News Archive for 2023
Changes are coming to waste collections next year
Recycling and rubbish collection days will be changing for more than 120,000 homes in Somerset in February next year.The changes come as new collection routes are introduced by Somerset Council’s contractor, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK. The new routes will make rounds more efficient, more manageable for crews whilst reducing mileage and carbon emissions.
The changes come at no cost to the council.
In February 2024, recycling and rubbish collection day schedules will change for around 85% of homes in the west of the county, covering the former Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton areas, as well as a small part of South Somerset.
Anyone with a change to their collection day schedule will be written to twice before anything changes, first with a letter in January. Roughly, three weeks after the letter arrives, residents will receive a service guide which includes a collection day calendar for the next 18 months.
It is important that residents know their new collection days – crews will not be able to come back for either recycling or refuse if you miss your new collection day.
Because some towns and villages will be covered by more than one route, days may change for some households but not others.
Residents may have:
a change to collection day
a change in week that their rubbish is collected
a one-off interim rubbish collection
There will be no changes to:
collection days for garden waste subscribers
clinical waste collections
communal property collections with shared collections (such as blocks of flats, houses of multiple occupancy and retirement developments)
schools waste collections
Changes to routes and collection days for the rest of the county – in the former Mendip and South Somerset areas – are expected to be introduced in June 2024.
Councillor Dixie Darch, Executive Lead Member for Climate and Environment said:
“We’re writing to every household that will have a change to their collection day. Please keep an eye out for your letter in the New Year. If you don’t receive a letter this means that your day is staying the same.
“The changes will make the collections more efficient and help us to reduce carbon emissions.
“Please make a note of your new collection day and possible interim rubbish collection. Crews can’t return for missed collections where bins are not out on the right day.”
21st November 2023
Temporary Road Closure: ttro254840E - SRM - Prestleigh Hill,
Please follow the link to view the above road closure;The order becomes effective on 23rd November 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 27th November 2023 and last for 11 evening to enable Sir Robert McAlpine to carry out reconstruction of the highway.
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is permitted on this occasion.
For any further information about this closure please contact Sir Robert McAlpine on telephone number 07818 216 990
quoting reference: ttro254840E
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will need to register for free with www.One.Network
5th November 2023
Temporary Road Closure: ttro059449S - Station Road, Castle Cary
Please follow the link to view the above road closure;
The order becomes effective on 16th November 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 20th November 2023 and last for 5 days to enable Wessex Water to carry out service disconnection works.
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is not permitted on this occasion.
For any further information about this closure please contact Wessex Water on 0345 600 4600, quoting reference: ttro059449S.
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will need to register for free with www.One.Network
Somerset Council
Parish of Castle Cary
Temporary Closure of Station Road
Somerset Council in exercise of its powers under Section 14 (1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act
1984 as amended, have made an Order prohibiting all traffic from proceeding along;
Station Road - from the junction with Victoria Road, to the junction with Lower Woodcock Street. A
total distance of 92 meter's.
This Order will enable Wessex Water to carry out service disconnection works.
The Order becomes effective on 16th November 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 20th November 2023 and last until 24th November
2023 between the hours of 00:00 - 23:59 for a total of 5 days.
Please visit https://one.network/?tm=135366879 for further information on the alternative route.
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will
need to register for free with One.Network.
For information about the works being carried out please contact Wessex Water on telephone number
0345 600 4600, quoting reference number ttro059449S.
Duncan Sharkey
Chief Executive
Dated: 16th November 2023
.
Statement of Reasons for making the Order
a) because works are being or are proposed to be executed on or near the road;
or
b) because of the likelihood of danger to the public, or of serious damage to the road, which is not
attributable to such works
28th October 2023
Temporary Road Closure: ttro365730S - Small Way Lane, North Cadbury
Please follow the link to view the above road closure;
The order becomes effective on 16th November 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 20th November 2023 and last for 6 hours (09:30 -15:30) to enable Openreach to access overhead structure.
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is permitted on this occasion.
For any further information about this closure please contact Sunbelt Rentals Ltd on telephone number 03700 500 792 , quoting reference: ttro365730S.
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will need to register for free with www.One.Network
Somerset Council
Parish of North Cadbury
Temporary Closure of Small Way Lane
Somerset Council in exercise of its powers under Section 14 (1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act
1984 as amended, have made an Order prohibiting all traffic from proceeding along;
Small Way Lane - from the junction with Galhampton Hill, south-eastwards for a total distance
of 219 meter's.
This Order will enable Openreach to access overhead structure.
The Order becomes effective on 16th November 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 20th November 2023 and last until 20th November
2023 between the hours of 09:30 - 15:30 for a total of 6 hours.
Please visit https://one.network/?tm=135326477 for further information on the alternative route.
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will
need to register for free with One.Network.
For information about the works being carried out please contact Sunbelt Rentals Ltd on telephone
number 03700 500 792 quoting reference number ttro365730S
Duncan Sharkey
Chief Executive
Dated: 16th November 2023
.
Statement of Reasons for making the Order
a) because works are being or are proposed to be executed on or near the road;
or
b) because of the likelihood of danger to the public, or of serious damage to the road, which is not
attributable to such works.
28th October 2023
Update on Octagon Theatre project
Somerset Council’s Executive will discuss redevelopment plans for Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in light of rising interest rates.The business case for the Octagon redevelopment was initially approved on the premise of borrowing £16.318m which would be repaid, plus interest, by users of the venue through tickets sales and the ticket levy.
Since then, interest rates have risen four-fold, from 1.5% when the business case was approved to around 5.6% last month – dramatically increasing the costs of the project, even if construction costs stay the same.
Local government finances are under pressure nationally and last month Somerset Council published budget papers showing a projected £26.1m overspend for the current financial year. This has led to a review of all spending, including capital projects, to ensure core services for those most in need are protected.
Officers are speaking to funding partners – including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) who have announced £10m towards the development and their delivery partner, Arts Council England – to ensure they are updated on the progress of the project. The Council is also continuing to work with other partners to seek additional funding for the project.
Executive Members will receive an update at their next meeting on Wednesday, 4 October and agree the next steps.
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture, said: “The report to Executive essentially proposes to give officers more time to consider what might be possible for this much-loved and very successful venue.
“Work has progressed well to date but these are factors outside our control which will massively impact on costs, and we need to carefully consider the way forward. We want to be open about the challenges we need to address, the reasons for them and the possible next steps.
“Arts and culture are important for Somerset – it’s part of what makes our county a great place to live and also attracts outside investment.
“We absolutely understand the public interest in this, we’re committed to keeping our residents informed every step of the way and it is important that we are open about the options available to us”.
The Octagon Theatre has been closed since May this year to allow contractors to carry out detailed and intrusive survey work ahead of the development. This was required to inform the project team what needs to be put into the more detailed contractor’s specification for the next phase of works. With hundreds of access points made to expose its structure, the venue will need to remain closed until further work has taken place.
27th September 2023
Weather Warning
A Met Office weather warning of strong winds has been issued for Wednesday going into Thursday this week. You may wish to share this information with your communities.The low-pressure system (and associated windy weather) has been named Storm Agnes.
The Met Office has taken the decision to name this system due to the broad area of strong winds that are likely to cause some disruption from approx. 1200 on Wednesday 27th September until 0700 on Thursday 28th September.
Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected inland from south to south-westerly winds.
Exposed coasts and headlands could see gusts of 65 to 75 mph.
As well as the disruptive wind, there will be a band of heavy rain moving north-eastwards across the region during the afternoon and early evening on Wednesday. They are not expecting this to be too impactful, however.
As a result of the strong winds associated with Storm Agnes, you can expect a very slight chance of:
some flying debris
some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
power cuts
road, rail, air, and ferry services being affected
roads and bridges closing
large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads, and properties
some minor flooding of coastal roads
27th September 2023
Funding for projects using nature to increase flood resilience
Today (22 September), the government announced £25 million to support projects that use nature to increase the nation’s flood resilience.The funding will support natural flood management schemes in England that use techniques such as planting trees and creating wetlands to slow and store water to reduce the risk of flooding. Successful projects will be those that cover a large enough area to provide demonstrable flood risk benefits.
Expressions of interest opened today (22 September) and will close on 10 November. Projects will be delivered during 2024-27.
Please follow these links for guidance on submitting expressions of interest and for the programme prospectus. If you have any questions, please contact NFM_Programme@environment-agency.gov.uk
22nd September 2023
Flooding update : 19th Sept 2023
The council is still in response mode following Sunday’s extreme rainfall and flooding affecting West Somerset and Wellington.We’re continuing to build up a picture of the impact on affected communities and have had officers on the ground in the area.
As a crucial part of this need the team needs the assistance of all elected members and parish councillors in the affected areas.
Members and parish councillors are doing important work on the ground supporting residents as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Council in the affected communities.
It’s vital that trusted local intelligence is captured and there may well be people needing support or advice who haven’t yet made contact.
Many thanks to Minehead and Wellington Town Councils who have shared useful information and intelligence already.
Any information you can provide will be extremely helpful – details about reporting this are below.
With anticipated further heavy rain tomorrow (Wednesday 20 September) and the potential for further flooding this week it’s vital we keep clear channels of communication open.
Key points as of 19 September
• Somerset Council officers have been on the ground in Minehead gathering information and providing advice. Five families in social/sheltered housing in Wellington were rehomed.
• Contact made with two affected residents in Withycombe – road very badly damaged in village, Highways in process of clearing debris and assessing.
• Some 46 calls were received by our Customer Contact Centre via a dedicated line, plus one call overnight.
• Highways reports that A39 and A396 clear-up is complete – attention now focused on smaller roads.
• There are no impacts reported from our waste services or from our partners in public health at this point.
• We’ve been engaging with our parishes, LCNs and our members regarding flood precautions and helplines.
• A press release was issued on Monday, and we are sharing information on our social media channels. Our website has a prominent banner directing residents to key messages. The comms team have dealt with numerous media enquiries and interview requests.
• EA monitoring situation across moors and reservoirs, assisting in gathering intelligence regarding impacted communities. EA colleagues have started sharing information through the Council’s Incident Centre.
• To reiterate – although we cannot say this event was caused by climate change, the science tells us that events like these are likely happen more frequently and this is the third time we’ve had this sort of event this year. The Council has an important role to play in helping communities become more resilient as well as helping tackle the causes of climate change.
Further rain/Wednesday forecast:
Further heavy rain currently forecast for tomorrow from about 1pm-2pm in west and north of county, moving across the rest of the county throughout afternoon.
East, South and Taunton and Wellington area as well as West Somerset are vulnerable but no weather warning in place as yet for Somerset.
This needs to be tempered with the reality that forecasts can vary significantly, and this could easily change. EA and our own team continuing to monitor.
Messaging going out on social media channels reminding residents to protect homes and businesses if they are worried about flooding – autumn and winter are on the way so likelihood of further heavy rain and potential flood events.
How to report
We are encouraging people to get in touch if they’ve been affected - anyone who has experienced property flooding can report it online at: https://swim.geowessex.com/somerset/
We would be grateful if parishes could encourage people to do this. You can also email flooding@somerset.gov.uk
If you are aware of anyone who needs support, please advise them to call 0300 123 2224 and choose option 1 during office hours.
Flooding and roads – key information
Heavy rain and flooding present a clear and present danger to drivers – road users are urged NOT to attempt to drive across flooded roads as it is not possible to estimate the depth of the water reliably.
Our Highways and Street Scene teams are out today in all affected areas assisting with the clear-up operation and assessing damage to roads.
All roads are now open but please be aware our teams will need to sweep and carry out minor repairs asap.
It’s vital to prepare for wet conditions if you have to travel and to proceed with extreme caution if you get caught in flood conditions – you can find information and advice here: Adverse weather conditions (somersetroadsafety.org)
If you spot a problem with a drain or gully, or any issue on the highway you can report it easily and quickly here - Report a problem on the road (somerset.gov.uk).
Looking after yourself and mental health
Floodwater can contain hidden dangers such as uncovered manholes or obstacles – so never enter floodwater.
We know that heavy rainfall may trigger feelings of anxiety, fear or worry, particularly for those who have been previously affected by flooding.
Here are some things you can do to help reduce any feelings of anxiety caused by heavy rainfall and the activation of local flood defences:
Talk to somebody about how you are feeling, if you don’t feel able to talk to friends or family you can call Mindline - Somerset’s emotional support and mental health helpline which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 01823 276 892 (local) 0800 138 1692 (freephone).
Try and do activities that help you to feel less stressed like exercising, reading, listening to music, or meditating.
Help neighbours and others in your community, look out for each other.
Follow your normal routine as much as possible.
Visit the Every Mind Matters website where you can find lots of tips and exercises to help manage anxiety.
Stay up-to-date on weather information and warnings. If you’re aware of the latest information, you may gain a sense of control over the situation.
Check for flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to do during a flood
There is information to help you on what to do during a flood on the Somerset Prepared website. The key point is to always stay safe, in an immediate flood emergency or where there is a risk to life, follow the advice of the emergency services.
What to do after a flood
Following a flood there will be hazards revealed as the water clears, consider the following as you recover from the impacts of an incident.
• Assume floodwater has been contaminated with sewage and avoid contact wherever possible. For further health advice when dealing with flood affected areas visit Public Health England
• It’s important to stop harmful germs that might be present in floodwater from spreading to food. For advice on cleaning preparation areas after a flood visit the Food Standards Agency
• Flooding presents a number of hazards to utilities in the home. Follow electric safety advice before switching back on.
• Contact your insurer if you haven’t already and let them know the situation. They will advise you of the next steps to take in restoring your home and belongings.
• Reporting when your property has flooded helps the Council investigate why the flood has occurred and look for possible methods to mitigate the risk of it happening again in the future.
• Use the SWIM website to update your flood record/record recent flooding.
What can I do to prepare for flooding?
Thinking ahead and preparing for what the weather may bring can make a real difference in your home, business and community.
One of the first things is to check is whether your property is at risk of flooding.
We also recommend taking precautionary measures and purchasing your own sandbags in case of flooding emergencies. If sandbags are not available, you can use:
• rolled-up mats or carpets
• bags of garden compost
• pillowcases filled with soil (don't overfill them)
• timber boards (possibly screwed to door frames and sealed with mastic)
Protect yourself from future flooding
It is advisable to plan how you’ll respond to a flood. Information and plans are available to help you plan ahead.
We also encourage you to download the ‘Prepare. Act. Survive.’ flood plan to help reduce the impact of flooding.
You can find up to date information on flood warnings by visiting the flood warnings page on the Government's website.
19th September 2023
Parish Briefing – Flooding
Issued: 18th September 2023Flooding update
Widespread thunderstorms and rain across Somerset on Sunday brought flooding and significant disruption, mainly in West Somerset and Wellington area.
