Parish Council clarifies its role

Horsington Parish Council exists to care for local amenities within the parish and to represent our community’s interests to South Somerset District Council and beyond.  In common with other town and parish councils across the country, councillors are elected on a four-yearly basis if sufficient candidates stand.  Horsington Parish Council comprises seven councillors.  For the upcoming election in May 2019, only seven candidates are standing and so all will automatically be elected unopposed.  Parish councillors are unpaid and work entirely on a voluntary basis.

Each councillor must, by law, register personal interests which may influence their decision making.  A register of councillor’s interests can be found on the South Somerset District Council website.  Additionally, councillors are required to declare any interests related to any agenda item at the start of each meeting; where a conflict of interests could exist, councillors are required to leave the room whilst that agenda item is discussed.

The Parish Council meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7.30pm at Horsington Village Hall.  An agenda is posted to the noticeboards in Horsington and South Cheriton, and to the Parish Council website, in advance of each meeting.  Each meeting commences with a Public Forum – an opportunity for anyone to formally communicate views or raise issues to the council.  There is no need to provide advance notice that you are coming however, if you do let the Clerk know, he will normally notify the Chair and/or other councillors to ensure the council is prepared.  Please note that, in most circumstances, views or issues raised in the Public Forum will be noted but won’t be debated there and then – if there is a need for debate this will be added to a future agenda to advise other parishioners and allow them to register their views.

The Parish Council’s work includes looking after our community amenities including the play area, the wildlife pond, the churchyard and cemetery.  The Parish Council works hard to ensure that these are safe and well maintained – this involves working with contractors for things like grass cutting and tree surgery, ensuring all the appropriate insurances and permissions are in place, arranging safety inspections and liaising with multiple parties when administering the cemetery.  The Parish Council also undertakes a number of other activities including working with other organisations to ensure that footpaths are clear and well maintained, helping ensure that problems with the highways are reported and ensuring that grit bins are topped up for the winter months.

The Parish Council also has a role in the planning process.  The council objectively reviews all applications made within the parish and, taking views received from parishioners into account, makes comments to South Somerset District Council.  The Parish Council has no decision-making authority and can only make comments based on valid planning considerations – there are a surprising number of aspects which do not form legally admissible considerations!  South Somerset District Council may or may not choose to incorporate the Parish Council comments into their planning decision.

The Parish Council is funded largely through the precept – the part of your council tax that comes to the parish.  The precept funds the grass cutting & tree surgery, pays the Clerk’s wages and covers insurances, memberships, inspections, accountancy etc. as required by law.  The Parish Council does not aim to build a surplus and, with the exception of a small fund that is used to clear the silt from the pond on a two to three yearly basis, the precept is generally spent within the financial year.  A small amount of funding is also obtained from the sale of cemetery plots – this represents a very small part of the budget.  Larger projects, such as the rejuvenation of the wildlife pond or the replacement play equipment, are funded through grants.  The Parish Council applies to South Somerset District Council, local business or other community groups for any such grants.

Financial accounts, meeting agendas, meeting minutes and other documents as required by law can be found on our website (kindly provided by the Horsington Village Hall Committee): http://horsingtonvillagehall.co.uk/?page_id=99.  This site is linked from the South Somerset District Council website or can also be found by Googling ‘Horsington Parish Council’.

The Parish Council is keen to ensure that our community is represented effectively, so if you have views or issues that you feel have been overlooked please let us know or come along to a Public Forum – you’ll be very welcome!

April 2019

January Diary

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Regular activities (Village Hall unless stated).

