February Parish Council Meeting

The next monthly meeting of the Parish Council will take place on Wednesday 5th February at 7.30pm in the Old School.  The Agenda can be downloaded from the Minutes and Agendas page a week before the meeting and members of the public are welcome to attend.

Parish Council Precept

At its January meeting the Parish Council agreed to increase its precept for 2025/26 to £11,000.  This is an increase of £925 or 9.18% on the current year’s precept.  Because Batcombe’s tax base has increased, the increase in the precept will result in a 7.31% increase the Council Tax resulting from the precept.  For a Band D property this will be an increase of £3.46 in the Council Tax resulting from the precept. 

The Parish Council has increased the precept because the financial difficulties of the Somerset Council means that in future the Parish Council is likely to have to pay for non-statutory items provided by the Somerset Council, particularly for additional work on the highways such as clearing gulleys or providing grit and grit bins.  

Beeches Farm Development

Prior Approval has been given for the conversion of seven agricultural buildings into nine residential dwellings at Beeches Farm (opposite Batcombe Lodge).  This was an application for permitted development under Class Q of the 2015 Planning Order and as such the Parish Council is not consulted and the Somerset Council has very limited grounds on which to refuse approval.  

Winter Roads

Residents should be aware that the roads in Batcombe will not be gritted during icy weather and so great care should be taken when driving on our roads in such conditions.  Walkers are advised to wear light coloured clothing when walking on the roads in gloomy weather or on dark evenings and dog walkers need to keep their dogs under control at all times but especially when emerging onto our roads from footpaths.

Speeding in Batcombe

Following recent concerns about speeding in the parish and especially in Kale Street the Parish Council asked the Traffic Engineer at Somerset Council for speed data for Millards Hill, Kale Street and by the Playing Field.  This information can now be obtained from SatNavs and GPS trackers in vehicles.  The data showed average speeds of 19.6mph at Millards Hill, 18.6mph in Kale Street and 12.6mph by the Playing Field.  The 85th percentile (i.e. 85% of vehicle speeds are at or below this speed) were 24.7mph at Millards Hill, 25mph in Kale Street and 21.9mph by the Playing Field.

It is interesting to compare this data with the survey the Parish Council requested in 2008.  This showed average speeds of 22-24mph at Millards Hill (the survey was taken over nine days) and 17-20mph by the Playing Field.  In 2008 the 85th percentile was between 28 and 30mph at Millards Hill and 22-25mph by the Playing Field.  Thus, it would seem that, despite a perception of increasing vehicle speeds, speeds have actually fallen over the last 16 years.

The Parish Council feels that the real issue is poor driving rather than speeding and would remind drivers of the need to drive according to the road conditions, especially important where there are no pavements, where children and animals can move unexpectedly into the road and where ice and mud can make roads treacherous for emergency braking.

The Parish Council recognises the difficulty of parking in a village that was not designed for modern vehicles, but would ask residents and visitors to park considerately to allow access for deliveries and emergency vehicles and to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

Beeches Farm Development

Prior Approval has been given for the conversion of seven agricultural buildings into nine residential dwellings at Beeches Farm (opposite Batcombe Lodge).  This was an application for permitted development under Class Q of the 2015 Planning Order and as such the Parish Council is not consulted and the Somerset Council has very limited grounds on which to refuse approval. The developer, Mendip Developments Ltd, plan to attend the Parish Council meeting on January 8th to discuss their plans for the site.  

Allotments

There are currently vacant allotments in the allotment field at Eastcombe available for a rent of £35 a year each.  If anyone in Batcombe or the surrounding villages would like to rent an allotment please contact the Clerk.  Annual rents are due in November.  

Audit Requirements 2024 - Notice of Public Rights

Under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 the Parish Council is required to publish the Notice of Public Rights which can be downloaded below and which gives the period when members of the public have the right to inspect the Parish Council's financial records for the previous year.  

