Website maintenance
From around 10:00 on Tuesday morning, 18th February, our website will be unavailable while a software update is carried out. The work is not expected to take very long.
We apologise in advance for any inconvenience.
News
Fire service consultation – automatic fire alarms
The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service are running a consultation process to see how they can reduce the number of automatic fire alarms that are attended, with a view to making the Service more efficient, and to ensure that firefighters are able to respond to genuine emergencies. Crews respond to an average of 16 false alarms every day due to automatic fire alarms.
An automatic fire alarm (AFA) automatically alerts people that smoke or fire is present in a building. Some alarms, commonly in domestic properties, sound to alert people in the vicinity, while others – more likely properties managed by businesses or occupied by people who are vulnerable – trigger a response from the fire service.
How should the Fire and Rescue Service respond to automatic fire alarms?
Similar to smoke alarms in homes, AFAs in businesses can raise an alarm when there isn’t an emergency, equivalent to when we burn the toast or when dust sets off the alarm.
Chief Fire Officer Gavin Ellis said: “We will always attend if someone has reported a sign of fire. We will also always attend domestic properties, such as houses, or where there is a known night-time sleeping risk.
“I’m aware that any change to fire response can make people feel unsettled. Any change is only to what we will do in response to an automatic alert, not a report of a fire.”
As part of this consultation, the Fire service are hosting online question and answer sessions, to answer any questions that people might have about the proposals and listen to their views. At each session, people from across Devon and Somerset will hear from senior leaders in the fire service about the proposed changes and the impact that responding to automatic fire alarms has on the Service, as well as having time to ask any questions.
The dates are:
- Tuesday 25 February, 2-3pm
- Wednesday 12 March, 12-1pm
- Thursday 20 March, 6-7pm
Information about how to join these events is available on the Fire and Rescue Service website. The information on the website sets out the reasons why the Service feel that further change is needed and the options that are being proposed to tackle the problem.
You can tell the Fire Service what you think about the options using their online survey, or you can send a letter to a letter to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Knowle, Clyst St George, Exeter EX3 0NW.
For further information, email rightresponse@dsfire.gov.uk, visit the Fire and Rescue Service website or call 01392 261287.
Potential closure of Blakes Road – 13th to 18th February
National Grid have announced that they will be making a new service connection in Blakes Road, and that the road will be closed outside numbers 5 & 7 from Thursday 13th to Tuesday 18th February. However, it appears that Somerset Council have yet to issue the required permit. Until that happens, the closure cannot be confirmed.
We will monitor the situation, and provide an update once we know more.
Temporary traffic lights on Wembdon Hill 11th to 13th February
From Tuesday 11th to Thurssday 13th February, Wessex Water will have temporary traffic lights on Wembdon Hill, near number 110. They will be repairing a leak ithe water main, and reinstating the carriageway afterwards.
Wembdon St George’s School Streets trial
A School Street is a road (or a number of roads) outside a school, with a temporary restriction on motorised vehicles at the start and the end of the school day.
The School Streets scheme for Wembdon St George’s School started on 13th January, and will continue for at least 6 months. Further details of the scheme can be found on Somerset Council’s website. Somerset Council are encouraging feedback and comments from the public, which will be taken into account when they decide whether to make the School Street permanent. You can complete the online survey before 13th July 2025, or send them a letter by post or email.
They say that if you wish to send a letter or email, please be sure to:
- Include reasons for any comments you make regarding any decision to make an
Order for the indefinite continuation of this scheme. Comments in support of the
scheme are also invited. - Send all comments in writing to Somerset Council, Traffic Management, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY or by email to TROinbox@somerset.gov.uk.
- Quote reference ET10122024;
- Send your letter by the 13th July 2025.
Experimental TRO for Wembdon St George’s Church School
Experimental TRO for Wembdon St George’s; This will prohibit motor vehicles along the entire length of Brantwood Road during term times, between the hours of 08.25 to 09.00 and 15.10 to 15.45 Monday to Friday from Monday 13th January.
It was advertised in the Bridgwater Mercury on the 7th of January and will commence on the 13th of January as planned. The school is fully equipped, trained and ready to implement the School Streets plan, and we are anticipating a PCSO presence for the first 2 weeks.
The consultation process is still ongoing. The Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) is set to run for 18 months, and further consultation will be launched on 13 January 2025, and will run for 6 months. This will be through the Somerset Council Citizens Space portal. The scheme will undergo a full review at the end of the initial phase of the trial period (6 months), and this consultation will further shape the way the street is managed in the future. We do encourage feedback to help the project evolve. The survey will be launched at the link below:
Progress on Bridgwater Tidal Barrier
Work started in earnest on the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier in 2024. The year’s progress was summarised in a Newsletter recently published by the team.
Temporary traffic lights on Wembdon Rise – 10th – 14th January
From Friday 10th to Tuesday 14th January, Wessex Water will have termporary traffic lights on Wembdon Rise, near number 74. They will be repairing a leak in a domestic supply pipe, and reinstating the carriageway and/or pavement afterwards.
Wembdon Parish Paper edition 46
Most households in Wembdon should by now have received their copy of the latest Parish Paper, delivered by our volunteer Parish Councillors. If you haven’t already received yours yet, it should be dropping through your letterbox in the next few days.
If you think you should have a copy, and haven’t received it by 5th December, please contact our clerk with your name, address and phone number, and he will sort it out for you.
As usual, there will be some spare copies available at Wembdon Village Hall, the Parish Centre, the Cottage Inn and Greenway Garage. Or you can read it online.
Waldrons Lane closed for emergency repairs
Temporary Road Closure: ttro788109N – KIER – Middle Drove, Wembdon
Please follow the link to view the above road closure; https://one.network/?tm=140242293 and the link for the Notice 2: https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/1111/03-notice-2_140242293_3791228_29f5402e32.pdf
The order becomes effective on 8th October 2024 and will remain in force for eighteen months. The works are expected to commence on 17th October 2024 and last for 166 days to enable Kier to carry out safety repairs on behalf of Somerset Highways.
The contractor has indicated that access for Emergency Services through the site is not permitted on this occasion. For any further information about this closure please contact Somerset Highways on 0300 123 2224, quoting reference: ttro788109N.