Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 67 KBVenue: Priddy Village Hall - Priddy
Contact: LCN Team Email: lcn@somerset.gov.uk
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To elect the Chair of the Local Community Network Decision: Cllr Edric Hobbs was duly elected Minutes: Somerset Cllr Edric Hobbs was nominated by Cllr Ros Wyke, seconded by Somerset Cllr Tessa Munt.
There were no other nominations.
Cllr Edric Hobbs was duly elected. |
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To appoint the Vice Chair of the Local Community Network Decision: Parish Cllr Tony Hathway was duly elected Minutes: Parish Cllr Tony Hathway was nominated by Gill Pettitt, seconded by Parish Councillor Martin Cooke.
There were no other nominations.
Parish Cllr Tony Hathway was duly elected |
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Apologies for Absence To receive any apologies for absence. Decision: None |
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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.) Decision: 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. Decision: No public questions or statements were made.
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To determine the priorities and areas of focus for the Local Community Network for the next 12 months Minutes: Francis Gully (LCN Development Lead) 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 https://somerset.gov.uk/local-community-networks/.
Attendees were asked to share what themes, issues and opportunities they wanted the LCN to explore over the next 12 months.
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)? Participants were asked to list their contact details.
Top priorities were reported to be:
Travel Active travel, co-ordination between buses and other modes of transport. Miscommunication: there were sometimes rumours that a bus service was not running when it was. Traffic calming and safer roads at junctions. Travel routes for multi-users including horse riders and walkers. More buses and public transport, they need to run to more places. More 20 mile an hour zones. More community supported transport scheme eg 67 bus was supported by parishes along the route to deliver the service.
Highways The number of potholes was unacceptable.
Planning and Planning Enforcement Lack of planning enforcement; members felt lots of building work was happening, but not always that which was given permission. Mendip’s Local Plan needed to be updated, we need a county wide plan. Villages need to be supported to keep their identity in future local plans. Construction levy needs to be introduced.
Environment and Climate Change Renewable energy should be used at every opportunity. More dark skies. More green corridors.
Communications Reliable and fast broadband needs to be available in rural areas as well as towns.
Public Safety Particularly on top of the Mendips.
Fly tipping/rubbish Unacceptable number of incidents unresolved.
Housing Affordable housing in rural areas
Other priorities, which were captured on flipchart paper included:
Transport: buses/speed limits, MUPs Active Travel, “connectivity”/access (buses: hrs/routes/socialising), supermarket – sponsors? Affordable housing: younger? Lower income? Not so commuter-focused Devolution of (minor) planning issues, going to site/understanding locality, stronger voice for very local knowledge (eg garage conversions) Environment: Strawberry Line, Dark Skies, Waterways, Green Corridors, Highway Rangers, Flooding
Mendip motorway (road from mendip Inn across top of the Mendip’s). Accidents and speeding. Bus service/public transport Heritage Internet/mobile Fly tipping/litter
Development where the infrastructure exists Inappropriate development
Affordable rural eco housing Traffic calming/quiet lanes/safer roads and junctions Winter emergency plans – general emergency planning Environmental action including planting and regenerative farming Support in the home – facilities for changing need Improved communications eg mendip bulletin, community bulletin? LCN Bulletin? Public transport – one bus in Priddy on Tuesday. Survey should lack of info on slinky buses
Impact on infrastructure by new houses Road safety particularly on A37, A371, A361 and B3135 Speed of traffic Lack of capacity on road in terms of size and width Sign posting (that is TomTom and ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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To agree the frequency of meetings Minutes: The Network hoped to have its next meeting at the mid-September/early October, and from then on hold the meetings every other month (avoiding late June each year).
Members were asked to email the LCN team with possible dates.
Members were keen to make progress so between now and next meeting they agreed the notes from the meeting should be shared with all the parish councils. The key themes should be listed and a request for volunteers and representatives from other groups made. So that by the time the LCN met again some organising will have been done. The next agenda might include what working groups should be set up.
Before the next meeting the LCN team will be compiling a data pack for each area. The team agreed to discuss with the Chair and Vice Chair who else should be invited to the next meeting.
Members agreed that Thursday was generally a convenient night for meetings of the LCNs.
Members noted neither Chewton Mendip nor Litton Parish Councils were able to be represented at the meeting. Contact would be made with them before the next meeting.
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The schedule of meetings for the next 12 months Minutes: It was requested that the next meeting was scheduled for September, and then followed bi-monthly after that. Thus, future meetings would fall in November, January, March and May.
Request was made for a “teams” link for future meetings.
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