Property

Advice for landlords from Keyring Lettings

WITHdemand for housing in the private rented sector at an all-time high, one Mendip letting agency is working with landlords to help provide homes to those most in need of housing.

Keyring Lettings, are a not for profit Community Interest Company and have recently helped a lady and her young daughter find a new home after they had spent many months searching.

Only being able to work part-time so that she was able to care for her daughter meant that she was in receipt of some Universal Credit. Just before Christmas Keyring were approached by a landlord and asked to find tenants for a property in Frome.

The house proved to be ideal for the young family and within just a few weeks they were settling into their new home.

Stephen Palfrey, Keyring’s Lettings and Business Development Manager commented: “Luckily, our socially aware landlord came to this person’s rescue, and we were able to agree a long-term tenancy that suited both.

“The tenant had been looking unsuccessfully for some time so we were delighted to be able to help her when other agents couldn’t.

“Our landlord client was also pleased that we had found someone so quickly and we wish them both a long and happy relationship!

“There is a growing list of good tenants in need of housing, who through circumstances beyond their control, don’t always meet the stringent referencing requirements that are sometimes placed on them.”

In addition to finding new tenants, the agency also works closely with the local authority to help landlords bring empty or run-down properties back into a condition where they can be let.

Through their contacts Keyring can help landlords access grants and schemes that can be used from refurbishing or renovating a property to becoming

compliant with the latest regulations. Stephen comments: “More and more socially aware landlords are looking to provide help where they can see there is a family in genuine need and are willing to provide them with a tenancy. We need more landlords who are prepared to work with us to make this a reality for many.” Keyring use their social media platforms to regularly keep landlords up to date on the latest regulations and industry news. And on March 17th they will be hosting a landlords’ evening with guest speakers providing an update on forthcoming regulation and changes to the industry.

Details: For more information on the event or to reserve a place please contact manager@keyringlettings.co.uk

We’ve got it covered

Mendip Times Distribution Points

Mendip Times is available from over 900 outlets across the Mendips from superstores to village stores and post offices, farm shops, supermarkets, garden centres, pubs, inns, hotels and restaurants, doctors’ surgeries, libraries and tourist information centres.

ALHAMPTON ASHCOTT AXBRIDGE BALTONSBOROUGH BACKWELL BADGWORTH BANWELL BARROW GURNEY BARTON ST. DAVID BASON BRIDGE BAWDRIP BECKINGTON BISHOP SUTTON BLACKFORD BLAGDON BLEADON BRENT KNOLL BROCKLEY BRUTON BURCOTT BURNHAM-ON-SEA BURRINGTON BURTLE BUTLEIGH CAMERTON CASTLE CARY CATCOTT CHARTERHOUSE CHEDDAR CHELYNCH CHEW MAGNA CHEW STOKE CHEWTON MENDIP CHILCOMPTON CHILTON POLDEN CHURCHILL CLAVERHAM CLEEVE CLUTTON COCKLAKE COLEFORD COMPTON DANDO COMPTON DUNDON COMPTON MARTIN CONGRESBURY COSSINGTON COXLEY CRANMORE CROSCOMBE CROSS DITCHEAT DRAYCOTT DUNBALL DUNDRY EAST HARPTREE EAST HUNTSPILL EASTON EDINGTON EDITHMEAD EMBOROUGH EVERCREECH FARMBOROUGH FARRINGTON GURNEY FAULKLAND FELTON FLAX BOURTON FROME GLASTONBURY GREEN ORE GURNEY SLADE HALLATROW HIGH LITTLETON HINTON BLEWETT HIGHBRIDGE HEWISH HOLCOMBE HUNSTRETE HUTTON KEINTON MANDEVILLE KILMERSDON KNOWLE LANGFORD LEIGH on MENDIP LITTON LOCKING LONG ASHTON LYDFORD ON FOSSE LYMPSHAM MARK MARKSBURY MASBURY MELLS MIDSOMER NORTON NAILSEA NETTLEBRIDGE NORTH WOOTTON NORTON MALREWARD NORTON ST PHILIP NUNNEY OAKHILL PAULTON PAWLETT PENSFORD PILTON POLSHAM PRIDDY PURITON PYLLE RADSTOCK REDHILL REGIL RICKFORD RODE RODNEY STOKE ROOKSBRIDGE ROWBERROW SANDFORD SHEPTON MALLET SHIPHAM SOMERTON STANDERWICK STANTON DREW STANTON WICK STOKE ST MICHAEL STONE ALLERTON STRATTON ON THE FOSSE STREET TARNOCK TEMPLE CLOUD TICKENHAM TIMSBURY TRUDOXHILL TYTHERINGTON UBLEY UPHILL VOBSTER WALTON WANSTROW WATCHFIELD WEARE WEDMORE WELLOW WELLS WEST HARPTREE WESTHAY WESTONZOYLAND WEST PENNARD WESTBURY SUB MENDIP WEST HUNTSPILL WHITCHURCH WINFORD WINSCOMBE WITHAM FRIARY WOOKEY WOOKEY HOLE WOOLAVINGTON WRINGTON WRITHLINGTON YATTON

