News in Midsomer Norton and Radstock

Comments are now open on the planning application to for a new ' healthy living centre' for Radstock, which has been made by the current Hope House Surgery, with critics already out in force.

The application is for a new health centre, a pharmacy,

Planners in Bath have lifted one of the conditions attached to the outline planning application for the phased development of Norton Hill Primary School. The proposed development is for a 630 pupil, three form entry, primary school to the south side of Midsomer Norton. If it goes ahead it will also incorporate up to 40 houses, a 64 bed care home and some sheltered housing. In addition there will be some public open space and big changes to nearby roads, with the provision of a new cycle/footpaths and road widening along Silver Street. The original application also includes two new bus stops and proposed junction improvements between it and Charlton Road.The application is number 19/05268/COND, but is currently not open for comments.

In less than 24 hours' time, Bath and North East Somerset's registered voters will be going to the polls to choose their new MPs.

Assuming you've not already voted by post – or aren't voting by proxy – you'll be lining up outside your local polling station to mark your ballot paper.

Midsomer Town Council's finance meeting has agreed to join the lobbying group, the Rural Town Group. The RTG works at raising the profile of traditional market towns which are, the meeting was told, often overlooked by policy makers. Wells, although it is city, is already a member of the organisation.Councillors agreed to join the group, at an annual cost of £110 a year, but only on a trial basis. The RTG already has 44 members, but wants to triple the number of market towns it represents to over 120.

Midsomer Norton Town Council's finance committee took a first look at next year's budget, but councillors were surprised that, with not all the figures included, the budget looks like being much bigger. Councillors were told, that with some missing figures, the budget could rise by over 13 per cent. That might mean the precept going up for everyone in Midsomer Norton, the equivalent of 23 pence a day. But the committee was reassured that the figures are not complete, and they do not yet include what funds might come from the BANES' budget, which is waiting to hear from central government. The Council needs to pass a budget for 2020/2021 by the beginning of February. That means they will have to discuss the budget outside of general meetings, because it needs to be passed by the full meeting of the council, which needs to sign it off. The full council meeting of Midsomer Town Council will be on February 3 in 2020 at 7pm.

TODAY'S RADSTOCK Sunrise 08:04 Sunset 16:02

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TODAY'S MIDSOMER NORTON: Sunrise 08:03 Sunset 16:02

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An ongoing brick battle in Radstock seems to have been resolved the installation of a walkway alongside a development in the town started four years ago. A walkway was supposed to be included when Linden Homes built along flats and units along Frome Road. Radco owns a small strip of land in Fortescue Road and were refusing access to put a pathway on their land. Local campaigner Robert Brailsford has now noticed that the wall preventing the walk through has now gone. He said: "This has been going on for at least four years now. All of a sudden this morning I notice the wall has been removed." Linden Homes has been approached for a comment but has yet to respond. Thank you to Robert Brailsford for the photographs.

Downside School represented the UK at the Asia-Europe Foundation Conference last month in Tokyo. Nearly two thousand schools from across Asia, Europe and Oceania applied for a chance to present at the policy-making event, which focussed on Educational Sustainable Development (ESD) and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom.

The event involved round-table discussions with representatives from the Japanese government, NGOs and other charities, looking at the three pillars of sustainable development;environmental, economic and social.

MIDSOMER NORTON BRIEFING: Tuesday December 10 2019

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TODAY'S MIDSOMER NORTON WEATHER: