Agenda and draft minutes
PDF 70 KBVenue: West Somerset House Council Chamber
Contact: LCN Team Email: lcn@somerset.gov.uk Email: mineheadandwatchetlcn@somerset.gov.uk
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Elect the Chair for the Local Community Network 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.
To participate in the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair, as a core member of the LCN, you will need to be physically present at the meeting. (For more information please see Terms of Reference).
Minutes: SC Mandy Chilcott, nominated by SC Andy Hadley and seconded by SC Rosemary Woods was elected as the new chair of the LCN.
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Appoint the Vice- Chair of the Local Community Network 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.
To participate in the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair, as a core member of the LCN, you will need to be physically present at the meeting. (For more information please see Terms of Reference).
Minutes: Cllr Brenda Maitland Walker was re-elected as the vice chair of the LCN, continuing her role from the previous year, nominated by Loretta Whetlor (SALC) and seconded by Cllr Geoff Williams (Old Cleeve PC).
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Consider the Yearly Report of the LCNs work in the last 12 months Minutes: The outgoing Chair Cllr Andy Sully thanked the LCN and Cllr Brenda Maitland Walker for working hard to build collaborative relationships and coming together in the working groups.
The presentation slides for the meeting are available to view on this link.
The meeting reviewed the annual report of the LCN, which covered the achievements, challenges, and priorities of the network in the past 12 months.
The report can be viewed here: LCN Yearly Report 23_24 Minehead and Watchet LCN_JULY 24_ pdf FINAL.pdf (somerset.gov.uk)
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Overview of Highlights from LCNS across Somerset Minutes: An overview of the highlights and activities of the other LCNs in Somerset, and the potential for learning and collaboration more information can be found in the PP here. PowerPoint Presentation (somerset.gov.uk)
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Consider the priorities and areas of focus for the LCN for the next 12 months. What has been working for you? What can we change or improve for the coming year.
Working Groups The notes from the last Highways subgroup meeting held on Thursday 27 June are attached. Additional documents:
Minutes: Better Police Engagement The meeting had a Q&A session with ASP Sergeant Hayden Smith, who answered questions about local policing, crime prevention, and community engagement in particular concerns about issues such as shoplifting, speeding, reporting and accessibility. The meeting agreed to have a regular slot for the police at the beginning of each meeting, and to have a contact list of the local PCSOs and other relevant officers. He suggested using the app What3Words to pinpoint locations in rural areas and gave his email address for further communication. Hayden.Smith@avonandsomerset.police.uk The members thanked him for his input and attendance. Directory for local services: - website links
Somerset Council Find your local councillor: Your Councillors - Modern Council (somerset.gov.uk)
Avon and Somerset Police Neighbourhood Beat Team : Your area | Avon and Somerset Police CCS (Community Council for Somerset Village Agents: Village Agents | Find an Agent (somersetagents.org)
Parish Clerks All town and parish clerks: Parish councils contact details - Modern Council (somerset.gov.uk)
Children and Young People The LCN members explored the theme of provision and support for children and young people in Minehead and Watchet, especially in relation to education, employment, health and wellbeing. They would like to hear more from Paul Matcham, Connect Somerset Champion at Minehead Eye in addition to Clare Pound (Homestart). Health and Wellbeing Raised as an important topic by the Chair, especially given the pressures on the local health services. SALC H&WB funding – Fodo Higginson is overseeing and promoting this funding grant which is available to constituted bodies. It was requested that she provide a presentation at the next LCN meeting to talk about the fund and how it can be accessed. Discussion about the range of partners to include and how to define an area of focus. Agreed to consider a specific meeting with some preparatory work to understand the needs of residents in the area. Also to include, who should be invited to participate and what data is already available? Housing There was concern regarding the current housing situation in West Somerset, especially the Rainbow Way development and the high demand for affordable homes. The Chair and Link Officer highlighted the successful open day that took place in September, where over 500 people attended to view the show house and learn more about the eligibility criteria and application process. However, the report also acknowledged the challenges and delays that have affected the project, such as supply chain issues, weather conditions, and planning permissions. The report stressed the importance of ensuring that the homes are allocated fairly and transparently via Homefinder, but with a strong local connection requirement as laid out in the planning policy. This is the first Council Housing in West Somerset in a generation, but with only 55 units will not solve the housing crisis. Nevertheless, it is hoped that it will release other properties in Minehead so that more families can be housed. Proposed Ideas for Future Meetings:-
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Agree the schedule of meetings for the next 12 months Minutes: Dates for future meetings:-
We hope to continue to use West Somerset House as long as possible but are on the look-out for alternative venues within the LCN area. Ideally these should be able to accommodate 30-50 people, be fully accessible, have onsite parking and good wi-fi bandwidth to allow on-line participation.
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