by Town Clerk | Feb 5, 2019 |
5th February 2019
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 87 of the Local Government Act 1972 that one vacancy has occurred on the Bruton Town Council.
Unless a request for an election to be held is submitted in writing to the Proper Officer of South Somerset District Council at Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2HT by Thursday 19th February 2019 by ten electors for the Parish of Bruton, the Town Council will proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option.
Kathy McCarthy
Town Clerk
by Councillor James Hood | Jan 22, 2019 |
A public consultation on the future of the Bruton Unionist Club, its building and its site begins on 29 January 2019 and will run until 5 pm on Friday 8 March 2019. There are lots of ways you can take part:
Complete our online questionnaire here.
OR Print off and complete a paper copy of the questionnaire here,
OR collect a paper copy from the Community Office, 26 High Street before 5 pm on Friday 8 March 2019.
Return paper questionnaires to either the Community Office or to Church Bridge Stores.
Events
Come along and have your say:
- Thursday 28 February, The Unionist Hall, Quaperlake Street. Exact times and details to follow
- Saturday 2 March, 10.00 to 4.00, Clubroom downstairs At The Chapel. Further details to follow.
Quick comment
Leave a comment for us below. We won’t normally be responding, but you comment will be noted.
Why is this consultation taking place?
We are having this public consultation to ensure that there is an exciting future for the Club, its building, and its site. With your help the potential of the club to provide events and entertainments for Brutonians both young and old can be fulfilled.
The discussions between the Town Council and the Unionist Club are a once in a generation chance to make people’s wish for a modern multi-purpose community centre in our town a reality. We and the Club want as many Club members, residents and organisations as possible to take part in this consultation about its future, so that the Club can make the best decision for its members and for the town.
Who is paying for this?
The consultation is entirely funded by an Awards for All National Lottery Grant. You can read the text of the Town Council’s successful grant application here (the application is completed online, so it is not possible to share the completed form).
Background information
The Town Council’s Programme Plan: describes the Council’s overall plan for development of the Unionist Hall, including the work that will be done if the Unionist Club decide that they wish to go ahead. This decision has not yet been taken. The fact that we have a plan doesn’t necessarily mean that everything in it will happen.
The Stage Two Business Case: explains why the Council has decided to proceed to this stage of the Plan, (which includes the Community Consultation).
The Town Council thought it important that the consultation was seen to be independent from both the Unionist Club and the Council itself. We therefore ran a procurement exercise and have awarded a contract to Counterculture Partnership LLP to do the work.
You can read more about Counterculture on their website here.
You can read the procurement documentation here.
by Councillor James Hood | Dec 7, 2018 |
111 residents attended a consultation arranged by Acorn Property Group at the Unionist Club yesterday. This was the first public presentation of Acorn’s early proposals for development on land to the south of Brewham Road.
Bruton Town Councillors were invited to a separate earlier consultation (shown in the picture). The Council has not yet discussed the proposals, so it does not have an opinion as to their merits. However this development is on one of the sites that the Council has identified as potentially suitable for housing development in our 2017 Town Plan.
Although the Council has not yet formed an opinion on these proposals we think it important that as many residents as possible know of them and have the opportunity to comment. Those who were not able to attend can view Acorn’s presentation here.
To give direct feedback to Acorn email at info@origin3.co.uk.
by Councillor James Hood | Nov 5, 2018 |
There has been widespread publicity about Somerset County Council’s decision to close a number of its libraries, including Bruton, unless a Community Group takes them over. The decision has not come as a surprise, and the Trustees of Bruton Library have been working with the Town Council during the past year to ensure that Bruton’s Library does not close.
Bruton’s Library building belongs to the Bruton Library Trust, not the County Council. The Trustees have notified the County Council of their wish to run the Library as a Community Library, and have recruited a pool of volunteers to assist with this. The intention is that the County Council will continue to supply books, its electronic catalogue, membership and lending systems and the inter-library loan service, whilst the volunteers will staff the library. In the short term the Trust will pay the County Council for the services of a part-time senior librarian. Bruton Town Council has agreed in principle to give the Trust a £4,000 grant next year to assist.
The Trustees are keen to use the building for other activities and services, which would, they feel, make it more of a focus for the community and encourage more people to make use of both the Library and its facilities.
The Library remains open Tuesday 2pm–5.30pm, Friday 10am–1.30pm and 2.30pm–5.30pm, and Saturday 10am–1pm.
Additional volunteers are very welcome. Please contact Mike Streatfeild, Trustee, on 01749 813 275.
by Stuart Anderton | Oct 1, 2018 |
Somerset County Council are considering investing in creating an enterprise centre in Bruton to support local businesses and to help new ones get going.
They are looking to find out if there is demand in the town and surrounding villages, and Bruton Town Council are hosting a drop-in session on Thursday October 4th to give you an opportunity to find out more and let the county council know if you’d support the scheme. The drop in session is at the Unionist Club from 3pm to 7.30pm.
The Bruton Enterprise Centre, if it gets local support, will become one of the latest additions to the long established and successful Somerset Enterprise Network. The centre will deliver over 350 square metres of office and studio floor space and the same amount of light industrial units. Units will have NGA broadband and will be let on all-inclusive, easy-in, easy-out terms and will be open to new businesses and established SMEs. It will be on the From Road, near Burrowfield.
The network offers business support which is carried out by the centre operators and is open to both tenants and external businesses. Support available includes:
- An initial business assessment as tenants arrive at the centre;
- Referrals on to existing business support provision, ensuring alignment wherever possible.
- Offering business support, including business planning and reviewing, assisting the preparation of funding applications and offering general business advice.
- Organising and hosting networking events and themed talks around topics of interest to businesses.
- Creation of an intranet that allows tenants to interact, access support and explore business opportunities.
- Regular catch ups with tenants to identify any emerging support needs with effective referrals then made.
- Tailored business support services where no provision is identified to be available through mainstream routes.
