The Somerset Leveller - Issue 157

Somerset Confidential®

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Letters to the editor

Dear Editor

The Doctor Won’t see You Now (Issue 155)

Your excellent article on the state of GP services in Somerset, sadly, came as no surprise. At least 20 years ago many of us foresaw that we would be facing a significant crisis in GP practices within the county in the not too distant future.

The facts were startlingly obvious even then: the number of GPs coming up to retirement, more opting for part time working, a steadily ageing population, the shortage of GPs in training, the reluctance of GPs to work in Somerset (it appears they prefer to work in cities instead) and the gradual breakdown of the GP practice model as fewer newly qualified doctors feel able to personally invest in a practice in addition to their substantial student loans to become medically qualified.

This was clearly an impending crisis that needed attention. However it was studiously ignored. Successive governments, of all hues, have signally failed to address the issue – seemingly more interested in short-termism to win the next general election that applying sensible long-term policies.

Until the government of the say devises and implements a properly thought through integrated long-term strategy for the NHS that is intelligently funded, then the issues with our helath service and especially the frontline GP practices will continue to deteriorate. Alas it may now be too late.

Yours faithfully

David Allen, Bridgwater

Dear Editor,

Colin Winder’s letter in your October edition (“The Demise of the Traditions of Democracy”) echoes our ever growing disillusionment with the political establishment, both in Westminster and locally where “ease of management is more important than … representation of the people”.

Mr Winder’s view is not an isolated opinion. Well known commentators are on a similar track. Rory Stewart argues that our politics are based on lies; and Gina Miller who has set up her own political party, The True & Fair Party, is developing policies to strengthen our democracy.

I wish them well in their reforming zeal.

Kit Chapman MBE, North Petherton

Dear Editor

Re: the Somerton Zebra Crossing

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then surely it’s a duck? The niceties of whether the lighting is complete or not will not prevent me from stopping for anyone who steps out on to it!

Kind regards

Tim Donaldson, Somerton

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Copyright and

Dear Editor,

Many of your readers will remember the battle from 1981-2000 to rid Britain of American nuclear missiles, and, in particular, cruise missiles based at Greenham Common. The recent sad death of Pat Arrowsmith reminds us of the courage and sacrifices of the thousands of women peace campaigners who set up camp at Greenham Common.

In 2008, George Bush ordered the removal of the final 110 US nuclear weapons, based at Lakenheath. There is growing evidence that the American force is planning to deploy their new B61-12 guided nuclear bomb at Lakenheath, as part of their move to increase American nuclear weapons infrastructure in Europe. Lakenheath is owned by our Ministry of Defence, but run by the US. When was this discussed in the UK Parliament? Doesn't the British public deserve a democratic vote over the siting of American weapons of mass destruction here? Why should American foreign policy be imposed on us? When questioned in 2022 on this matter, Defence Minister James Heappey said: “"It remains longstanding UK and Nato policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location”. So much for democracy and open government!

In order to uncover some of the secrecy, an attempt was made in September by the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament to hold a Citizens Weapon Inspection at Lakenheath. Advance notice was given, but the Inspection team was refused admittance on the day. Something to hide?

Returning US nuclear weapons to Britain will increase global tensions and put Britain on the front-line if nuclear war between the US and Russia breaks out – and the threat of nuclear war has never been higher since the Cold War. We must prevent this move, which will make Lakenheath a nuclear target. Write to your MP. Support CND. Join the movement to rid the world of nuclear weapons, before it is too late.

Glen Burrows Bridgwater

Dear Editor

I read with interest your coverage in Leveller 156 of the phosphate problem on the Somerset Levels and its impact on house building. Your readers may be interested in our recent film on the subject, 'Phosphates: Too Much Of a Good Thing?'

The film was shot in Somerset, runs 30 minutes and includes contributions from Professor Penny Johnes, Chair of the Defra Water Expert Advisory Group, physicist Dr Len Fisher, Andy Mears from Wessex Water, Emma de Saram, climate activist with local farmers and growers. The film can be seen at https://youtu.be/IVHPQsr8mwQ?si=7XrAjwpDVCahNdzZ Co-producer of the film John Potter and I have been attending public screening and Q&A's of the film, sometimes together with one or more of the film's contributors. We will be pleased to hear from anyone who would be interested in sharing the film (either online or through live screenings) and so widening the debate. This has been until recently a relatively hidden problem, but it is an increasingly serious one that affects many aspects of life beyond its serious impact on house building, a problem that in Professor Johnes's words, 'we have to fix'.

Hoping that you are able to help bring the film to people's attention in whatever way can work for you.

With thanks and best wishes

Phil Shepherd Glastonbury

Dear editor

Can I draw your reader’s attention to the latest talk by Richard Kay on behalf of the RNLI. “Nobility Without Pride: The horse in art from Ucello to Hockney” will be presented on Wednesday 22nd November 2023at Long Sutton Village Hall, TA10 9NT. 6:15pm for 7:00pm. Tickets are £18 (Includes canapes and a glass of wine soft drinks will be available) and profits are to raise fund for the RNLI. As ever we are most grateful for Mr Kay’s support.

Kind regards

Mary Mullineux, Muchelney

You should be able to get details of services and meeting dates via the contact details for your local council below:

Town Councils

Axbridge Town Council 07884 264033 https://axbridge-tc.gov.uk/

Bridgwater Town Council 01278 427692

Bruton Town Council 01749 813014 townclerk@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk

Burnham on Sea & Highbridge Town Council 01278 788088 townclerk@burnham-highbridge-tc.gov.uk

Your Council Contacts

Castle Cary Town Council (01963) 359631 town.clerk@castle-cary.co.uk

Chard Town Council 01460 239567

Crewkerne Town Council 01460 74001

Dulverton Town Council 01398 324561 clerk@dulvertontowncouncil.co.uk

Frome Town Council 01373 465757 info@frometowncouncil.gov.uk

Glastonbury Town Council 01458 831769 office@glastonbury.gov.uk

Ilminster Town Council 01460 52149 town.council@ilminster.gov.uk

Langport Town Council 01458 259700 office@langport.life

Martock Town Council 01935 822891 or 07506 286382 clerk@martock-pc.gov.uk

Minehead Town Council 01643 707213 info@mineheadtowncouncil.co.uk

North Petherton Town Council 01278 574074

townclerk@nptc.info

Shepton Mallet Town Council 01749 343984

info@sheptonmallet-tc.gov.uk

Somerton Town Council 01458 272236 town.clerk@somertontowncouncil.go v.uk

Street Parish Council 01458 440588 street.parish@street-pc.gov.uk

Taunton Town Council 01823 793637 Info@taunton-tc.gov.uk

Watchet Town Council 01984 633344 townclerk@watchettowncouncil.org

Wellington Town Council 01823 662855 info@wellingtontowncouncil.co.uk

Wells City Council 01749 673091 townclerk@wells.gov.uk

Wincanton Town Council 01963 31693 info@wincantontowncouncil.co.uk

Wiveliscombe Town Council 01984 631914 or TownClerk@wiveliscombe.com

Yeovil Town Council 01935 382424 ytc@yeovil.gov.uk

Somerset Council Office hours (8.30-5.00) service: 0300 123 2224

There’s no email contact for the council

However there is a web page which allows you to report specific items to obtain information or make payment.Go to: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/contact-us/

The Somerset Day

15 November

Sunrise 7.27 am

Sunset 4.23 pm

15 December

Sunrise 8.08 am

Sunset 4.03 pm

Sky Diary by Paul Adamson

Moon Phases

First Qtr. 20th November / Full 27th November / Last qtr. 5th December / New 12th December Planets

Venus still shines bright as it rises in the very early hours then during the evening Saturn sets before Midnight and Jupiter is the bright object seen all evening and most of the night. Constellation

Ursa Major or the Great Bear stands on its tail low in the North now. Look at the Star in the middle of the tail and you will notice it is in fact two stars then look with binoculars to see three! This Constellation is also known as the Saucepan and the two end stars of the

bowl point upwards to Polaris the Pole Star.

Celestial Events

The night of the 17th/18th of November sees the peak of the Leonid meteor shower and on the night of 13th/ 14th December we have the Geminid meteor shower.

Somerset Stargazers monthly meetings are on the last Wednesday of the month except December for details please contact For details visit: somersetlevelsstargazers@hotmail.com

Fewer bulldozers please

At the Labour Party Conference last month, Sir Keir Starmer promised to put a bulldozer through the planning system to get Britain building houses again. Despite all the new things he mentioned he might do (and as with many conference speeches, specifics were in short supply), he reverted to the age old trope of building 300,000 new homes a year.

In the August editorial of The Leveller®: An Inconvenient Truth, we pointed out that Britain does not need any new housing. What it needs is a radical government ready to do unpopular things. A government that will enable the redistribution of the housing stock we have, to ensure that those that need homes will have them. Clearly and disappointingly, Labour is not going to be that government. The necessary action flies in the face of Conservative party policy and the LibDems are not exactly the home of radical thought, still less radical action.

Let us set all that aside for a moment and, accepting that he is currently the most likely candidate for Number 10 at the next General Election, look at why Sir Keir Starmer’s policy is flawed. If we work on the assumption that new housing is required and ignore the fact that it isn’t, are the planning laws that Sir Keir wants to bulldoze the main reason we are not building more homes? That really depends on the sort of homes you want to build. If you want commercial developers building three- or four-bed houses costing £350,000 each on average, then Sir Keir is your man. Bulldozing planning law will certainly help to get more permissions, ensure more plans are passed and more local opposition is ignored.

Sir Keir makes a virtue of saying that, whereas it is the job of individual MPs to stand up for their constituents, it is the job of government to ignore them and do things for the greater good of the nation as a whole. To some extent or other he has a point. It is a truism that this is exactly what governments have to do.

A return to social housing

But only when what they are doing is for the greater good of the nation as a whole. Building more £350,000 homes will not serve that greater good. If we are going to build new homes and not simply redistribute the housing stock we have, then we are going to need the right sort of homes.

And those, as any half decent Labour leader should know, are council houses or as we call them these days, social housing. Building ever larger numbers of new housing will not make the housing affordable for those who cannot get on the housing ladder. Nor will schemes such as “Help to Buy” which in truth simply prop up property prices at high levels.

This is flawed economics that the Conservatives have been trumpeting for years and have merely demonstrated do not work. The housing market is international. You build more homes that local people cannot afford and the price does not magically come down, because people who can afford them move in from abroad. Probably buying in the south east. People in the south east can then sell up and buy something for half the price in the south west. What is missing in the UK housing market, and has been missing since the 1980s, is decent social housing. Houses with secure tenancies, with long-term tenancies where the tenant is not at the

mercy of a private landlord. Houses where the rent is affordable. Houses where the council has an obligation to keep them in a decent condition.

These are the houses that are missing. These, if any, are the houses we need to give a decent home to those who have not managed to get onto the housing ladder and have been left behind.

The great irony being that you don’t need to drive a bulldozer through the planning system to get more social housing built. What you need is to give local authorities the power to build those homes and the finance to make it possible. It is a sad fact that when local authorities did have the capital budgets to spend, instead of investing in social housing that would generate a return in rents into the future, they chose instead to invest in highly speculative retail property investments. And if some councils had sold all their social housing off, both Sedgemoor and West Somerset & Taunton councils had their own stocks and could easily have chosen to add to their stock. Instead they chose not to.

As so many local authorities are on the verge of bankruptcy, if not this year then in the next two, that is something that needs urgent attention in any case. Adequate local government finance, sensible rules on borrowing and a construction programme to build the houses we actually need in places where people want them.

Not for profit building wanted

Over 15 years of attending planning meetings I have rarely heard objections to plans for social housing. What I have heard is constant objections from the public to housing estates full of expensive homes that demonstrably fail to meet a local need. If you didn’t drive a bulldozer through all those pesky planning rules, but perhaps strengthened them instead, then the planning system could prevent the sort of wholesale vandalism of the countryside that has been carried out so visibly and so vigorously across Somerset. What we do need is to strengthen planning regulation so that the wholesale damage done by building the wrong homes at the wrong price and in the wrong place does not add to the drain on the public purse.

How often have we seen housing developments stuck up with little or no thought of the impact on infrastructure? The developer is asked, via a s106 agreement, to make a token contribution, usually to a new primary school, and that’s that. Meanwhile, the public are left to pick up the tab for:

● secondary schooling of children moving into new homes

● the extra repairs and maintenance of our road system with more cars on it

● the extra burden on the NHS with doctors and dentists under more pressure from more people

● the cost of managing our sewer systems

● the cost of providing clean water

● the cost of providing safe railway crossings where they are near a new development

The truth is that far too many developments have been allowed where they should have been stopped. The vast array of costs picked up by the public purse has never been adequately covered by s106 agreements or by the (largely capped until recently) new council tax coming in from the new homes.

This is, in part at least, why local councils are in a financial mess. They are picking up the tab for the ancillary costs of new developments. Meanwhile, the planning rules have tied their hands and prevented them from stopping the building of houses we don’t need.

As if to emphasise the imbalance in the way the costs of new developments are shared between the state and private sector developers, house builders are growing fat on the income from the endless pipeline of new houses they are building. For the year ended 30 June 2023 Barratt made pre-tax profits of £705m; for just six months to 30 June 2023 Persimmon made £151m before tax; and Taylor Wimpey, also for six months but to 2 August 2023, made pre-tax profits of £237.7m.

If there are bulldozers out and about, perhaps they should be bulldozing not the planning laws, but a half century of flawed social policy. Which you might have thought was exactly the sort of thing a Labour Government would be good at.

Left Page, Right and Over !

Left page

The task we set our commentators this month was. With an election looming, probably in the next 12 months, what would you most like to see from your party manifesto to help local government in Somerset?

These are the politicians tasked with giving you an answer: Left Page: Leigh Redman is a Somerset and Bridgwater town councillor and a Labour Party member.

Right Page: David Fothergill is a Conservative councillor for Monkton and North Curry. He is leader of the opposition on Somerset Council (SC).

Over The Page: Liz Leyshon is the Libdem County Councillor for Street and is Deputy Leader of SC.

Green Page: Martin Dimery is the Green Party Leader on SC and candidate for the Frome & East Somerset constituency

The Left Page by Leigh Redman

A really interesting question, one that I have spoken about previously. I want a manifesto that will give local voters a voice. Too often they do not get their voices heard in local matters. I love Keir Starmer's simple pledges too, I won’t repeat them but they are available online. I’d want to take them and build on them.

Locally I want to ensure we address the points relevant to Somerset. I hear from voters regularly, they are looking for a Labour Party manifesto that addresses their concerns and needs. Somerset residents need a manifesto that will also help local government in Somerset to improve their services and provide better living conditions for the people.

As a local councillor I want to see the next Labour government pass more of the decision making to the point that can impact most. That means proper local power and importantly, the money to act on it.

Investment in Public Services: This includes healthcare, education, and social care. Somerset voters want to see more funding for the NHS, better access to healthcare services, and more investment in education. They also want to see more support for social care services, including better pay and conditions for care workers.

Affordable Housing: Somerset residents are struggling to find affordable housing, and many are being forced to live in overcrowded or unsuitable accommodation. We must work to reduce homelessness. Voters want to see more investment in social housing, more support for first-time buyers, and more regulation of the private rental sector. The right homes, in the right place for the right cost.

