Winter 2016
South Somerset News
The latest news, information and events in South Somerset
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
Coming soon - Somerset's
newest entertainment venue
Work on site continues to proceed well, with
the first elements of the overall project, the
new Sport and Fitness Centre opening soon
on 3 January 2017 and the Business, Conference and Entertainment
Centre on 27 March 2017.
The Sports and Fitness Centre will provide a range of the very latest
LifeFitness equipment, an extensive programme of classes and a fully
refurbished sports hall and squash courts. Ideal for those who want to
kick-start 2017 and join the gym in the New Year.
In response to popular demand, the venue - now under the
management of South Somerset District Council - is to keep the
name Westlands. Many members of the public asked for this during
extensive consultation and in a naming competition.
The new logo has been inspired by the former Agusta Westland logo
and tailored to complement The Octagon Theatre branding - the
Octagon Theatre is also owned and managed by South Somerset
District Council.
Opening of the Business, Conference and Entertainment Centre will
follow in late March 2017 and promises some exciting performances.
CBeebies mega-star Justin Fletcher (a.k.a. Mr Tumble) will appear in
April and German comedian, Henning Wehn - star of QI, Live At The
Apollo and Would I Lie to You - is confirmed for May 2017.
The first events are now on sale via www.westlandsyeovil.co.uk.
Follow Westlands on Facebook (WestlandsYeovil) or on Twitter
(@WestlandsYeovil). Find out more about refurbishment of the
complex at www.southsomerset.gov.uk/westlandslauch.
In this edition...
2
4
6
Waste and recycling this
Christmas
Your community
What's on
Recycle your real Christmas
tree
Find out where you can recycle
your natural Christmas tree in
South Somerset
See page 2
Winter is coming: Prepare
your property
Think about preparing your
property this winter to help stop
flood water getting into your
property
See page 4
Keeping busy
There's plenty of things for you
to do this Christmas and well into
the New Year
See page 6
Help and support for your
group or project
Find out what support and advice
South Somerset District Council
can offer your group or project
Above: Artist's impression showing the front of the Business,
Conference and Entertainment Centre at Westlands.
Visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/ninespringscafe
See page 7
2 Waste and recycling
Dreaming of a green Christmas
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
A summary of all collection dates during the festive period is shown in
the table below.
In the two weeks after Christmas, all recycling, rubbish and clinical
collections are one day later, including Friday pick-ups on Saturday, and
a Monday collection on Bank Holiday Tuesday 27 December. During
that fortnight, there are no garden waste collections. Usual services
resume from Monday 9 January 2017.
Lots of recycling, especially cardboard? If you have space, store to
put out some each week. If you have time and transport, take it all to a
recycling site. Recycling sites will close on close Christmas Day, Boxing
Day and New Year's Day, but otherwise stay on their usual schedules.
Vans, pick-ups and (car-towed) trailers need free recycle site permits.
Order them at www.somersetwaste.gov.uk.
Normal Collection Day
Revised Collection Day
Monday 19 December to
Friday 23 December
Monday 26 December
No change
Tuesday 27 December
Wednesday 28 December
Wednesday 28 December
Thursday 29 December
Thursday 29 December
Friday 30 December
Friday 30 December
Saturday 31 December
Monday 2 January
Tuesday 3 January
Tuesday 3 January
Wednesday 4 January
Wednesday 4 January
Thursday 5 January
Thursday 5 January
Friday 6 January
Friday 6 January
Saturday 7 January
Monday 9 January
Usual collections resume
Tuesday 27 December
Recycle your real Christmas tree
Residents in South Somerset will be able to leave
their natural Christmas trees for shredding and
recycling at various sites across the district.
A full list of the sites will be available from Monday
19 December on our website at:
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/xmastreerecycling
Please deposit your tree anytime from Boxing
Day until Monday 16 January, when the shredding
operation will start.
You can also find alternative ways to recycle your
tree on our Christmas tree recycling webpage:
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/xmastreerecycling.
Stay safe and stress-free with these tips about Christmas
dinner leftovers
While 43% of people feel that buying presents is their biggest Christmas
worry, cooking dinner comes second. You can cut the stress with these
leftovers tips:
• Plan ahead: eat your freezer content to have room for surplus festive food.
• Save time and cut waste by splitting leftovers into portions before cooling
and freezing.
• Cool leftovers quickly, ideally within one hour. Once cold, freeze for later
or cover and keep in the fridge for up to two days (just one day for cooked
rice).
• Best to defrost leftovers in the fridge overnight or in a microwave (defrost
setting), not on the counter top. Reheat until piping hot.
