The development of Hope Surgery in Radstock is, councillors were told, definitely going ahead in September, with money just released by NHS England.

It was just one of the issues discussed at a busy Radstock Town Council virtual meeting, dominated by discussions about planning decisions around the town and a looming deadline to respond to the Local Plan.

In addition to the news about the doctors' surgery, councillors also formally voted on other planning applications and discussed how to respond the request from B&NES about proposing potential sites for housing.

Cllr Nick Toogood told the meeting that he was vehemently opposed to the suggestion of 180 new houses at Writhlington, something Radstock Town Council has already formally opposed.

He told the meeting: " That needs throwing out totally. We need our neighbourhood plan so that we can decided what we as a council want and what we as a town want. It is about what is best for Radstock."

However Cllr Chris Dando explained that in responding to the Local Plan, councillors were being asked to not "remove sites but to offer up other sites viability. It is our opportunity to have our say in the plan."

The Mayor of Radstock Rupert Bevan added : " There are sites across the town that could be developed, there are spaces that are available."

He offered as an example the old Gas Works of Radstock - a site of around 13 acres.

However he accepted that the biggest problem of any development on that site would be access. " We would certainly need a sensitive answer to access."

Councillors also heard how the area at the top of the Old Bath Road, could provide a useful site for a solar panel farm.

It was agreed by councillors that they would look into whether they might be able to co-opt a professional firm to look into potential development sites around Radstock, but they would use an existing CPRE policy document to produce the basis of a strategic plan for the town.

In other planning news during the meeting, councillors :

- formally agreed that the temporary building used by St Nicholas school as a nursery could become permanent

- heard that an application (Reference: 20/00319/FUL) at 12 Coombend in Radstock, to build five three bed houses and one two flat following the demolition of an existing commercial building has been withdrawn.

On a separate matter the Town Council meeting agreed to look at ways to stop damage at the Memorial Gardens. They heard that the gardens are looking good, but some visitors have been picking the flowers and then just dropping the blooms on the ground. It was agreed that they would talk to the Radstock in Bloom chairman about how to deter picking and protect the beds.

Meanwhile, as the final item of the meeting, councillors discussed drafting a big thank you to all the organisations in Radstock have been helping out during the coronavirus pandemic. The Mayor later told Nub News that many of them would also be proposed as recipients for the Making a Difference award in the Autumn.