Transport: Somerset residents are concerned about the lack of public transport in rural areas, and the high cost of public transport, where it is available, in urban areas. Voters want to see more investment in public transport, including better bus and train services, and more support for cycling and walking.

Our environment: Somerset residents are concerned about climate change, air pollution, and the impact of development on the natural environment. Voters want to see more investment in renewable energy, more support for sustainable transport, and more protection for green spaces and wildlife habitats.

In short, I want the same as most residents. I believe Somerset voters are looking for a Labour Party manifesto that addresses their concerns and needs. They want to see more investment in public services, affordable housing, transport, and the environment. They want to see local government given more of the tools that will help to improve their services and provide better living conditions for the people.

Over the next few years

Somerset will be leading the way, projects like Hinkley C and Gravity are infrastructure investments with national significance. We need to ensure local people see the maximum benefit from them.

Right Page

by David Fothergill

I haven’t yet had the luxury to read my opposition colleagues contributions for the Leveller this month but I suspect that we would all like to see additional monies for Council Services as part of any party’s election manifesto. More money for Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Highways, Housing, Leisure …..an almost endless list!

Sadly though, even if these do appear then I suspect they may be a hollow promises; unfortunately, Local Government sits well below the NHS, Defence and many other departments for any ‘spare’ funds. There are however several asks for Somerset that I would like to see in any party’s manifesto and overall, cost relatively little or even nothing to implement. Namely:

● To provide Somerset Highways with a five-year funding allocation (as per Highways England) rather than yearly, as this would provide highways with more certainty to plan and forecast spend much better.

● To prioritise a legislative agenda around flexibility and powers for Somerset Council including requiring high street banks to create banking hubs in our communities.

● To devolve powers to set fines for fly-tipping, littering and graffiti allowing Somerset Council to set fines at a rate which not only seek to cover costs but also to act as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.

● To provide Somerset Council with maximum freedom over Apprenticeship Levy funds to help address workforce challenges and create green jobs for the future.

● To set up a Royal Commission to consider the future of leisure and sport nationally.

● To bring exempt accommodation into the planning system to allow Somerset Council the power to control their spread and loss of family housing.

● To give Somerset Council the ability to set planning fees locally at levels which reflect demand, particularly of large housebuilders.

● To allow social housing rents to be set locally in Somerset to ensure that the Housing Revenue Account has long-termsustainability and allows greater investment into social housing.

● To make ‘right to buy’ receipt collection permanent giving Somerset Council a powerful arm to build more social housing.

● To allow tax incentives to technology companies who are actively working to reduce the cost of Adult Social Care and associated workforce pressures.

……. the list could go on!

Of course more money would be great and is the easy ask but being realistic, we must recognise that so much could be done without too much additional cost, and that must be the right thing for everyone, whichever party you support.

Over the page

Over the Page by Liz Leyshon

Boundaries, candidates, manifesto, election. There’s certainly a lot of work ahead especially as the next General Election will be on new boundaries and that affects the Constituencies of Somerset.

For the next Government there is a much, much bigger task ahead. We’ve had the worst possible Conservative Government at the worst possible time, and it’s going to take years, not months, to rebuild the reputation of this country and reform the contract that politicians have with the electorate.

Liberal Democrats, as for all Parties, will be looking for some really big items in our Party Manifesto.

As Somerset Council is impacted so much, I’ll start with adults’ social care and children’s services. We need to be looking at how standards are set and where the funds come from – national or local. I’m already reading that Labour won’t be tying themselves to specific standards and funding. The Conservatives have failed already to progress on fair cost of care, which aimed to acknowledge what providing care really costs, and support more people. By starting but not completing the work they have actually made the cost of care more challenging for Somerset Council.

Increasing housing provision and preventing homelessness will be another real concern for all the Parties. With interest rates so much higher than just a couple of years ago, we will continue to see people in arrears with their mortgages or rent and at risk of homelessness. Giving local authorities the ability to stop Right to Buy would be a great start in retaining properly affordable homes; surely that must be possible as should other forms of local decision making such as setting local planning and licensing fees.

Water quality and how the privatised water companies treat the water that flows out into the delicate Ramsar sites of Somerset, as well as many other parts of the country, is a massive concern and now much better understood. Manifesto promises on the natural environment and recognition of the existential threat of climate change will be hugely important and I’m sure for younger voters will be a key decision influencer.

The NHS, and its funding, is one of the biggest of many elephants in the room when looking at the medium term financial planning for this country but there is not enough space in this column to consider the challenges for the NHS. Similarly Political reform is still a priority for us, as is greater devolution and creating an elected House of Lords. Education is at the heart of everything, of course, it always has been and we also know that school buildings are crumbling in places. In Somerset we always look to food and farming, and to public transport in this large rural county. How the next Government responds to all these critical challenges is for the future. Each Party Manifesto is the statement of intent, and so of critical importance.

Green Page by Martin Dimery

It has to be acknowledged that the last thirteen years of Tory austerity have been an abject disaster. Austerity has mainly hit local council spending rather than central government departments, and Somerset, like many authorities, is now on the brink of bankruptcy. For those who maintain there has been waste of resources, I’d really like them to point out where, because in my six years as a county and unitary councillor, I’ve yet to find it. Indeed, the abolition of district councils and the creation of unitary, despite many redundancies and a huge reduction in councillors, has made no immediate impact. The post-war baby boomers are now in retirement, and this puts a huge strain on the Adult Social Care budget which is continuously growing. Add to that the extra strain on the Children and Education budgets due in part to the huge increase in child poverty, and these essential costs take an increasing slice of the diminishing revenue. That leaves very little to support the numerous other functions of council. If Somerset is forced, like Birmingham, to declare itself insolvent, the government will send in a Civil Service hit squad to run things on our behalf. They’ll look at the books- and the first thing they’ll do is raise the Community Tax by substantially over what is permitted by councils. It makes an absolute mockery of the years of under investment we’ve endured and the terrible consequences on our services.

So, we have to raise more in taxes centrally, in order to pay for our essential local services. If we raise a wealth tax on the richest 1% in the country; if we raise a carbon tax on the big polluters like the oil companies, who we currently subsidise; if we close the loopholes on tax benefits for the richest international companies who do massive business here but pay their taxes in Luxembourg or the Cayman Islands; if we re-negotiate the appalling Brexit deal and look for a “Norway style” agreement that Johnson, Farage and the rest of the charlatans promised before reneging on it, then we will have the money we need to repair our schools and hospitals, bring the bus services back under local government management; re-nationalise the water companies who are being allowed to destroy our rivers, and the return the railways to public ownership. Sunak’s “initiative” of allowing bankers to make unlimited bonuses, does not put food on the table for those on the minimum wage. The “Trickle down” tap has been turned off.

If the next government continues the culture of appeasing its rich doners rather than tackling the growing inequality between rich and poor, then local councils will continue to fail.

View From Langport by Sean Dromgoole

In local government there are good days and bad days. On good days, stuff happens. On bad days things grind to a halt. You count your blessings on the good days, and you develop a rich sense of irony for the bad ones. What there aren’t many of are truly brilliant days. Bear with me as I share the tale of one such day recently…

So followers of this column will know that we have conducted a Community Plan recently in Langport (just search “HELP Community Plan” to download) which we did jointly with our sister parish Huish Episcopi. The output of such exercises tends to a be a wish list of things to do. These days they are called Action Plans. What fuels them is communal aspiration and optimism. What crashes them into the rocks is a lack of cash.

The danger with joint actions is that one council will propose one thing at one meeting, the other will modify at their next meeting, the first council will then modify further and the death spiral begins. We use joint working-parties made up of councillors from both councils and other local expertise. They make recommendations to both councils. We currently have six of these working parties in Huish and Langport. It is clumsier than having a single Council, but they are getting the job done.

The other part of this tale is to remember that that when developers petition for planning permission in a particular area, part of that process is that they offer Section 106 or SIL money to the local parish. In Langport – where we have no more land on which to build – we don’t generate any of this. In Huish they do. Now what prompted the original request is still a mystery. This mighty organ had started to make inquiries. There were rumours about money being withdrawn, or reallocated, due to Somerset Council’s current impecunity. To clarify the matter, the clerk at Huish Episcopi made a request to Somerset Council for full disclosure of the amounts locally owed. The figure that came back was stunning. Three hundred and eighty thousand pounds. Now in Huish they had known that there was some floating about. In Langport we’d had no idea. None. It of course comes with conditions. Some is for the School. Some is allocated to projects that have since lost favour. Both councils have to concur, for any of it to be spent. But wear there is wonga, and shared will, there is always a way.

Now this was disclosed, to slack jaws, the Huish parish meeting on the Monday night. Imagine the joy of the chair of Langport meeting on the Tuesday night as I stood, with list in hand, to deliver the Chair’s Report at the end of our Town Council meeting. It became very clear very quickly that so many of our joint working parties’ plans could now be financed. That, by the standards of local government, is as good as it gets.

Sean Dromgoole is the Chair of Langport Town Council

The High Ham Pound gets a Royal facelift by Kate

Lynch

The ancient animal pound in High Ham has been given a facelift to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles There is now a fine toposcope installed at this magnificent viewpoint. Artist James Lynch made a detailed drawing of the panorama with the fun addition of a cherub blowing the wind, and Robert Webb (also a Parish Councillor) designed the plaque to include landmarks and directions and distances of towns. The design was etched in metal and the finished plaque installed in a stone surround by local stonemason David Bean There is also a new

l to r - Robert Webb, James Lynch and David Bean

information panel

The mystery of the skate park and other unspent money

There has been a lot of talk buzzing around Langport and Huish Episcopi about plans for a skate park at the Memorial Field that appear to have sunk without trace. So, The Leveller® has done a bit of digging.

The skate park would have been part funded with money from developers. When a developer is granted planning permission to build new houses, they are usually required to make a contribution to local infrastructure. This is done under something called a section 106 (or s106) agreement.

The money is paid over to the local planning authority. In the case of Langport and Huish Episcopi, this was South Somerset District Council (SSDC). Once the money is paid it should always be spent on the items laid out in the s106 agreement.

So, for example, when 52 new homes were agreed on the old Kelways site (eventually upped to 61 when the proposed business units were scrapped) some £265,000 was spent on projects such as Huish Swimming Pool and artificial grass pitch, Kelways Play Area, and Multi Use Games area at the Memorial Hall.

Interestingly, there is still just under £24,000 unspent which was supposed to provide badminton courts in Langport and a further £3,800 that was meant to provide extra capacity at Huish Academy. So, as you can see, more than a decade after the s106 agreement was signed, there’s still quite a bit of money unspent.

To skate or not to skate…

This is not unusual. And it is also relevant to a recent row over a proposed skate park in Langport at the Memorial Field. This money was part of a s106 agreement signed when land north of Newtown Park, in Huish Episcopi to the west of Langport was given permission. There was a s106 agreement here for £164,433. More than £40,000 of that money remains unspent. Somerset Council has now inherited all the s106 money that used to be held by SSDC. So finding where the money had gone and what it was reserved for proved to be a bit of an exercise!

However, they eventually confirmed that their records showed that a Youth Facilities contribution of £7,722 from that s106 was initially allocated to a skate park. Importantly though, the s106 agreement does not refer specifically to the contributions being spent on a skate park. It does say that the money should be spent at the Memorial Playing Fields in Langport. Somerset Council told us that: “the Town Council did not pursue the project so the sum was not spent.”

In fact, a total of £10,532 as a contribution to “Youth Facilities” remains and should be spent at the Memorial Playing Fields in Langport. There’s also a further unspent sum, £29,694 allocated to the provision of additional capacity in the sports hall at Huish Episcopi Academy.

So the money is there, contrary to recent rumours flying around the town that the money has all been allocated elsewhere. It is waiting for the community to spend it. But it must be spent in line with the s106 agreement.

That could indeed include a skate park. It probably (not certainly) would rule out a contribution to a new toilet block at the Memorial Field, as it would be hard to demonstrate that was purely “Youth Facilities.”

What is clear is that if the Langport Town and Huish Parish Councils wanted to pursue the idea of spending the money on a new skate park, they could do. But that is a proposal that has to come from the councils and the local community.

which explains how village pounds were used from medieval times, when stray animals were penned in the pound and owners has to pay a fine to release them. Pounds fell into disuse over time once farmland was enclosed. The drawing, design and stonework were generously donated by James, Robert and David, who all live in the parish. The Parish Council contributed other costs. Chair of the Parish Council, David Vigar, unveiled the plaque at a village gathering on Sunday 29 October.

The toposcope is a work of art and brings new interest for locals and visitors, highlighting the landmarks of King’s Sedgemoor and the other moors, Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Tor, the Hood Monument, Great Breach Wood and more, as well as the distance in miles of towns in the vicinity and further away. High Ham’s old animal pound has a new significance in modern times, not just as a viewpoint, but also as a place of rest and contemplation for locals and visitors.

Pests on Pester Lane

You might have thought that the chaos around West Street caused by the roadworks would have given some relief for the residents of Pester Lane. But no, lorries are still finding their way down there –three in one week at the start of October.

It often follows the same pattern. The driver is trying to get to Badgers Cross. The lorry gets stuck at the point it realises it cannot get through the narrow lane. Traffic is held up and Police called to allow the lorry to reverse back up the lane and out onto West Street. Traffic held up, considerable safety risk for any drivers the lorry driver might meet in Chaps Hollow. Police informed.

When will it end?

Of course, ultimately responsibility lies with Somerset Council, but often more gets done if a town council complains about an issue than if a member of the public does. So, we contacted Somerton Town Council and asked what they were doing about it? And, more to the point, what were the town’s Somerset Councillors doing about it?

They told us: “Somerton Town Council take the concerns of its residents seriously. Cllr Ruddle recently met with a local Highway Engineer from Somerset Council to discuss improvement to the road traffic signage within Somerton. Unfortunately, we have recently encountered drivers who have not paid attention to the weight restriction in place despite this clearly being sign-posted.

This is a potential hazard to pedestrians and other road users and drivers of larger vehicles need to be conscious of the importance of using roads suitable for their journey.

Somerton Town Council urge residents to report all incidents to the Police either by calling 101 or via the on-line report facility https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report.”

However, the council also wanted to remind residents that in some instances (and probably in smaller lorries) vehicles may be accessing an area in line with a traffic regulation order for legitimate reasons such as carrying out necessary maintenance works or making a delivery to nearby properties.

Somerset Pub unveils new artwork

Somerton’s The Etsome Arms, has revealed a specially commissioned artwork by local young artist Lauren Cattle. The artwork has been on display since the 9th of November. Owners, Peter and Sharon Lindsey commissioned this 3.6 x 0.8M painting and allowed Lauren creative freedom to capture the spirit of The Etsome Arms and its place within the community. Peter and Sharon first saw Lauren Cattle’s work on display at the ACEArts gallery in the old Town Hall.

The finished work is on permanent display at the bar. The painting is a combination of acrylic and oil paint, and includes collage, illuminated Stained-Glass and woodwork. The panoramic painting depicts the hustle and bustle of pub life, bizarre and humorous interactions with local customers, and the beautiful landscape of the Somerset levels.

