We are finally back to face to face meetings, albeit with Covid safety at the forefront of our minds. Social distancing will be in force as well as hand sanitiser. We ask all in attendance to respect the current Covid rules.
The annual parish council meeting will be held in the Village Hall at 7pm on 27th May 2021
The meeting pack and agenda can be found here
I recently wrote to the Sustainable Travel and Road Safety team at NSC about their plans to provide a safe cycle/walking route linking our village to Portishead and/or Clevedon. I include the reply from North Somerset Council below.
Dear Cllr Baulch,
Thank you for contacting us about the Gordano Greenway and associated plans, and your interest in promoting active travel, which is very much appreciated.
As you know, the North Somerset Coastal Towns Cycle Route is very much a priority and the Gordano Greenway will form the next section of that route to be developed once the Weston-super-Mare – Clevedon section is fully underway. Unfortunately, the development of routes such as this, where land must be negotiated and other permissions sought takes a great deal of officer time. Not just our team, but NS Highways and Transport as a whole have been extremely stretched. We also need to respond to where funding is made available, which also very much dictates our priorities – such as under Covid. Funding for inter-urban routes such as this can be very hard to find and we have to put a considerable amount of effort into such bids. However once Weston-Clevedon is open it will be easier to justify the Gordano Greenway case to funders.
We recently published a Draft North Somerset Active Travel Strategy, and this was consulted on early this year:
It is close to being finalised and we expect it to be adopted by the Council in July. You will see that the Gordano Greenway is listed in the proposed schemes appendix as a priority.
In terms of next steps, you may also know we have been slowly progressing plans for the Strawberry Line extension from Yatton to Clevedon, to the point where we cannot lose momentum without risking already secured S106 funding, and a well-developed proposal from Highways England to get us under the M5. We urgently need to focus more attention on this route. However, subject to our Exec Member / Council expectations and priorities, I would hope that we can start looking in more detail at the Gordano Greenway, and be making funding applications in the next year or so. I know this must still sound a long way off, but reflects the position we are in.
Best wishes
Ben
Ben Searle Senior Sustainable Travel & Road Safety Officer Place Directorate North Somerset Council Tel: 01934 426962 E-Mail:Ben.Searle@n-somerset.gov.uk
Post: Sustainable Travel & Road Safety Team, Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ Web:www.n-somerset.gov.uk
This week, schools and communities throughout North Somerset are invited to celebrate United Nations Global Road Safety Week, running from 17th to 23rd May.
You can look at the photos and slides sent out to each school at https://winscombeandsandford.org.uk/category/20splenty/
Traffic speeding through our village and town streets is a worry for all of us. Now lockdown is easing, traffic flow and speeds are increasing.
Children are most at risk on the streets where they live, play and travel to school. Every day 3000 children and young people are killed or seriously injured on the world’s roads. A child hit by a car at 20 mph can survive, but if hit at 50 mph most will die.
The key message of United Nations Global Road Safety week is for 20 mph to become the normal speed limit, in places where people on foot or on bicycle mix with motor vehicles. Our country has signed up to 20 mph becoming the normal speed limit, along with the other UN countries, in the UN Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety of 2020.
Most of the UK’s larger local authorities have adopted 20 mph for their residential streets, including Bristol, and Bath and North East Somerset. Wales is about to bring in a 20 mph national default speed limit for residential roads. Around one third of the people in our country live in 20 mph speed limit areas. 20 mph speed limits for residential streets are successful and popular in the areas where they are brought in.
Communities can decide that 20 mph is the right limit where people live. Low speed, liveable streets, encouraging people to walk and cycle, are good for our health, good for community life, good for cleaner air, and good for reducing climate change emissions.
North Somerset Council is responsible for setting local speed limits. Please email the Leader of North Somerset Council, donald.davies@n-somerset.gov.uk ‘ I support 20 mph for residential streets throughout North Somerset’
We can all ask our MP to take action on the government setting 20 mph as the national default urban/village speed limit by emailing him using this link
See more information at https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/home
20’s Plenty For Us campaigns for a speed limit of 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres, unless full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit on particular streets: We believe that communities can decide that “20’s Plenty Where People Live”
Contact us at www.20splenty.org, northsomerset@20splentyforus.org.uk or find us on Facebook.
In relation to the current vacancy for Weston-in-Gordano parish council, please find attached the notice of election as well as nomination papers for potential candidates and the current timetable of proceedings. You may wish to publish these on your relevant display boards or website. These details will also be published on the North Somerset council website in due course.
Kind regards,
Ross Henderson
Democratic & Electoral Services Support Officer
Corporate Services
North Somerset Council
Friday 30 April 2021
Dear all
With coronavirus restrictions in place until at least June, please keep yourselves safe over the bank holiday.
Washing hands, wearing face coverings, and staying at least 2m away from anyone you don’t live with are still the most important things anyone can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from coronavirus.
Staying out in the fresh air is also essential in reducing the risk of future outbreaks, as well as taking up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccination.
Infection rates in North Somerset have fallen sharply as a result of lockdown, but numbers have been edging up over the last two weeks.
With restrictions lifting it can be easy to let our guard down and forget the basic safety steps we’ve all been taking this last year to reduce our risk of catching Covid.
Lower infection rates can also give as a sense of safety. But this is still a dangerous disease and we’ve seen how quickly things can take a turn for the worst if we aren’t careful.
We’ve all enjoyed reconnecting with our friends and family over the last few weeks and it could be really tempting to skip ahead and mix with more people than we should, or go inside if forecast rain reaches us on Monday.
Taking things slowing, one small step at a time, will let us keep moving forward.
Up to six people from different households or members of two households can meet outside under the current Covid restrictions. Outdoor hospitality can open, as well as most outdoor attractions.
Latest coronavirus data
Recorded cases of coronavirus have risen for a second week in North Somerset.
41 new cases have been identified in the latest seven-day period reported for North Somerset compared with 31 in the previous week. Our case rate per 100,000 head of population has increased to 19.1. This compares with a South West figure of 15.2, and an England rate of 24.5.
There is a lag in case data meaning the latest information is for the week ending Saturday 24 April.
You can see more detail on our local case data at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/lomp.
Case data is also available at national, regional, council and neighbourhood level at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/cases
Washing your hands, covering your face if you can, staying at least 2m away from people you don’t live with, making sure you have fresh air, and taking up the offer of a vaccination as soon as you are called are still the best things you can do to keep case rates down in North Somerset.
Contents
North Somerset Coronavirus Update 2
North Somerset Council’s Executive team 5
National Walking Month 6
Electric Bike Trials and Cargo Bikes 7
TravelWest Roadshow Team: available for events 8
Free adult cycle training in North Somerset 8
Councillors guide to handling intimidation 10
Opportunity North Somerset’s 11
There is still time to complete Census 2021 12
Volunteer Training 13
Local Authority remote meetings: call for evidence 13
SAVE THE DATE – Town & Parish Forum Meetings 14
North Somerset Council consultations 14
Funding opportunities 14
Town and Parish changes 17
Carol singing Saturday 18 th December 4-6pm followed by our Christmas Meet & Greet serving mulled wine and mince pies at the Village Hall from 6-8pm. There will be an opportunity to purchase additional beverages from the bar at this event and a raffle for a Christmas Hamper and other gifts.
All money raised from this event will be donated to the South Western Air Ambulance Service.
Just a month to go until the Plant Sale!
Main event Saturday 22 May
We are delighted to report that Ann (Chavasse) is valiantly pulling together the plans for the Plant Sale. Back in the depths of lock-down, Ann “rather ambitiously advertised the sale for 22nd and 23rd May thinking that it would be unmanned like last year with Honesty Boxes” – (Ann’s words!).
