News

Flood Wessex (part of the Environment Agency) have written to us:

“It has been an exceptionally wet autumn and winter in Somerset. Between October and February, catchments such as the Axe and the Brue have seen their wettest period on record, and the whole county has been affected by extreme rainfall events. Hundreds of properties have been flooded in dozens of communities, either from surface water, groundwater or fluvial flooding.

“Together with our partners, Somerset Council and the Environment Agency have been working closely together to respond to flooding when it occurs, and to support communities to recover. As climate change makes wetter winters and extreme weather events more likely, community resilience is more important than ever, and we will continue to support communities to be as prepared as they can be for flooding.”

They have produced two new guides: a flood action guide with preparedness information, and a recovery guide for those recently affected by flooding.

Reporting flooding

We have added some links to the home page of our website, and further information can be found on our Reporting Flooding page.

Funding and Grants

• The Government’s Flood Recovery Framework is used in exceptional circumstances to support councils and communities following severe flooding. This has been activated for the areas most affected by Storm Henk. Somerset Council have opened applications from residents or businesses who have been affected by flooding between 2 – 12 January. The closing date for applications is 29th March for Community Recovery Grants, or 31st March for Council Tax Discounts, Business Rates Discounts and Business Recovery Grants. Flood Recovery from Storm Henk (somerset.gov.uk)
• Households that were flooded between 2-12 January may also be able to apply for up to £5,000 to install Property Flood Resilience measures as part of flood repairs, and farms that have suffered uninsurable damage from Storm Henk may be able to apply for grants up to £25,000. Applications are not yet open for these schemes.
• Somerset Prepared provide grants of up to £5,000 for communities to purchase equipment that will help them to better respond to emergencies. For more information, please visit https://www.somersetprepared.org.uk/get-support/funding-support
• There are also grants available through a Wessex Water scheme: https://www.wessexwater.co.uk/visit-and-learn/funding

(Information supplied by the Environment Agency)

Wembdon Parish Council have received complaints from members of the public that dog poo bags have been left next to, and even inside, the grit bin on Wembdon Hill. This is both inappropriate and a health risk.

If you have witnessed bags being left there, and/or know the names of the culprit(s), please contact the Parish Clerk. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can phone him on 07859 911204.

If you have been a culprit, please dispose of dog poo appropriately from now on. There are litter bins nearby, which you can use for dog poo, provided that it is securely bagged. Alternatively, you can use one of the many red dog waste bins around the Parish. Better stiil, TAKE IT HOME, and put it in your black bin!

There will be temporary traffic lights on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th March on Wembdon Rise, between Homburg Way and Inwood Road. This is to allow Openreach to carry out “Utility Asset Works”. A pedestrian walkway will be provided through the works.

The Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2024 will take place from 15 – 31 March, and you can pledge to pick up a bag of litter.

Pledging to take part couldn’t be easier, simply pledge as an individual, a group or a school and let us know how many bags you pledge to pick up. Make your Pledge at www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved.

You can also find details on social media: @KeepBritainTidy, #GBSpringClean and #BigBagChallenge.

Wembdon Parish Council Supports the Keep Britain Tidy Environmental Campaign.

Openreach are planning to replace a telegraph pole in each of Perry Green Road and Moores Lane, which will require each road to be closed for the duration of the work. The closure of Perry Green Road is scheduled for 18th March, and that of Moores Lane for 19th March. Each closure is nominally from 08:00 to 16:30, although we have been told that the work is only expected to last until late morning, after which the road will be re-opened.

The official notices of closure (Perry Green Road and Moores Lane) state that each is expected to last two days, which makes it appear that both roads will be closed on 19th March. However, Wembdon Parish Council has been assured that access will be maintained to Perry Green, and that the two roads will not be closed at the same time!

Residents in the affected sections should still be able to access their properties.

From Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th March, Wessex Water will have termporary traffic lights on Wembdon Hill, close to the junction with Hollow Lane. They will be replacing a stop tap. They state that an alternative route will be provided for pedestrians.

Somerset Council has been appointed and funded by Defra to lead the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Somerset. The LNRS is about creating a blueprint for the recovery of nature across the country. 

Working with partners they are developing Somerset’s LNRS strategy, which will help focus the work for a full range of organisations and groups, involved and invested in nature recovery in the county.

To help shape the strategy, they also want to gain local knowledge from those who live and work here. 

Somerset Council have launched a public consultation which is open until 30th April. You can take part by visiting www.somerset.gov.uk/lnrs .

Most of the households in the Parish should have received a copy of the latest Parish Paper by now. If you haven’t received yours yet, don’t worry – it’s on its way.

If you think you should have a copy, and haven’t received it by the end of the first week of March, 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.

On Monday 4th March, Openreach will be working on Wembdon Rise, between Homburg Way and Inwood Road. They will have temporary traffic lights in place from 09:30 to 15:30. A pedestrian walkway will be provided through the works.

From Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th March, Wessex Water will have termporary traffic lights at the top of Sandford Hill, by the junction with Skimmerton Lane and Moore’s Lane. They will be installing a water meter.

There will be temporary traffic lights from Wednesday 28th February to Friday 1st March on Wembdon Rise, between Inwood Road and Wares Lane. This is to allow Wessex Water to renew a stop tap. A pedestrian walkway will be provided through the works.

For further information about the work, you can contact Wessex Water on 0345 600 4 600.