As part of the celebrations marking the completion of the piece the pub has that grown its own hops and has brewed a special beer called “Etsome Art”.  Peter Lindsey, owner of the Etsome Arms is full of admiration for the artist: “This work is not only of 18 months hard work by such a promising young artist, but reflects the 4½ year journey of The Etsome Arms and the place its place within the town we serve. It has been a joy to work with Lauren, and Sharon and I have really enjoyed the whole artistic process. We hope this will act as a focal point for the community of our beautiful town.”

New councillors wanted

It seems that no sooner has the town council got a full compliment of councillors, then somebody else resigns. Somerton Town Council currently has two vacancies to fill. As an election has not been called for by ten members of the community, the vacancies will be filled by co-option. Prospective councillors will be invited to make a short presentation to a town council meeting and then councillors take a vote on the candidates. If you think this is a role for you, you should put your name forward now. Contact the town clerk on town.clerk@somertontowncouncil.gov.uk

Langport and Somerton Rotary

Langport and Somerton Rotary Club has been serving the local community for more than 75 years, and its members are continuing to support members of the community and local organisations in whatever way they can. Over recent years the club has been an integral part not only in the establishment and success of the Forget Me Not Café in Curry Rivel, supporting people experiencing the difficulties caused by dementia, but also more recently through the Langport Community Shed which already has 25 clients and is proving very popular and successful.

However, like many organisations, Langport and Somerton Rotary Club has found itself struggling recently to encourage new members, so here are a number of reasons why you are wholeheartedly recommended to come along to meetings on a Thursday at 6.30pm at the Langport Arms:

- The Club and its members are friendly, and enjoy a good laugh ALWAYS.

- The Club runs an interesting programme that includes talks, sports and visits, for example recently visiting Hinckley Point for a trip around the site – truly awe-inspiring.

- Part of the Rotary International organisation, it enjoys strong links with other clubs and Rotarians, not only in the UK but also in just about every country around the world.

- These international links allow Rotary to respond quickly – both practically and financially – to recent emergencies such as Ukraine, Morocco and Libya and in the past to the Thailand tsunami, Nepal, Haiti and Turkey. Nearly all of these have included emergency aid boxes (coordinated by another local Rotary Club) with equipment and, most importantly, manual pumps to transform dirty, contaminated water into clean drinking water.

- Rotary provides opportunities for all its members to be involved in a wide range of activities and interest groups. For example, some of this Club’s members have played cricket for the GB&I Rotary Cricket Team in Australia, India and South Africa (among other places). Some have helped build micro hydro plants in Nepal, a bridge in Africa and fund improved neonatal health in Third World countries; others have participated in home exchanges with Rotarians from other countries. The opportunities are literally endless. It is fully understandable, at this current time, that many people are finding it hard to give time to organisations such as Rotary. While the Club has an extensive programme and aims to meet every Thursday, anyone only able to manage once a month or who doesn’t wish to have a meal after the meetings, is still more than welcome to join in and expand the work the Club and Rotary can do. In return you will have a good time – with lots of fun and laughter! Please contact Joy Bailey bailey23cc@gmail.com or Jane Redfearn 01458 252813 for more information or to book in for a meal – you can also take a look at the Club website by typing in: Langport & Somerton Rotary.

Rotarians and "Westlands Escape Committee" members at Hinckley Point

Christmas Journey

The Somerton-based Mid-Wessex Singers are delighted to present their annual festive concert “A Christmas Journey” on Saturday 16 December 2023. They will be sharing the joy of singing together at St Michael’s Church, Somerton at 7.30pm. Advance tickets (£10 each) are available from Cobbs in Somerton or can be purchased on the door for £12. Further information if required, contact info@midwessexsingers.co.uk

We realise that these days there are awards and award shows for just about everything. Even so it was still a surprise to come across something called the Cemetery of the Year Award. Yes really. No kidding. No doubt many unsavoury jokes spring to mind but we shall banish the thought and move on. For Bridgwater has just won a silver medal at the 2023 awards.

The ‘BRAMM Bereaved Community Award’ and is for any Cemetery or Burial Ground completing any local initiative which has helped the bereaved in any way within the last 5 years.

And this year the Silver Award went to Bridgwater Town for their Quantock Road Cemetery.

David Mears Town Clerk told The Leveller®: “We are all extremely pleased to be recognised with this national award, it acknowledges that we go the extra mile to help and support the bereaved.” So what did they do for their community

Cemetery scoops award?

and users of the cemetery that stood out? Memory tree

During 2022 Bridgwater Town Council decided to place a Christmas Tree inside the chapel at Quantock Road Chapel to let the public place a tag on the tree in memory of a loved one. The memory tree was for anyone from the community who had lost someone and not just for people who had loved ones buried within the council’s two cemeteries.

From the second week of December the chapel was open from Monday to Friday to enable the public to visit. Tags, pens and the like were all provided. They got the word out via social media, the town council website, and local funeral directors. Then with the support of a local funeral director, they opened the chapel on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The initiative proved really popular with lots of positive messages and great feedback.

Glastonbury Blooms

The South West in Bloom section of Britain in Bloom has proved to be a happy hunting ground for the town of Glastonbury this year. The town’s floral displays were awarded a gold medal and won the prestigious Preece Cup. Glastonbury in Bloom also won two discretionary trophies, the Abbiss Cup for Best Horticultural Display on a Municipal Building (Glastonbury Town Hall) and the Sargent Trophy for an outstanding effort and contribution from a main competition entry.

But that is not where it stopped. After Christmas the Council took the tags and placed them in a time capsule which was formally buried in the grounds around the chapel by the mayor alongside a local Funeral Director.

Due to the popularity of the initiative they decided to create another memorial tree for Mother’s and Father’s Day this year. They now have a memory book permanently placed in the chapel. The positive reception the initiative received suggests it has been a comfort and help for the bereaved and they will be repeating it again this year and for years to come.

Philip Potts of the Memorial Awareness Board noted: “There are many enterprising cemeteries that are willing to make a special effort to help bereaved families and this category was designed to showcase some of the best examples and hopefully inspire other Burial Authorities”

And as if that were not enough, Glastonbury was also runner up for:

● Michael McGahey Trophy (Best Community Effort)

● South West Tourism Salver (Best Portfolio)

● Amberol Trophy (Best Floral Business Display) - representing Glastonbury was Glastonbury Galleries

● The Volunteer Network won the "Gardening for the Disabled" category across the whole of the South West!

And a special mention too for St Benedicts School, Glastonbury who came second in the Denise James Art In The Landscape Trophy, for the best interpretation of Art In The Landscape Trophy.

All in all, 11 businesses in the town entered and won awards from Silver Gilt to Gold and more than 10 "It's your Neighbourhood” entrants won commendations as either: 3 Advancing, 4 Thriving, or 5 Outstanding.

DomesticViolence Pop up

Wells City Council is taking action on the issue of domestic balance. Recognising that this is an issue that is too often hidden in the shadows they are trying to raise awareness of the different forms that abuse can take and provide a helpline for victims.

The intention is to get people talking about the issue and learn where you can get help and information.

For starters they are setting up a “Pop Up” kiosk in the Portway Annex for anyone who has experienced domestic violence or knows somebody, be it family, friends or neighbours in that situation. The kiosk is a source for information and to point people in the right direction to get help.

The next Pop Up is at the Portway Annex on 4 December.

Leveller® subscriptions

The latest round of changes to the price of stamps is the second price hike this year by the Royal Mail (not the Post Office – they merely sell the stamps). The increase at the start of October was not so great for some classes of post or size/weight of letters.

For us the impact has been dramatic. The increase in the cost of sending out The Leveller to our subscribers rose from £1.85 to £2.40. And that was after a 20p increase earlier this year.

Sadly we have been forced to increase the charge for an annual subscription as a result.

We can only apologise to our subscribers, the new annual subscription will be £35, but it is quite genuinely beyond our control.

If you’d like to take a subscription with us, you can either go to the subscription tab on the Levell.live website or send a cheque payable to Even Handed Licensing Limited, to Great Western House, Westover, Langport, TA10 9RB.

Shepton postpones

Earlier this year, we reported on an innovative approach to sharing how local council budgets work with the public. Shepton Mallet Town Council planned a public budget workshop as an opportunity to hear the Council's plans for the coming year. In addition, it offers a new way for residents to feed their thoughts into the process before the budget is agreed. There was also to be a drop-in session the following afternoon where residents could ask questions and feed in their thoughts.

The Town Council have now announced that the workshop and drop-in has been postponed. It was felt they would be more beneficial to the public once the Council has confirmed the projects and expectations they feel are needed for the coming year. The Budget Workshop will now take place in the Library on 5 December 2023, 7–9pm with a drop-in session on 6 December, 9am–4pm.

NorthTaunton wins government cash

The project to replace the Woolaway Homes in the north of Taunton is so old, it was actually first approved by the Conservative administration of Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC), in February 2019. The plan was to replace the existing 212 Woolaway Homes scattered around the north Taunton suburbs in Pyrland and Rowbarton, with 226 new builds designed to be more energy efficient and still part of the council’s social housing stock.

Built at the Woolaway Factory near Bridport, Dorset, the prefabricated Woolaway House was designed and constructed and presented to the Ministry of Works. It was one of a number of designs approved to enable rapid reconstruction of housing in the aftermath of World War Two.

They had not been designed with an anticipated life of more than 70 years. Built from concrete slabs, Woolaway Homes were draughty, energy inefficient and, for those that are not social homes, very hard to get mortgages on.

Only months before it was abolished and replaced by the LibDem-run Somerset West & Taunton Council, TDBC received government funding that allowed for a consultation with residents of the area and

the conclusion that 162 of the homes would be demolished and replaced with 226 new builds.

A five-phase plan to be delivered over a decade was signed off. Planning permission sought and a budget of £45m set, of which £32.5m was to be sourced from external borrowing. For all the grand plans, little then happened between February 2019 and the start of 2021. That is when work finally began on Phase A which was planned to build 47 new energy-efficient homes at a cost of £7.2m.

By April 2023 the Somerset West & Taunton Council (SWT) had by now been replaced with Somerset Council. Although plans for a further 111 houses had been approved (to cover phases B & C) there was a problem.

On 31 January 2023, their chosen developer, Equans, informed SWT that it had decided not to take on any new work in the South West region and this included future phases at North Taunton. They remained committed to completion of phase A properties. By May 2023 the first Phase A houses were opened and let for social rent.

With a history of multiple delays and soaring costs breaking the anticipated budget, Somerset Council now realised it

was running out of money, not just to fund the replacement of Woolaway Homes, but to fund the entire council’s activities. At which point the government stepped in. Which in a way brings things round in a satisfying circle. It was after all a response to the post-war housing crisis, that led the government of the time to have the Woolaway Homes built in the first place. Now a £5m grant from central government would secure the completion of the replacement of the old concrete housing. Homes England awarded a £5m grant from the Affordable Homes Programme to Somerset Council.

A relieved Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture at Somerset Council said: “I’m thrilled about the impact this grant will have on the North Taunton Woolaway Project. This funding represents a tangible commitment to improving the lives of our tenants, allowing us to build high quality, low energy homes with the blend of properties our community needs. It allows us to progress our North Taunton regeneration scheme which, through improved housing, addresses the social and health challenges parts of our community face as well as providing much needed new homes at affordable rent.”

Help a Carnival Club find a new home

Carnival matters to Somerset. And as another carnival season is drawing to a close, we have an appeal for help from the Gemini Carnival Club. They’ve been running for over 25 years from a base near Ilminster. It is a site they have rented for over 16 years but now the landlords have given them notice to vacate by Jan 2025. They’re in urgent need of a new home. Trying hard

The search has been full on. Club members have contacted local businesses and done a lot of advertising to try to find another site. They are looking for around ¾ of an acre. They hope to find a similar location within an 8 to 10 mile radius of Ilminster as most members are from this area. They own their own “shed” but can

consider leaving it and moving to a new one depending on the new location.

To date they’ve been unsuccessful so we’re carrying their appeal to Leveller® readers this month.

The Chair of the club told us: “finding a new home is something in the back of our mind all the time.  If we don’t find somewhere it will no doubt mean the end of the club which would be very upsetting for us all and the wider carnival community.”

All club funds are from local fundraising and they are having meetings at the moment to decide how we move forward. Without a new home it is very difficult to plan.

If you feel you can help the carnival club, please email Geminicc@talktalk.net, call 07908 132958 or visit their Facebook page.

Ilminster Carnival

Back to the drawing board

It was always a bit of an odd deal. In a bid to kick-start regeneration of the industrial heart of Frome, Mendip District Council (MDC) bought three plots of land around the area known as Saxonvale. They chose Acorn, a Bath-based developer to be their development partner.

Outline plans for the site were consulted on with local people and local councils. In summary, they were pretty much universally disliked. Of 502 comments on the plans, 500 were objections.

Frome Town Council objected too.

But MDC plodded on regardless. In September 2021 they approved their plans for Saxonvale at the Mendip Planning Board meeting. This in itself was interesting. Especially given the fact that MDC owned some of the land at the site, that MDC had chosen Acorn as its development partner. How exactly did councillors get to vote on the planning application without having a massive conflict of interest?

Nice legal noises were made and everyone was given the reassurance that there were no conflicts of interest and there was no reason why councillors could not vote on what amounted to their own planning application.

Meanwhile an alternative plan, drawn up by Mayday Saxonvale proved far more popular with local people. Frome Town Council were in favour and of 1,530 members of the public who offered comments, all but nine were in favour.

Never let it be said though that MDC were listening to what their residents were telling them.

MDC’s own Local Plan. Specifically that the plans did not include enough non-residential floor space to accommodate job opportunities, essential to revitalising the town centre.

The Mayday proposals were never granted outline planning permission by MDC although they were approved. However, with the quashing of the Acorn proposals Mayday have been driving forward themselves, looking to develop their plans with community involvement. Paul Oster, Mayday Saxonvale Director announced two events to kick-start the process of generating ideas for the community-owned assets, and further community-centric designs for the plan. The first was held on 11 October presenting initial proposals that could take root in Saxonvale alongside local groups such as Edventure, Frome Food Network, and Frome Field to Fork. A second event on 18 October looked at ‘Community Design’ ideas with architects Andrew Kirby and Studio Saar, development partners Stories, and Communities for Renewables CIC. Among the ideas being shared were an alternative for a bridge to Willow Vale, an energy microgrid, community gardens, and additional housing.

That has now come spectacularly unstuck after a judicial review last month quashed the grant of planning permission to the Acorn scheme.

Council vs community?

On 12 October, Judge Jay ruled that the planning permission granted on 30 August 2022 must be quashed. Not as you might have expected because of the obvious conflict of interest. But because the Acorn plans did not comply with the requirements laid out in

MDC of course no longer exist. But is their successor, Somerset Council, paying any more attention to local views than MDC did? We approached the council to ask them questions following the quashing of the Acorn planning permission. We asked them the following questions: Will you now engage with the Mayday Saxonvale Group?

Do Mayday Saxonvale actually have planning permission to go ahead?

Our understanding is that Mayday have submitted an application. If it has not been to date, will it now be determined?

What will Somerset Council do about the Acorn planning application?

Will you attempt to represent and reapprove it?

Unfortunately Somerset Council did not feel able to answer. Instead they sent us this statement: “We are always disappointed if the Courts decide we got a decision wrong, so we will be carefully considering the technical issues on which this judgment hinged before deciding on our next steps.”