Coverage

= catchment area

Love is in the air

THESEstunning photographs of starlings over Hutton were taken in time for Valentine’s Day!

The murmurations have been taking place for a couple of months at dusk. The heart picture was taken by Cath Hanley from Hutton and the other by Peter Dutton, also of Hutton.

Wells organ appeal

RICHARDKertonWelch visited Wells Cathedral after evensong to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the magnificent cathedral organ, accompanied by his wife Lisa and mother Sue. Richard may be a familiar face to many Wells residents as he is the store manager at the High Street Branch of CanDo4You shoe repairer and engraver.

This Grand Organ Experience was given to him as a gift by two good friends to mark Richard’s many years of service as organist at St Mary Magdalene in Wookey Hole. It also supported the appeal to restore the organ.

During the evening Richard played a number of pieces he had personally selected. Richard said: “It has been a lifelong dream to have the chance to play the Wells Cathedral Organ. After decades playing the organ in Wookey Hole, the big step up to one of the biggest and best organs in the country was an exciting prospect.

“The whole evening is one I shall never forget and I want to thank Jeremy Cole, the Cathedral Friends and most especially my wonderful friends at St Mary’s Wookey Hole for giving me this fantastic opportunity.”

Details: organappeal@wellsfriends.org 01749 678830

Bat reserve pioneered in Congresbury

A NEWnature reserve is being created in Congresbury, especially for bats, by Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group.

The Cobthorn reserve is a ground-breaking project facilitated by North Somerset Council working with Natural England through the planning process.

It has resulted in the developer Strongvox giving a field of about two and a half hectares to YACWAG to manage for the bats forever.

When 38 new houses were built in Furnace Way, a larger area of farmland was lost as a feeding ground for bats. North Somerset Council ruled that the developer had to compensate for lost habitat by creating a nature reserve.

There are only about 12,000 greater horseshoe bats in the UK – which is their stronghold – and amazingly 500-1000 of them are living close to Congresbury.

Their preferred landscape is one with grazing animals and tall, wide hedges with scattered flowering trees that attract insects. The Cobthorn reserve will provide this kind of habitat.

Grazing by livestock is especially important in this project because young bats need a particular kind of dung beetle to feed on. YACWAG members have been busy thickening up the hedges with additional hedge plants and their graziers, Jo and Andy Milward, will be providing the stock to produce the essential dung.

YACWAG chair, Tony Moulin, said: “We are very excited and immensely proud of the achievement for wildlife at Cobthorn. Local people can be assured that the nature reserve will never be built on, that they will always have ‘nature as their neighbour’.

“We hope that more such schemes will follow this excellent example of planning gain for biodiversity. Greater horseshoe bats are very rare and protected and it is exciting that we will be able to give them a handy ‘eat-in restaurant’ on our new reserve with plenty of dung beetles on the menu.”

Tree felling raises fears over bluebells

PEOPLE who visit Beacon Hill Wood near Shepton Mallet have voiced their concerns over whether this year will witness the spectacular annual display of bluebells after tree surgeons carried out thinning works using heavy machinery in places.

The Woodland Trust, which cares for the historic woodland, says the planned operations were essential to create more light –and says the bluebells are already showing signs of springing into life.

