Row likely as Independents claim credit for Conservative projects

A POLITICAL row was looming in West Somerset after Independent district councillors elected only in May tried to claim credit for a series of economic development projects – all of which were started under the former Conservative administration.
A number of the now-trumpeted projects were bitterly opposed at the time when Independents and others on the council sought to attract newspaper headlines criticising the Conservative leadership in the months leading up to the elections.
Now, district council public relations officer Stacey Beaumont has issued a press release pointing out that West Somerset had secured more funding from Objective 2 transitional European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) than any other district Westcountry despite being the smallest council.
It followed the start of work on the development of the Barle Enterprise Centre, near Dulverton, and a £203,193 funding award for Minehead’s new Visitor Information and Interpretation Centre (VIIC), bringing the total of European money for West Somerset to more than £6.7 million.
The council’s economic development and tourism portfolio holder, Councillor Michael Downes, claimed: “We have completed, or are in the process of completing, 15 projects thanks to this funding.
“It has benefited a broad range of projects from developing local workspace, ICT provision and food links support through to tourism development via the organisation of events and festivals and the provision of the new VIIC.
“In all cases, the money needed to complete the project has to be at least doubled by the council and its partners so total funding in the district is much higher.
“For example, we have helped access £1.4 million for the New Horizons project but the actual investment by the council and its partners is in the region of £50 million.
“We know that businesses and tourism in the area need our support and we are doing our best to provide sustainable economic and tourism initiatives.
“We are also ensuring that local people’s social, health, and learning needs will be met by assisting with the provision of the new hospital, health complex, and skills and learning centre through New Horizons.”
The present leader of the council, Councillor Keith Ross – considered to have been an architect of many of the previous attacks on the development projects - said: “In the past we have been criticised for not delivering, but as this list shows, our staff have worked hard to deliver a substantial number of high-quality projects to help improve social and economic conditions for people and businesses across West Somerset.
“The workspace in Williton is nearing completion and work on the Dulverton workspace is now under way.
“Our staff are also putting a major amount of work into the provision of affordable housing for local people which is another area in which we are genuinely starting to deliver.
“We intend to build on our successes and prove ourselves as community leaders who deliver meaningful projects which bring social and economic benefits to the whole district.”
The list of projects for which credit was now being claimed included:

• Exmoor & Quantocks Foodlinks (£151,688) – project ongoing
• Exmoor Events & Festivals (£112,500) – project completed
• Rural Learning & Early Years Centre (£636,488) – project completed
• Williton ICT (£51,084) – project completed
• Stage 2 feasibility study into New Horizons (£25,000) – project completed
• Crisis loans for small businesses that suffered as a result of foot and mouth disease (£120,850) – project completed
• South West Wood Fuels (£81,450) – project completed
• Williton Workspace at Roughmoor (£788,672) – project ongoing
• Dulverton Workspace at the Barle Enterprise Centre (£806,711) – project ongoing
• Somerset Broadband (£180,960) – project ongoing
• Technical Assistance for the Broadband project (£84,349) – project ongoing
• Watchet Esplanade Enhancement (£138,380) – project ongoing
• Minehead Visitor Information & Interpretation Centre (£203,193) – application approved
• New Horizons (£1.4m) – application approved

The VIIC on the seafront at Minehead will replace the existing Tourist Information Centre in Friday Street and will be equipped with high-tech interactive touch-screen displays and will provide a centre of excellence for the delivery of tourism information, with the aim of attracting and developing potential and existing customer markets to support the tourism industry of the whole area.
Bridgwater-based H Pollard & Sons has been selected as the preferred developer and contract details are currently being finalised with a view to work starting shortly and being completed by the summer of next year.

• Our photograph taken at the start of work on the Barle Enterprise Centre shows (left to right) Councillor Keith Ross, Councillor Michael Downes, and site manager Jake Carless, of building contractors CS Williams Ltd. Photo submitted.

