A consultation-only meeting of Radstock Town Council met over Zoom to hear about plans for Haydon Batch and support for the local football club.

Councillors heard that formal approval has been given to start-up money to hopefully begin work at Radstock Town FC before the start of the season.

The Town Council is awarding a total of £9,894.83 to Radstock Town Football Club Recreational Ground Improvements. Councillors heard that the money will be used to improve the site, at Southfields which will also mean protecting the play area there.

Cllr Chris Dando told the meeting: " If the recreation ground gets more secure, that is good for all of us."

Another discussion, which cannot for legal reasons be binding because the council did not meet in person, was how to get support across the Somer Valley and from B&NES for surveying of Haydon Batch as an area of Biodiversity.

A working part has already been set up to work on plans for the batch which is a stunning area of green just up the hill from Radstock town centre. Ideas for how to move the project forward will be held at 10am on July 28 at the Haydon Cue and Social Club.

Finally, plans to try and address the safety of the roads up at Coombe End by way of imposing a weight-limit on lorries able to use it as a way into Bath were, councillors told, not easy to impose. However Cllr Adrian Dodgson told the meeting: " I am not giving up, we have to try and pursue this. I am not convinced that this cannot be put into practice."

The background to Haydon Batch - the council's vision

This 20-acre ex-tip site was purchased by Radstock Town Council in 2019 with the purpose of safeguarding the site for community use for generations to come. Since the closure of the coal mine in 1973 the area, known locally as The Batch, has been partially flattened and allowed to naturally regenerate. There is now a mosaic of habitats on the site including woodland, unimproved grassland and scrub.

The vision for Haydon Batch is to provide a welcoming greenspace which is easily accessible yet retains its wildlife value and natural feel. It will be a space where people from surrounding communities (Haydon and Westfield are the closest but Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Kilmersdon are all within walking distance) can easily access and enjoy the views, the nature and the sense of history.

It will be a space that people will be encouraged to use to benefit their physical and mental health and wellbeing and it will be a suitable site for small scale events. The local community will be engaged in both the development of the site and its long-term management. The site will be designated as a Local Nature Reserve.