What has the Parish Council done for me?
Hopefully you enjoy the hard path that the Parish Council commissioned from Burge Crescent to Bethel Mead which has replaced the muddy, and in winter, impassable path there before.
Have you used the exercise equipment installed and maintained by the Parish Council? Or maybe you prefer to shoot hoops on the MUGA or play a few games of tennis with your friends and family, taking advantage of the Parish Council funded facilities available near the Community Centre.
Do you use the new rubbish and dog waste bins, again paid for by the Parish Council? These are so well used that they require weekly emptying. The alternative to these would be little bags of dog waste and piles of litter left around the parish.
If you are unfortunate enough to experience a heart attack, luckily the village has two defibrillators (at the Co-op and Community Centre) available for use 24/7. Again, funded and maintained by the Parish Council.
If you are tired or just want to stop and take a break in your busy day, you can take a rest on the benches in the village provided by the Parish Council, with more to be installed shortly.
You could browse the art exhibits at the school, or just enjoy the fact that the ground maintenance carried out around the village by the Parish Council keeps Cotford safe and tidy.
The Community Centre lease is held by the Parish Council and the Centre is managed by the Community Association. Who is on the Community Association committee?…Three Parish Councillors give up their time and energy as no other villagers have stepped forward to keep this vital community asset up and running.
The PC have financially supported the work of the Friday youth club and funded children’s activities and bunting for the Coronation and Jubilee celebrations. It also supports other local organisations, such as Taunton Citizens Advice, which offer much needed resources to many local residents.
Individually, one of the councillors spends a great deal of their own time looking at planning applications on behalf of the Parish Council and is responsible for writing lengthy, technical objections about housing developments on the edge of the village on behalf of the parish. Another attended the planning meeting in Taunton representing the PC objecting to the development of 80 houses. Others have engaged with Somerset Council advocating for the village and the maintenance of its flood defenses and some have committed a significant amount of time to village maintenance concerns.
Essentially though, it is a group effort. Councillors and the clerk work together for the good of the village.
Historically the level of interest in parish council matters is low. All meetings are open to the public yet normally very few, or indeed, no one attends. It may be remembered that the Parish Council sent out a questionnaire to 650 houses and received just 56 replies.
There are two current vacancies on the parish council. Maybe, instead of complaining, some people would like to offer their specific skill set to the community by applying to join the Council and giving up their time to enjoy the unpaid voluntary work that is carried out by the Parish Council on behalf of the village. As a Member your actions will have a direct impact on your community; you can share your thoughts and ideas and be a part of democracy in action.