There has been flooding to homes and businesses and teams are working to assess the scope of this confirm the exact number affected. Some roads have also been damaged.
It is estimated about a month’s rain fell in a day – a source in Cotford St Luke reported 103.1mm of rain falling. Highways teams dealt with 38 incidents during Sunday.
Our teams are working with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue and Avon and Somerset Police to establish an accurate picture of who has been affected and where as quickly as possible.
Key points
• Our Civil Contingencies Unit, Flood Management and Highways teams are mobilised and will be in the affected areas throughout today and tomorrow co-ordinating the clear-up and providing a range of support. Officers in high vis will be going out to communities and meeting people across the area to assess the level of homes and businesses affected.
• River levels are now falling but a flood warning remains in place for the Tone at Creech St Michael, plus a number of flood alerts remain in place for Blue Anchor, Watchet, Minehead and Porlock.
• Key affected areas include Minehead, Carhampton, Dunster, Withycombe, Watchet and other parts of West Somerset, as well as the Wellington area.
• Housing and adult social care teams worked together to support individuals impacted by flooding in the Wellington area last night and will be supporting individuals across West Somerset today.
• Somerset Council’s Customer Contact Centre will have a dedicated team working on the response – callers will be asked to press 1 for flood issues and will be triaged and referred to CCU or partnership agencies where necessary.
• Both the A39 and A396 had to be closed for part of the day due to flooding. Both were reopened by early evening of Sunday but the A39 is likely to have to close again today to allow Highways teams to carry out a clear-up.
• There is further rain forecast throughout today and this week - teams will remain in response mode and residents and businesses are urged to remain vigilant and take necessary action to protect properties.
• Residents and businesses who are concerned about flooding are advised to go to builder’s merchants to get sandbags – Somerset Council does not have a supply of these at depots.
• Our communication team is issuing a press release alongside this briefing note summarising the situation and publicising the phone number and other important information. There will be a sustained social media campaign throughout today to help signpost people to help and support, as well as to gather key information on the situation.
• Although we cannot say this event was caused by climate change, the science tells us that events like these are likely happen more frequently. The Council has an important role to play in helping communities become more resilient as well as helping tackle the causes of climate change.
Key impacts on roads yesterday attended by Highways teams to make area safe with signage/sandbags:
• A39 between Holford and Kilve on sharp bend – significant flooding: Cones/sandbags and warning signs.
• Mart Road Minehead - manhole covers blown out of frames
• Olcombe roundabout flooded
• Ponsford Road – flooded
• King George Road Minehead – flooded
• Ponsford Road Minehead – collapsed wall
• A396 Dunster to Weddon Cross – flooded/closed
• Turner Road junction manhole cover
• A39 flooding at Carhampton
• George St Wellington – flooding
• A39 Kilve - flooding
What to do
We are encouraging people to get in touch if they’ve been affected - anyone who has experienced property flooding can report it online at https://swim.geowessex.com/somerset/, or email flooding@somerset.gov.uk
If you are aware of anyone who needs support, please advise them to call 0300 123 2224 and choose option 1 during office hours.
Visits to impacted communities will continue tomorrow and we will provide further updates.
Flooding and roads – key information
Heavy rain and flooding present a clear and present danger to drivers – road users are urged NOT to attempt to drive across flooded roads as it is not possible to estimate the depth of the water reliably.
Our Highways and Street Scene teams are out today in all affected areas assisting with the clear-up operation and assessing damage to roads.
All roads are now open but please be aware our teams will need to sweep and carry out minor repairs asap.
It’s vital to prepare for wet conditions if you have to travel and to proceed with extreme caution if you get caught in flood conditions – you can find information and advice here: Adverse weather conditions (somersetroadsafety.org)
If you spot a problem with a drain or gully, or any issue on the highway you can report it easily and quickly here - Report a problem on the road (somerset.gov.uk).
Looking after yourself and mental health
Floodwater can contain hidden dangers such as uncovered manholes or obstacles – so never enter floodwater. We know that heavy rainfall may trigger feelings of anxiety, fear or worry, particularly for those who have been previously affected by flooding. Here are some things you can do to help reduce any feelings of anxiety caused by heavy rainfall and the activation of local flood defences:
• Talk to somebody about how you are feeling, if you don’t feel able to talk to friends or family you can call Mindline - Somerset’s emotional support and mental health helpline which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 01823 276 892 (local) 0800 138 1692 (freephone).
• Try and do activities that help you to feel less stressed like exercising, reading, listening to music, or meditating.
• Help neighbours and others in your community, look out for each other!
• Follow your normal routine as much as possible.
• Visit the Every Mind Matters website where you can find lots of tips and exercises to help manage anxiety.
• Stay up to date on weather information and warnings. If you’re aware of the latest information, you may gain a sense of control over the situation. Check for flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to do during a flood
There is information to help you on what to do during a flood on the Somerset Prepared website. The key point is to always stay safe, in an immediate flood emergency or where there is a risk to life, follow the advice of the emergency services.
What to do after a flood
Following a flood there will be hazards revealed as the water clears, consider the following as you recover from the impacts of an incident.