Minister rejects unitary local government bid for Somerset

A LIBERAL Democrat bid to abolish West Somerset Council and seize control of all local government services throughout Somerset has been thrown out by the Government.
The emphatic rejection of Somerset County Council’s plans for a single unitary authority in the county follows a county-wide referendum which saw 82 per cent of respondents vote against the idea.
The Department for Communities and Local Government had set five criterion which it said any unitary bid would need to meet in order to be successful, one of which was that there should be a broad cross section of support for the proposal.
Another criterion was to be affordable – but an independent assessment of the plan showed it would have cost ratepayers £7 million rather than saving them money as claimed by the Lib Dems.
The unitary bid was opposed in a joint campaign by all five of Somerset’s district councils and all five MPs who represent the county in Parliament.
West Somerset Council leader, Councillor Keith Ross, warmly welcomed the Government decision.
Councillor Ross said: “I am pleased that the voices of local people have been heard, and their wishes respected.
“I appreciate that the Government wants us to improve the current two-tier system and look forward to working with our partners in the district councils and at the county council to achieve this.”
In the recent referendum on unitary status, 200,000 people voted, almost half of the county’s population and more than took part in local government elections in May. Just18 per cent of those who voted were in favour.
West Somerset and the other district councils argued the county authority’s proposals would involve the creation of a mammoth council, a giant new bureaucracy, more red tape, and the abolition of local councils, leading to less democracy and more remote councillors.
Lib Dem county councillors ignored the county-wide referendum and tried to defy the result right up to the end by refusing to withdraw their unitary bid.
The present leader of the county council, Councillor Jill Shortland, who recently took on the role after Councillor Cathy Bakewell stepped down just months after she had launched the bid, said: “The news that our bid to create one council for Somerset is not being taken forward by the DCLG is very disappointing.
“However, the business of providing excellent services to residents will continue with full pace.
“I truly hope that we can re-engage with our district council partners to look for new ways of working closer together through local area working, where many opportunities exist to empower Somerset’s communities.”

Building society cashier held at gunpoint during robbery

POLICE have appealed for help from the public in catching an armed robber who struck in Minehead late in the afternoon on Tuesday, July 24.
The robbery happened in the Nationwide Building Society, in The Parade, where a cashier was held at gunpoint while a second member of staff was forced to fill a bag with cash.
It happened at about 4.45 pm when a man walked into the offices brandishing what appeared to be a hand gun and threatened staff.
He grabbed the cashier and began shouting as he threw a bag at a second woman and demanded she stuffed it with money.
The raider then snatched the bag away and ran to a car parked nearby, believed to be blue in colour and possibly a Peugeot make, which may have been parked around the corner in Holloway Street.
He was described as a white man about 6 ft tall, of thin build, aged between 20 to 30 years, with pointed features, and speaking with a strong Scottish accent, possibly Glaswegian.
The robber wore a white hooded top with some form of writing across the chest area and black faded jeans.
Police have appealed for anybody who was in the area at the time and may have seen anything suspicious, particularly a man running towards the parked car, to contact them.
Anybody with information can contact police at Minehead on 0845 4567000 or they can use the secure Crimestoppers contact form at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
Alternatively they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They do not have to give a name and they could receive a reward.

Fire traps three people on balconies of Minehead flats

FIRE crews mounted a major operation in Minehead to rescue three people trapped on the upper floors of a block of flats which caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday, July 24.
The residents were unable to escape from the property in The Parks, which comprised seven flats, after the blaze broke out in the ground floor rear area of the building.
They became trapped on balconies and were eventually led to safety down a 135-feet high ladder raised by fire crews.
Others did manage to flee the building and they raised the alarm by calling the emergency services, who responded by sending firefighters from four stations in Minehead, Porlock, Williton, and Taunton, a command support unit from Wiveliscombe, and an incident support unit from Taunton, as well as a number of ambulances.
The incident started at about 2 am on Tuesday, and two firemen wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to put out the blaze using a hose reel jet.
An investigation was started later in the day to decide on the cause of the fire.
Photo submitted.

