The March Council

Last evening we held the March Shepton Mallet Town Council meeting.

There were some issues of interest.

Mendip Council has set up a new schemes, the local legacy fund and community environment fund, one about £250,000 and the other giving district councillors £2000 to spend on local scheme. I said that although this was nice, this does not tackle the problem of affordable housing, as this money comes from central government from a new homes dividend, i suggested that this could build a few needed homes.

The policy is wrong headed as this coupled with mendip councils failure to achieve a high percentage of affordable housing in new housing development, local people are being let down by the Conservative dominated Mendip Council.

We debated the concerns of sheptonians concerns about building on the Mid Somerset showfield, i proposed although the proposal was not taken, that the council should readopt the position of no building on the showfield and I believe any new housing development should adjoin established housing to the south of Ridgeway and to the south west of St Peters estate. the Town Council missed an opportunity to show the community that we need to defend our green spaces such as the showfield and west shepton playing fields.

A couple of good community stories, cllr Champion is organising the competition for the new Town crier. We also awarded the bell ringers £500 for new equipment.,

The Council agreed the concept plan for new paving in the Town Centre, this will essentially be new paving on the current levels, the company doing this work will now bring forward more details plans.

That's about it for the march council meeting