Council News

Chard Town Council Acts to save CAB services in Chard

Chard Town Council is pleased to announce that it has taken a decision to provide grant funding to the Citizens Advice Bureau following reductions in funding from Somerset County Council.

Angela Kerr, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)  South Somerset attended Chard Town Council’s meeting on Monday 15^th July and requested support for continued funding for the CAB’s work in Chard. The Town Council considered the request and voted unanimously to support the proposal.

On hearing the Council’s decision Angela said “We are delighted by the support of Chard Town Council that will enable us to provide specialist casework support to the residents of Chard.”

The Mayor of Chard Cllr. Jason Baker added “The Council felt it could not sit back and see Chard lose this service following cuts from the County Council. We felt that we had to step in to underwrite this service which supports and helps so many people in Chard. This grant will allow the Citizens Advice service to continue to supply a dedicated case worker in Chard for 2 days a week who will be able to help vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals with complex needs, limited means and who are unable to progress with their issues alone. This includes people living with long-term health conditions, people with mental health support needs, those recovering from illness, people affected by bereavement or family breakdown, those experiencing frailty, disability, isolation, poverty (including fuel poverty), digital exclusion or people with literacy support needs”.

The Council awarded the Citizens Advice Bureau the sum of £11,841 for the year payable in quarterly instalments.

Communities and businesses across South Somerset will have a chance to have their voice heard in the coming months on crucial plans for future development of the district.

South Somerset District Council is reviewing the Local Plan that was adopted for the area in March 2015.

Local Plans set out a vision and framework for the future development of the area, addressing needs and opportunities in relation to where homes could be built, how the economy can grow, where community facilities could be created and vital infrastructure. It also includes the steps which will safeguard the environment, help the district adapt to climate change and ensure there is good design.

You can now submit your views during a consultation period called the Preferred Options stage. This means that based on the evidence we have to date, the Council has initially mapped how it thinks the future of the district could look. This is the second formal stage of consultation as part of the South Somerset Local Plan Review and follows an evidence-gathering consultation which took place during late 2017 and early 2018.

Preparing a new plan is wide ranging and will involve not just the Council itself, but also many other organisations and individuals. This consultation provides an opportunity for you to get involved, give your views and comments, and shape the Local Plan.

Councillor Val Keitch, Leader of South Somerset District Council, said: “This consultation is a genuine exercise to take account of the views and opinions of residents and businesses alike. Shaping the future of the area – the countryside, the economy and our towns and villages – is important. Everyone should have a chance to contribute to the document to help focus on the issues that are most important to the communities in our District. Whilst the consultation document is based upon evidence, testing it against local knowledge and “live” economic factors will make it stronger and more relevant as a result of resident and business input.”

How can you have your say?

The current consultation period will be from 12 noon on Friday 28 June to 5pm on Wednesday 18 September 2019.

A document has been produced to help you understand what the Council is consulting on and can be viewed on the council website, in the District Council offices in Yeovil or in libraries across the district. Information on our website also covers common questions and allows you to submit your comments electronically. We would ask that comments are submitted electronically wherever possible.

It is vital that as many individuals and businesses as possible respond to this consultation and your comments will be taken into account in evolving the next stage of the Local Plan review.

There will be a series of public drop-in sessions where the consultation document can be viewed and where Council officers will be on hand to help explain how we have got to this stage and answer any queries. These drop-in sessions will take place as follows:

Date Town Location Time
09-Jul Martock Christian Fellowship Hall 4pm – 7:00pm
16-Jul Langport Great Bow Wharf 4pm – 7:00pm
18-Jul Castle Cary Market House 4pm – 7:00pm
23-Jul Crewkerne Henhayes Community Centre 4pm – 7:00pm
25-Jul Yeovil Gateway 4pm – 7:00pm
30-Jul Ilminster The Shrubbery 4pm – 7:00pm
01-Aug Yeovil Council Offices, Brympton Way 4pm – 7:00pm
06-Aug Milborne Port Village Hall 4pm – 7:00pm
08-Aug Chard Guildhall 4pm – 7:00pm
13-Aug Ilchester Town Hall & Community Centre 4pm – 7:00pm
15-Aug Bruton Community Hall 4pm – 7:00pm
20-Aug South Petherton David Hall 4pm – 7:00pm
22-Aug Somerton West Street Church hall 4pm – 7:00pm
27-Aug Wincanton Memorial Hall 3pm – 6:30pm

You can also have your say online using our interactive consultation website where you can sign up for an account to leave your comments directly on the document. Using the consultation website allows you to make comments at the end of each paragraph, by simply submitting your comment into the comments tab.

Alternatively, you can submit your feedback via email to strategy@southsomerset.gov.uk or post it to: Strategy and Commissioning, The Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2HT.

Comments can be submitted until 5pm on Wednesday 18 September 2019. After this, the relevant and main issues raised will be extracted and collated to be presented to committee when we are ready to progress to the next stage of the plan process. Further consultation will take place in 2020/21.

The Local Plan Review will provide us with a refreshed framework that will guide and shape development in the District up to 2036.

Next time you are passing from the Lacemill to Holyrood Street in Chard we hope you enjoy the new windows display boards commissioned following a motion from Cllr Jason Baker and supported by a grant from South Somerset District Council. The Town Crier is ready to greet you with a smile (although quieter than usual) along with historic buildings and images from Chard.

Notice of road closure – Henson Park