Weather causes country fair cancellation in 30th anniversary year

THE 30th anniversary Dunster Country Fair, due to have taken place on July 25, has been cancelled due to the recent wet weather conditions.
The decision was taken at the weekend when it became apparent that the site on Dunster Lawns was waterlogged and vehicles could not safely access it for marquees and other pre-event facilities to be set up.
Cancellation will cause a huge financial blow to the organisers, the West Somerset Hunt and Minehead Harriers.
The one-day show, which showcases country life for urban residents, regularly attracts attendances of more than 10,000 people and raises vital funding for the hunts.
Now, the hunts will need to look to other fund-raising ventures to secure their finances for the coming year.
Financial losses, though, should be mitigated as the country fair is run by volunteers who do not charge for their services.
The bulk of the losses will be on equipment hire and entertainment bookings.
The Queens Hall, in Minehead, has stepped in to help one of this year’s entertainment acts, the Lions National Youth Brass Band.
The band will instead be playing in the Queens Hall at 2 pm on Wednesday, July 25 – and entry is free.
The band comes from South Cheshire and was formed in 1988 by local youngsters aged from 10 to 19 years all wanting to play a brass instrument.
It takes its name from a number of local Lions groups which sponsor the band.
The band is made up of three bands, the ‘beginners’, the ‘junior band’ and the ‘youth band’ totalling 98 youngsters, with all three proving successful in their own way.
It is conducted by Nigel Birch, who is now in his second stint as musical director.
Queens Hall marketing officer Ami Bowsher-Grief said: “We know everybody will really enjoy this band, so we hope people come down and show them some support and enjoy some great music from these great musicians.”
Elsewhere in West Somerset, some village events managed to beat the weather at the weekend with crowds turning out for Porlock’s first-ever country village fair, which raised money towards a £60,000 target to replace equipment for the recreation ground and local scouts.
Entertainments at the fair included a falconry display, a village market, a art exhibition, a craft tent with local craft demonstrations, ferret racing, pony rides, and Morris dancing.
In Luxborough, people braved the wettest weather at the village’s traditional annual fete for 40 years to help raise nearly £3,000 for the village hall and parish church.
Attractions included the Luxborough Challenge tug o’ war contest where the village ‘lads’ challenged other local groups for a £100 prize, a family dog show, cakes and plant stalls, a Pimms and wine tent, children’s entertainment, a Punch and Judy show, and performances by Watchet Town Band.
The lucky programme winner was number 206. Anybody with programme number 206 should telephone 01398 371 340 with their name and address to claim the £50 prize.
Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCP0004. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Town council looks at housing scheme for football club

TOWN councillors are discussing the idea of building housing on the Minehead Football Club site, almost a year since The Crier revealed an indicative scheme had been drawn up for redeveloping the area.
The talks follow the on-going issue of the club’s financial position and its inability to pay rent to the council, which owns the Irnham Road recreation ground.
Councillors recognised some residential development of the area might help to
football continued to be played.
They looked at the section of the site which presently housed garages and the clubhouse, and considered the possibility of building a new facility which could include residential units.
Councillor Simon Stokes, who is also deputy leader of West Somerset Council, said the district council might be able to find a developer for the area.
He said in return for sourcing a suitable developer, the garages and clubhouse could be given to the district council, which would enable construction of a purpose-built clubhouse managed by the district authority, which would have the resources to handle it.
Councillor Doug Ross, who is the district council’s finance portfolio holder, agreed with Councillor Stokes and said long-term plans for the site were needed to raise income to support the playing of sports.
Councillor Ross said some residential development would also provide security in the area.
He pointed out the town council had received many complaints about noise and vandalism from residents living near the football club and the council had a responsibility to them to address such problems.

• Image above shows how The Crier reported on its front page on plans for developing housing on Minehead Football Club's ground in August of last year.