• Assume floodwater has been contaminated with sewage and avoid contact wherever possible. For further health advice when dealing with flood affected areas visit Public Health England
• It’s important to stop harmful germs that might be present in floodwater from spreading to food. For advice on cleaning preparation areas after a flood visit the Food Standards Agency
• Flooding presents a number of hazards to utilities in the home. Follow electric safety advice before switching back on.
• Contact your insurer if you haven’t already and let them know the situation. They will advise you of the next steps to take in restoring your home and belongings.
• Reporting when your property has flooded helps the Council investigate why the flood has occurred and look for possible methods to mitigate the risk of it happening again in the future.
• Use the SWIM website to update your flood record/record recent flooding.
What can I do to prepare for flooding?
Thinking ahead and preparing for what the weather may bring can make a real difference in your home, business and community.
One of the first things is to check is whether your property is at risk of flooding.
We also recommend taking precautionary measures and purchasing your own sandbags in case of flooding emergencies. If sandbags are not available, you can use:
• rolled-up mats or carpets
• bags of garden compost
• pillowcases filled with soil (don't overfill them)
• timber boards (possibly screwed to door frames, sealed with mastic)
Protect yourself from future flooding
It is advisable to plan how you’ll respond to a flood. Information and plans are available to help you plan ahead.
We also encourage you to download the ‘Prepare. Act. Survive.’ flood plan to help reduce the impact of flooding.
You can find up to date information on flood warnings by visiting the flood warnings page on the Government's website.
18th September 2023
Potential industrial action
As you may be aware, the 2023/24 pay discussions between Suez (Somerset Council’s waste collections contractor) and the Unite union have not yet been successfully concluded.A 5.8% increase has been rejected by the union and a recent ballot of its members was in favour of industrial action. A further offer of 8% from Suez has also been rejected.
Talks continue and we very much hope agreement can be reached.
However, we have been informed that Unite staff intend to take industrial action, starting on Wednesday 12 July.
They would strike for three days each week, Wednesday to Friday, during the four weeks from 12 July to 4 August.
On the other days of the week staff taking action would not work overtime or be involved in catch-up collections, for example on Saturdays.
Approximately 40% of Suez staff in Somerset are thought to be Unite members, but exactly what this means in terms of available workforce on any given day of industrial action is not known.
Although detail is unclear, we would expect widespread, significant delays and disruption that would affect the majority of residents. The disruption will extend beyond the days of industrial action as crews will need to pick up extra, accumulated waste when collections restart.
Our focus is on helping avoid industrial action or resolving it quickly, but we are also contingency planning with Suez to try and minimise the impact of industrial action if it goes ahead.
Three-weekly refuse collections would be prioritised, along with clinical waste collections and collections from communal locations. We cannot, however, guarantee that all these collections will take place on time.
Recycling collections would be affected to a greater extent as their crews are redeployed to support refuse, clinical and communal collections. Though we would do our best to avoid it, the scheduling of the industrial action means some residents could go multiple weeks without recycling collections.
At this stage we do not yet know how garden waste collections will be affected.
Communication and information sharing
The best place for the latest information about disruption and advice on how to cope would be a dedicated page on the Somerset Council website. This page will be created in the coming days.
We know that online information does not suit everyone, but given the fast-changing nature of the situation, online and social media will be valuable tools for providing timely updates.
We intend to raise awareness of the planned industrial through traditional media, newsletters and - where we have them - direct email. Given the fluid nature of the situation, these will be countywide messages and not sent on a daily basis. Please make use of the dedicated webpage – we will send you a link when the page is live.
We would endeavor to share information as quickly as possible and would appreciate your help in passing it on to your communities should it be needed.
All our efforts would be focused on minimising the impact of any industrial action so all other work would be delayed. We would appreciate it if direct contact with the Waste Services team was limited to essential and urgent matters only.
We will provide you with a further update as soon as possible on the potential for industrial action, our plans to manage it and advice for residents.
Somerset Council, Waste Services
30th June 2023
Recent floods. Latest update
1. The Met office have confirmed that the rain was a consequence of two thunderstorms meeting over North Cadbury combining and failing to move on.2. North Cadbury had at least 4 inches of rain, the environment agency estimate that 138 mm (5 1/2 inches) and the Newt measured 7 inches (175 mm) of rain fell from the thunderstorms.
3. Shepton Montague, Pitcom, Higher Hadspen, the Newt, Yarlington, North Cadbury, Galhampton, South Cadbury, Sparkford, and Blackford all had houses flooded due to run off from the fields.
4. Queen Camel, West Camel, and Bridgehampton all flooded due to the water flowing down the River Cam.
5. Podimoor flooded due to the water travelling down the road and across the fields.
6. The environment agency's warning depth gauge at Western Bampfield showed a water height of 3 m above the normal flow. In 2008 this gauge showed a height of 2 m.
7. The fire brigade did a fantastic job in ensuring that there was no loss of life.
8. There were two members of the public who ended up with hypothermia.
9. There was no easy way of warning anybody downstream of what was going to happen. The council need to ensure that there are duty managers on 24 seven.