They did however confirm to us that Mayday does not have planning consent. They have planning board approval but that is subject to a s106 agreement. So some way to go on that for now.

AYouth Club for Wells?

It seems to be generally accepted that Wells needs a youth club because young people don’t have enough to do. It is a little city whose population feels as if it is getting ever older and older. As such, Councillors on Wells City Council have been looking into the idea of setting up a new youth club for Wells. The last one fell victim to COVID as a result of the lockdown.

Bright young people tend to leave Wells as soon as they can because it is boring for them and feels like a place for older generations. A youth club would also be a way of combatting the side-effects of boredom, graffiti, vandalism and other anti-social behaviour. And it can help steer young people away from the risks of drink, drugs and vapes.

The initial plan to provide a youth club would offer a safe place to go, to make new friends and get counselling or help with problems, perhaps ones they cannot talk about at home. It would be a place where parents and carers know young people will be safe.

Since June this year Cllr Philip Welch has been looking at the possibilities and talking with lots of people including the YMCA, Connect Centre and the Town Clerk. The YMCA are happy to run one with a part-time team leader and two part-time youth workers running a three-hour session once a week for 39 weeks a year at an annual cost of £13,684 to Wells City Council from April 2024. To allow for inflation he’s asked the Town Clerk to include £15,000 in next year’s budget.

The Connect Centre are willing to let the YMCA use the room there that was used for the Youth Club until it closed at the Covid lockdown in 2020. There would be no charge for use of the room.

We will remember them

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted: They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Glovers Walk

One of the most dilapidated parts of Yeovil town centre has been put up for sale. Glovers Walk connects the town centre at the south end of the Quedem Centre to the Bus Station. Over the past few years most of the retail units have shut up shop and only a few remain. The café at the bus station is boarded up and the lifts connecting the centre to the Quedem Centre are currently closed off.

Martin Group, The Northern Irish property business that owns the area have now put it up for sale. Adler King describe the block going up for sale as comprising Glovers Walk, Yeovil Bus Station and Lower Middle Street. It comprises 26 retail units, a kiosk, restaurant, public conveniences, bus station and five residential flats. All in all, it is a total space of 68,187 square feet.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England's foam. But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.

The properties were bought by the Martin Group back in 2018 with plans to redevelop the area including a total of 212 apartments in the new mix. However, these have failed to materialise. Established by Paul Martin and Patrick Martin in 1976, the Martin Group have extensive property interests across the UK and Northern Ireland and have rental portfolios as well as development projects. Quite why they chose not to go ahead with Glovers Walk has never been made clear. As a retail area it is clearly underperforming. Adler King the agent marketing the site, state the total rental income coming in as £51,751 and are asking £1.75m for the freehold on the block of property. Of the total rental income, nearly half comes from the rent paid by Somerset Council on the bus station. The Council told us that amounted to “£20,000 plus” on a 99-year lease signed in 1967. Which at least means the future of the Bus Station is secure in the short to medium term, whoever ends up buying it. For prospective purchasers an average rental income of less than £1 a square foot is unlikely to be attractive. Looking at it another way, an annual income of £51,750 on an investment of £1.75m represents an annual return of just under 3%, which is not attractive either. Not with the bank rate at over 5%. The opportunity is really for redevelopment, something that one would imagine Yeovil would welcome. Perhaps were the Council’s own finances in better shape, this would be a perfect town centre project for them to take over. A better investment perhaps than Yeovil Refresh?

But, for now, any involvement of public money looks unlikely.

Continued from p1

So we asked how much the four district councils were owed between them in uncollected council tax at 31 March 2023, the day when they ceased to exist and the new Somerset Council was born. The answer may surprise you. A staggering £43.1m is owed. Enough to plug the whole of the gap in the finances of the Council for 2023/24.

And a lot of that money comes from South Somerset District Council (SSDC). A Freedom of Information Request in 2021 revealed that SSDC alone had £21.847m in uncollected council tax. Further questions remain unanswered, including:

● How was it allowed to get to this level?

● What is being done to collect the debt?

Clearly SSDC is not the only culprit, but it does look as if this district council accounts for more than half of the uncollected money on its own.

There are of course some good reasons why council tax bills might be unpaid. There is a cost of living crisis and most councils have worked with the most vulnerable to help them with payment plans. However it is also the case that many of the least able to pay are able to get substantial reductions in their council tax bills in the first place.

Now, of course, collecting what you are owed will only fill the coffers once. The concern though is that if the new Somerset Council has simply inherited the systems and staff from the old district councils, will future years see similar levels of uncollected tax?

Please SupportThe Surviving Winter Campaign

Many older people are extremely anxious about the high cost of energy, and with no additional government help with bills this year, winter looks set to be a tough one for many. Around 10,000 Somerset pensioners will find themselves living in fuel poverty this year – almost double the number in the same situation last year. The team at Somerset Community Foundation know, from over 10 years’ experience of running their Surviving Winter Appeal, that many of the poorest pensioners will avoid putting their heating on at all, or they’ll cut back on food to save money.

Audrey*, who received a Surviving Winter grant last year, said: "I don’t know how I manage at the moment. Right now I’m overdrawn and I’m incredibly careful with what I spend – and with my heating. Even though it’s getting colder, I still don’t put it on. I’m 72 and I really feel the cold in my little place.”

But thanks to the bright idea of one generous pensioner, around 800 older people in Somerset get help from the Surviving Winter Appeal every year with a cash grant of up to £500 to support their energy bills. The charity also provides help for people to buy essential items to stay warm, make their homes more energy efficient, and access specialist support and social activities in their communities. Surviving Winter encourages local people to make a personal gift, or donate their Winter Fuel Payment to help older people in need. Your gift will make a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of our neighbours.

For Audrey, it was a lifeline: “It was so fantastic to get the Surviving Winter grant. I really needed that money – and it came at just the right time.”

Help Somerset Community Foundation to help more older people stay warm, safe and well this winter. Visit www.somersetcf.org.uk/winter or call: 01749 344949 to donate.

*Name has been changed to protect beneficiary’s identity

It matters because these are serious sums of money and make a significant difference to the financial viability of the Council going forward. And while some of the uncollected debt is due to allowances for the cost of living crisis made last year and this, the council themselves acknowledge that much of the debt predates last year.

In short the new Council has inherited a massive problem from the former district councils. Broken up between four districts the amounts maybe did not seem so big. But when you realise the total uncollected debt is the same size of the entire predicted shortfall of the council for 2023/24, this becomes a serious issue.

We approached Somerset Council for a comment on the backlog of uncollected debt. Their spokesperson told us: “As a new authority this debt is inherited from previous councils and is the total for many previous years with the majority more than 1 year old and some dating back to 2002. As we bring different systems and teams together we will be looking to improve in this area and will be reporting Council Tax collection rates.

To support those struggling to pay their Council Tax in the current economic climate we agreed a Council Tax Reduction Scheme and an Exceptional Hardship Scheme last year and this will be considered again for the next financial year.

We always seek to engage with those in debt, ideally to agree payment arrangements. However, we will also actively pursue payment using all mechanisms available in law, including use of enforcement agents, where appropriate.”

Things have taken a turn for the worse

That was that. We drafted this article early in the month as soon as Somerset Council responded to us. And then things took a turn for the worse. On 20 October papers for the Audit Committee Meeting revealed that the Council’s finances had taken a turn for the worse. A letter from external auditor Grant Thornton revealed that Somerset Council could issue a s114 notice as soon as February next year. A s114 notice is the local government equivalent of going bust.

The latest figures forecast for 2023/24 shows a projected overspend of £30.3m for the year which is a deterioration of £4.2m on that forecast last month. There are significant forecast overspends in Adults & Health of £14.9m and Childrens & Families services of 11.8m.

There are other problems too which The Leveller has predicted for some time. The papers for the Audit Committee explain: “The new Council inherited a significant commercial portfolio with an initial purchase price of £289m with 85% of this financed by short term borrowing. The valuation of the portfolio at the start of 2023/24 has dropped to just under £220m.”

But future years are not looking any better. We learned that the initial forecast for 2024/25 is a budget gap of over £80m and a further £50m for the following year. Unsurprisingly the council say “These figures will be reviewed, challenged, and refined over the next two months.”

Somerset Council does have reserves. Currently there is a General Fund Balance of £50m and Earmarked Reserves of £105m. However it is clear enough that the forecast deficits will wipe these out. And Grant Thornton have said the prudent range for reserves for Somerset Council to meet statutory guidelines would be between £30m and £50m.

The council are keen to point out that unlike other local authorities who have had to file s114 notices, “their finances were also impacted by a policy decision or legal action. But here in Somerset we’re simply running out of money due to the soaring costs of demand-led services, particularly the costs of residential and nursing care for adults. It is against this background that the failure to pursue council tax arrears looks particularly.”

This is true-ish. However many of the Somerset Councillors today were previously involved in running the predecessor councils. Councils that made foolish investments in property that are now being written down, that failed to raise council tax when it could and failed to collect council tax efficiently.

There are some new faces on the council, but there are a lot of familiar ones too. And just because Somerset Council is new, does not mean the problems it faces have not been inherited from its predecessors.

Somerton & Frome MP calls for better cancer treatment

Sarah Dyke MP has called for a two month cancer treatment guarantee to support patients in her constituency. This would take the form of a new legal right for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral.

She says: “Everyone knows someone whose life has been turned upside down by cancer. Far too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed. We must do right by them and get them the care they need when they need it. The Liberal Democrats would give cancer patients a new legal right to treatment within two months of an urgent referral, to make sure they get the care they deserve.

This forms part of our ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates.”

It sounds like a fine idea but, inevitably, there are questions. We contacted the MP to ask what we felt were the key questions around this new idea:

● Can you say what level of increased funding the LibDems are proposing to enable the NHS to reduce cancer treatment times?

● What will be the consequences for any NHS Trust that fails to comply with the new law? Will they be fined?

● Will they have their cancer services taken away from them?

● What do you estimate the impact on other services to be if a new law is passed specifically for cancer waiting times? How will that affect treatment of other illnesses without a legally enforceable waiting time such as that for stroke patients, transplant patients etc?

Responding to our questions Sarah told us: "The total cost of the proposals will be £4bn over the next five years. This is a roughly 15% increase in NHS cancer funding by the end of the Parliament, enabling an extra 3,000 people to start cancer treatment each month. This includes: An extra £1bn for radiotherapy over 5 years

● 200 new radiotherapy machines and extra staff to run the machines. (£480m is capital expenditure on the 200 extra machines. £520m is current expenditure on staff.)

● £124m to train an extra 3,400 cancer nurses

● £30m to boost capacity at the MHRA

Although I’m not going to write our next manifesto for you now, this will be fully-costed as always. We have made lots of proposals for how the Government could raise more revenue for our public services, starting by reversing the £4 billion-a-year tax cuts the Conservatives have given to the big banks and collecting more of the £32 billion-a-year in taxes that currently go unpaid."

Greener and pleasanter land

Back in September, Somerset Council announced a new ‘tree strategy’ and launched the project at Monks Yard near Ilminster. The strategy sets out a plan for planting 240 hectares of new trees and woodlands each year across the county until 2033. Two new council employees will run the project which has been funded by DEFRA. The work of James, Somerset Tree Strategist, and Craig, Community Empowerment Officer (apparently you don’t get surnames if you work with trees) will be key to the 10-year plan to enhance and protect Somerset’s trees and woodland.

Currently Somerset is a county with below average tree cover although, in part, that’s a natural result of topography and geography. The Levels are not an ideal landscape for mass tree cover and nor are the moorlands of Exmoor or the steeper parts of the Mendips. Even so with tree cover estimated to be 13% across the UK (by land area), Somerset is a long way behind at just 8%. So we took a look at the grand plan. This is to plant 2400 hectares of land with trees over the next decade. They are taking a two-pronged approach. While James will look to map the many areas of small, fragmented and neglected pockets of woodland across Somerset with a view to bringing them together as a managed woodland, Craig is working on help and advice on tree growing, planting and woodland creation at a community level. This is with the hope of getting local groups to do more tree planting in smaller areas of spare land.

A greener and leafier Somerset? We asked what the impact would be if they hit their target of 240 hectares over the decade. The answer from a Somerset Council spokesperson showed how unambitious the goal is. They told us tree cover would be: “Close to 9% (assuming no one else plants any trees, which of course they hopefully will). The percentage figure refers to

canopy cover and as trees planted over the next 10 years will not meet maturity until they’re 30-40 years old, it is difficult to be very precise.” Even so that still leaves Somerset a long way behind the national average with barely 1% more in tree cover than we have today.

We wondered if, in meeting that goal, there would be any impact on farming production? The Council told us that there are no plans to plant on agricultural land. In fact they say quite the reverse: “Fruit trees are likely to be planted over the next 10 years as well as looking at hedgerows and trees that provide shade for livestock and other benefits. This should have a positive impact on food production.” But will there be any agricultural land taken out of production? They replied that: “There are no plans to take out agricultural land for tree planting.” Even so, it seemed to us that there’s a bit of a contradiction in a goal for planting trees on spare land and a goal to get communities to be more self sufficient? Not so, say Somerset Council. They told us: “They are not mutually exclusive. We want to work with communities to plant trees and that could, of course, include fruit trees for their own consumption (there are great examples of communities doing this). The strategy has ‘right trees in right places’ written through it, so not just trying to get trees in the ground indiscriminately and planting in communities will be done in agreement with communities and landowners and wouldn’t get in the way of people wanting to do other planting.”

The plans were launched noting that one of Somerset Council’s priorities is to create a greener, more sustainable Somerset. The strategy recognises the Council’s role in helping tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. So we asked what we thought was a reasonable and relatively easy to answer question. How many tons of carbon will be taken from the atmosphere if Somerset Council achieve the

2033 target? The answer was somewhat perplexing. They told us: “We can’t really put a figure on this as it will depend on species, growth rate etc. (And, obviously, carbon sequestration is great, but not the reason for increasing tree cover).”

Which makes little sense, given the stated aim is to help in tackling climate change. Oh well.

Ashes to ashes

On to another critical question about the overall targets. The thought occurred to us that tree cover may be low in Somerset, but it is also shrinking. This is mainly because of the large volume of dead and dying ash trees. The number of ash trees is certainly not going to grow in the next decade, but it is extremely likely to shrink. So in their figures for tree cover and the prospects for future improved tree cover across Somerset, we asked if they had taken account of the issue of ash dieback. Surprisingly they told us they had not taken account of the ash tree cover and the impact of ash dieback. Given that ash trees are estimated to be about 15% of all trees in Somerset today and, by Somerset Council’s own calculations, around 90% of them are expected to die, this is a bit of a black hole in the strategy.

So, looking at the project’s ambition and the scale of the ash tree problem, it rather looks as if we will have less tree cover at the end of it than we had at the beginning. Though to be fair, more than we would have had if they had done nothing. It is just a shame, given that this is supposed to be a climate emergency (and we think the word ‘emergency’ is the key one) that the only thing that is monumental about this plan, is the lack of ambition.

If you have areas of land suitable for tree planting, or would like to sign up to support your local community group you can email us at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk

Are standards slipping?

If, as a sign of the times, we take the number of MPs who have had to apologise to the House from the floor of the House of Commons, then things could certainly be better. As you might hope, it is still relatively rare for an MP to be required to apologise to the House.

Where an individual has been the subject of an investigation and report by the Committee on Standards (or its predecessors), the Committee may recommend that an apology be made on the floor of the House.

This is a different sanction from instances where the Committee recommends that the Member apologise to the House in writing.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards work can also give rise to sanctioning an MP and requiring an apology from the floor of the House. The Commissioner’s full report is always published, along with the evidence, unless it relates to an investigation under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. These are treated confidentially.

Misdemeanours that can give rise to an apology can include inappropriate language when referring to another member, failure to disclose interests, breaching the Member’s Code of Conduct, poor behaviour either in the House during debates or in the many bars within Parliament.

Of course the list of misdemeanours is almost endless, and the requirement made of a Member to give an apology is often subjective. All we can say is that since 1979 the number of apologies does seen to have grown, but this current Parliament has the record (equal with the 1997-2001 Parliament) for being the worst, with 15 apologies so far. But bear in mind the fact that this one might have

more than a year to run yet. Since 1979, Parliaments have contained the following number of apologies:

1979-83 4

1983-87 4

1987-92 11

1992-97 8

1997-01 15

2001-05 12

2005-10 10

2010-15 11

2015-17 5

2017-19 3

2019-23 15

Are standards getting worse? That does seem to be the trend. On the plus side there have been few occasions when MPs from our patch of Somerset have been forced to give apologies. But, interestingly, the two that have both represented the seat of Yeovil. LibDem David Laws was forced to apologise in May 2011 for failing to declare interests relating to accommodation he rented from a partner.

And, in the spirit of political balance, Marcus Fysh the Conservative MP for Yeovil was forced to apologise after failing to declare his company directorships and then for the late updating of the Register of Member’s Interests.

Behaviour from other Somerset constituencies in our patch has not merited a similar level of apology. At least not according to the House of Commons Library. Our readers may of course beg to differ!

Somerset recycling story - good but incomplete

When it comes to recycling, Somerset Council (the county council that was) has always been a pioneer. One of the most proactive regions for investigating recycling, getting it up and running and then expanding the range of materials it can handle.

So some of our readers will no doubt think it a bit churlish to be asking if we have the whole picture of how the Council’s recycling programme works. Is it actually saving carbon emissions or is it even carbon neutral, for instance?

So when we received the recent press release from Somerset Council trumpeting the latest successes with recycling, we wanted to test the theory a little harder. We asked them how much fuel is consumed by the recycling trucks in a year?

Interestingly while Somerset Council were able to confirm the recycling trucks run on diesel, they were not able to tell us how much fuel was consumed. And therefore, overall, we can’t know if the amount of carbon saved by recycling is countered by the amount of carbon expended by running recycling trucks around the council area.

In fairness to the council, it is not because they have yet to think about it. They say they are currently looking at options to decarbonise the fleet including running electric and other fuel

sourced vehicles. But to date there is only one electric refuse truck in use and that is in the Bridgwater area.

Some of the recycled material having been collected from the kerbside outside your home will then be transported to either the Avonmouth energy-from-waste plant or the Bridgwater anaerobic digester. So, again, how much fuel is used in getting the waste there from collection points?

Doing the maths

Here the information is incomplete. We do know that 37,850 litres of diesel were used between April 2022 and March 2023 going to and from the Walpole Anaerobic Digester plant. That’s equivalent to approximately 101 tonnes of carbon emissions. But, we don’t have consumption figures for trips to either Avonmouth or Dimmer.

Why does this matter? In one sense, preventing waste from going into landfill, it doesn’t. What the council are doing is fundamentally ‘a good thing’. But in terms of carbon neutrality and the Council’s declared aim of being carbon neutral by 2030 then it really does. If we take the overall statistics provided by Somerset Council for recycling, they are impressive. In 2021-22, Somerset recycled and reused 149,980 tonnes with a recycling rate for the year of 56.2%Somerset recycling – up from 52.4%. They sent 108,428 tonnes of refuse to generate electricity through the Avonmouth energy-from-waste plant. Just 12,567 tonnes went to landfill. They estimate that saved the equivalent of 133,663 tonnes of carbon. But what we now know is that this is not the whole picture.

Somerset Council emitted 101 tonnes of carbon just shuffling to and from the Walpole anaerobic digester. We don’t know how much fuel was used and carbon expended on the weekly recycling runs around Somerset in diesel vehicles with lots of fuel-inefficient stopping and starting, hill climbs and long rural roads in between settlements. Nor do we know how much fuel was used on trips to Dimmer and Avonmouth with recycling materials.

It is probably not a lot compared to the estimate of total carbon saved. But the fact is we don’t know and we should know. We should know because it isn’t hard to calculate.

And we need to know that it is proportionate to the amount saved from recycling.

Registered

Somerset Council have recently been putting out reminders to residents to make sure they are on the electoral register. If you are not on the register, you won’t be able to vote when the next elections (be it local government, General, or Police and Crime Commissioner) come around. It is always a good idea to make sure your entry on the Register is up to date and accurate. What Somerset Council have been more coy about, is how the data that you supply them is processed. For instance, it is not processed by Somerset Council. Just before the new council was formed, along with Cumbria and North Yorkshire, Somerset signed a deal with software company Idox plc. Idox plc were naturally excited to win the work. They said: “We are excited to build strong, long-lasting relationships with the newly formed unitary authorities with the confidence that our Electoral Management Systems ecosystem of products will provide the best solutions for their electoral processes.”

Which was interesting because Idox plc do a lot of data processing in India. We asked the council if details of Somerset residents were being entered on the electoral register in India? And in any case if a third party was processing that data, what safeguards were in place to stop the data being abused and passed or sold on to third parties?

The Government has signed 47 local authorities up to a new programme called Staying Close. The scheme aims to provide a package of continued support for young people who are leaving the care system. Without that support, once young people leave the care system, their exit can be brutal. From full support to no support overnight.

It is easy to forget that children brought up in a traditional family environment may come and go for years after they reach the age of 18. To university and back, and then to work. When it works well (and of course it doesn’t always) the family environment provides a support network for years ahead. For those in care, that mostly isn’t an option.

A smoother transition

The new scheme aims to provide funding to make the transition from care to the outside adult world a little kinder. Somerset Council are one of those local authorities to join the scheme. They have received a

in India? Apparently not…

A spokesperson for the Council told The Leveller® that: “Electoral Registration is delivered in-house by Somerset Council. Idox provides the IT system used to manage the data. An integrated system was needed for the new council and Idox is used by many local authorities and government departments in the UK. It was also used by three of the four predecessor Somerset district councils. The software system helps deal with the complexities of electoral registration, the annual canvass, applications for registration, administering elections, postal and proxy votes. It also provides the Interactive Voter Response tool (IVR) that helps Somerset Council to collect details of potential electors.

All electoral registration data is processed in the UK and both Somerset Council and Idox take data protection seriously and ensure regulations and standards are strictly adhered to.” They also confirmed to us that no data processing was carried out in India. How it works

So what does happen? This is a bit techy but, as we asked the question, we thought we should share the answer:

● When electors go online, there are two linked systems that they interact with: “Gov.uk/registertovote” is where they go to register. This is a government website where information is checked

Staying close

total of £1.4m to date and are currently in phase two of the Staying Close programme. In a previous round of DfE funding, Somerset Council received capital funding which was used to purchase homes for children, some of which are being used for the Staying Close project. The latest funding is for revenue expenses which covers payment for staffing, training and general running costs.

Somerset Council told us: “It is the start of the project so we will be tracking the financial and social benefits throughout but so far it is too early to say if any additional funds will be needed for future projects.”

The money is already being used to recruit a Staying Close team to drive the initiative forward. The project is still being scoped out, but the headline aim for Somerset is to develop single-bedded accommodation within the grounds of the new children’s homes being built as part of the Homes and Horizons partnership. The project started in June 2023 and plans are that

Life in the slow lane

Highways England is the body tasked with delivering improvements to the A303 between the Sparkford and Hazelgrove roundabouts. Last month lost within a press release titled “New images capture A303 Sparkford scheme taking shape”, about half way down, we discovered a paragraph of much larger interest. The work on this stretch of the A303 was scheduled to be completed by March 2024. A spokesperson for National Highways pointed out that the project had been hit by inclement weather. They noted that we’ve had: “the wettest July on record (this summer) which caused widespread flooding in the area and long periods of bad weather in November and March 2023.”

against the records held by the Department of Work and Pensions.

● That data is downloaded by Somerset Council and then processed to include the data in the Somerset register of electors.

● When the annual canvass happens (that’s letters being sent out to electors reminding them to ensure the data on the register is up to date and still valid), online responses are made to a website which is maintained through Idox.

● Those responses are then downloaded by Somerset Council.

● The data is then added into the existing register of electors database.

● The Elections Team (at Somerset Council) process all resulting responses received in a timely manner to ensure that electors can vote.

● The Team also process Voter Authority Certificates and run the various elections across Somerset.

● The role that Idox play is therefore as data processors. Somerset Council point out that they operate under an approved, legally binding contract which allows Idox only to process the Council’s data under their direct instructions.

accommodation will be in place by spring 2024.

This will allow Somerset Council to offer self-contained accommodation for a young person leaving care, allowing them to develop independent living experience with carers close by. The project will test this approach and benchmark it against other residential providers who look after children in care in our county. Finally, the project will aim to support children in care who are leaving residential homes.

Somerset Council tell us they believe it is a good “deal”, it is a great initiative for young people leaving residential care. A spokesperson told The Leveller®: “Children will benefit from move-on accommodation, alongside practical and emotional support provided by a member of staff from their former care environment or someone they know and trust. These bespoke packages of support help develop confidence and skills for independent living and help look after individuals’ emotional health and wellbeing.”

Unknown or unknowable?

All of which has pushed back the estimated completion date. In fact at present Highways England are unable to commit to a specific target date. All they can say for now is that completion “will now be moving to Winter 2024/2025.”

Which taken literally could mean any date up to around the 21 March 2025. Which would make it anything up to a year behind schedule.

Which you might have thought merited being the headline of the press release?

We have a plan!

The crisis in dentistry across the Somerset NHS area has been painfully visible for over a year. Everyone is calling for improvements and solutions, but there has been little sign of anything happening. By May of this year, with the scale and depth of the crisis in dentistry becoming ever more obvious, The Leveller® contacted NHS Somerset (the new term the Integrated Care Board are using). NHS Somerset took over responsibility for dentistry in the area effective 1 April. What we wanted to know was what they would be doing about it.

By way of answer we got a lot of management speak. Their spokesperson told us: “A multi-agency roadmap has been created with dentists, education and training colleagues, dental schools as well as our local authority public health colleagues across the South West, to set out collective plans around access to NHS dental services, workforce and oral health improvement.” Great, but what about right now? What about people in actual pain and unable to get to a dentist? We were told: “This is in addition to more immediate plans to improve access to urgent and stabilisation dental care and treatment. The South West Dental Reform Programme is funded by a budget held until the delegation of NHS dentistry by NHS England and in future will be supported by ICBs in the region.” But when we tried to find out more we drew a blank.

Teething problems

Meanwhile, over the summer the crisis only grew and with it the volume of voices speaking up and complaining. In May, Paul Sellers of the Yeovil Labour Party wrote to Marcus Fysh, the Conservative MP asking for a ‘summit meeting’ between Fysh, dental practices, the NHS and patients’ representatives to try to find a way forward. He said: “All the local dentists have stopped taking on new NHS patients, leading to a growing number of people missing out on dental treatment altogether. Things were made worse when Chard House Dental Practice closed its doors in March this year.”

In June Mark Jones from the campaign group Toothless In England came to Taunton to help launch the Toothless in Taunton campaign alongside Taunton and West Somerset Trades Council. Liz Payne, Secretary of the Council said: “Lack of access to NHS dental services has become a critical issue for a huge number of people across the country and Taunton is tragically no exception. Refusal of access to NHS oral care is particularly affecting the poorest and most vulnerable in our community, including children, and can mean that people suffer absolutely unnecessary pain and trauma. Serious health issues remain undetected, in some cases with life-threatening consequences.”

In August, Gideon Amos the LibDem prospective parliamentary candidate for Taunton & Wellington said the LibDems would commit to “a right to see a GP within a week and expanding NHS dentistry” but without providing details.

Statistics presented by the LibDems in September claimed that 49,716 children in Somerset were not seen by an NHS dentist in the last 12 months and 250,086 of Somerset’s adults were also not seen by an NHS dentist in the past two years.

Once again we contacted NHS Somerset. It was October, they had been in charge of dental services for six months and had surely got more to offer to resolve the crisis? They had. We were offered an

on the record interview and the chance to run over the practical ‘right now’ solutions that were being put in hand.

But first a bit of background. It is acknowledged by just about everyone, including a government minister, that the root cause of the problem is the NHS contract for dentists. Rather like the NHS contract for pharmacists, it has ended up short-changing important NHS professionals and leading them to leave the NHS in droves. In May, Health Minister Neil O’Brien acknowledged as much when announcing a new contract: “The contract changes, which come into force today, will provide fairer payments to dentists by taking into account the time taken to do the work, incentivising practices to provide the care needed for patients with complex and high needs.”

But while plans to train new dentists are welcome and new contracts might stem the exodus, these are for the future and we keep coming to the same question. What about people suffering dental pain right now? We spoke to Matthew Mills and Sukeina Kassam who are running the recovery plan for NHS Somerset. They too acknowledge that the dental contract is the source of the trouble. Dentists have been either handing back their NHS contracts or reducing the amount of NHS work they do. And it sounds as if the new contract has not actually improved matters much either.

In fact, although we haven’t been able to verify the figure, the LibDems claim that the NHS budget for dentistry in England is set to be underspent by a record £400m this year, due to a shortage of dentists willing to take on NHS work.

However, NHS Somerset are limited in what they can do. They do not control the contracts and cannot issue different ones to local dentists. What they do have is underspent funds from the Dental Budget they inherited from NHS England on 1 April. And Sukeina Kassam acknowledged that: “no-one in Somerset is going to pretend this is not a massive problem.”

What can they do?

NHS Somerset have arranged for 65 urgent dental appointments every week for the Somerset NHS that people can access by calling NHS 111. Is it enough? Probably not, when measured against a quarter of a million adults in Somerset who haven’t seen a dentist in two years. But it is a start. And it is providing a solution for those in greatest need/pain.

As an interim step, and to try and prioritise those in greatest need in Somerset, they are also trialling a pilot helpline which has recently been commissioned that incorporates Dental Clinical Nurse triage. There’s also a dental helpline for Somerset dental patients. Both services can be accessed via NHS 111.

In addition to those measures, NHS Somerset have funded 18 extra dental sessions a week as part of a ‘stabilisation programme’ to get dental services back on track.

These are the immediate measures to stem the crisis. And they are working, to some extent or other. When Eve addressed the Somerset Council Scrutiny Meeting for Adults & Health in October she gave an example of: “a neighbour of mine whose four year old daughter was in severe pain and her face was swollen. Her mother rang round as many dentists as she could and was unable to access any of them, despite this being a clear emergency. Finally ringing 111 she eventually managed to access a dentist in Somerset.” It is good that the NHS 111 service is providing a solution, less good that too few people seem to know that it exists.