However as things have moved on positively Covid-wise, we are now planning that on the Saturday morning we will be able to go back to the our usual Plant Sale format, for the Saturday morning, – with of course the usual Covid 19 safety measures in place.
What we need now is plants!
To make the most of this opportunity, we would really appreciate all donations of plants, large and small. With a month to go, there is perhaps time for any spare plants to be lifted, potted and to be settled and beautiful in time for the sale. If doing this please make sure that they are labelled so no guessing games are necessary! Any small veg. plants or bedding plants?
Also with so many new gardeners around, any unwanted tools to sell would be great.
Whatever you can offer, it would be really helpful if you could let Ann C. know, as this will help in planning. We are trying to predict how long our supply of plants may last e.g. whether there will be enough for a continuation as self-service on Sunday.
With what appears to be a national shortage of plants this year, we are envisaging good demand, and thinking the prices will be a little higher this year – with proceeds of course going to the Church funds. This year the focus is funds for a new boiler.
Please deliver your plants to the patio at the back of the village hall by Friday, 21 May, for sorting and pricing on Friday.
What’s the plan?
The main sale will be on Saturday 22 May, from 10.00-12.00 noon. David Down has kindly agreed to parking on the field behind the church.
Customers entering the sale area will be limited in number at any one time; we have two volunteers (Ian B. and Ian H.) who have kindly offered to “manage” the queuing masses.
Signs to remind of social distancing on the path and slope up to the patio.
A one-way system round the stalls.
Usual table lay out on patio with Garden Group volunteers serving. 10am – 12 noon.
Angela B and helpers taking money and overseeing crèche for sold plants.
It is still to be confirmed whether Covid rules will allow us to offer coffee and homemade cake in a well-spaced hall, or a stall of individually wrapped cakes for sale – this decision will be guided by Village Hall Committee and rules at the time – so probably a bit last minute.
From lunchtime on Saturday, we will revert to self-service and an honesty box. Ideally we could have a rota of volunteers to keep tables tidy and help/welcome the intermittent customers, possibly continuing on Sunday if there remain sufficient plants. These hours may be boring and cold!!
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE
If you would like to help with any or all of the above, please let Ann C. know so that she can sort out a rota. patrickchavasse@btinternet.com 01275 842296
VILLAGE GREEN NEWS
As you will have seen if you have been through the village in the last few days, planting got
underway last weekend, thanks to so many people who have contributed along the way, the two main beds are now definitely beginning to be a garden, with a few items still be to be added. Huge thanks and appreciation to the many people who has made a contribution to this project. It will be rewarding to start seeing the plants develop and fill out, especially in this wonderful weather.
On-going tasks remain: there has been a delay on being able to get the stone work and gravel areas sorted, so it was decided that we just needed to get on and get the plants into the ground. The poor sad bed by the road has been thoroughly trampled, such a shame, rather than using the nearly path, and will take time and hard work to bring back to life. The smart bench that you chose will be going into the corner between the cottage and the road, at the appropriate time.
Planters
Watering is now going to be key on the Village Green. John and Emma have very kindly offered us access to water to help. The need to maintain humidity is also vital for the planters in the village; if you live near one of the planters it would be great if you could keep them watered. Steve and Maureen are very kindly working to re-vamp the containers by the pub, and hopefully these, and the other planters will be ready to receive our huge delivery of free bedding plants next month.
Do let Pam Harrison know if you have a publicly visible spot to plant some annuals to brighten the village. Harrison-j10@sky.com
Gardening Group looking ahead.
As life begins to start to be a little more normal, we will hopefully be able to begin planning some activities for later in the summer. Please have a think of any topics or visits that you would like to see covered. Our “consultative” visit to Becky’s garden was lovely, interesting and useful to Becky. If either yourself, or perhaps a neighbour would like to invite a group visit, that might be an interesting possibility – fingers crossed we can get to that dizzy point of freedom!
