications submitted to Council |
30 |
|
Recommended |
23 |
|
No Observations of which :- |
4 |
|
Under consideration |
2 |
|
Withdrawn by applicant |
1 |
|
Refused by Sedgemoor |
1 |
|
Not Recommended |
1 |
|
Permitted Developments |
2 |
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Affordable Housing. The Northwick affordable housing project got underway in late 2017. The Council remains fully supportive of the affordable housing principle and looks forward to the occupation of the houses in the early autumn of 2018.
Bus 67 (Village Bus Service). A new operator has taken over from Crosville. The Parish Council agreed to contribute up to £1750 towards the cost of running this valuable community service during 2018/19. The new timetable for this service has been displayed around the village. The more the service is used the lower the contribution will need to be so “Use it or lose it”
National Grid T-Pylons. National Grid began preparatory surveys of composition, contamination risks, quality of ground and water content in preparation for erecting T-Pylons. A borehole survey takes two to three days while trial pit surveys last about one day. National Grid intends to carry out about 90 surveys along the whole route, seven of which will be in the Parish of Mark. The Parish Council will keep the Parish briefed as this project develops.
VILLAGE INFORMATION
The Mark Village website is functioning well. There is evidence that those closely associated with the Parish regularly visit the site for news. During the year, Councillor Jendy Weekes managed an extensive refreshment of the site. The Council always welcomes practical advice and suggestions to ensure that our website is vibrant, informative and current. As always, businesses and commercial enterprises are invited to promote their activities on the website.
THANKS
As Chairman of Mark Parish Council, I would like to thank:
- Members of the Council for their commitment for the good and benefit of our Parish. I would like to emphasise just how much patience, time and effort our Councillors contribute to the Parish.
- Richard Young, our Parish Clerk, for his patient support and expert advice.
- Somerset County Councillor David Huxtable for making our case at County.
- Sedgemoor District Councillors Will Human and Polly Costello for their support and guidance.
And finally, and most important, to Parishioners of Mark, the Church, Parish Magazine editors, clubs and organizations and businesses for their commitment to our Parish.
Nick van der Bijl
Mark Parish Council
13 March 2018
PARISH MONTHLY REPORT – MARCH/MAY 2018
‘The Beast from the East.’
The Parish seems not to have suffered too badly from the heavy snow that affected UK in late February/early March. While the Causeway was icy, tractors regularly using it improved conditions.
Fly Tipping.
Fly-tipping is the illegal disposal of waste without a waste management licence. It is covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and amendments of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 with the legislation ranging from the dumping of a single black bin bag to thousands of tonnes of waste. Unfortunately, part of the law is that the responsibility for a fly tip dumped on private land lies with the landowner. The Environment Agency can advise on disposal. Local authorities are responsible for disposal of deposits in public areas including verges.
Members of the public are invited to report incidents in the Parish of Mark to Sedgemoor District Council giving a location and content. A photograph is useful. Contact Sedgemoor District Council 0n 0300 303 7803 or email customer.services@sedgemoor.gov.uk. Please note: If you interfere with a fly-tip, it becomes your ‘property’ and you will then be held responsible for its disposal.
Hinkley Point
Our MP, James Heappey has had a conversation with OFGEM during its review of local concerns about the Hinkley Connection Project. In his words - The bad news is there is no good news’:
- There is no realistic option of OFGEM challenging the project.
- National Grid maintain their stance of no or little community mitigation.
Nevertheless, Mr Heappey intends to start a conversation with National Grid to determine how the company might mitigate the construction and the impact that the line of pylons will have on affected communities, in particular beyond compensation for those residents directly affected by the project.
Mark Community Speed Watch (CSW)
Mark has three Speed Watch locations, all manned by volunteers. Since it recommenced operations in nearly February 2018, it has logged 1,022 vehicles, which has resulted in 14 drivers receiving warning letters about speeding. The CSW always welcomes volunteers.
Somerset County Council
At a recent cluster meeting of Sedgemoor Parishes, the Somerset County Council leader said that the County is under immense financial pressure with 70% of its annual budget being allocated to the young and the elderly. The consequence is there is immense pressure spreading the remainder of the budget and the axe will fall on other services. The conclusion has to be that Parish Councils will also be affected by these cuts.
NEXT PARISH MEETING
The next Parish Council Meeting will be held at the Village Hall beginning at 7.30pm on Tuesday 1 May 2018 (May Day). Members of the public are invited.
Nick van der Bijl
Mark Parish Council
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