Committees
Details of each Committe may be found by clicking the appropriate name:
    Award Land   Planning Committee
    Cemetery and Allotments   Play Areas/Skatepark
    Chairman's Committee   War Memorial Recreation Ground
    Environment Committee   Youth Council
    Finance Committee    
Note - all Committees consist of volunteers from the Parish Council. Co-option of additional members does occasionally take place.
Members of the public have a right to attend any of the meetings of the following committees except where very special circumstances arise.
1. Award Land.
The Award Land is that given to the Parish under the Shipham and Winscombe Enclosure Act of 1799. The committee meets at the discretion of the Chairman to deal with matters pertaining to the efficient management of the Award Land.
  Mrs A Brading   Mrs P Bushnell  
  Mrs P Cram   Mr A Forbes  
  Mr R Jones   Mr G Luckett  
  Mrs V McGann   Mr J Westlake  
      Mr J Cornish (Advisor)  
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2. Cemetery and Allotments Committee.
This Committee meets quarterly to deal with matters pertaining to the efficient management of the Cemetery and Allotments at Ilex Lane off Sandford Road.

The Allotments were established in 1976. The twenty productive plots are rented on an annual basis to local residents. At present, owing to an increased interest in home grown produce, there is a waiting list of prospective tenants.

The Cemetery area dates from the 1960's, has graves, 'vacant' plots, and a separate section for people's ashes. The whole area is in a tranquil setting away from traffic. A cemetery orderly is employed to look after the area.
  Mrs A Brading   Mr G Luckett  
  Mrs V McGann   Ms D Powell  
  Mr C Sampson   Mr J Westlake  
  Mr M Williamson   Mr J Gower (Advisor)  
      Mr J Nicholas (Advisor)  
3. Chairman's Committee.
This Committee meets on an ad hoc basis at the discretion of the Chairman to deal with matters that require an urgent decision and/or for which it would be inappropriate to call a special meeting of the Council.
  Mrs A Brading   Mrs P Cram  
  Mr A Forbes   Mr G Lloyd  
  Ms D Powell   Mr C Sampson  
  Mr J Westlake      
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4. Environment Committee.
This Committee considers issues relating to the following:

Traffic calming, street works, rural waiting restrictions, public rights-of-way and the obstruction of footpaths, play areas, bus shelters, public seating, public conveniences, village orderlies, street naming and numbering, street lighting and floral decorations.

The following are issues considered by this Committee:

General purpose gangs: these consist of three to four workmen that carry out remedial work, taking on a task lasting a day. This may be drain/gully clearing, laying curb stones etc. Each parish has a GP gang for four days in a year! Winscombe and Sandford have one day in January, April, June, and September . Please send details of any remedial work that needs to be addressed in your area to the Parish Clerk.

Pot holes: the parish council receives complaints on a daily basis on the disrepair of the roads. North Somerset Highways has not had the resources to carry out any road drainage /repairs for many months. In the new financial year, more funding has been allocated to target this problem.

Drainage: Winscombe Hill has a drainage scheme planned but whether the funding is allocated to this remains to be seen. Please write to your district councillor for support.

Gully emptying: this is done once a year by North Somerset. Certain designated routes are emptied biannually, as is Winscombe Hill. The Parish Council are constantly recommending that more frequent and thorough emptying is undertaken.

Road gritting: North Somerset do not have a duty to grit the roads during extreme weather conditions. Recent policy recommends that F1 and F2 routes are gritted. F1 routes, major routes and A roads, are gritted in anticipation of bad weather, e.g.. A368 in Sandford. F2 routes (roads accessing and egressing villages) are gritted after bad weather, i.e. Sandford Road through Winscombe.
  Mrs A Brading   Mr S Bridges  
  Mrs P Bushnell   Mrs P Cram  
  Mr A Forbes   Mr R Jones  
  Mr G Lloyd   Mrs V McGann  
  Mrs A Richmond   Miss B Roper  
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5. Finance Committee.
This Committee considers and recommends to the Council priorities for expenditure, raising of fees and charges, insurance issues, grants and an annual precept figure.

The committee consists of the Parish Committee Chairmen, and the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Parish Council.
  Mrs A Brading   Mrs P Cram  
  Mr A Forbes   Mr G Lloyd  
  Ms D Powell   Mr C Sampson  
  Mr J Westlake   Mr M Williamson  
6. Planning Committee.
All members of the Council are invited to attend Planning Meetings. This Committee deals with planning application and development-control, together with the consideration of strategic planning issues. Meetings comply with deadlines for planning applications, and therefore agenda are posted three full-working-days before the scheduled meeting date.
  Mrs A Brading   Mr S Bridges  
  Mr P Bushnell   Mrs P Cram  
  Mr A Forbes   Mr R Jones  
  Mr G Luckett   Mrs V McGann  
  Ms D Powell   Mrs A Richmond  
  Miss B Roper   Mr C Sampson  
  Mr J Westlake   Mr M Williamson  
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7. Play Areas/Skate Park.
 
  Mrs A Brading   Mrs P Cram  
  Mr A Forbes   Mr R Jones  
  Mrs V McGann   Mrs A Richmond  
  Mr C Sampson      
8. War Memorial Recreation Ground.
This Ground was acquired by money raised from public subscription as a permanent Memorial to the Officers and Men of the Parish who fell or served in the Great War, 1914-18.

The Ground is vested in the Parish Council and is held in trust by the Council for recreation, amusement, athletic sports, instruction, improvement and generally for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish.

The management of the Ground is the responsibility of the War Memorial Recreation Ground Committee. This Committee deals with all issues specified under the current constitution. Representatives from the Parish Council attend all WMRG meetings.
  Mr S Bridges   Mr A Forbes  
  Mr J Westlake   Mrs M Williamson  
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9. Youth Council.
The Youth Council has received support from Community Action, a registered charity, which works in partnership with local authorities, parish and town councils through a Youth Council Facilitator.

The Youth Forum (Winscombe and Sandford) began in Churchill Secondary School. Local youngsters then met each month, so finding a means of becoming involved in the community.

A survey was sent in the parish to eleven year olds and above. The survey asked which of a BMX track, an indoor meeting place or an outdoor meeting place was needed in the Parish. The majority voted for an outdoor meeting place, as being somewhere to hang out and meet friends. This seemed an achievable first-time project.

Designs for and siting of an outdoor meeting place. The Thames Valley Police good practice guide entitled "Youth Shelters and Sports Systems" first published in September 1999 addressed the need for provision of outdoor meeting points and informal sports areas for youths and gave the Council some basic ideas. Designs and materials drawn up by members of the Youth Council were discussed with a local artist and now, at last, the Youth shelter is in position.

Fun: the Youth Council arranges events and days-out to create awareness and have fun. If you want to know more, please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council.
  Mr S Bridges      
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