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 |
Please come and help paint the war memorial fencing
Volunteers wanted to help to tidy up, rub down and re paint the War Memorial fencing, before an event on 9th November, and of course the service of remembrance on November 11th.
Planned dates:
Tuesday 23rd October 10am
Friday 2nd November 10am
Please contact Steve Miles miles632@btinternet.com
September 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 | Horsington Open Golf. Henstridge Golf Course | 10.00am |
| Mon 3rd | Ladies Pub Lunch. White Hart Yetminster | Lunch |
| Wed 5th | Music Night at Half Moon Inn | 8.30pm |
| Thurs 6th | W.I meeting | 7.30pm |
| Thurs 13th | Parish Council meeting. Village Hall | 7.30pm |
| Fri 21st | Film: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Milborne Port Village Hall | 7.30pm |
| Fri 28th | Wincanton History Society talk about Napoleonic Prisoners of War by John Baxter. Memorial Hall, Wincanton | 7.30pm |
| Sat 27th October | Village Dinner at St Margaret’s Hall | 7.30pm |
| St John’s Church | Services | |
| 2nd September | Holy Communion with Sunday School | 9.15am |
| 9th September | Morning Prayer | 11 am |
| 16th September | Holy Communion | 9.15am |
| 23rd September | Harvest Thanksgiving | 6.30pm |
| 30th September | United Service at Henstridge | 1030am |
| Churchwardens | Anne Jones 370626 Rosemarie Wigley 371478 |
5 Years of the Horsington Open
The Horsington Open is 5 years old. Here’s our poster gallery.
To book your place in the 2018 competition
click here
Book your place in the Horsington Open