• Maximise the shelf-life of fresh food: check your fridge is 1C to 5C and not
stuffed full – air needs to circulate for fridges to work effectively.
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
Healthy communities
Healthy Lifestyles team gets South
Somerset moving
3
SSDC's Healthy Lifestyles Team is setting up an exciting array of
opportunities to get active. Here are just a few of the ways you can
join in.
Walking Football is now also available in Langport, Wincanton and
Crewkerne, following successful sessions in Yeovil. Walking Football
brings all the excitement of the beautiful game but is more suitable
for older participants or those returning from injury.
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/walkingfootball
Sport50 is really taking off with sessions now running right across
South Somerset. Sport50 offers opportunities for older people to try Seated Volleyball, Boccia, Table Tennis
and many more activities. Visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/sport50 to find out more.
Health Walks continue to grow in the district with new walks launching in Bruton, Castle Cary, Ilminster and
Yeovil. Our Walking for Health accredited scheme is the ideal way to meet friends, gain fitness and explore the
beautiful South Somerset countryside. Fancy setting up a walk in your community? Get in touch, we offer free
training. www.southsomerset.gov.uk/healthwalks.
Cale Park's £186,000 transformation in Wincanton
Young people in Wincanton are climbing, swinging and
sliding to their hearts delight now the transformed Cale
Park play area is officially open.
The exciting play area forms part of a wider masterplan developed by Wincanton Town Council with support from
South Somerset District Council and landscape architects
Redbay Design - for the long term improvement of Cale
Park.
Improvements on the site include a variety of swings, an
all ability toddler multi-unit, sand diggers, a play train, 300
tons of play sand and a 3m high mound which will
accommodate a 2m wide wavy slide and a castle. Access
to the play area has also been improved thanks to a new 18m long pedestrian footbridge over the River Cale.
Read more about the transformation of Wincanton's Cale Park at www.southsomerset.gov.uk/calepark
South Somerset's Gold Star winners
The Gold Star Awards focus on celebrating inspirational
young people and the adult volunteers working with them.
Nine awards were presented at the awards ceremony, held
at South Somerset District Council's Octagon Theatre on
Tuesday 25 October, as well as live performances from The
Dance Academy, Cary Amateur Theatrical Society,
Castaways Theatre Group and the Cherry Trees.
Find out who the winners were in each of the categories at www.southsomerset.gov.uk/goldstars. Photo
courtesy of Christine Jones Event Photography, of Yeovil Press - www.yeovilpress.co.uk
4 Your community
Winter is coming: Prepare your property
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
Flooding is fortunately a rare event, but residents at risk of flooding need to be prepared. At South Somerset
District Council we are proud to be able to help residents by providing sand or gel bags when people find
themselves at risk of flooding. This is a reactive service that also needs to take account of the safety of our
staff. We make every effort to deliver six bags per domestic doorway as quickly and safely as possible.
While it's impossible to completely flood-proof a property, there are lots of things you can do to reduce the
damage flooding can cause. The key is to act now so you're prepared if there's a flood in your area.
Visit www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk for help and advice for
homeowners on being prepared for flooding.
The Environment Agency also offers advice and suggestions
on temporary flood protection equipment for your property.
Download a copy of the Environment Agency ‘What to do
before, during and after a flood’ booklet on their website or
visit the Environment Agency website pages on www.gov.uk.
Left: A flood panel being fixed into position on a door.
Contact the Somerset Local Authorities Civil Contingencies
Unit about creating a Flood Action Plan if you are looking to
do more with measures to help your wider community.
Get involved with Yeovil in Bloom
Make Christmas for someone this year by
setting them up with Careline in 2017.
Careline gives a little extra support to people
who want to go on living at home independently
for as long as possible, while bringing peace of
mind to their family and friends.
Do you...
• Live alone or sometimes feel at risk?
• Have elderly, frail or infirm dependents?
• Worry about their safety in an emergency?
• Want to help them to maintain their
independence?
Community
participation makes
up 25% of the
overall marking for
the South West in
Bloom competition
and the Yeovil in
Bloom team are
looking for more
communities to get
involved in 2017.
If yes, Careline can provide help at the touch of
a button, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!
There is increasing evidence to show that green
spaces have tremendous positive impact on people's
health and wellbeing, so activities such as gardening
and community based projects are excellent for
relaxation and mental stimulation.
For all new installations booked before
31 January 2017 through South Somerset
News, we will offer one month free of charge!
