STOGURSEY PARISH COUNCIL

VACANCY FOR PARISH CLERK

The Parish Clerk is retiring and we are looking for a new parish clerk with effect from 1^st October 2024.

This is a very varied and interesting role; duties will include:

• Preparation for and attending monthly parish council (agendas, papers and production of minutes) and other ad hoc meetings. Meetings are mostly evenings but some may be held during the day.
• Dealing with all correspondence, updating notice boards and the Stogursey Parish website
• Advising the Council on legal and financial matters ensuring the Council is acting within its legal powers and responsibilities
• Acting as Responsible Financial Officer in keeping the Council’s financial records and completing the audit process each year (including processing of invoices, PAYE, bank reconciliation and annual accounts)
• Undertaking such other admin duties as the Council may require from time to time

The post holder will be required to work from home; office equipment (lap top computer and printer) will be provided. The time spent by the Clerk on Council business varies throughout the year, but approximates to fourteen hours per week.

Pay is in accordance with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) Scale LC1 points 13 (£13.95 per hour) to SCP 17(£14.95 per hour) depending on experience (pay award pending). The Parish Council contributes to the NEST PENSION scheme. In addition, allowances towards working from home and travelling costs will be made.

For an application form/ information pack and/or informal discussion, please contact the Clerk (Richard Wand) on clerk@stogurseyparishcouncil.org.uk or telephone 01278 652534

You should submit your application form (including a CV, outlining reasons why you are applying for this post and your experience) to the Clerk by 16th   August 2024. Interviews will be held in the week commencing 2^nd September.

Every year Sedgemoor District Council hosts a historic outdoor travelling funfair and market near the centre of Bridgwater, Somerset. The funfair on St Matthews Field, TA6 7HD is organised by the Showman’s Guild with Sedgemoor District Council organising the market elements of the event. Bridgwater Fair attracts crowds from far a field and is recognised as the largest fair in the South West with roughly 40,000 visitors each year.

This annual event, which dates back to the Charter of King John, is now almost 800 years old, the last 600 years of which have been spent on St Matthews Field.  The Charter decreed that the four day fair was to start annually on the last Wednesday in September.

• 2021’s Bridgwater Fair will start on Wednesday 29th September and ends on Saturday 2nd October.

Opening times:

Opening and closing times for the fun fair are usually:

• 11:00am to 11:00pm Wednesday;
• 1:00pm to 11:00pm on Thursday;
• 1:00pm to 11:30pm on Friday and
• 11:00am to 11:00pm on Saturday.

The West Street market usually opens:

• 10:00am to 10:00pm Wednesday;
• 10:00am to 10:00pm on Thursday;
• 10:00am to 10:00pm on Friday and
• 10:00am to 10:00pm on Saturday.

Following tradition, the Fair will be officially opened on ‘Fair Wednesday’ at 11:30am by Sedgemoor District Council’s Chairman and the Mayor of Bridgwater.

Road closures and prohibition of on-street parking:

Detailed road closure information is displayed in the notice section of the Bridgwater Mercury at least twice in the run-up to the event, usually late August and mid-September.

Road closures come into place at 9:00am Tuesday 28th September 2021 and are lifted at 10:00am on Sunday 3rd October 2021. West Street, Milton Place, St Matthews Green, Westover Green and St Matthews Field are affected by road closures. Diversion routes will be in place.

Prohibition of parking (and traffic coning) will be in place along many surrounding streets including Northfield, Durleigh Road (to the junction of Woodbury Road), Park Road and Albert Street from 8:00pm on Monday 27th September 2021 until 10:00am on Sunday 3rd October 2021.

Westfield Close and Halswell Close will be residents permit only.  If residents park without a permit then they are  liable to a parking fine.

Car parking:

As in previous years limited parking will be available Thursday to Saturday of fair week, with the Rotary Club of Bridgwater which is located on the Fairfield and costs of £5.00 per vehicle.

Additional public parking is usually available at the YMCA in Friarn Avenue and at Bridgwater Cricket Club on Durleigh Road.

Please note there are additional car parks within the town centre but these are not operated by Sedgemoor District Council.