Meanwhile, the NHS Somerset team are looking towards the mid term too. They cannot rewrite contracts for NHS dentists, but they are looking at something called creative commissioning. The idea is to fund access to NHS dentists, just outside the standard NHS contract. For now the team are in listening mode. Trying to get a handle on all the issues experienced by local dentists in Somerset. Moving to a more locally managed service means understanding those issues first.

If they can get a grasp on the issues, there are ways they can supplement the Unit of Dental Activity (UDA – the standard unit for which dentists get paid). If the UDA can be uplifted locally for specific areas of need, it should enable more UDAs to be delivered as more NHS dentists will be tempted back to do NHS work. That, at least, is the theory. There is a long way to go. But at least there is now a plan and some sort of interim solution is being put in place.

Stepping up the nutrient battle

Wessex Water’s latest £12 million investment will boost the health of the River Parrett. Project Manager Victoria Plummer explains how. The Parrett will be the latest of Somerset’s rivers to feel the benefit of enhanced environmental protection when our £12 million project gets under way outside Langport this month.

Our teams have moved onto the site of the town’s water recycling centre, formerly known as sewage treatment works, to begin a major upgrade that will beef up the ability to remove harmful chemicals – including some that are frequently found in many household products – from wastewater. New systems and tanks will be installed to boost the treatment process prior to water being safely returned to the environment, with improvements to electrical equipment on site also included. This work forms part of Wessex Water’s drive to reduce the impact of nutrients on the region’s rivers and streams, including phosphorus, ammonia and nitrogen that are often found in household products and make their way into the flows arriving at water recycling centres. Farm slurries, agricultural fertilisers and septic tanks are also sources of high concentrations of nutrients which can cause excessive growth of algae and damage the ecology of rivers and streams. By investing heavily in upgrading the water recycling centre at Langport, we can ensure the quality of treated wastewater continues to meet the highest standard to improve water quality and the environment in and around the River Parrett.

This work will also make sure the site continues to keep pace with our regulated water industry obligations as we continue our mission to protect the ecology of our watercourses from the impact of chemicals.

The Langport project continues Wessex Water’s hefty investment towards enhancing river quality in Somerset. Well over £30 million worth of work has started or finished this year, including schemes to reduce the automatic discharge of diluted untreated wastewater.

A £9.5 million project to boost both the treatment and storage of wastewater is already underway at North Petherton, next to the M5 motorway near Bridgwater. Meanwhile at Hardington Mandeville, near the Dorset border, more than £6 million is being invested to expand and enhance the water recycling centre, including the targeting and removal of phosphorus and the provision of storm storage.

More than £12 million is being spent to do likewise at rural sites at Milverton and Bishops Lydeard this autumn and winter, tripling and doubling the capacity at each respectively, as well as increasing storm storage at Bishops Lydeard.

And a project concluding at Ilminster water recycling centre last month saw £7 million worth of new storage and chemical removal added.

Business, legal and finance

Legally

Speaking

by Adrian Fawden

E-Scooters --– Be Aware

I am sure you have all seen them… zipping niftily around our towns. They might have whizzed past you on the pavement, cycle path or road. Or perhaps you caught sight of their slightly kitsch counterparts, the brightly coloured hire models, widely available in Yeovil, Taunton, Crewkerne, Chard, Bath, Bristol and beyond.

You might have thought: ‘that looks fun’, or perhaps ‘that looks dangerous’. Nevertheless, I am sure you will all be interested in the recent statistics released by the UK Govt which revealed an increase in reported accidents involving E-scooters in 2022:

● There were 1492 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters,

● There were 12 killed in collisions involving e-scooters (11 of whom were e-scooter riders)

● Best estimates indicates that there were 440 seriously injured and 1,040 slightly injured in collisions involving escooters, an increase of the 418 and 1,006 respectively in 2021 These, of course, are only the incidents that have been reported. A significant amount of collisions don’t; the victim is left on their backside as the rider swiftly moves off or limps away. Indeed, Escooters can be dangerous in the wrong hands .

Despite their pitfalls, E-scooters are seen by many as a positive step towards a greener, more efficient, and convenient urban transportation system. Many metropolitan areas in the UK, including those locally in Dorset and Somerset, have embraced licensed Escooter schemes. However, a corollary impact of these schemes is an increased risk of accident and injury for riders and pedestrians, exacerbated by reckless riding behaviour, infrastructure challenges, and individuals riding under the influence of alcohol.

It is clear that there seems to be a widespread ignorance about the regulations governing the use of E-scooters:

Did you know?

If you are riding an E-scooter, that is not part of one of the licensed schemes (i.e the brightly coloured ones), anywhere other than on Private Land, you are committing an offence!

This is because, under the s185 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, Escooters are treated as a motor vehicle, and therefore, must be insured, registered, and are restricted in their use (i.e. cannot be driven on the pavement). This, of course, means that you can be liable for an offence under the road traffic act when using an escooter, even under the Licensed Scooter scheme, if you don't have a licence, or are riding without insurance. In these situation, you could face a Fixed Penalty notice:

● Up to £100 fine and 3-6 penalty points for riding without the correct licence

● A £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for having no insurance

● You could also be committing an offence if you're caught:

● Riding on a pavement (Fixed Penalty Notice and possible £50 fine);

● Using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding (£200 fine and 6 penalty points);

● Riding through red lights (Fixed Penalty Notice, £100 fine and possible penalty points).

● Riding whilst intoxicated (the same as if you were driving a car, you could face court-imposed fines, a driving ban and possible imprisonment).

Injured by an E Scooter?

Here at Pardoes, sadly, we are already dealing with cases involving life changing injuries as a result of negligent use of an E-scooter. If you were injured, either in a collision with, or as a result of riding, on one of the licensed schemes across Dorset and Somerset, then there is insurance in place to compensate the victim if there was fault involved. Alternatively, even if you were injured by an unlicensed E-scooter, a claim can be made against the Motor Insurers Bureau, with advice from Pardoes Personal Injury Solicitors. If you have suffered an injury caused by the use of or collision with an E-Scooter contact Adrian Fawden at Pardoes now for free initial advice on 0800 862 0442, email enquiries@pardoes.co.uk or visit our website: www.pardoes.co.uk

Lindsey’s Lines

by Lindsey Wright

Transition tramp

Unincorporated businesses used to be able to set their own year end and trade using what is commonly known as “Basis Periods”. Basis periods were what you used to calculate your results and most importantly for HMRC, the tax due on them. These had most impact for a business during the years or starting up and winding down.

As you should know by now (and if you don’t get down to your friendly accountant pronto) that all ends this year – with the new regime starting for tax year 2024/25.

From now on you have to calculate your results and the tax due on them based solely on the tax year ending 31 March.

But there’s snag. Because of the way Basis Periods work this year is considered a transition year and you’ll be accounting for tax twice over. Once for the result of winding down the old system, and again on the literal tax year 23/24.

Ok so let’s be more precise. You’ll need to calculate a “standard” element, for your results, that’s the profit or loss for the accounting period ending in 2023/24. Then you’ll need to work out a “transition” element, which is the result for the period starting on the day after your last period and ending on 5 April 2024.

Obviously as the standard and transition element are calculated based on two separate accounting periods, it is perfectly possible that you may have a combination of any of the following:

● two profitable periods,

● a profit and a loss (in either order),

● or two loss-making periods.

The tax consequences of this depend on which element the loss relates to, and whether there is an overall taxable profit or loss for 2023/24.

If there’s an overall profit made up of a loss for the standard element and a profit in the transition element, the net profit, known as the “additional” profit, is taxable for 2023/24. However there is something called overlap relief which you can deduct from the aggregate of the elements to calculate the taxable profit.

If the sum of the two parts gives you an overall loss, what happens next depends on overlap relief.

The key question you have to address is this. Did overlap relief turn a profit into a loss? Or did it simply make an existing loss even bigger. The element of any loss relating to overlap relief can be treated as a terminal loss. Any other losses can be carried forward as tax losses for offset against future profits.

Lets try and work through this.

Say I have a business that has made £3,000 profit in the standard period but £4,500 loss in the transition period. And for the sake of argument, we’ll assume I’m entitled to overlap relief of £1,000. So my overall loss to report is £1,500 before overlaps relief and £2,500 after it. Under these circumstances my “terminal loss” is 100% of my overlap relief ie £1,000 as it merely made my existing loss bigger. The other £1,500 can be carried forward to relieve against future profits.

All clear? As ever this stuff is not easy and your friendly local accountant is there to guide you through this valley in the shadow of death!

All clear?

As mud?

As ever this stuff is not easy and your friendly local accountant is there to guide you through this valley in the shadow of death!

Lindsey Wright is a partner in Blue Lias Accountants of Somerton

Investing in short selling

Since the Thatcherite revolution in the 1980s, more and more of us are buying stocks and shares. With the advent of stock trading apps on mobile phones, trading is also becoming attractive for a new generation too. The growth of crypto currencies as an attractive, if notoriously volatile and insecure, investment has widened the appeal still further.

The fact is that today many families have some investments made on their own account as well as money they may have tucked up in pension funds.

Trading stocks and shares and indeed crypto currencies is a risky business. In the words of those warnings at the end of investment ads, stocks can go down as well as up. But with most forms of investment the amount that you lose is limited to the amount you invest.

That all sounds pretty logical and most investors will be looking puzzled at such a statement of the obvious. But there are investments where you can lose more than the amount that you invest. And it is a type of investment that is becoming very popular. The gains can be spectacular, but the losses can be too.

It is known as short selling. Essentially this involves selling a stock you do not own. Relying on the price of the stock to fall, and then buying it in the market at a lower price than you “sold” it for. The idea of short selling developed from the traded options market in London in the 1980s and 1990s.

The real appeal is that you only ever invest a fraction of the value of the trade you are making. First you need a margin account. You sell short by “borrowing” the stock you want to use from your broker. For the whole time that the shares are borrowed – until you buy them in the market and return them to your broker – your position is open.

Borrowed shares

You’ll most likely pay interest on the “borrowed” shares for the time your position is open. If the price falls, you can buy back the shares in the market and take a profit. But, more to the point, if the price of the stock goes up instead you’ll have to pay more for the shares than the price you “borrowed” them at. And that means that you can easily end up losing more than your initial stake.

Take for example a share like Ilminster’s Gooch and Housego (a laser technology company). It is trading today at around £5 a share. So if you sell short 100 shares, you’ll have to borrow £500 worth of Gooch and Housego shares. However if Gooch and Housego shares rise to £10 in value you’ll have to buy them for £1,000 to close your position; incurring a loss of £500.

But, if the shares continue to rise in price, let’s say a takeover bid is announced at £13 a share, then you are in bigger trouble. To close out your position, you’ll have to spend £1,300 to close the position, an £800 loss. And, in theory, the amount you can lose if the market goes against you is infinite.

It is not the sort of investment you should consider unless you are experienced and know what you are doing. Not all share deals are equal.

Caveat Emptor

My Somerset Home

Somerset Lives by Stephanie Harris Plender

This month: Alick Simmons, Author and

Earlier this year, South Somerset resident Alick Simmons’ book, “Treated Like Animals” was published, looking at how we can improve the lives of the “creatures we own, eat and use”, including farm animals, pets, wildlife, research animals and animals used in recreational sport. Alick draws on his experience as the UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer between 2007 and 2015 and many years in public service. As well as writing, Alick is an independent member of ethics committees for both the RSPB and the National Trust. Stephane Harris Plender has been in conversation with him.

First off, how did somebody born and raised in Scotland end up in Somerset?

AS: Well, I left university in ‘78 and went to work as a vet in Cumbria and then Kent but I had itchy feet. So I went to work in Belize, was there for two years and when I came back I did an MSc in tropical medicine expecting to go overseas again. But all that fell through. My wife and I got married just after I completed my MSc and in ’85 we moved to Aberdeen where I took a job within the government service. And that was the beginning of my career in government service which lasted a little over 30 years. I was quite ambitious and so after six years of doing what you might describe as operational work, I got offered an opportunity to go to London to work on animal health policy. That was a really good job but I hated the home counties! My wife had strong links with Dorset, so 27 years ago we moved to Somerset with our two-year-old daughter and I came in order to run veterinary services in Somerset and Dorset. We loved it here and we still do. Eventually, you had to commute as you took jobs in London including being the Veterinary Director in the Food Standards Agency and then your last post as the UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary officer. In your long career in government service, what are you most proud of and what perhaps least proud of?

former UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer

be marginal. And I suppose that was the beginning of my change of heart. One of the things I've been doing since I've retired is working with people to try and build the evidence base for an alternative approach to dealing with bovine TB. Alongside the other stuff that I do, which is looking at the ethics of animal use, whether it's farmed animals, research animals, pets or wildlife. And you start to realize that whilst we cram these animals into artificial categories, the way in which we treat them varies enormously, and the ethical issues are broadly similar.

I was very struck by the way you highlight inconsistencies in your book such as its being allowed to whip a racehorse but it’s an offence to strike an animal in a slaughterhouse. It’s a big question but what are the key messages you wanted to convey?

AS: I think the most important thing is to understand that the evidence is that animals, mammals in particular, but birds and many of the other species that we interact with, are sentient and capable of suffering. Okay, there are some circumstances when we will have to intervene, kill, or whatever else it might be. But if we're going to do that we must do it judiciously, humanely, when there is no alternative, get a balance between harm and benefit. For example, we kill millions of rats every year using poisons which are known to be markedly inhumane. Many people would say that if the benefit that I accrue from killing these rats is that they're not in my restaurant, then the means I use is irrelevant. And yet, it's quite possible that restauranteur will have a 12- year-old son who keeps a pet rat. And that pet rat will be nurtured, taken for veterinary care when it's appropriate. But it's fact that the nervous system, the ability to suffer, is the same whether it's a wild rat, a pet rat or a laboratory rat.

Are there humane ways of killing wild rats?

AS: One of the things about being a civil servant is you work with a lot of other people and there are very few things that you can say, I did that. I know it sounds rather prosaic but one of the jobs that I did was produce the first manual there’d ever been for meat hygiene in this country. I was very proud of that. What was I least proud of? I don't think I would say I was not proud of anything. But I had a lot of qualms about a number of things we did. I believed in protecting public health so I was proud of the work that we did on controlling salmonella and getting rid of BSE. But when it came to foot and mouth disease, and then subsequently bovine TB, you start to think that what we’re doing is implementing really complex, expensive, disruptive policies, with enormous loss of life,where the overall objective and benefit versus the harm that you impose start to

AS: It's all relative, but the spring trap system, which I accept is probably more expensive and certainly more labour intensive, is quicker, more humane, compared with anticoagulant poisons.

So you argue that as individuals, we should each find our ethical framework. To what extent can individuals have an impact on the humane treatment of animals and isn’t it a bit of a luxury given the cost of living crisis?

AS: We first implemented animal welfare rules in this country in the 19th century when people's living standards were very much lower than they are now. So I don't think compassion is something that is entirely to do with wealth. It's something that is about culture, and societal and individual values. The individual can do a number of things. You can make informed decisions about dairy, chicken meat, farmed salmon – I’m not a vegetarian but I won’t eat farmed salmon. More and more people doing it will have an impact. It's quite clear that the vegan and vegetarian offering in supermarkets is going up and that might well be because people are eating less meat. So once you've made a decision at an individual level, there's all the other ways in which you can campaign collectively with other people - influence your MP, join organizations that are seeking to overturn or change the environment in which animals are kept.