The Parish Council is also required to publish the Annual Governance Statement 2023/2024 and the Accounting Statements 2023/24 and these documents can be found on the Audit and Transparency Code page.

Annual Parish Council Meeting

At the Annual Parish Council Meeting in May Janet Jones was re-elected as the Parish Council Chair for the coming year, Peter Glaisher was re-elected Vice Chairman and  Jayne Cox was re-appointed the Parish Council’s representative on the Village Hall Trust. 

Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish Meeting took place on Wednesday 3rd April at 7.30pm in the Jubilee Hall.  Over 60 local parishioners came to hear a report of the Parish Council's year and for a film, a talk and a discussion focussing on farming in the parish.      

Hincombe Hill

Drainage works have been undertaken by Somerset Highways on Hincombe Hill which is hoped will reduce the flow of water on the road that turns to ice in freezing weather.  While this work was undertaken Somerset Highways have fenced the gap in the hedge above the drop down into Pugh's Bottom Farm.  

Playing Field Litter Bin

This bin is intended for those using the Playing Field to dispose of their rubbish so that the Playing Field can be kept clean and tidy.  Please don’t use it as a dog poo bin - dog poo should be taken home and placed in your own wheelie bin.  And, without stating the obvious, please don’t put waste in the bin when it is full or leave waste on the ground by the bin.  If the bin is full, please take your waste home as it is important to keep the entrance to the children’s play are clean and free of dog poo.  The litter bin should be emptied once a week by Somerset Council.    

Problems on the Roads

Problems on the roads can be reported directly on the County Council website at www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/#problems-on-the-road This includes issues such as potholes, blocked gullies, overhanging hedges and other safety issues.  The County Council can be contacted by phone on 0300 123 2224.  Out of normal working hours, an immediate safety issue on the roads can be reported to the police on 101.

Parish Council & Unitary Council Election Results

The following seven people were elected to Batcombe Parish Council in May 2022: Jayne Cox, Peter Glaisher, Bryony Harling, Janet Jones, Clare Kingston, Tom Price and Ian Sage.  

Claire Sully and Alex Wiltshire (both Liberal Democrats) were elected to the two seats on Somerset County Council for the Mendip South Division and are now our Councillors on the new unitary Somerset Council.  Following Alex Wiltshire's resignation from the Council, Rob Reed (also Liberal Democrat) was elected to replace him in a by-election. 

New Play Equipment - Playing Field Re-Opened

Thanks to the grant of £58,976 from the Viridor Credits Environmental Company (from the Landfill Communities Fund), the Parish Council was able to place an order with Sutcliffe Play South West for new play equipment and installation of the new equipment took place in April 2021.   

The Parish Council would like to thank those children who entered the competition to design two plaques to go in the Playing Field, one asking people to "Please look after our Playing Field" and the other reminding people that no dogs are allowed in the Playing Field.  The winning designs for each sign have been installed in the Playing Field.

Church Tower Broadband Transmitting Mast

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) have agreed to the installation of a temporary wireless transmitting mast on the church tower to redirect the wifi broadband signal provided by Voneus more widely around the village.  The PCC note that this is a very low powered signal - weaker than a normal mobile phone signal.  A full statement from the PCC can be downloaded by clicking on the icon below.

Priority Services Register

Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution have a Priority Services Register for anyone who needs electricity for home medical equipment, or who is disabled, has a young baby or receives a state pension.  Those on the Register are promised support during a power cut.  To register call 0800 294 3259 from a landline or 0345 072 1900 from a mobile or see the webpage for more details of the Register: www.ssepd.co.uk/PriorityServices/

Planning Applications

Details of all applications the Council considers can be found by following the link to the Somerset Council's planning search page from the Planning Applications page.

Guide to Information Available from the Parish Council

The Freedom of Information Act requires the Parish Council to publish "A Guide to the Information Available from the Parish Council."  Now that the Council has a website, this guide is available to download from the Parish Council Documents page along with the Parish Council's Standing Orders and other policies and papers that the Parish Council is required to publish.