Monday Pilates 1

 

Pilates 2

 5.30 -6.30pm

 

6.45 – 7.45pm
Tuesday Upholstery 10.30am
  Badminton 8 pm
Wednesday Free  
Thursday Art 10am
Friday Art 10am
Saturday Free  

Other activities

 

Wed 2nd Music Night at Half Moon Inn 8.30pm
Sat 5th National Trust Association.  Talk on Brunel’s Ships by Philip Unwin.  Digby Hall, Sherborne 2.30pm
Mon 7th Ladies Pub Lunch. King’s Arms, Charlton Horethorne Lunch
Thurs 10th Parish Council meeting.  Village Hall   7.30pm
Thurs 17th W.I Panto Visit.  Charlton Horethorne Village Hall 7.30pm
St John’s Church Services  
6th January Holy Communion with Sunday School 9.15am
13th January Morning Prayer 11.00am
20th January Holy Communion 9.15am
24th January Induction of Rev’d Kevin Rogers at Henstridge 7.00pm
27th January Holy Communion 11.00am
     
Churchwardens Anne Jones 370626
Rosemarie Wigley 371478		  

 

December Diary

Regular activities (Village Hall unless stated).

Monday Pilates 1

Pilates 2

 5.30 -6.30pm

6.45 – 7.45pm
Tuesday Upholstery 10.30am
Badminton 8 pm
Wednesday Free
Thursday Art 10am
Friday Art 10am
Saturday Free

Other activities

 

Sat 1st National Trust: Yeovilton Military Wives Choir.  Digby Hall, Sherborne 2.30pm
Sat 1st Miracle on 34th Street     3.30pm
A Christmas Carol.              6.00pm
Where West Begins Wincanton Christmas Extravaganza.  Wincanton Town Hall
Mon 3rd Ladies Pub Lunch. Coppleridge, Motcombe Lunch
Wed 5th Music Night at the Half Moon 8.30pm
Thurs 6th W.I Christmas meal.  King’s Arms, Charlton Horethorne Lunch
Thurs 13th Parish Council meeting.  Village Hall 7.30pm
Fri 14th Film: The Happy Prince. Milborne Port Village hall 7.30pm
St John’s Church Services
2nd December Holy Communion with Sunday School 9.15am
9th December Morning Prayer 11.00am
16th December Holy Communion 9.15am
24th December Carol Service 6.00pm
25th December Christmas Morning Worship 9.15am
30th December United Service. Holy Communion 10.30am
Churchwardens Anne Jones 370626
Rosemarie Wigley 371478

 

November Diary

Regular activities (Village Hall unless stated).

Monday Pilates 1

Pilates 2

 5.30 -6.30pm

6.45 – 7.45pm
Tuesday Upholstery 10.30am
Badminton 8 pm
Wednesday Free
Thursday Art 10am
Friday Art 10am
Saturday Free

Other activities

Thurs 1st W.I.  Celebration Garlands by Jennie Barham.  Village Hall 7.30pm
Fri 2nd Leading from the Home Front a talk by Lt Col Lucy Giles.  St John’s Church 7.30pm
Sat 3rd National Trust Association.  Digby Hall, Sherborne.  Artist’s View of 19th Century Rural Britain – Felicity Herring 2.30pm
Mon 5th Ladies Pub lunch. King’s Arms, East Stour Lunch
Wed 7th Music Night at Half Moon 8.30pm
Thurs 8th Parish Council meeting.  Village Hall 7.30pm
Fri 9th “There but not There” service at War Memorial and St John’s Church 10.00am
Thurs 15th Charlton Horethorne and District Gardening Club.  Trent Village Hall 7.00pm
Sat 17th The Winter Fair.  The Balsam Centre, Wincanton 10am- 1.30pm
Fri 23rd Wincanton History Society Talk on the last of the French Impressionists by Philip Schofield.  Memorial Hall 7.30pm
Fri 23rd Film. Journey’s End. Milborne Port Village Hall 7.30pm
St John’s Church Services
4th November Holy Communion with Sunday School

All Soul’s Day Service

 9.15am

3pm
11th November Act of Remembrance at War Memorial

Service of Remembrance

 10.50 am

11.00am
18th November Holy Communion

Baptism

 9.15am

11am
25th November Holy Communion (BCP) 8.30am
Churchwardens Anne Jones 370626
Rosemarie Wigley 371478