Finally, what do you particularly love about Somerset? And how do you relax?

I think we're extraordinarily lucky that we live in a part of Somerset where you still can get solitude without having to break your neck to get to it. I don't need to relax a great deal now because I'm not run ragged like I was at my job but I relax by walking over the moors. I was out there yesterday just watching deer and swans. I walk West Moor, near Hambridge, in the spring a lot because I'm looking for migratory birds, then in winter, looking for wintering ducks and geese and so forth. And that's how I relax.

“Treated Like Animals” is published by Pelagic Publishing.

Guy the Grape by Guy

Smith

Skin of the teeth

Well, that’s harvest done for another year and the good news is that it’s both abundant and lovely quality. That being said, it was a very close-run thing. We decided to make more white and rose this year on top of our usual sparkling. These need a bit more ripeness and so we left the grapes on the vines a bit longer than usual. This has greater risks as the longer you leave them the more the risk of rot setting in and that the weather takes a turn for the worse. Luckily we had a couple of blasts of warmer weather which did the trick and just under seven and a half tonnes came in.

The geology at `Higher Plot is the like parts of Champagne but, it’s also the same as the very best bits of Burgundy where they use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to make iconic wines such as Chablis, Chassagne Montrachet and Gevrey Chambertin.

We feel that the time has come for us to venture out into these styles of wine. This year wasn’t quite warm enough to make a red and so we’ll have to content ourselves with Pinot Noir Rose but, the Chardonnay was perfect and so watch out Chablis! This is very exciting for us. The wines will be naturally fermented using the wild yeasts from the vineyard and so we won’t know the potential until after Christmas and so fingers crossed.

Bad news

Unwelcome visitor

One negative from this year was a first appearance of  Spotted Wing Drosiphila in the vineyard. This nasty invasive fly attacks fruit before it’s ripe and so has the potential to cause serious crop damage. It’s been around for a while and affects all soft fruits but up to now we’ve been lucky and even this year it arrived very late on and so didn’t manage much damage. It can be killed by insecticides but we don’t use them as these kill everything and the world needs more creepy crawlies not fewer! We’re looking at sustainable methods of controlling it but it’s a challenge that we could do without. Happy Days.

My

Berry benediction by Jane Earthy

Growing soft fruit is one of the most rewarding aspects of ‘Growing your Own’. Although strawberries are always in the supermarket these days, other soft fruit can be expensive, hard to find and can spoil very quickly. Although a large fruit cage filled with ripe and juicy fruit isn’t possible for all, there are now compact varieties of many types of soft fruit that will thrive in containers and borders and November is a great time to plant them.

Blackcurrants, redcurrants, and gooseberries make fabulous preserves and bakes and are surprisingly easy to grow, with high yields. Raspberries can be grown in a row with support or bush varieties such as ‘Little Sweet Sister’ crop well in a pot.

I love the super sweet flavour of the large fruited Tayberry - a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry.

Crosses between different blackberries and raspberries have produced several other hybrid berries, such as Tummelberry and Loganberry, with slightly different characteristics. Worth a try if you have the space. Another interesting cross is the Jostaberry, whose parents are the gooseberry and blackcurrant. The fruit looks like a large blackcurrant, whilst the flavour is more gooseberry-like. It doesn’t stop there. Another delicious hybrid is the Boysenberry, which has mixed parentage including Loganberry, blackberry, and raspberry, which has created a large, sweet blackberry-like fruit that is easy to pick.

Grow soft fruit in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun for best results, and netting against birds is advisable!

Gardening for the Mind

by Alison Hayward Darkening Days

The darkening days of November are here and increased levels of isolation and loneliness are evident. Loneliness can affect anyone and research shows it can be extremely harmful to people’s health. According to research it is associated with depression, sleep problems, impaired cognitive health, heightened vascular resistance, hypertension, psychological stress and mental health problems. However, research has also shown that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health and well-being, including reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition, connecting with the natural world can also lead to feelings of awe, wonder, and a greater sense of interconnectedness with the world around us. Gardening isn't just a solitary activity – it can also provide numerous social benefits that contribute to better mental health. Joining a gardening community or participating in group gardening activities allows you to connect with like-minded individuals who share your love for plants and nature. By engaging with others who have similar interests, you can form meaningful connections and combat feelings of loneliness or isolation. Being part of a gardening community provides opportunities for social interaction, whether it's attending workshops, joining gardening clubs, or volunteering at community gardens. These activities not only allow you to learn from experienced gardeners and exchange knowledge and tips, but they also create a sense of belonging and camaraderie. The shared experience of nurturing plants and working together towards a common goal fosters a supportive and uplifting environment.

Humans are social creatures, we evolved living in groups and could not survive alone, that is why at a deep level, feeling alone can be so devastating to us. We may not even actually be alone, but if we subjectively feel that we are, (perhaps we are unable to connect with family members in a meaningful or healthy way), the body responds as if we literally were.  Loneliness can cause an immediate and severe bodily reaction. It increases blood pressure and cholesterol, and it activates our physical and psychological stress responses, significantly increasing our risk of cardiovascular disease. That alas is not the only impact loneliness has on our bodies, it suppresses the functioning of our immune system causing it to function less efficiently, which over time, puts us at increased risk for developing all kinds of illnesses and diseases. Even brief bouts of loneliness impact our immune system. Scientists have concluded that given all the drastic ways in which loneliness impacts our bodies, it represents as great a risk for our long-term health and longevity as smoking cigarettes, potentially increasing our risk of early death by 14%.

So, as the shorter days grow and not much else does, connecting with nature and each other becomes a more concerted effort. At the Shepton MIND office we will be painting our new long legged anti-slug troughs kindly made for us by a generous donor. One eye is already past the winter and looking towards Spring and there are plenty of structural jobs needing to be done to keep us on track.

My Somerset Home

Cobbs Corner

by Jane Rodger

Incy wincy spider!

This year more than any other many of us have noticed and influx of extraordinary large and copious spiders!

This is due to the warmer than usual autumn coupled with darker nights and damp conditions. Spider are breeding more vigorously while seeking refuge indoors. As they do not see terribly well they are attracted by light! So to a spider lurking outside on a damp autumn eve the enticing scene of an open window illuminated by a light is too good an opportunity to miss!

So keeping your window closed when your lights are on is the first step to repelling any abseiling opportunists! Spiders aren't keen on certain smells! An effective and free repellent is chestnuts! They hate the smell that exudes from them! Simply pop some chestnuts on the window ledge and along skirting boards to send then running! Here are some effective home remedies to repel these pesky rascals.

A spray made up of a mix of essential oils is a safe effective and pleasant way of repelling spiders and any other creepy crawlies that may blight your home!

Make up a spray of 200 mls. white vinegar and water mix. Add 20 drops each of peppermint, cinnamon, lemongrass and lavender essential oils. Shake well and use as a spray for soft furnishings and nooks and crannies where they lurk!

Plant lavender and mint plants outside your window If you are able to keep them from entering in the first place.

Spiders love dust and clutter! Anywhere they can hide! Vacuum corners and dust off shelves.  Shake out curtains and throws as they often live in the warmth and safety of the fabric. Spray your curtains and cushions with the above spray a few times a week to keep your home monster free!!!

Our famous Cobbs Xmas cake kits are ready!

Make a delicious 8 inch festive cake for only £8.50!

Another blight this year seems to be a surge of bedbugs! They can infest the cleanest of nests! There is always stigma attached to an infestation but they honestly don't mind how dirty or clean their new home is! Maybe washing bedding on a cool wash doesn't help. This may be a habit many of us adopt for economical and environmental issues.

A good hot wash usually does the trick at killing the eggs. Adding tea tree and lavender oil to your wash will help to deep clean. A good tip to kill off bugs and eggs is to sprinkle borax or bicarb onto your mattress along with a combination of tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and clove oils. Mix 10 drops of each oil with a mug full of borax or bicarb sprinkle over your mattress and leave for at least eight hours before vacuuming. This should kill off the bugs and eggs effectively while being a safe non chemical way of dealing with the issue. Sprinkling some of the blend under your bed will also help to repel them while smelling good too!

Motoring

Behind the Wheel

by David Young

35 Years of an icon: The new VW California camper

When it comes to icons it’s hard to find one more iconic. It can trace its roots all the way back to the 1950s before it became a symbol of the hippie movement during the 1960s. While the current versions may only date back to the 1980s, making it a relative youngster in comparison, there’s no denying the cool factor of the Volkswagen California camper van.

35 years after the first launch the latest generation of VW California Concept is once again setting a new standard.

it’s now fitted with a sliding door on both sides for real versatility. The addition of the extra sliding door and the kitchen area being located further back in the vehicle –just like in the larger Grand California –mean that both sides of the vehicle can now be opened up when camping. As the concept vehicle is fitted with a folding-arm awning on one side and a sun sail on the other, both sides of the vehicle can now be protected from both sun and rain. It also means that us Brits driving on the left now have a door on the pavement side too.

folding table add the perfect finishing touch for life at the campsite. There is also plenty of storage space in the top and bottom kitchen cupboards, which are located behind the refrigerator. In addition, there’s a separate storage area under the bed extension too.

The interior is softly lit with dimmable background lighting in the roof frame. And no California is complete without the pop-up roof that gives you a massive 2m of headroom when raised. The roof itself comprises a lightweight aluminium shell and a triple- layered bellows with a panoramic opening at the front and large windows at the sides to provide incredible

views. A high-quality roof bed with spring plates also guarantees a good night’s sleep. The roof also includes USB-C sockets and LED lights so you can charge devices while you sleep beneath the stars. The roof mechanism is controlled using a vertical, multifunctional tablet mounted on the cupboard at the C-pillar. In addition to the pop-up roof function, this also displays information on the fresh and waste water levels, the interior lighting functions including background lighting, power supply status, refrigerator, and auxiliary heater. All of these functions can also be controlled on your smartphone or via the infotainment system. The multifunction tablet is also mounted on an articulated arm that can be rotated by 90 degrees so you never have to miss your favourite TV shows while you’re away.

For the first time, the VW California Concept will also offer the advantages of a plug-in hybrid drive system. The new California can now give you emission-free driving for everyday urban life, while also offering much improved fuel economy for long journeys. The Lithium-ion batteries also provide an almost completely autonomous 12 V power supply for all your camping needs.

The only downside is that you’ll have to wait until next year to get your hands on one.

The latest generation of the Volkswagen California is scheduled to enter production from 2024 onwards. Exactly when the first ones will be available for delivery is still unknown, but it’s unlikely VW will want to make people wait too long for the updated version of this iconic camper van experience.

Culture and events

There’s a production currently doing the rounds of British theatres that is of great interest in the continuing development of global music. Fisherman’s Friends is the oilskin to riches story of a group of mariners who almost single-handedly have raised the art of the sea shanty from the ocean depths of history.

It’s the stuff of showbiz legend how they went from pub backroom to a record deal and the main stage at the Glastonbury music festival. Almost overnight they turned a communal singing hobby into a leading music market brand.

However, peering through the sea mist and then the glitzy commercial fog, we glimpse a truth that is arguably of greater significance than the obvious good fortune that befell a band of Cornish seafarers. And it’s this. Probably for the first time since the folk revival of the early 1960s, a true people’s music has broken through the bastions of formulaic pop and established itself as a gale force to be reckoned with.

The heyday of the sea shanty was not long. Its lifespan effectively ended with the advent of steam and the demise of sail, with all the hard labour that that entailed. Yet the tradition somehow survived in the hearts of the seafaring communities of England’s south-west.

Today, the epicentre of the shanty, and probably the place most associated with the form, is the town of Watchet, Somerset and its most famous son, John Short. For more than 40 years, Short – nicknamed ‘Yankee Jack’ – sailed the world in a great variety of sailing ships as an able seaman and later as bosun. In the 1860s, some of John’s ships ran the blockade in the American Civil War, and because of this he was affectionately awarded the nickname of ‘Yankee Jack’ by Watchet townsfolk.

Culture and Events

Yankee Jack

by John Phillpott

Short was born in 1839, the eldest of eight children of Richard Short, a sailor and his wife Mary. It’s likely that John Short then went to sea with his father in the coastal trade. He worked initially on coastal cargo boats along the Bristol Channel, before becoming a deep-water sailor, sailing to North America. In the 1860s, he sailed to India and the Far East, and was joined on some voyages by his younger brother Sydney. He also sailed around Cape Horn to Peru.

It was a tradition aboard these ships for sailors to sing sea shanties. It helped them to work together when hoisting sails or walking around the capstan. John Short’s strong and tuneful voice often led him to take the role of solo shanty man, and over the years, he memorised the words and tunes of dozens of shanties, including the well-known Rio Grande, Shenandoah, Blow the Man Down, A Roving and Spanish Ladies.

A life well lived

On 23 July, 1873, at Taunton St James church, he married Ann Marie Wedlake, daughter of George Wedlake, a mariner. Living in a small house on Market Street, they had an only son, George who worked as a machine hand at the local paper mills. By the turn of the century, with his wife’s health failing, he returned to Market Street to help and comfort her up until the time of her death. Subsequently he sailed only on short trips aboard local coasting vessels. In 1902, he was appointed as Watchet’s Town Crier, and later took charge of the town’s Fire Brigade. He continued to sing with other sailors around the harbourside and occasionally at local concerts. Then in 1914, at the age of 75, he was introduced by the Rev Allen Brockington to Cecil Sharp, the renowned collector of folk songs and shanties. Sharp was very

A Christmas Carol reimagined

Taunton Brewhouse have announced a stellar cast of professional actor-musicians who will bring some festive magic to Somerset this winter with a brand new version of A Christmas Carol, adapted by acclaimed South West theatre company Pleasure Dome. The cast will perform alongside a 24-strong local youth ensemble, working with West End director Scott Le Crass to create an enchanting family treat featuring a heartwarming story, new original music and enchanting puppetry.

An artistic collective with roots in Exmoor, Pleasure Dome have a rich history of reimagining classic tales in a powerful way with a South West twist. In this version of A Christmas Carol, we will see Dickens’ timeless story through the eyes of a young girl who has grown up in Taunton.

Taunton Brewhouse aspires to be as accessible and inclusive as possible and welcoming to all. There will be a Relaxed Performance on 19 December, allowing people with autism, learning disabilities, or sensory and communication disorders to enjoy the show without having to worry about making a noise, moving around or leaving the auditorium. On 22 December, an Audio Described Performance will feature a live commentary describing the action on the stage, delivered to participating audience members via a headset. British Sign Language Interpreted Performances on 19 and 27 December will feature a live translation of the show for deaf audiences to enjoy the production.

A Christmas Carol will run from 5 to 30 December. Ticket prices range from £16 to £28. Box office 01823 283 244.

impressed with the old sailor’s singing and declared that “John Short’s rich, powerful, yet flexible voice would excite the envy of many a professional vocalist”. Over several days, Sharp transcribed the words and melodies of many of John’s shanties, which he gladly sang time and again.

For his first encounter with John Short, Sharp had been staying with the Rev Allen Brockington, the vicar of Carhampton, five miles to the west of Watchet. Later Sir Richard Terry, another distinguished collector, visited John to gather and publish yet more shanties from his repertoire. It’s no exaggeration to say that if these two men had not met ‘Yankee Jack’, many of these delightful old seafaring songs would have been lost forever.