10. There needs to be more depth gauges along the River Cam. Sparkford parish council are looking for a renewed quote for a depth gauge upstream of the old 303.
11. North Cadbury was isolated at 6 o'clock. Yet Queen Camel did not flood until 1920 and there should have been a way to warn people downstream of where it was raining that flooding was likely
18th June 2023
Community Plant swap
Come along to the 'Yeovil in Bloom' Community Plant SwapA community plant swap is taking place on Wednesday 7th June in Yeovil as part of the RHS's community-growing campaign, the Big Seed Sow.
Plants are being provided by the 'Yeovil in Bloom' initiative, which is funded by Yeovil Town Council, and have been grown in the Somerset Council run, Lufton Nursery.
The event is taking place at St. John's Churchyard, Yeovil from 10am until the plants are all gone - so be sure to get there early!
Locals are welcome to bring along a plant from their home or grown in their garden and exchange it for one of over 2,000 plants available at the community event.
The Lufton Nursery team will be on hand to answer any horticultural questions and are on the lookout for volunteers to get involved with Yeovil in Bloom.
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture, said: "This plant swapping event will ultimately benefit the local wildlife in the area, as well as create a more beautiful and vibrant town for all to enjoy.
"Our nursey team have been busy working with the Yeovil in Bloom volunteers to get these plants ready for the event and are proud of the varieties on offer.
"Visitors to St John's Churchyard on 7th June will be pleased to find a range of plants including tomatoes, peppers, summer bedding plants and perennials.
"So please support this great community event and bring along some house or garden plants and see what you can find."
Manny Roper, Chairman for Yeovil in Bloom, said: "I think this is a wonderful initiative and I would cordially invite all local residents to get involved and bring along a plant and help make this a successful community event".
Learn about the RHS Big Seed Sow campaign here: www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/big-seed-sow.
1st June 2023
Temporary Road Closure: ttro575061SS - Woolston Road, North Cadbury
Please follow the link below to view the above road closure.
The order becomes effective on 22nd June 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 26th June 2023 and last for 6 hours(09:30-15:30) to enable Openreach to carry out overhead cabling work..
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is permitted on this occasion.
For any further information about this closure please contact Sunbelt Rentals on 0370 050 0792, quoting reference: ttro575061SS
Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead, you will need to register for free with www.One.Network
With regards,
The Road Closure Team
Email: ttro@somerset.gov.uk
Traffic Management, Road Safety and Parking Services
1st June 2023
Flood update
The recent flood was devasting for the parish and beyond. It is therefore vital that the facts are recorded and photographic evidence collected.Therefore North Cadbury Parish Council has arranged for those members of Somerset Council to hold a drop in consultation so members of the Parish can share experiences.
The event will take place at North Cadbury Village Hall on Monday 12 June between 4 - 7pm
1st June 2023
Somerset Waste Briefing May 23
Make sure your bins are standing to attention - know your coronationcollection days!
This May we have a bumper number of Bank Holidays, meaning special arrangements for waste collections.
Collections were, for the first time ever, made on bank holiday Monday, 1 May and are taking place on the usual scheduled days all this week.
Make sure your bags, bins and boxes are presented on your usual day.
But there will be no collections on the extra bank holiday Monday, 8 May and collections will be one day later for rest of the week, incl.
Friday 12 May collections taking place on Saturday 13 May.
Looking ahead, there will be no collections on the late spring bank holiday on 29 May. Crews will be collecting one day later for the rest of the week, including collections on Saturday 3 June.
All 16 recycling sites will open as normal over the weekends (9am-4pm). If opening on a Monday is part of their normal schedule, they
will be open both bank holiday Mondays, 9am 6pm.
Somerset recycling goes top 30 Thanks to our Somerset residents, we’ve seen the amount we are recycling rise to 56.2% in 21/22, putting us 28th against 228 local Authorities.
Defra recently published their recycling league table and are pleased to see the impact of the Recycle More scheme has helped put us in the top 30.
In 2021-22, almost 150,000 tonnes of waste were recycled or reused, saving around 133,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of taking more than 51,000 cars off the road for a year. A massive 97.2% of this was recycled into new products and packaging in the UK. Of
the 5,771 tonnes of plastics collected, 99.4% were reprocessed in the UK.
Trimming, strimming or cutting? Spring is here and that means more of us out in the garden. There are three ways to dispose of garden waste.
Home composting
We are working with Get Composting to offer Somerset residents home compost bins at reduced prices, including a buy-one-get-one half-price deal for two of the same size.
Garden Waste collections
More than 56,000 Somerset residents have subscribed for a garden waste collection. We offer fortnightly garden waste collections
through a pre-paid 180-litre wheeled bins at a cost of £63.50. You can subscribe at any time of the year, just visit somerset.gov.uk/waste If you’re already a subscriber we will contact you the month before your subscription runs out and remind you to renew.
