PEW – Nature Notes for May 2022
Cow Parsley
The link below takes you to a version of the PEW article with colour photographs instead of black & white.
Cow Parsley
The link below takes you to a version of the PEW article with colour photographs instead of black & white.
A reminder that you can sign up for free email warnings about online and other scams from Which?
Details here: which.co.uk/scam-alert-service/
Just a reminder that there is a Defibrillator Awareness Session being held on Saturday 30th April between 10am and midday. Thank to those who have already let me know you are attending, but there is room for plenty more.
You can just turn up but please email the Clerk on clerk@westburysubmendip-pc.gov.uk if you would like to attend so that numbers can just be kept an eye on.
The Mendip West Neighbouring Policing Team have offered to run some more Beat Surgery dates in the Square.
The dates are as follows:- Wednesday 11th May – 2-3pm, Tuesday 7th June – 3-4pm, Monday 4th July 10.30am – 11.30am
Westbury Sub Mendip Parish Council are holding a joint event with Priddy Parish Council on Thursday 2nd June at Deer Leap. A beacon will be lit to start the celebrations for the Platinum Queens Jubilee. The Parish Council have been asked if they they would be able to provide between six and eight people to act as stewards for the evening. You would need to be available from about 7.30pm until about 10.30pm, the beacon is being lit at 9.45pm.
If anyone is interested please contact Sue Isherwood and your details will be passed on.
An invitation to all Westbury residents from Footlights
On the evening of Saturday June 4th there will be a free party on the village playing fields brought to you by Footlights. Entertainment will be a live seven piece dIsco and dance band, a Westbury’s Got Talent talent show and potentially other acts.
The event will be in a marquee and the idea is to bring your own picnic. Andy from the Westbury will provide a bar so bring the whole family. It will start at 6.30 pm and run to 9.30 / 10.00 pm. You may want to bring picnic blankets, chairs and even a table. Our just bring yourself.
If you wish to enter the Westbury’s Got Talent show, it’s open to anyone of any age. A full PA is provided so if you sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, breath fire, swallow swords, ride a unicycle or anything else, please enter. The contest will be split in to younger performers and older performers.
If you wish to enter or want further details, email Footlights at burrowsncb@aol.com. Do join us at a special party to celebrate the Queen and her remarkable jubilee.
The April 2022 Parish Council Newsletter is available here:
Everyone is invited to the annual Defibrillator Awareness Session being held on Saturday 30th April in the village hall between 10am and midday.
Everyone is invited to just turn up but please could you let the Parish Clerk know on clerk@westburysubmendip-pc.gov.uk so that a eye can be kept on numbers.
Thank you and the Parish Council looks forward to seeing people there.
All residents of Westbury Sub Mendip are invited to attend the Annual Parish Meeting to be held on Sunday 10th April at 6pm in the Village Hall. Refreshments will be provided.
On Saturday 18th February a questionnaire concerning the church commissioners’ proposals for development at Roughmoor lane was sent to residents of Westbury- sub-Mendip. It was circulated by the distribution system set up by the parish council emergency planning committee. The system, developed throughout the covid pandemic, is designed to contact every household in the village via email, or, where this is not possible, via paper copies.
Over 250 people, around a third of the adult population, responded and a summary of the results is given below. A PowerPoint presentation containing the results is available on the village website.
The numbers participating in the survey are impressive given that the average turnout in the much better advertised local government elections is also around 35% and indicates the level of interest in this application. Although it is difficult to be certain, those responding appear to be broadly representative of the village community.
The survey divided houses in the village into 5 areas – those living along the A371 and those north and south of the road, each of these latter areas split east and west. The responses received closely reflected the number of houses in each area. It is clear therefore that a majority of responses were from people not in the area immediately facing the development who might be expected to have specific and strongly held views on the matter and can be taken as an indication of village opinion as a whole.
The survey respondents were in the main elderly (51% aged 65+) retired (46.2%) and in households without children (81%) Compared with the 2011 census data those over the age of 75 seem overrepresented and those in the 25-44 age group underrepresented. Two thirds of responses, however, came from those aged 45-74 and this is not out of line with the proportions shown in the earlier census data (63%)
This possible bias towards older residents might help explain the level of interest in bungalows suitable for older people wanting to downsize. It may understate the level of interest in other types of housing.
In terms of specific issues,
A number of questions asked about housing and housing needs. Thirty people (12% of respondents) said that someone in their family had had to leave the village because of a shortage of affordable housing within the last five years. Some 58 people, just under a quarter of all responses, felt that a family member might have to leave for the same reason within the next five. It reinforces anecdotal evidence that the existing housing stock provides few opportunities for the young or the less affluent to remain in Westbury.
Similarly, forty-three people (17%) felt that they or a family member might have to leave because of a lack of smaller properties suitable for downsizing. When asked what type of property would best meet their needs if they wished to relocate within the village in future, 50% said a bungalow.
There were three open questions in the survey asking people for their single greatest concern about the church commissioners’ proposals, the most positive aspect of them, and finally an opportunity to make any other comments. Not everyone took this opportunity, but the answers show a consistent pattern
Q What is your single greatest concern about the Church Commissioners’ proposals for Roughmoor Lane?
2.Road traffic issues 54
3.Overdevelopment in general 42
4.Environmental issues. 11
5.Fear of creeping growth/distrust of CC 9
6.Community use area and placement. 6
Q What do you feel is the most positive aspect of the proposed development?
Q Is there anything else you would like to say about the development proposed by the Church Commissioners?
1.Lack of consideration of community needs 39
4.Shortsightedness of not including the brownfield site 12