/ News

Creech St Michael PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Casual Vacancies have occurred in the office of Councillor on the Creech St Michael Parish Council. Unless ten electors for the Parish give notice in writing by 10^th June 2022 to the Returning Officer, Somerset West and Taunton Council, West Somerset House, Killick Way, Williton, Taunton, Somerset TA4 4QA (elections@somersetwestandtauntoncouncil.gov.uk), requesting that an election be held, the Parish Council will, at a Meeting to be held in July 2022 at Creech St Michael Village Hall, fill the vacancies by the co-option of new Councillors.

______________________

Clerk to the Parish Council

71 Brutton Way
Chard
Somerset
TA20 2HB

Dated: 20^th May 2022

Note: The requests do not have to arrive at the same time and can be in any form, for example, letter, fax or email. 

Somerset County Council contractors are due to start works in the next few weeks to modify and improve the traffic management measures put in place before Christmas. This will include; modifications to the 20mph gateways at Langaller, Hyde Lane, Creech Heathfield and Lipe Lane to make them more prominent; more 20mph repeater signs and roundells on the carriageway along St Michael Road, Creech Heathfield Road and West View.  There will obviously be disruption to traffic while the works are in progress.

Creech St Michael PC is working closely with SCC to improve road safety in Creech.  If you would like to get involved in speed watch please contact the parish clerk at clerk@creechstmichael.net who will pass your details on to the organiser.

Watch out for further details of start of works which will be advised when known.

We are a group of residents running your Parish Council from all ages, backgrounds, in work and retired who want to give something back to society and help the village and its environs to live in harmony with a community spirit and to the best of the ability of the area around us. We want to stop the erosion of the countryside around us, protect our footpaths and streets, give the next generation an opportunity to enjoy themselves safely in an environment that they can relax in. However, this does not happen unless there are like minded people willing to give up their time to try and organise this idle. There are vacancies for four Councillors at present, and we would like to recruit more members to help us reach our goal and spread the work more evenly between us. It is an easy process – come to a meeting and listen in and then if you are interested in becoming a Councillor -

To stand as a candidate at any election a nomination paper and consent to nomination must be submitted. The nomination paper requires details of the candidate such as their name, address, and description (if any), these details will be printed on the ballot paper if the parish you are standing in is contested.

Please request a Nomination Pack from the Assistant Clerk at clerk@creechstmichael.net, complete it, and return it to the Assistant Clerk by Friday 1st April 2022 to be able to stand as a candidate for the Parish Council.

Please think if you would like to come and join us and help us. We cannot do the work required for the community if we do not have a full council (11 members).

If you want change come and help us.

Annabelle Peters
Chair, Creech Parish Council

CSMPC has been consulted by SWT licensing to comment on application MA/52586 for a street traders license made by the licensee of The Bell Inn in Creech, trading as Juniors.  SWT Council will determine the application on 24/02/2022.  The application is for a van selling burgers, chips and pizzas to operate from the pub car park.  The operating hours applied for are 7 days a week between the hours of 14.00 and 23.00 hrs. CSMPC will be considering its response to the application at its meeting on Friday 11th February at the Village Hall, Cartwright Room.  The meeting starts at 7pm.  Comments can be made to the PC by residents in advance of the meeting to clerk@creechstmichael.net or at the start of the meeting, and to SWT Council at enquiries@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk using the general enquiries form.

This meeting had to be re-scheduled. The meeting will now take place on Friday 11th Feb.

Creech St Michael Parish Council

Vacancy for a Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO)

We have appointed an Assistant to the Clerk however, due to our Clerk and RFO leaving we are looking to appoint a new Clerk and RFO. This is an exciting opportunity for a community minded and motivated individual, with relevant experience, to undertake this interesting and varied post supporting, with the help of an Assistant to the Clerk, a highly ambitious and active parish council, that has recently undergone changes.

Creech St Michael is a village situated on the edge of Taunton. The Parish Council is actively engaged in all issues affecting its residents including imminent, large-scale housing and commercial land developments. The Council has several sub-committees and panels reporting into it and the CSM PC has the benefit of an in-force Neighbourhood Plan.
We are seeking a Parish Clerk and RFO with relevant experience, working positively with an Assistant to the Clerk, alongside the Parish Councillors to help implement the parish projects, and to ensure that all key legal, financial, and other governance requirements are met.

The successful applicant will either hold, or be willing to give a commitment to obtain, the Certificate in Local Council Administration. Previous experience would be advantageous.

This is a part-time role working from home at an average of 80 hours per month, which will involve attending occasional evening and daytime meetings in Creech St Michael and therefore flexibility on the number of hours worked each week is a must. Any training will be paid for and in addition to the contracted hours. The position is graded at LC2 SCP 18-23 depending on qualifications, 2021 award pending. Mileage allowance, working from home allowance, mobile phone and laptop will be supplied.

How to apply
Please contact the Chairman of the Parish’s Staffing Committee by email, neil.davidson@creechstmichael.net  for a copy of the Job Description and an informal discussion around the role. A formal application will then be required.

News Release

25 January 2022

SWT approves new litter enforcement scheme

Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) Council has approved a new enforcement scheme to help keep its streets and public spaces free from litter.