Hoping to see some of you delivering, selling or buying plants at the sale,
With best wishes,
Chris and Penny
18th April 2021
Taking on the Parish Pump, in both magazine format and its online sister incarnation, is no small piece of work. Over the last month I have been engaging with a printing company who have been educating me, at rapid pace, on the multifaceted world of file formatting, paper and ink quality, colour profiles, margins and bleeds. I have also acquired state of the art desktop publishing and design software, which with the help of a rather large and unwieldy hardback tutorial book will enable the Parish Pump to provide much loved content with minimal effort when it comes to layout and publishing.
As an author myself I have always focused on the words which crowd a page, be it paper or web based; little attention until know was afforded to the environment in which my words settled. Yet, one can lose as much time coordinating the words and images, so they “look right”, as was expended on imagining the text in the first place. It’s also worth noting that hours can be lost arranging the page, tweaking the angle of a photo, the word wrapping of paragraphs and the hue of a title. Will anyone notice such subtle details, of course not. But, a Picasso deserves a good frame, does it not?
With Parish Council funding for the Parish Pump confirmed, the discussions with the printing company could move on to the details, such as how many pages, what type of paper, hard cover or soft, glossy or matt. Born from this, the current plan is to produce four editions per year, each of around 22 pages, full colour, a glossy magazine full of local content.
And there’s that word, content. Without which, expertly crafted page design is without purpose. To that end I have reached out to community groups and individuals known for their artistic flair, seeking a core team of parishioners who will support the Parish Pump with content.
Above, a simple flat plan of 22 pages which soon filled up with ideas. The image is purely illustrative and will no doubt change as publication date approaches, but you can see, with our community groups providing updates, in combination with the best from the website and unique content specifically for the magazine, available space will soon dwindle.
My vision for the Parish Pump is a simple one, represent every aspect of our community, one we are all so proud of. The Parish Pump should look to the past as well as the future, a gentle convergence of traditional and progressive thinking. Stu and I will dip into the huge back catalogue of Parish Pumps to find the very best from the past, to republish. I also thought it would be fitting to honour the work John Harrison did by reprinting the best of the Common Man.
(Yes I did say Stu! He’ll continue and assist me in the position of Honorary Editor)
Lucy Luton and Vicky Baulch have agreed to manage a recipe section, with the aim of publishing a WIG recipe book in the future, filled with parishioners’ favourites.
Angela Borland is on the team, we all enjoyed immensely her prose and art work in the recent Parish Pump. Angela is thinking of having a regular page for poetry from the collection formed at annual poetry evenings over the years.
Knut Beekmann has already supplied breath-taking images of our parish (if you haven’t seen them yet head to the Photo Album section of the website) and will continue to, in his own words, “….make the village look like the perfect place to live…which it is”
You can see one of Knut’s amazing photographs in use below, in a mock up of a Parish Pump front cover.
.
Social Committee and Gardening Club will use the Parish Pump to reach every household and inform us of the amazing work they are doing for our community.
Lucy Luton is very keen to represent the farming community within the pages of the Parish Pump, an aspect of rural life many of us, myself included, have little knowledge of.
I will provide parish history content, which is already building into quite a large repository!
Above and below you will see mock up page designs for the Parish Pump.
In summary, there’s still a lot to be done. I’d like the layout and formatting of the core pages to be decided by June, into which content can easily be inserted. Anyone providing content need not worry about the page design, simple text and/or some photos will soon transform into good looking spreads.
More volunteers to help and/or join the Parish Pump team are greatly encouraged to come forward. If you want to write for the Pump, provide photos, poetry, prose, art work, crosswords, quizzes, you name it we’ll consider it.
In the coming weeks I’ll be publishing Parish Pump contact information; details on how content can be submitted, electronically or by post.
If you are interested in joining the Parish Pump team or have any feedback to give us so far please don’t hesitate to get in touch cllr.dav.baulch.wig@gmail.com
I hope you have enjoyed the update, let us know!
Cllr Dav Baulch