Agenda and minutes
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Contact: LCN Team Email: lcn@somerset.gov.uk
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To elect the Chair of the Local Community Network Minutes: Somerset Councillor, Matt Martin, was nominated by Walton Parish Councillor, John Harvey, and seconded by Street Parish Councillor, Bryan Knickerbocker.
No other nominations were received.
Councillor Matt Martin was duly elected as the Chair for Avalon & the Poldens Local Community Network.
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To appoint the Vice-Chair of the Local Community Network Minutes: Street Parish Councillor, Bryan Knickerbocker, was nominated by Walton Parish Councillor, John Harvey, and seconded by Somerton Parish Councillor, Tim Kerley.
No other nominations were received.
Councillor Bryan Knickerbocker was duly elected as the Vice Chair for Avalon & the Poldens Local Community Network.
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Apologies for Absence To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Councillor Mark Healey Councillor Diogo Rodrigues Councillor Alex Wiltshire Mark Wilcox, Youth & Community Development Manager YMCA Mendip
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Declarations of Interest To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting. (The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.) Minutes: There were none.
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Public Question Time The Chair to advise of any questions, statements or petitions received that are not covered by items on the agenda for the meeting on which members of the public have requested to speak. Minutes: How do LCNs work in other councils?
It was confirmed that the rolling out of LCNs in other councils, such as Wiltshire, Cornwall and Buckinghamshire have been successful and somerset have built on the learning from their experiences.
A further question was raised regarding Allocated funding for LCN’s.
Councillor Keitch explained that in another Council where pots of money, where specifically allocated, the LCN merely became a grant making body. She pointed out that the Somerset LCNs wanted to avoid that and therefore the Council would not be allocating individual pots of money to each LCN at the current time
As LCN identify and develop their priorities there may be a need to identify funding sources to support the delivery of actions however we have seen in the pilots that this funding could come from an array of sources.
She further pointed out that the LCNs were set up by somerset council for each LCN to decide what they needed and have a voice within the council.
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What are LCNs and how will we work together Minutes: Kate Hellard (Service Manager LCN) shared a presentation on the purpose of the LCN and how it would feed back into the work of Somerset Council.
The meeting noted there was a dedicated page on the Somerset Council website at Local Community Networks (LCNs) (somerset.gov.uk) and a contact officer could be contacted on lcn@somerset.gov.uk.
Attendees were asked to share what themes, issues and opportunities they wanted the LCN to explore over the next 12 months. The questions they needed to keep in mind whilst doing this were:
What topics are important to our residents? How do we know? What data/evidence/information would help? What could be done to solve/improve topics? Are there local examples already working? Who do we need to involve? Who else could be in the room (partners and stakeholders)?
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Discussion - What is important to residents and businesses in our area? An opportunity to raise any local issues or concerns for LCN to consider Minutes: During the group discussions the Local Community Network (LCN) members highlighted the following as priorities for their area: · Rural broadband speeds · Community Infrastructure · Roads, maintenance of o Cycle routes o Footpaths § Glastonbury to Wells following the A39 § Survey of existing & wanted paths § Safe walking o Car parking o Noise pollution o Bottle necks o A39 relief road o Highways o Pedestrian crossing on the A361 in West Pennard o pavements o Speed § Special cameras § More funding § 20mph (incl. visible signs) § Can also be shared across villages § Ability to have some say in speed limits · Transport o Frequency and more services o More busses § Cost post £2 § The 126 route – Strode college § Glastonbury, Bridgwater connections § Make sure it connects with villages § Evening and night travel · Youth services and support o Education o Work o More activities/play parks o West Pennard would like a park o Public space to meet eg hall § Meare doesn’t have a Village Hall · Adult social care o Lobby govt for funding o Social contact o Can we get rural isolation data · Traveler sites o They are doing illegal development, o Their planning applications being quickly accepted whereas others haven’t been. · Planning/development/infrastructure– general across the LCN o When will the local plans be confirmed? o Local and neighbourhood plans o Standardise SW106 & CIL o Enforcement Officers and feed back o Yurts, Shepherds Huts no planning permission o Understanding of planning decisions and how they are made o Feedback vital o Affordable housing – pref. Social grant (some 100% not 30%) § Sedgemoor housing could not offer better help o New housing · Mobile libraries and other accessible to affordable services · Health o Surgeries o Dentists o Chemist availability · Environmental concerns o Phosphates & mitigation o Litter o Grass cutting o Fly tipping o Waste sites need to be open more and would be cost effective not to charge because it costs more to deal with fly tipping o Dog waste o Parishes sharing good practice with Somerset wildlife trust o Parishes sharing good practice within and without the LCN o Ensure fair representation across the whole LCN § Make sure villages receive their fair share of resources o Climate emergency related support
Other priorities, which were captured on flipchart paper included:
· Is there an LCN neighbourhood plan? · Libraries/services · Banking · Communications to Parish Clerks o Who can help on certain topics o Shared data knowledge base o Pool resources/cost effective measures · Police and their partners o Police divisions represented · NHS · Head teachers · Shortage of trades for building · Cost of living · Farming community is important · Housing · Cultural life
Things that have been done to help included:
· Local parish survey has taken place to help identify issues in the area. (LCN to receive a copy of outcomes.) · Recently taken a section on the playing field in Cossington and planted a small woodland area.
It was suggested that the following people be invited to the next LCN: ... view the full minutes text for item 6b |
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To agree the frequency of meetings Minutes: It was discussed setting up sub-groups.
The LCN agreed that the next meeting would be scheduled for late September/October, due to the summer holidays. Meanwhile, it was discussed that the meetings would possibly be monthly after that at first, going to bi-monthly as time went on.
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The schedule of meetings for the next 12 months Minutes: The LCN Team would work with the Chair of the LCN to schedule the meeting dates for the remainder of the year.
Councillor Val Keitch thanked everyone for coming. She further thanked the team for their hard work the staff who helped out.
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