Town council round-up

SEVERAL calls had been made about disorder during last month’s Wellington Carnival but only one assault was recorded, with one man arrested who was not local.

This was reported at the October meeting of Wellington Town Council when it was stated that during September there had been 58 recorded crimes, which included ten for assault, 11 for harassment, 12 domestic incidents, including arguments, 13 thefts and seven for criminal damage.

Twelve calls had been to the police about anti-social behaviour during the month.

The town beat surgery at Wellington Town Council offices in Fore Street is held every Wednesday between 2-3pm.

Wellington Police Station is open to the public from 10am-2pm on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

ALTHOUGH it was ‘a bombshell’ when the county council announced it was going to shut Wellington Youth Centre at the end of December, Cllr Andy Govier told members of Wellington Town Council that ‘we are determined to keep it open and make sure it does not close’.

He added: “We hope to come up with a solution to keep the centre going. It deals with young people from all sorts of backgrounds.”

He thanked the town council for its grant of £5,500 towards the cost of employing a youth worker at the centre one evening a week during 2015-16.

Cllr Vivienne Stock-Williams said the county was withdrawing its youth provision for the whole of Somerset as part of its cost-cutting measures due to reductions in Government grants.

THE proposed erection of a large extension to a porch at the front of 7 Orchards Court, Scotts Lane, Wellington, was rejected by Wellington Town Council because it considered overbearing and detrimental to neighbours.

The Taunton Deane planning officer recommended refusal and town councillors heard that eight letters of objection had been received from neighbours on the grounds that the extension was too large, would ruin the flow of the court, would lead to a loss of light and cause a claustrophobic atmosphere in the neighbour’s bedroom.

WELLINGTON Town Council agreed to make a grant of £500 to Wellington Business Association towards the overall cost of £1,067 for producing the hand-drawn Wellington Free Guide.

Councillors were told that the map had been first published in 2012 and had now been updated by the WBA. It aimed to support local businesses and encourage visitors to return to the town.

The council has £7,050 left of its £15,000 budget for grants.

THE Co-op store in Fore Street, Wellington is to have a new shop front, which was approved at the town council’s October meeting.

Members were told that the entrance door to the supermarket would be flush with the shop front whereas the existing one is recessed.