Good causes benefit from Cutcombe Show proceeds

MORE than £2,500 has been distributed to local good causes following this year’s Cutcombe Horse Show and Gymkhana.
Show treasurer Nigel Dobbins said the accounts presented a rosy picture as several areas of the annual event had shown an increase in takings this year - and that was after the 2006 show was considered to have seen a good result - and the dog show and terrier shows also continued to go from strength to strength with large entries.
Show secretary Di Stevens said the resounding success was due to the help and support received from sponsors, competitors, supporters, and the many helpers, such as the work party who set up the show and the team on the day who made sure all jobs were covered, and those who cleared up afterwards.
Mrs Stevens said: “We had a dry day, entries were excellent, and there was plenty for spectators to enjoy around the rings, including the wonderful fancy dress competition which had lots of colourful entries.
“There was plenty of home made food for sale, plus a barbecue and a licensed bar, and Styles Ice Cream had a van supporting us to keep everybody cool, while the Minehead Harriers gave a superb display in the main ring.”
Mrs Stevens said the show was started for two reasons, firstly to provide children who did not have ‘show’ ponies with an opportunity to enter their little ‘hairy’ and be in with a good chance of winning a rosette, and secondly to raise funds to be shared between Cutcombe First School and other village amenities.
This year’s funds were distributed as follows: £600 each to Cutcombe School and Cutcombe Church, £100 to the pre-school nursery, £50 for the parish party fund, a £250 donation to CLOWNS, £400 for the Moorland Hall, and £500 plus £15 collected in a bucket for the Devon Air Ambulance.
Mrs Stevens said: “We would like to thank everybody who helped in any way to make this fantastic outcome possible.”

• Our photograph shows Mrs Margaret Hawker (left) presenting the http://www.selfdriveyourhorse.com/ Cup for the best turned out rider, a new award, to Fay Reed, on Pollyanna. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref CUT070040. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Dulverton hosts its first folk festival

A TRADITIONAL folk festival is being launched in Dulverton in July with three days of big-name acts from the folk scene performing before going on to the renowned Sidmouth Folk Festival.
There will also be lots of local talent in the festival, which starts on July 27.
Local musician Dave Towers is the inspiration behind the event, and he is using his contacts within the folk industry to turn dreams of hosting a festival into a reality.
Dave said: “We have a great line-up and an exciting programme of events.
“There are three concerts in the Town Hall, a series of workshops, and plenty of fringe events around the town to surprise and entertain our visitors.”
The festival starts with guitarist Maurice Condie and Irish music singer Gillian Tolfrey, who will be joined by singer-songwriter George Papavgeris.
They will be supported by local performers Stephen Snow and Vikki Nuttall.
Fiddle player Stephen, who is only 19 and from mid-Devon, has already played at an impressive list of British venues. Vikki lives in Dulverton and sings and plays guitar locally.
On the Saturday, the Town Hall will be given over to a series of daytime workshops, including guitar with Maurice Condie, Appalachian dulcimer with Liz Law, song writing with George Papavgeris, singing with Gillian Tolfrey, and melodeon with Julian Sutton.
John Lowday will also demonstrate his work in making Sugan chairs in the lower Town Hall.
Saturday evening’s concert features Julian Sutton and Tom Oakes. Julian plays the melodeon in traditional dance bands, while singer Tom is also regarded as one of the best young flute players in Britain today.
The concert will also feature Liz Law and Terry Conway with their repertoire of English and Scottish traditional ballads, Irish songs, and other traditional songs.
On the Sunday, events start at noon with the well-known duo of Steve Last and Christine Connelly, sometimes known as Moses and The Ref.
Steve is an accomplished guitarist and singer and Chris has a remarkable voice, presenting sensitive interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk songs.
They will be joined by the Devon singer/songwriter Jim Causley, who performs an exciting mixture of traditional and contemporary songs.
Graeme Maynard, from Dulverton, will also be bringing his own particular style of folk music and whistling.
Throughout the weekend, there will be plenty of opportunities for informal music playing in local pubs, and the Bridge Inn will be hosting a real ale festival.
The folk festival has been financially supported by Exmoor Events and ArtLife, in partnership with West Somerset Council.
Tickets for the concerts are available at The Tantivy, Dulverton, or by telephoning 01398 323818, and full details are on the website at http://www.dulvertonff.co.uk/.

Another heavy fine imposed for poor bus services from First

THE company which runs most of West Somerset’s public bus services, First, has been heavily fined for poor performance.
The Traffic Commissioners imposed a fine of nearly £52,000 on the company after monitoring 476 buses in parts of Somerset, including the Minehead to Taunton link.
The investigation revealed one-in-five First bus services failed to arrive on time or did not turn up at all.
First was fined £100 for each of its 517-strong fleet of buses, but it escaped the maximum penalty of more than £280,000 in fines because of efforts it had already made to improve.
The fine was handed down at a Traffic Commissioners hearing where it was staed First had a history of poor performance and being fined.
Only in 2005 it was fined nearly £100,000 for similar problems in Bristol, and in 2002 it had to pay more than £26,000 for failing to run services in Somerset properly.
Despite this, First said it was working to improve its performance and had put monitoring and disciplinary procedures in place which were starting to produce results.
The company admitted, however, there was still room for improvement.
First spokesman Tony Anthistle issued an apology to customers and said: “We assure you that we are working closely with local authorities to continuously improve the quality of the service we provide.”
The Traffic Commissioners are part of the Department for Transport and have responsibility for registration of local bus services.
The latest fine comes only weeks after it was announced bus services in West Somerset were being extended, improved, and reinstated in a major initiative backed by Somerset County Council.
The Somerset end of the route for passengers from Dulverton to Taunton has been reinstated by the county council after First Devon and Cornwall withdrew from the contract to provide service 307 from Barnstaple and Taunton.
In a major revision of timetables, the Minehead to Taunton service 28 has been doubled from hourly to run every 30 minutes throughout the year.
And a new shuttle service linking the West Somerset Railway Station to Taunton via the Silk Mills park and ride site has been introduced.

Butlins unveils first BlueSkies timeshare apartments

A LAUNCH event is being held at Butlins, in Minehead for the company’s £4.5 million timeshare development BlueSkies on Wednesday, July 4.
It marks the first move into the timeshare market for the holiday firm, which chose Minehead as the venue for the venture, which should attract a new type of holidaymaker to the town from all over the world.
Work on the first four-storey block of 24 luxury flats only started last September and now the company is ready to begin marketing them.
Journalists were being transported to Minehead from London for a Champagne lunch and sneak preview of the development as part of the launch event.
The project has been named BlueSkies, and, based on the cost of hiring an apartment for a family for a week in May, purchasers will be able to enter the scheme from £6,000 upwards for 30 years of ownership.
The new apartments could be open all year round, even at times when the rest of the Butlins resort was closed, which should help to extend the area’s tourism season.
Phase two of the BlueSkies development is planned for later this year and will include the a health and fitness suite.
More could follow if the scheme proves to be as popular as anticipated by Butlins.
BlueSkies has been called the most stylish accommodation ever offered at Butlins - with spacious, modern holiday apartment set slightly apart from the main resort and full of contemporary design features.
As well as access to Butlins’ renowned range of live entertainment and fun-packed facilities, BlueSkies guests will have full VIP treatment with their own concierge service and dedicated support team.
In boutique hotel fashion, there will also be free wireless internet access, free dvd rental, and even an opportunity for staff to fill owners’ fridges with all their favourite treats, thanks to three different pre-arrival ‘fridge menu’ options.
There will also be access to all of Butlins’ complimentary facilities and entertainments, including Splash Waterworld, live stage shows, extreme sports stars, performances from top pop acts, appearances from television characters such as Bob the Builder, Angellina Ballerina, and Pingu, a variety of kids clubs and sports activities, non-stop street-theatre, and the famous Butlins Redcoats to help entertain the children.
The Minehead BlueSkies is a mix of four one-bedroom apartments sleeping up to four people, and 20 two-bedroom apartments sleeping up to six people.
All four storeys of the block have uninterrupted views across the bay to North Hill and Minehead Harbour. Car parking is on the ground floor, beneath the apartments.
A website, http://www.blueskiesbybutlins.com/, has been designed for people keen to learn more about the new development.
Mike Crowther, who is leading the BlueSkies development for Butlins, said: “BlueSkies is holiday heaven for the growing number of people who enjoy the fun and convenience of a UK family break.
“Second homes and holiday apartments are an unattainable dream for many people as they can be expensive to buy, maintain, and manage.
“Butlins is one of the UK’s most popular and best-trusted holiday brands. By introducing BlueSkies in our 70th anniversary year, we are aiming to create a development that is luxurious, flexible, great value, and guarantees a first-rate family holiday.”

• Our photograph shows the BlueSkies first phase nearing completion. Photo submitted.