Please quote "South Somerset News" when you
contact us. Tel: 01935 479815 or email:
[email protected]
If you would like to form a community group or you are
already part of a community group and would like to
get involved in projects with Yeovil in Bloom, contact
Lesley Jelleyman with ideas and suggestions on 01935
462837 or email [email protected].
uk.
Initial connections/setup fee £32.70*. Hire and
monitoring £3.81 per week. *This may be waived
for people on certain benefits.
The Yeovil in Bloom initiative is managed and funded
by Yeovil Town Council and delivered with the support
of South Somerset District Council.
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
Your community
Universal Credit in South Somerset
5
The Government has introduced Universal Credit as part of welfare reforms. Universal Credit is a single
monthly payment that will replace six existing benefits for working age people:
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income based)
• Employment and Support Allowance (Income based)
• Working Tax Credit
• Income Support
• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
Universal Credit was initially rolled out in the South Somerset area in April 2015 for single working age job
seekers. From 26th October 2016 part of South Somerset has moved on to the Universal Credit ‘Full Service”.
Full service is for single people, couples and families. People living in certain post codes, and who are not
currently in receipt of Housing Benefit will have to claim Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit.
The Full Service area post codes are: TA10 0, TA19 0, TA19 9, TA20 1, TA20 2, TA20 3, TA20 4, TA3 6.
Change in circumstances
If you currently get Housing Benefit and live in one of the above post codes,
some changes in your circumstance will mean you have to transfer from Housing
Benefit to Universal Credit. When you tell us about your change we can advise
you if you need to move to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions and
not South Somerset District Council. However if you need help to make an online Universal Credit claim the
Council can help you to do this. Appointments are available at our offices in Chard and Petters Way, Yeovil.
For further information on Universal Credit, visit our website at www.southsomerset.gov.uk/universalcredit.
Yeovil Half Marathon returns for 2017
Yeovil Half Marathon will return to the town's streets on Sunday 26 March 2017. The race has always
attracted a lot of interest and if you wish to make 2017 your year, race
entry details and full race information can be seen on
www.yeovilhalf.com.
Most runners come from within a 10 mile radius of the town. If you are
not running yourself, you will surely know someone who is. With up
to 2,000 runners anticipated, why not come along and join the many
thousands of spectators giving fantastic support around the route.
There are plenty of opportunities to become involved in the race, other
than racing yourself. The race relies on a large, enthusiastic team of
local volunteers. If this is something you would like to be part of, please contact the race office at
[email protected] or call 01935 426779.
The Hive is coming to Yeovil
Co-working space is coming to Yeovil at the Yeovil Innovation Centre in December
2016. The Hive will create a highly flexible workspace; perfect for home-based
and mobile workers, business start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Users have the option of either office hour accessibility (9am-5pm) or 24/7 access.
Both hot-desking facilities and permanent desk space will be available. All tariffs
include superfast broadband, free parking, kitchen facilities, business advice,
invitations to monthly networking events, inclusion in the online business directory
on the dedicated website and subscription to the SSDC4Business Newsletter.
For more information or to book a free taster day, call the Economic Development
Team on 01935 462173.
6
What's on
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
Come to Yeovil town centre and support your
local market this Christmas!
Enjoy live music and browse the stalls offering
a variety of goods.
Lower Middle Street, Yeovil
Markets every Tuesday and Friday plus extra dates:
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 December
Monday 19 December
Wednesday 21 December
Thursday 22 December
Saturday 24 December
New traders welcome - contact 07973 725913 for more details.
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/yeovilmarket
Find us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YeovilMarket
Christmas Crafts at Ham Hill
15 December 2016
5.30pm - 7.30pm
Ham Hill Country Park
£5 per child. For more information and
to book, visit
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
Ramin Karimloo: Lead me home
tour
13 January 2017
7.30pm
Octagon Theatre
Purchase tickets for this event at
www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
Ham Hill Egglympics
11 April 2017
Ham Hill Country Park
More info available in January at
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
The Octagon Christmas Celebration
16 December 2016
7.30pm
Octagon Theatre
Purchase tickets for this event at
www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
Tourism Literature Exchange
28 March 2017
Haynes International Motor
Museum
Look out for more details of this event
at www.southsomerset.gov.uk/latest-news
Yeovil Country Park Spring Trail
12 April 2017
Yeovil Country Park
More info available in January at
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
Woodland Activity Day
20 May 2017
Yeovil Country Park
More info available in January at
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
Yeovil Country Park Fairy Tale Trail
30 May - throughout Half Term week
Yeovil Country Park
More info available in January at
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
Chard Countryside Day
8 July 2017
Chard Reservoir
More info available in January at
www.southsomersetcountryside.com
Your council
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
For District Council services
Call us: 01935 462462
Text SSDC to 66777 followed by your query
(standard network rates apply)
Visit us online: www.southsomerset.gov.uk
email us: [email protected]
Write to us: Council Offices, Brympton Way,
Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2HT
Contact your local councillor:
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/councillor
@Southsomersetdc
South Somerset
District Council
/southsomersetdistrictcouncil
Your South Somerset News
If you require a copy of South Somerset News
in audio format, please telephone or email us:
Tel: 01935 462130
email: [email protected]
You can also use these contact details to ask
any questions or give comments or feedback
about this edition of South Somerset News.