The new scheme, which was adopted unanimously during last Wednesday’s Executive meeting (19 January 2022), will permit litter enforcement operations to be carried out by EH Commercial Services (EHCS) from 1 April 2022 as part of a 12-month trial with East Hampshire District Council.

SWT’s Executive Councillors voted unanimously to adopt the scheme, agreeing that ethical enforcement delivered through an established public partnership was considered the most cost-effective option.

The agreement will enable the recruitment and deployment of two new Environmental Enforcement Officers through EHCS with delegated authority to issue littering fines throughout SWT’s urban and rural hotspots. EHCS is a for public benefit company wholly owned by East Hampshire District Council, which specialises in ethical enforcement services for local authorities in the south of England.

Not only is littering illegal and antisocial, it consumes considerable council resources. Keeping the district clean through litter removal and mechanical sweeping costs the Council circa £1m a year. Furthermore, the environmental impact from discarded litter often leads to clogged stormwater drains resulting in flooding after heavy rain, or it can enter rivers, canals and the sea, threatening aquatic ecosystems.

To avoid prosecution, anyone issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for a littering offence will be charged at £100, which will be discounted to £80 if paid within fourteen days of the date of issue. Payments will be taken by SWT, with administrative functions including the processing of FPNs, handling of complaints and appeals also managed by EHCS.

The officers will be familiarised with SWT's safeguarding procedures, ensuring FPNs are not issued to vulnerable adults or individuals under the age of 18. Body cameras will also be worn to protect themselves and members of the public.

The enforcement scheme supports a new Litter Strategy which was also adopted during Wednesday’s meeting. The strategy aims to reduce litter more widely through the provision of strategically sited and frequently serviced bins to facilitate ease of disposal, and public education to encourage positive change.

Both the strategy and enforcement scheme adheres to the Government's 2017 Litter Strategy for England, encouraging local authorities to improve their environments with appropriate and proportionate enforcement. They also support the Council’s corporate commitment towards maintaining litter-free environments.

Executive Member for Environmental Services, Cllr Andy Sully, said: “Tackling litter at source through good infrastructure combined with proportionate enforcement will help change the behaviour of people who feel it’s acceptable to drop litter.

“However, rest assured the adoption of the enforcement aspect is not a money-making exercise but intended rather an effective deterrent in the fight against littering which is a criminal offence. The revenue gained will be used to fund the service and any surplus made must, by law, be reinvested into environmental activities by the Council.”

ENDS

Editor’s Notes

• External Enforcement – Litter

• Litter Strategy

Contact:

Matt Auty

Communications and Engagement

Somerset West and Taunton Council

m.auty@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk

01823 219787 (9787)

07385 396637

somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk

Works in the village to install the traffic management measures consulted on in the summer will start on Monday 13th December.

Start date:
Works will start at 08:30 on Monday 13th Dec. Although there will be some road cleaning/sweeping and channel clearing happening during the day on Friday 10th Dec in preparation for the Monday.

Who will be doing the work and phone contact for complaints:
Alun Griffiths, Somerset County Council's Contractor for the Creech Castle project will be doing the work. Their Public Liaison Officer James Aitken can be contacted by email at creechcastle@alungriffiths.co.uk or by phone 0330 041 2184

How many days will it take:
The plan is that the majority of the work will be finished and traffic management removed overnight on Friday 17th Dec evening.
Although further work will be required in the New Year when Western Power are available to undertake work on the illuminated signs.

Expected hours of working; will any late working be involved?
The majority of the work will be undertaken during the day between 08:30 and 16:30. Although there will be some overnight work towards the end of w/c 13th Dec to change some of the road markings that are at junctions or in the middle of the road.

Will St Michael Road be closed for any period?
There will be temporary traffic lights throughout the work that will be moved as the works progress, but there is no plans to close the road completely.

The expected phasing of the works; what will happen in what order:
The plan is as follows: North End/Worthy Lane > St Michaels Road/North End > St Michaels Road > Lipe Lane/St Michaels Road > Lipe Lane/St Michaels Road/Ham Road > St Michaels Road/Mill Lane.

Please bear in mind that some of this work will be weather dependent, especially the lining.

Road Safety and Traffic Management Proposals for Creech St Michael

The Parish Council has been carrying out work over the past 5 years to deal with traffic issues in the village and is working with Somerset County Council (SCC) to improve the speed and amount of vehicles passing through the village. In anticipation of the growth in traffic arising from major works on roads in the wider area you can see the proposals we have set out with SCC on the following webpage:

Creech St Michael - Parish Council - Road Safety And Traffic Management

The Parish Council is hopeful that these proposals will meet with broad approval in the village. We have been waiting for a long time for action to be taken as traffic levels have grown. Please let us have your initial views on what is being proposed before the Traffic Regulation Order is published towards the end of the month. Let us know on Facebook or by email to the Parish Clerk and the team of Councillors who have been leading on transport matters for the Parish Council. Please get any comments to us by Monday 16th August. Thank you.

Cllr Peter Brown pebcsmpc@hotmail.com

Cllr Charlie Cudlip charlie.cudlip@creechstmichael.net