Recycling sites
All 16 Somerset recycling sites take garden waste. To find your nearest recycling site and check opening hours, visit
somerset.gov.uk/waste
Flex-collect – soft plastic recycling collections piloted in parts of Frome A small number of residents in Frome will have recently received a letter to say their recycling collection will soon include flexible plastics.
Somerset Council successfully bid to be part of a national ‘FlexCollect’ trial of kerbside collection of plastic bags and wrapping. The trial collections will be available to around
3,600 homes across two locations in Frome, starting near the end of May. No other householders, in Frome or elsewhere in the county, can participate or request to take part.
The costs of the pilot collections are funded nationally. The only costs to the council are time and resources. Depending on progress, it is expected that the trial will be expanded to more Somerset homes next year.
Business of recycling
New legislation is on the way that will require all businesses to separate out more recycling - glass bottles and jars, metal food and drink cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, paper and cardboard from their general waste. Any premises preparing or selling food, such as cafes, restaurants and pubs, will also have
to separate and recycle food waste. During March and April, Somerset trialled localised face-to-face support for businesses to discuss preparing for the change and Business Support Advisors contacted around 400 businesses in Langport, Chard and Ilminster.
Somerset also helped pilot the Business of Recycling website developed by WRAP. The pilot has just finished, but the website
remains in place, full of useful guidance and resources for business wanting to get ahead of the game and prepare.
Happy birthday to Fixy
Somerset’s Fixy initiative celebrates its first birthday this month, having started the repair and reuse conversation with nearly 3,000
people.
Fixy is all about encouraging and helping the repair and reuse of electricals and the team has attended over 80 events over the last 12 months.
Many of these have been supporting Somerset’s network of repair groups, giving practical help, recruiting more volunteers to get
involved and generally banging the drum for breathing new life into old items. Fixy also runs a ‘tech take back’ service, accepting donations of unwanted or broken smart tech, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart watches, digital cameras, game consoles, routers, hard drives, external disk drives, and their leads and chargers. Donations are data-wiped and repaired by Somerset specialists DonateIT, and passed onto schools, community groups and families who need them. Since it launched in May 2022, over 1,500
items have been reused in this way. The scheme’s first year was funded by a grant from the Ecosurety Exploration Fund and managed
by Resource Futures in partnership with Somerset Waste Partnership,- now Somerset Council – and Donate IT. For more about Fixy, upcoming events and repair and reuse l, visit the Somerset Council waste web pages.
Updates to your inbox
Somerset Council is asking residents to come on board to help deliver our climate strategy by signing up to its new climate newsletter SEEN:
‘Somerset Environmental and Ecological News’.
It’s full of news, project updates, and inspirational ideas about the work going on in the county in response to the Climate
Emergency, along with information and tips to help us all live better, waste less and reduce our environmental impact. If we all do our bit and love where we live, we can keep Somerset
clean, green and attractive. Sign up and select to hear about the topics that interest you
2nd May 2023
A303 Update
The article below gives details of dates and venues where councilors and residents can find out details of the progress on the dualling of the A 303.15th March 2023
Temporary Road Closure
Temporary Road Closure: ttro173025SS - Holbrook Roundabout to Jack Whites Gibbet, Bratton SeymourPlease follow the link to view the above road closure;
The order becomes effective on 23rd March 2023 and will remain in force for eighteen months.
The works are expected to commence on 27th March 2023 and last for 3 nights(18:30-06:30) to enable Splicetek Communications Ltd on behalf of Jurassic Fibre to carry out gully clearance work..
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is not permitted on this occasion.
For any further information about this closure please contact Splicetek Communications Ltd. on 01453 798 484 quoting reference: ttro173025SS
7th March 2023
Manor Farm Yarlington
The Newt in Somerset will be holding a consultation on their proposed plans for Manor Farm Yarlington on Friday and Saturday between 10 - 12am in the Stag's Head Inn, Yarlington.All are welcome to attend.
20th February 2023
Network Rail
Please find attached a joint letter from Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) regarding upcoming line closures on the Heart of Wessex line in February and March.27th January 2023
NHS Public Consultation
Today the NHS in Somerset, is launching a public consultation on the future of acute hospital-based stroke services in Somerset. The public consultation runs from Monday 30 January 2023 for 12 weeks until Monday 24 April 2023.We are seeking the views of people in Somerset on the future of hyper acute and acute stroke services in Somerset – this is the specialist acute hospital care people receive in the first few days and weeks after having a stroke.
Staff, people with lived experience including carers, and community and voluntary sector support organisations have been working together to develop the best solutions for future acute hospital-based stroke services in Somerset.
It is important that we provide high-quality stroke services in Somerset, which are sustainable and fit for the future, which is why we are proposing to change the way acute hospital stroke services are organised in our area, so that everyone in county will have the best opportunity to survive and thrive after stroke.
The consultation will seek to understand whether hyper acute and acute stroke services should be provided at:
· one hyper acute stroke unit in Somerset and, if that is the right way forward, whether the unit be located at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, and;
· acute stroke services at either:
· Two acute stroke units, one at Musgrove Park Hospital and one at Yeovil District Hospital; or
· One acute stroke unit, which would need to be located at the same hospital as the hyper acute stroke unit proposed to be Musgrove Park Hospital.