Subscribe to have South Somerset News sent
to you electronically:
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/latest-news.
SSDC print services
Our experienced print room staff will ensure
that your requirements are met and print work
is finished to the highest standard.
They can talk to you about different options
and will advise on the best way to present
your print.
We offer competitive rates for quality work.
Samples, quotations and further information
on print options from South Somerset District
Council's print room team can be obtained by
email: [email protected] or
call 01935 462462 and ask for the printroom.
7
Community calendar celebrates Yeovil's
past
The Community Heritage
Access Centre (CHAC)
has published the 2017
Yeovil calendar.
Now in its fourth year,
the calendar is produced
by South Somerset
District Council's
Heritage Team and
supported by the Arts Council.
The Celebrating Yeovil 2017 Calendar is presented in a
new landscape format and has a theme of celebration.
The calendars are available at £6 each or two for £10.
Please add £1.50 for postage and packaging if ordering by
post.
To find out where you can purchase your copy, visit
www.southsomerset.gov.uk/yeovilcalendar.
Help and support for your group or
project
South Somerset District Council is committed to supporting
a strong and vibrant voluntary, community and social
enterprise sector which helps make South Somerset a
better place to live and work.
If you are looking to set up a group or project, or need help
delivering or improving an existing group/organisation,
visit our Communities section on the website to access
information about how the council can help, along with links
to specialist organisations, both locally and nationally.
Our website (www.southsomerset.gov.uk/communities)
offers advice on general support; funding and financing,
including SSDC grants &
loans; volunteering; free
professional services;
community centres and
village halls; play and
young people; social and
community enterprise;
community transport;
sports, leisure and arts.
Above: SSDC provided a
£40,000 grant to help with the
build of the new Kingsbury
Episcopi Community Centre,
currently under construction.
8 Your council
Domestic bonfires: Our advice
www.southsomerset.gov.uk
A bonfire can be a useful way of disposing of garden waste that
cannot be composted. If you have a bonfire, follow these good
bonfire guidelines:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Only burn dry material
Never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres or anything
containing plastic, foam or paint
Avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions - smoke
hangs in the air on damp, still days. If it is too windy smoke
blows into neighbours' gardens and windows and across roads
Keep your fire away from trees, fences and buildings
Never use oil, petrol or methylated spirits to light a fire - you could damage yourself as well as the
environment
Never leave a fire unattended or leave it to smoulder - put it out
Consider more environmentally friendly ways of disposing of potential bonfire content such as composting
and recycling
Warn your neighbours. They are less likely to complain.
For safety advice, search for 'bonfire' on the Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service's website.
Discover South Somerset in 2017
Make sure you pick up a copy of the latest Discover South Somerset guide, packed with a wide range of
activities for you to explore and discover. There is a handy map and calendar of local events and markets.
Download the guide in early January at www.DiscoverSouthSomerset.com, where you can also see a
comprehensive list of local events, or pick up a copy from the Yeovil and Cartgate Tourist Information Centre,
SSDC Brympton Way recpetion or local information centres and attractions.
South Somerset
residents help shape
the future of the census
South Somerset has been specially
selected as part of a large scale test
of the census, run by the Office for
National Statistics (ONS).
This is an exciting opportunity for local residents to help
shape the census which will happen in 2021. Census Test
Day is 9th April 2017. Selected households will be sent
a letter beforehand with a unique access code to enable
them to answer their test questionnaire online quickly and
easily – it should take about 10 minutes. Census officers
will be in the area in April and May helping residents
complete their forms. Online and telephone help will also
be available.
Your participation is hugely valued by ONS. It will help
develop an online census for 2021 that asks the right
questions and gets the maximum response.
Call us on 01935 462125 to set up your Direct
Debit by telephone.
For more information on the 2017 test visit
www.ons.gov.uk/census