John Short was essential to Sharp’s forthcoming book English Folk-Chanteys (published 1914), as 46 of the 60 tunes were Short’s tunes. Sharp harmonised them in piano arrangements in a similar fashion as the Folk Songs from Somerset series. His melodies are still widely sung today.

John Short died at the great age of 94 on 9 April, 1933. He was buried in Watchet’s churchyard, but the exact location is unknown. A simple obituary in The Times said of Watchet’s grand old sailor: “He thought little of his reputation as a singer, but much more of homely things”.

A statue of Yankee Jack, sculpted by Alan Herriott, was erected on Watchet seafront in 2008. It is the second bronze created by the sculptor. It stands on the Esplanade at Watchet Harbour.

A longer version of this article originally appeared in World Music Central, an online magazine dedicated to furthering the understanding of global folk music forms.

John Phillpottis a journalist who is based in Worcester.

Crown &Victoria Inn wins TV competition

Tintinhull’s The Crown & Victoria Inn bed & breakfast was declared the winner in the latest series of Channel 4’s Four in a Bed TV competition. It was competing against three other B&B businesses in the South West region. The show, televised over five episodes, sees four B&B owners host one another and, at the end of their stay, rate one another’s hospitality skills. At the end of the week, they all sit down to talk through their feedback – both the positive and the negative, with one B&B owner being crowned the winner.

Add on

Owner of The Crown & Victoria Inn, Surinder Hothi-Bellamy, only purchased the property at the end of April 2022 solely to provide a B&B offering for the customers of her other award-winning food events business, Pure Punjabi (itself a winner of The Federation of Small Business’s ‘Family Business of The Year South West’ 2020). She told The Leveller: “We’re absolutely delighted When we viewed The Crown & Victoria Inn, it was sadly empty and came with no existing trade, but we were ready to take it on, and also wanted to re-open it in a new viable and sustainable format. Then one day, out of the blue, I received a phone call from Studio Lambert who make the show for Channel 4. The other contestants and their businesses were all really different, but we all got along well.”

Clearly a call worth taking!

Culture and events

Culture and Events - Christmas guide

Once again we have The Leveller guide to Christmas festivities around the county this month. Each year we run a feature on all the events from lights being switched on to Christmas markets. If your town’s event isn’t included, it is because we either weren’t told or your local council didn’t reply to us. Sorry!

Saturday 18 November

Highbridge

Christmas lights switch on at 5pm

Yeovil

Switch on the town centre Christmas lights and illuminate the Christmas tree in the Quedam Centre. With acts starting from 4.30pm there will be live music and dance from local and professional groups, family-friendly creative activities in Yeovil Art Space, seasonal delights at EPS Yeovil and a craft market offering you the chance to start your Christmas shopping early with local produce and hand made crafts from local artists.

The light switch on will be followed by a Silent Disco which is presented by EPS Yeovil and Yeovil Art Space as part of the Sound of Yeovil public programme for the Story of Yeovil Project. Guest DJs local to Yeovil will bring together three channels of music for all ages, including familiar songs, pop, reggae, drum & bass, techno and more…Tickets are £5 each, FREE for under 12 and over 65. Limited spaces so first come first served.

Friday 24 November

Crewkerne

Christmas Lighting Up Night. Market Square and Town Centre. Starts with a craft fair at 5pm. Town centre procession starts at 6.20pm. Lights switch on at 7pm. Santa’s Grotto from 7.20pm. Also fairground rides, snow machine, mulled wine, cider, donuts and candyfloss and other festive treats. Many of the pubs, cafes and shops will be stating open to play their part on the evening.

Minehead

Lantern procession from W. Somerset railway to Wellington Square at 6pm. Lights switch pon 6.30pm. Live music and dancing, craft fair at the Methodist Church. Cast of Minehead Panto People's The Snow Queen will be at The Regal Theatre

Saturday 25th November Crewkerne

Craft fair and Christmas market in the Market Square from 9am to 2pm

Glastonbury

The Frost Fayre is on the 25th November 2023. Opened by the Mayor of Glastonbury, Cllr Indra Donfrancesco at Midday at the Meladrone Stage (at the top of the High Street). The fayre will stop at 6pm. The lightening of the Glastonbury Market Square Christmas Tree will be 5pm.

During the day there will be Morris dancers and other child friendly acts. Music at each of the stages (Magdalene Street, Meladrone Stage, GFM Stage by the Queen of Cups in Northload Street, King Arthur in Benedict Street, St Johns Church). Childrens World will be in the Small Hall in the Town Hall. Father Christmas shows will be at the United Reform Church, the Abbey are to confirm if they will have a grotto. Inside stalls can be found at the Town Hall, St Benedict’s Church, St Johns Church, United Reformed Church TBC, Glastonbury Assembly Rooms and new for 2023 The Abbey House will be open with stalls.

Wellington

Over 30 stalls have been booked into a Christmas market that will run from 9am until 6pm selling all manner of goodies that are perfect for Christmas gifts. There’s also a packed schedule of entertainment from 12pm – 6pm featuring local groups and schools as well as jugglers from FUSE Performance Arts. This year they will be unveiling a brand-new Christmas lighting scheme that the town will hopefully be excited to see.

Burnham on Sea

Christmas lights switch on at 6pm

Bridgwater

Snowflakes 2023! The annual Snowflakes and Shopping in conjunction with the Bridgwater food and drink festival. Christmas Stalls in the Town Hall, late night shopping, street food, Christmas Light Switch-on, Santa, Fireworks and Squibbing. Loads of fun for all the family to get you in the mood for the festive season and all free so pop the date in your diary.

Sunday 26 November 2023

Taunton

Christmas Light Switch On at 6pm Large market, entertainment and of course, trips to Santa’s grotto at the Taunton Visitor Centre

Friday 1 December

Shepton Mallet

Christmas lights switch on and Christmas market. From 5pm. Festivities in the Market Square and on Town Street.

Saturday 2 December

Langport

A full day of festive fun starting with the Langport Local Market 102pm. Opening of Town Hall newly decorated Function Room at 11.30am (apologies but access currently only via stairs). Christmas Tree Celebration with live music and carols 4-5pm on the Island, Langport. Food and drink stalls from Langport Local market traders. Fireworks on Cocklemoor at 5.30pm sharp! Quiet fireworks (no loud bangs). Bring a torch and some loose change - all proceeds to Cocklemoor Community Trust.

Sunday 3 December

Somerton

Market Square 3pm to 7pm. Christmas Lights switch on with Father Christmas, live music and street entertainment, market stalls, food and drink and DJ Ray…..

Saturday 9 December/Sunday 10 December

Taunton

Independent Market on Castle Green from 10am to 3pm Carols Around the Bandstand at Vivary Park

Saturday 16 December

Taunton

Eat Christmas: East Festivals regular array of finest foods and drinks from around the county – with a festive twist from 10-4pm

Hammet Street, Fore Street and East Street

Wells Traditional 'Christmas in Wells' Market, ran by the Council’s Mendip Markets team, will operate from 9am-3pm and will welcome more than 100 stalls to the Market Place and on the Bishop's Palace Green.

Culture and events

Don’t miss the last bus home

Brian Bilston, real name Paul Millicheap, has become a phenomenon. His career has taken off despite being everything an aspiring poet should not be. Neither trendy nor hip, writing not in some avant garde freeform and not published by Faber. He honed his craft and established an almost cult-like status online, gathering Facebook and Twitter (now rebranded as X) followers. With a nom de plume and a gloriously fictitious CV he set out on an adventure. History does not relate how often or even if his work had been rejected before he became a social media phenomenon. But his are the sort of words that speak to people, but tend not to speak to publishers of poetry.

His poems are of Middle England, they might on occasion be twee, they are often funny and designed perhaps not always to make us think, but often to make us smile. Which is not to say he always shies away from serious subjects.

His first collection of poetry, You Took the Last Bus Home, was published by Unbound in 2017. The thing about numbers, Facebook and Twitter/X followers in particular, is that they are hard to ignore. And publishers like numbers. When you’ve got more than 100,000 followers on Facebook that has to translate into sales, right?

Diary of a Somebody was duly picked up by Picador and was promptly shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and the McKitterick Prize. Alexa, What Is There To Know About Love?, his last collection, is also published by Picador.

His poem ‘Refugees’ was set to music by Mark-Anthony Turnage for a song cycle of the same name.

Brian Bilston will be at the Cheese & Grain in Frome on 23 November at 8pm. Tickets £16.50 plus booking fee. Box Office 01373 455420

Yeovil u3a enters its 40th year

In 1983, Yeovil was one of the first towns in the UK to set up a u3a (University of the third age). Previously known as Yeovil Shared Interest Scheme, it soon came under the umbrella of the Third Age Trust, and today is the longest continuously running u3a in the UK. Still going strong u3a is now a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to socialise and learn for fun. Members explore new ideas, skills and activities together. Its members comprise people no longer in full-time work who come together and continue their enjoyment of learning subjects of interest to them.

Yeovil has 39 different groups from Art to Whist and everything in between with a range of activities both indoor and outdoor, active and passive. Members of the u3a draw on their knowledge and experience to teach and learn from each other, but there are no qualifications to pass – it is just for pleasure. Learning is its own reward.

For its 40th year, Yeovil u3a held a special anniversary meeting celebrating their past activities in Yeovil. Some of the groups displayed their wares and pride of place was given to the 40th anniversary cake. Yeovil’s Town Crier made a guest appearance too.

Bounce for Britain

A bit crazy, mad at times but always bouncing and full of vim, Sheelanagig have over a decade of delivering foot-stomping folk tunes to audiences under their belt. The music is reminiscent at times of Jethro Tull in their 1970s heyday with a bit of the crazier side of Focus chucked in for good measure.

The engine of the group is the energetic playing from a trio of flute, fiddle and acoustic guitar. Heralding from South-West England these boys create a dynamo running through their furious dance medleys, as well as some intriguingly arranged and original pieces.

They take their name from a pagan image, rather rude in nature, that can be found – bizarrely – in carvings on ancient churches. They’ve kept pretty quiet about the reason for picking this name, but the music at least speaks for itself.

The David Hall bill this as a “chance to dance” performance and staying still amidst all that melodic mayhem is really not an option.

Sheelanagig play the David Hall in South Petherton on Saturday 25 November @ 8pm. Tickets: £18, box office 01460 240340

Bowled over

Ilminster Bowling and Tennis Club are running a Bowl for Health Programme each Tuesday (excluding 7th November).

The programme aims to develop physical and mental wellbeing for participants along with, of course, learning the basics of bowls. It also aims to facilitate participants being able to meet other people in their community.

The sessions are free and take place 12-2pm each Tuesday. Ilminster Bowling and Tennis Club. Club Contact is Matt Hamilton: 07729 762011.

Nourishing Community

The Edgar Hall in Somerton will play host to a gathering, or food conference, on 18 November. This free event is for anyone who is interested in community food solutions. Rising food and living costs, food poverty, health inequalities and mental health are just some of the issues Somerset food and growing projects aim to address. This will be a day to explore the issues and share good ideas. You’ll hear from community food projects who are growing, cooking with and feeding their communities – both success stories and the obstacles overcome.

If you’d like to go along, you must book in advance, but entry is free. You can book at eventbrite by googling Eventbrite Nourishing Community.

Classical family favourites

Strode Theatre in Street presents a classical treat this month with a selection of classical music for all ages. The Mid Somerset Orchestra under conductor Hitoshi Suzuk will take you through an afternoon of favourite classics, starting with the overture to the Barber of Seville. A ripper of an overture, it remains a matter of astonishment that Rossini dashed off the whole opera, including the famous overture, in just three weeks! If I were to say a piece by Paul Dukas is also on the bill, that might lead many to ask “who’s that?” You might be wondering what it is doing on a bill of family favourites? The otherwise moderately obscure composer has a claim to fame in that his music for the Sorcerer’s Apprentice was used by Disney in the film Fantasia Peter and the wolf

Then we’ve got a much more obvious contribution from Prokofiev with the symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf. Complete with leitmotifs for each of the animal characters and a narrator (Roger Parsons for this performance), you have the perfect combination of music and story within this one piece.

And the whole evening is rounded off with the orchestral suite from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, something stirring and dramatic to send you home.

Mid Somerset Orchestra’s Family Matinee Concert is at 3pm on Saturday 25 November. Tickets £15, £14, £3. Box Office 01458 442846

Culture and events

Walter’s Words of Wisdom

A question of politics

The French have an aphorism: ‘plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’. That translates as ‘however much things change, they remain the same’. Walter Bagehot might have had a similar notion in the back of his mind when he wrote the following extract. In it he notes that however many questions are resolved, there are always new questions to answer:

The mere settlement of the Reform question made a great change too. If it could have been settled by any other change, or even without any change, the instant effect of the settlement would still have been immense. New questions would have appeared at once. A political country is like an American forest: you have only to cut down the old trees, and immediately new trees come up to replace them; the seeds were waiting in the ground, and they began to grow as soon as the withdrawal of the old ones brought in light and air. These new questions of themselves would have made a new atmosphere, new parties, new debates.

[The English Constitution, Introduction to the Second Edition, 1872]

You can find out more about Walter Bagehot, his life and thoughts by visiting langportheritage.org.uk

History Day

Where else would you get a mediaeval lunch on the menu sandwiched in between tow talks on crypts and tombs? A helping of Westonzoyland airfield, the wreck of the Nornenckland and no feast would be complete without some contemplation of music. In this case we’re talking about the songs of Cecil Sharpe.

Yes it is Bridgwater History Day. A free event at the Bridgwater Arts Centre on 18 November. It starts at 10am.

Last month’s answer

This month’s sodoku

Brassed on

The fine acoustics of Westonzoyland Church with its wonderful “angel” roof will echo to the sounds of Handel, Horovitz, Ewald and Gabrieli later this month. Wallscourt Brass Quintet perform the next concert in the Music on the Levels series. Wallscourt Brass Quintet are Ailsa Bailey and Stephen Bodiley on trumpets, Dave Gee on horn, Alice Bodiley on trombone and Philip Chidgey on tuba. For this concert, John Bodily joins them on organ. This programme has been chosen by the group to complement the church acoustic which is best suited to classical music, but there’ll be some lighter numbers added in for variety.

The quintet was formed in 2002 by some Hewlett-Packard employees and a couple of friends who discovered they had enough instrumentalists to form a group. Rehearsals were held in the old Wallscourt farmhouse which was part of the Hewlett-Packard estate, hence how the group got its name.

Wallscourt Brass perform concerts to support the fund-raising programme at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. In September they were part of the grand opening concert for the rebuilt organ at St Mary Magdalene in Taunton.

Wallscourt Brass perform at Westonzoyland Church on Sunday 26 November. As with most of the performances in the Music on the Levels series, this is a free concert. There is no need to book, but be aware that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. From time to time, you may need to ‘budge up!’

High Ham pre school

High Ham Preschool has been selected as a cause for the Co-op Community Fund. If you are a co-op member, then please consider choosing this cause. It costs you nothing, but the preschool gets 1p for every £ spent. You don't need to live locally to support the cause, so please ask friends and family from across the UK to sign up too. The more supporters they can get, the more pennies they raise.

https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/76112

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Culture and events