No decision has been made yet and we want to understand as many different views on our proposals as possible. This public consultation is an opportunity for people to make their voice heard and for them to tell us what they think of the proposals before we make a final decision on the best way forward.
To find out more about our proposals, including our consultation document and how to respond to the consultation, please visit the link below.
We hope you will support us in encouraging people to take part in the consultation, all views are important to us.
If you would like any materials to support you to promote the consultation, such as social media posts, newsletter copy, please do get in touch with us.
Kind regards
NHS Somerset | Working together to improve health and wellbeing
Wynford House | Lufton Way | Lufton | Yeovil | Somerset | BA22 8HR
Email: sara.bonfanti@nhs.net
Website: www.nhssomerset.nhs.uk
Follow us on social media: @NHSSomerset
27th January 2023
SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL Briefing Sheet from the desk of Cllr David Fothergill FEBRUARY 2023
Somerset County Council Finances: Somerset County Council continue to show a projected overspend of £21m, however the decision was taken at the December Executive not to formally report the recent Month 8. figures. The Revenue and Capital budgets for the new Somerset Council will be proposed and debated at a Full Council meeting on the 22nd February 2023.Local Government Reorganisation: Following the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) decision to support the move to a single Unitary Council across Somerset, vesting day for the new Unitary Council remains as 1st April 2023. Tier 3 (Service Director level) appointments are taking place during mid-March and it is hoped to have the majority in place before vesting day on April 1st. Unfortunately, these appointments were due in late summer and the lengthy delay has created a significant risk to the programme delivery.
Dunball Roundabout (J23): The first phase of a major project to improve the busy Dunball roundabout linking Bridgwater and Junction 23 of the M5 has just begun. Preparation work was scheduled to commence at the end of January under traffic management and will include vegetation and some tree removal. Work is expected to commence in the summer on construction. The plan will see enhanced pedestrian and cycling access as part of improved cycling and walking links into Bridgwater. This new safe route for cyclists and pedestrians, will eventually stretch from the Gravity site at Puriton to Bridgwater town centre via Dunball. As well as a contribution from the Government’s Levelling Up fund, the scheme has been funded jointly by Sedgemoor District Council, Bridgwater Town Deal, the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and National Highways.
Major roadworks in Bridgwater: Work to renew traffic lights and crossings will see major upgrades to traffic signals at the Broadway/St John’s Street junction as well as the zebra crossings on Broadway near Blake Place being replaced with new puffin crossings. The work at the Broadway junction with St John’s Street also includes a new parallel crossing, allowing cyclists to get across this busy junction in one movement, alongside an improved pedestrian crossing. Work, which commenced on 15 January, is expected to conclude in the summer.
New primary school: planning permission has been was granted for the new primary school at the Orchard Grove (Comeytrowe) development in Taunton. The £11.3m school will serve the new development, with capacity for 420 pupils and 52 nursery places, and room to expand to accommodate an additional 210 children. The super-energy-efficient Passivhaus design of the school and added solar panels will ensure the building is Net Zero. In addition to environmental benefits, this will also lower the school’s running costs. The school building will open in September 2024
Greener roads maintenance trials: Funding to support projects focused on a greener approach to highways maintenance and construction has been awarded. The £5m initiative sees Somerset County Council joining forces with Cornwall Council, Hampshire County Council and Devon County Council to deliver innovative ideas to decarbonise how the UK builds and maintains its highways network. The councils will support each other, sharing learning, practice and insights and will be supported by academic teams, including Exeter University.
Evening bus services: As part of Government-funded Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which aims to increase bus patronage by introducing a number of important initiatives evening bus services on some key routes in Somerset begin running from the beginning of February. The evening bus routes are:
1E – Taunton to Priorswood/Musgrove Park/Silk Mills Park and Ride
21 – Taunton to Bridgwater
22 – Taunton to Wellington
28 – Taunton to Minehead
30 – Taunton to Chard
My Time to Care: Somerset County Council has joined forces with the NHS and Registered Care Providers Association for the new ‘My Time to Care’ campaign, which aims to empower carers, and show how working in social care in Somerset is a respected, meaningful, and fun career choice. The recruitment campaign is being promoted on social media, in the local media, and with advertising across Somerset. A recruitment event is also set to take place at Somerset County Cricket Club on Tuesday, February 7th 2023
Business mentors scheme: Executive and senior management level business leaders, successful entrepreneurs and business consultants, who understand the challenges associated with running and growing a business and the value of impartial advice, are being encouraged to register and train as Business Mentors. Those trained and funded under the Somerset Business Mentoring Programme will need to deliver 12 hours of mentoring support in Somerset to businesses, social enterprises and/or charities. They will be identified on the SCC Business Mentoring website. For anyone interested in becoming a Somerset Business Mentor, more information is available at www.somerset.gov.uk/business-mentoring . Applicants will then be contacted for an introductory chat and an invitation to meet with the Programme Managers. References will be required.
27th January 2023