Winford Parish Council

Serving Felton, Regil and Winford

Report of meeting held on Monday 2 February 2009

Crime and Disorder

The Police reported the following crimes in the parish in the previous month:-

1 theft from an insecure car;

1 theft of car keys following a party.

Police have continued foot patrols in Felton village and are pleased to report no further incidents.

Highways and Footpaths

The council has submitted to North Somerset Council its proposed scheme to improve the footpath steps from Market Place towards High Winford.  Questions have been raised about its suitability for disabled users and a site meeting is being arranged in an effort to find a solution.

Progress on the extension of the footpath from Brookside to the Prince of Waterloo in Winford remains frustratingly slow.  There is apparently now a dispute between North Somerset and the pub’s freehold owners about the ownership of land necessary for the scheme.  

Bristol Airport

The council discussed its response to BIA’s consultation about expansion of the airport.  It was pleased to note that earlier indications about the potential use of land east of the re-aligned A38 which is non-operational and within the green belt have been dropped from the proposals.  However, the general feeling is that the airport expansion conforms with national, regional and local planning policies so there is little scope to challenge the principle of further development of the airport.  But the effects of increased passenger numbers, particularly on the local road network, will be significant and the council will be pressing for commitments by BIA to agreements with the highway authority aimed at mitigating these effects. 

Planning

It appears that North Somerset are preparing to approve a long-standing application for holiday accommodation and other facilities at Birds Farm, Winford.  A Section 106 agreement is apparently being discussed but the parish council has not been consulted about its contents.  This will be taken up with the planners.

Felton Shop

The council considered the implications of the closure of Felton shop.  Initial arrangements to provide transport to Winford for customers who need it are being put in place and a contribution towards the costs were approved.  There are to be further discussions about the possibility of a shop being maintained and an open meeting will be held in March.

Finance

A budget for 2009/10 was agreed and the council’s precept (the money it takes from council tax collected by North Somerset) was set at £20,000, a reduction of 30% from the previous year.

The next council meeting is at 7pm on Monday 2 March 2009 at Felton Village Hall.