Agenda and minutes

Only members of the core membership are eligible to be nominated as the Chair. Either the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Local Community Network shall be a Somerset Council Councillor.

Only voting members can make nominations. The nomination must be seconded to be valid.

Somerset Councillor Pauline Ham was nominated by Somerset Councillor Ben Ferguson and seconded by Somerset Councillor Matt Martin.

No other nominations were received, Councillor Pauline Ham was duly elected as Chair for the Cheddar and Axbridge LCN.

Only members of the core membership are eligible to be nominated as the Vice[1]Chair. Either the Chair or Vice-chair must be a Somerset Councillor.

Only voting members can make nominations. The nomination must be seconded to be valid.

Axbridge Town Councillor Frankie Mitton was nominated by Somerset Councillor Pauline Ham and seconded by Somerset Councillor Ben Ferguson.

No other nominations were received, Axbridge Town Councillor Frankie Mitton was duly elected as Vice-Chair for the Cheddar and Axbridge LCN

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Somerset Councillors: Tony Grimes, Harry Munt and Ros Wyke and from Helen Marshall (clerk to Badgworth and Rodney Stoke Parish Councils).

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, where applicable, automatically be recorded in the minutes.)

No additional declarations of interest were made.

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.

In response to a question over the core-membership it was explained that the membership of a LCN would evolve over time.

The LCN recommended that the Mendip Hill AONB Service be included as a Core-Member

a)    What are LCNs and how will we work together.

b)    Discussion – What is important to residents and businesses in our area? (An opportunity to raise any local issues or concerns for LCN to consider).

Item 6a: What are LCNs and how will we work together

A presentation was given which explained the concept of the LCN meetings and their purpose.

Item 6b: Discussion – What is important to residents and businesses in our area? (An opportunity to raise any local issues or concerns for LCN to consider)

During the group discussions LCN) members highlighted the following as priorities for their area:-

•        Current issues, that have been notified to the Council, need to be resolved, so that the current relationship can be built on and mutual trust can be restored. 

•        The need for the Police to engage with LCNs when topics arise for them

•        Anti-social behaviour – predominantly anti-social driving e.g. noise and speed.

•        Speeding and the lack of speed limit enforcement

•        Care and support in the community

•        Access to services – hospitals, GPs, mental health and youth services.

•        Planning – its impact on local services, planning enforcement and the need for regard to local views on planning.

•        Traffic & Transport – Public transport, parking, rights of way, road/pedestrian safety and maintenance of highways.

•        Communications with town and parish councils and details of who to contact in Somerset Council.

Other priorities, which were captured on flipchart paper included:-

Planning

Enforcement, planning needing to liaison with licensing, infrastructure.

Highways

Fly tipping, speeding (rules of operation/decisions on this), volume of traffic, department of highways needs to be more involved, listening, investigating, parking at school times especially, drain maintenance, verge maintenance, rights of way, road closures, Lack of pavements and cycle paths, vulnerable road users, flooding issues      

Transport

Volume of transport needs to be looked at, sustainable transport, school kids transport, elderly people transport, transport to services. 

Services

Visitor economy (pros/cons), hospital provisions + parking, doctor surgeries, direct support and not going through remote systems to get to services, youth clubs, links to education, connections with planning, services and schools linking, care and support in the community, the need to share good practice as well as between Axbridge and Wells.

Environment

Nature reconnect, natural environment, green issues.

Communication

Communication needs to be better, connect with parish facebook page.

Who else to invite to these meeting: -

-         Highways authority

-         Police

-         NHS

-         Neighbourhood watch

The Cheddar and Axbridge LCN agreed that the frequency of meetings should be bi-monthly and that this could be reviewed as the LCN developed.

The LCN Team would work with the Chair of the LCN to schedule the meeting dates for the remainder of the year and this would be circulated.

A statement from the Chairman of the Avon & Somerset Watch for LCNs within the Avon & Somerset region was read out. This emphasised their vision, together with the key objectives they felt collaboration with LCN could help them achieve.

Copy of the statement provided at the LCN meeting.