One person who walks their dog regularly in the woodland said: “The annual bluebell display in Beacon Hill Woods is one of the great local natural occurrences. The use of heavy machinery in the name of forestry management has completely ruined the prospect of such a display this year.

“The Woodland Trust, who own this wood, explicitly state on their website that it is prohibited to uproot this protected native species, and yet this is precisely what has happened. It is such a shame – I can’t believe there isn’t a more sensitive way of managing the woodland and preserving the habitat. There won’t be much of a display this year – and that’s a shame for all the people who enjoy walking in these woods.” A spokesperson for the trust said: “In this case we are able to reassure that the thinning works will not leave any lasting negative impact, but enable the wood to flourish. The team has now finished felling the area this refers to and almost all the timber has been extracted. With the mild weather the bluebells are starting to poke through

early and small areas have been disturbed but you can already see them sprouting vertically. They will recover very quickly and the work will ultimately prove beneficial as increased light levels enable them to thrive. “We have kept the amount of vehicles moving around the site to a minimum. Once the work is complete, within the next two to three weeks, we will level off the ruts and repair any damage to the main track.” The spokesperson added: “Alongside the bluebells we want to enhance the flora and fauna within this wood. We are thinning the wood to let more light reach the ground. This should allow for any remaining natural tree and wildflower seeds to germinate, to Some of the bluebells disturbed by the machinery increase the botanical diversity of the site and improve the structure of the wood, which in turn is better for birds and other wildlife. Having a more diverse range of native trees on site will also make it more resilient to climate change and any tree diseases.” l See Walking P50.

Tree cutting machinery in the lower part of the wood

Heart transplant patient Ed greets his friends

ED Burdge, aged 17, is back home just weeks after having a heart transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.

He walked out to meet his friends from Bristol Grammar School who had cycled the 155 miles to the hospital to raise money for heart research.

After a pizza with them, he was able to return home to Cleeve with his parents Mike and Tandy.

Ed, a strapping 14-stone 6’5” soccer player, had sudden heart failure in November and was in intensive care at the BRI before surgeons decided a heart transplant was his only hope.

He underwent the ten-hour operation on January 9th.

His father, Mike, who runs an agricultural machinery business in Yatton, said: “It was great to see the boys arrive, there was a lot of clapping and cheering. It’s just incredible how Ed has recovered. We are so grateful to the staff involved.”

His friends Ollie, Tom, Adam, Will, Arjun and Nelson had raised £16,700 as Mendip Times went to press.

A stitch in time* . . .

Angie Hicks, MD of Kingfisher, offers a few tips

WE’REall becoming increasingly aware of the need to recycle, so it makes sound sense to take a look at the way we can prolong the life of many of the products we buy. The recent dramatic hike in energy costs too, underlines the importance of not only investing in heat preserving technology but ensuring its longevity.

Based on experience and from many of the questions I am asked, I thought it would be useful to pass on a few tips that could prove useful. In themselves, none is earth shattering, but you know the other old saying, “Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves”! 1. Lubricate hinges on windows and doors with a silicone spray every six months 2. Always lift the handle on your door to pull in hook locks. This reduces draughts 3. We can enhance the specification of double-glazed units to perform as well as triple gazed units, thereby reducing costs significantly 4. Avoid cheap PVCu units as they discolour fairly rapidly. We use only first generation PVCu and this doesn’t discolour 5. Condensation can be reduced by installing Argon filled units. If there is moisture in the room it will be attracted to the coldest surface 6. Don’t worry about condensation forming on the outside of your doubleglazed units. This simply shows that your window is working efficiently, and it is warmer inside. 7. Good ventilation in the home is very important, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms. Trickle vents do help. On our units there is a night vent facility where the window can be locked in an open position 8. We will recycle wood, aluminium, glass and PVCu

At our showroom at East Brent, we’re always more than happy to answer any questions you may have and give honest, straightforward advice. And you can relax in the certain knowledge that you will be put under no pressure. That is not, or ever will be, the Kingfisher way! *After I wrote this article, I read that in a recent survey dozens of traditional British sayings are at risk of extinction. Apparently 64% aren’t au fait with “a stitch in time saves nine”. Oh well…