Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st June 2017, copies of which had been circulated, were taken as read, and having been approved were signed as a correct record of the proceedings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Paul Maxwell and Ric Pallister.

In accordance with the Council's current Code of Conduct (as amended 26 February 2015), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also "prejudicial") in relation to any matter on the agenda for this meeting.

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest.  Where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council. 

Planning Applications Referred to the Regulation Committee

The following members of this Committee are also members of the Council's Regulation Committee:

Councillors Mike Best, Angie Singleton and Martin Wale.

Where planning applications are referred by this Committee to the Regulation Committee for determination, Members of the Regulation Committee can participate and vote on these items at the Area Committee and at Regulation Committee.  In these cases the Council's decision-making process is not complete until the application is determined by the Regulation Committee.  Members of the Regulation Committee retain an open mind and will not finalise their position until the Regulation Committee.  They will also consider the matter at Regulation Committee as Members of that Committee and not as representatives of the Area Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area West Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 16^th August 2017 at The Guildhall, Chard.

Members noted that the next meeting of the Area West Committee would be held on Wednesday 16^th August 2017 at 5.30pm at the Guildhall, Chard.

This is a chance to ask questions, make comments and raise matters of concern.

Parish/Town Councils may also wish to use this opportunity to ask for the District Council’s support on any matter of particular concern to their Parish/Town.

Anyone wishing to raise matters in relation to items on the agenda may do so at the time the item is considered.

There were no questions from members of the public.

The Chairman made no announcements.

The Area West Team Leader explained that the Area West Service Plan had been put together collaboratively with input from members and the Area Development Team.  The information gained from the online survey and the member workshop had been used to identify priorities for the forthcoming year.

The Area West Team Leader gave a presentation detailing progress of the work to date on the following projects:

·         Town Centre Events Programme – the funding ring fenced for free car parking in the run up to Christmas would be spent on the Town Centre Events Programme.  A report will be submitted to the August meeting outlining how the money will be spent.  The funding will help put on events to improve footfall in the market towns.

·         MTIG Digital High Streets – currently carrying out an audit of 11 market towns with regard to mobile phone reception, use of social media and the number of businesses selling online.

·         Community Plans – supporting Crewkerne and Ilminster to complete their Plans and helping to develop projects.

·         Play Spaces – Crewkerne and Ilminster have submitted grant applications.

·         Rural Housing – providing support to Horton and other parishes wanting to carry out Housing Needs Surveys.

·         Providing support to the Click into Activity Steering Group on a project in Ilminster working with pre-diabetic and diabetic patients to become more active.

·         Supporting the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Area West Team Leader responded to members’ questions and comments on points of detail.

Members unanimously approved the Area West Service Plan for 2017-18.

(Voting: unanimous)

The Area West Team Leader informed members that the report highlighted the Making It Local grants awarded to projects in Area West.  She referred to Ferne Animal Sanctuary which had received a £98,245 grant enabling them to build and equip a new visitor centre creating 4 new jobs.  Members were shown photographs of the new visitor centre.

The Assistant Director (Communities) explained that Crewkerne and the wards of Eggwood and Parrett sit within the Heart of Wessex Local Action Group.  To date there had been 1 grant allocated in Area West to Yarcombe Woodland Products, Hinton St George.  She advised that just over £1million of funding was still available for eligible projects and the Project Manager was planning another round of advice surgeries with one being held in Crewkerne.

Cllr. Martin Wale gave a brief report on some of the other projects supported by the Making It Local Executive Group.

Following a short discussion, members were content to note the report.

The Assistant Director (Communities) advised that there were no updates to the Area West Committee Forward Plan.

With reference to the previous request for a report on the Somerset Micro Enterprise Project, the Assistant Director (Communities) advised that she had received some information from the Project Manager and would circulate this to members.

Chard Members sought assurances that the report on the Chard Regeneration Scheme would definitely come forward to the September Area West Committee meeting.

Members noted the appeals received as outlined in the agenda.