West Street and Fairfield Markets:

The markets we know today, with their stalls set-up through West Street, as well as the one-day horse and goods market held at the top of St Matthews Field, are very different to the original fairs of 800 years ago. The West Street market runs from Wednesday morning to Saturday evening. The Fairfield market runs all day on ‘Fair Wednesday’ (the last Wednesday in September).

Traders from across the UK attend the West Street and Fairfield markets with products ranging from clothing and shoes, rugs and cushions, bulbs and plants, china and pottery, as well as culinary delights such as the famed welsh cakes, brandy snaps, preserves and jams and much more.

Please see a map highlighting the locations of the West Street and Fairfield Markets and the parking days for the Fairfield Market.

Toilets:

Temporary cabin toilets, provided by Sedgemoor District Council, are available behind the One Stop shop next to West Bow House, behind Westfield House on West Street and behind the Horse and Jockey Public House on Fairfield. Temporary cabin toilets, including disabled accessible toilets, are also provided behind the Horse and Jockey Public House on Fairfield.

First Aid:

First Aid during the event is provided by St Johns Ambulance. This service is situated in Westfield Church car park, West Street, from Wednesday to Saturday of fair week. First Aid provision is funded by Sedgemoor District Council.

Alcohol at the Fair:

Visitors to the Fair should be aware that West Street, St Matthews Field and most of the surrounding area are covered by the Council’s Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).  This is an Order designed to tackle nuisance arising from people acting antisocially through drinking excessively in public places. The Order gives the Police and PCSO’s the power to confiscate alcohol within the PSPO area. These powers will be vigorously enforced and anybody bringing alcohol into West Street or St Matthews Field especially can expect to be challenged and may be required to surrender their alcohol. Only alcohol in plastic cups purchased from the hatch at the Horse and Jockey and consumed within the vicinity will be permitted.

Free emergency preparedness training for Somerset residents

Somerset communities are urged to report any knife crime in the area – and young people are encouraged to avoid becoming involved or victims of knife crime.

A knife crime campaign was launched this week with a bid to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying a knife and report knife crime incidents across the county.

The Somerset Serious Violence Reduction Unit states Somerset is a safe place to live, but police data suggests the reporting of knife possession has doubled in Somerset between 2016-2018.

Knife crime offences represent less than 5% of total violent crimes, but they are serious offences that can causes significant harm to our communities.

The Violence Reduction Unit is therefore keen to reduce incidents of weapon possession, particularly amongst young people and look to raise awareness around the risks linked to knife crime.

Early this year, the Violence Reduction Unit commissioned a research report on ‘Social Media and experiences of cultural norms, violence and exploitation in Somerset’. Insights from this report finds the primary reason young people carry weapons is for protection and out of fear for their safety, not to intentionally incite violence. Some young people told us they have carried weapons because they perceived it to be cool and are sometimes swayed by music artists and online influencers.

Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for community safety, Cllr Clare Paul said, “From the work we have done so far with young people, we realised that weapon carrying was more for protection and of fear or because they perceive it to be cool. They have expressed a need for understanding and compassion around why they had started carrying. The social media and experiences of cultural norms report puts further emphasis on this. Our message to young people is clear – you are neither safe, cool, or protected when you carry a weapon. Over the next few months, we will continue to engage with young people and listen to what they have to say which should enable us to reduce the devastating impact that knife crime and weapon possession could have on communities.”

The Violence Reduction Unit will also conduct regular surveys with professionals including volunteers who encounter knives or bladed weapons as part of their work. The objective of these survey will be to gather enough information about experiences and concerns across sectors to know what a multi-agency response could look like. An accurate picture of professional’s experiences could be used to inform future training and communications.

Please click here to access the Social Media and experiences of cultural norms, Violence and exploitation in Somerset research report. If you are unable to click on the link, please visit the Somerset Violence Reduction Unit webpage, downloads section to view the report.

If you have information about knife crime in your area and you’re nervous about going to the police, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They will never ask for your name or try to trace the number that you’re calling from.

If you are worried about someone you know carrying a knife, help and guidance is available:

• The #knifefree website provides information about helping young people go knife free.
• Fearless.org is a service that allows you to pass on information about crime 100% anonymously.
• Call 999 immediately if there is an ongoing incident involving a weapon.