Parents thank Council
In an unprecedented move, local parents came to the council meeting to thank Members in person for their help and support in the successful fight to overturn the County Council’s decision to stop the school bus service from North Petherton to the Robert Blake School in Bridgwater. Local parent Helen Warren said how grateful all the families were for everything that the Council had done to help them and thanked the Mayor, Cllr Bradford, in particular, for encouraging them to believe that they would succeed. Cllr Bradford, in praising the parents and their supporters, said that the decision of the Independent Appeal Panel was a “victory for common sense”.
Problems with new Cycle Path
Peter Winn, a local cyclist, told Members about the problems he and others were having with the new cycle route out of North Petherton towards Bridgwater. He said that glass, thorns and chippings were causing punctures on a regular basis which was proving costly and highly inconvenient to people trying to use the route. Cllr Bradford said that he would take the matter up with Sedgemoor Council’s Clean Surroundings team to get the cycleway swept on a regular basis.
Support for Defibrillators
Local resident Andy Newland talked to Members about the importance of having publicly accessible defibrillators available in the area and offered his help to Cllr Mrs Denham and Cllr Mrs Phillips who were in the process of finalising the Council’s detailed plans. The Council reaffirmed its support for this important project.
Affordable Housing in North Newton
Cllr Bradford presented a report on proposals to carry out a Housing Needs Survey in North Newton, the first step in providing houses that would be affordable for local people. Members agreed to support the proposals and to fund the survey if necessary.
Annual Town Meeting
The Annual Town Meeting will be taking place at Ferrydown House, North Petherton at 7:00 pm on Monday 10th April. This meeting is open to all residents to raise issues and concerns that affect the area. It was agreed that every effort should be made to publicise the event, which would include further explanation of the neighbourhood planning process, and to encourage as many people as possible to attend. It was also agreed to continue with the idea of holding some council meetings in local village halls. Two each would be held in Moorland and North Newton Village Halls in the coming months.
New Committee Structure
Councillors discussed options to change their committee structure to help to tackle current issues, particularly in Wilstock and Stockmoor and to drive forward the Neighbourhood Plan. They agreed to consult members of the community on the proposals, with a view to finalising them at the next meeting.