More about Gloria Cawood - County Councillor for Mendip Central & East

GLORIA CAWOOD SERVING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Skills Somerset

I helped launch the Skills Somerset exhibition at the Bath and West Showground. This is a careers show for young people considering what kind of work they might like to do once they leave school. The event was well supported by Somerset Secondary Schools.

There was a lot of choice - from a man who made his money from cake decorations, to jobs in racing, for scientists and builders to work with animals.

I was especially attracted to the latter, with my husband, Chris being a Vet. I was thrilled to hold a corn snake, called Billie Joe (aged 4 years old) and a wonderful hairy tarantula called Rosie (aged 23 years.) She was lovely to stroke! See the pictures below and see if you like them too!

Gloria shows she's not afraid of anything the opposition might throw at her!

And knows no fear..!

Update on Land Bank Scheme at Dean

Concern about excavations - September

Whiley Green Housing Plots as shown in Misleading Sales Literature

It has been established that five of the 209 plots for housing east of Dean, in Cranmore Parish, have been sold by a company based abroad. As a result of Councillor Gloria Cawood contacting Mendip District Council works on the site were stopped in August and the land ownership and use investigated.

"It appears that the works on the track are unrelated to the proposed housing development called Whiley Green," said Councillor Cawood. "The owner of this land has put in a planning permission to build the tracks, which will be greened over, to allow access to another paddock."I have now had more complaints that work has re-started this week." (September 18th.)

Mendip DC served a 21 day Stop Notice on the works on August 2nd., but the time is up and Mendip say that they are unable to serve a second notice."

"It is known that some unscrupulous companies, usually based outside the UK, are buying agricultural land and selling it as potential building plots. They admit that the land does not have planning permission, but point to the new Local Development Framework and Government policy, both encouraging the mass building of new houses on Greenfield sites in the future."

"They sell the plots at many times the price they paid for the land. District Council planners have said that there is no prospect of planning permission being granted on this site at Dean."

The prospectus gives details of 209 designated plots of land at Dean selling at between £10K and £18K each, depending on the size of house.

"Unfortunately, someone has already bought five of these plots and it seems that he is unlikely to get his money back. That means at least £50,000 down the drain. He is alerting others to the danger that they might lose money too."

"Hopefully, other investors will be put off now, said Gloria. "Evidence shows that this is can be a bad investment."

"Anyone considering investing in such a project should be very wary indeed. I would advise everyone to stay away from it as planning permission is very unlikely to be given."

END

NOTES:

1. Dean has approximately 30 houses currently, while the main village of Cranmore has around 100 houses.

2. The ploy is to persuade people that demand for housing is so high in the UK that it will be necessary to go into the Green Belt in the near future. This is not true - the main demand in the UK is for affordable housing, mainly close to urban centres.

3. The information provided by the company is flawed, e.g. the information talks of the land at Dean being close to the motorway known as the A37.

4. This land was originally advertised for sale for pony paddocks.

GLORIA CALLS FOR ACTION ON SPEEDING TRAFFIC

£46,000 has been set aside by Somerset County Council to be used across Mendip to cut speeding traffic.

"Speeding traffic in our villages accounts for a large number of the complaints I receive locally, said Gloria Cawood. "I was delighted that Somerset's Mendip Area Panel supported the bid. I will be working with my parishes to get more improvements for our area."

Gloria met Bev Norman of Somerset Highways to discuss problem areas, including the A361, which despite a number of safety improvements, still has a high rate of accidents, some of which have been fatal.

"Bev assured me that the A361 was a priority for Somerset and that plans for speed controls here were already under consideration. These are to be funded centrally, leaving the £46,000 for more local schemes in Mendip villages."

"Projects for our villages are now being looked at, said Gloria,"with the expectation that a speed visor for Mendip Road, Stoke St. Michael will be in place by October."

"I am pressing the County Council to complete more schemes in my Division. Many people are concerned about speeding traffic in our villages and I have particularly asked for some action for Kilmersdon and Wanstrow Parishes in this round."

GLORIA WELCOMES EARLY YEARS CENTRE FOR UPTON NOBLE

Official Opening of Upton Noble School

Gloria joins the Bishop for the opening celebrations

Upton Noble Early Years Centre was officially opened by Bishop Peter Morris on September 22nd. It will be know as The Tree House. Somerset County Council has invested £110,000 in the new centre, which has been open for business since June. The Centre is open 50 weeks a year from 8am to 6pm and includes facilities for breakfast, after-school and holiday child care. Gloria Cawood said, "I am thrilled that Upton Noble has been chosen as the site for one of the four new nurseries to be built in Somerset, as part of a £475,000 project funded by Somerset County Council." "Many people in my very rural division have told me how difficult it is to find high quality child care. This project ensures there are more much needed facilities for excellent child care and learning in our area."

TREE PLANTING CELEBRATION AT LEIGH-ON-MENDIP

Gloria Cawood presented a cheque of £1,000 from her Councillor's Community Budget towards Leigh's Recreation Field Activity Project. The occasion was a tree planting ceremony to celebrate Leigh-on-Mendip becoming Somerset's Village of the Year in the Calor competition.

Gloria is happy to get stuck in!

Commenting on the award, Gloria Cawood said, "This was well-deserved, and wouldn't have been achieved without the hard work and enthusiasm of villagers. The project came out of real consultation and village involvement in the Parish Plan. it is the sort of thing that really makes a difference to village and community life."

The Community Activity Project has four aims :

- Develop a recyclying facility

- improve the children's play area

- refurbish the rec. building for increased community use

- increase youth facilities, including a youth shelter.

"I was especially thrilled to learn that the project had been working with Age Concern to open an Active Living Centre in Leigh-on-Mendip. This is one of only two such rural centres in the whole of Somerset and is a facility for older people for Leigh and the surrounding area."

Gloria Cawood said, " This was a well-deserved award and all involved are to be congratulated for their hard work in taking forward their Community Activity Project, with special thanks going to Graham and Caroline Harris,who have led this project so well."

Parish Lengthsman Chris starts work on September 1st

Four Parishes - Stratton-on-the Fosse, Kilmersdon, Stoke St Michael and Coleford have appointed their first Parish Lengthsman. They have had grants from Lib Dem run Somerset County Council amounting to £20,000 over the two year pilot scheme - £10,000 from Somerset Highways and £10,000 from Somerset's Area Panel for Mendip. Gloria Cawood has matched funding from the Parishes in her Division from her Somerset County Councillor's budget. The last Tory Somerset County Councillor for Coleford refused to give a penny. Tory run Mendip District Council did the same, even though some of the services the Parishes want to enhance are their responsibility.

Gloria Cawood said," The Lengthsman is a sort of odd job man for the parishes buying into the scheme. Liberal Democrats are keen to work with Parishes, who know best what extra needs doing in their area. We trust them to manage the funding for this pilot wisely for the benefit of the local people they represent. We've heard alot of talk from Tory District Councillors representing this area about how they support the scheme - but when it comes to coughing up the cash, they just don't want to know."

Lib Dem District Councillor for Coleford, Claire Fleming, is putting pressure on the new Tory County Councillor for Coleford to support the scheme through his County Councillor's Community Grant.

"During the May by-election he promised the Tory District Councillor for Coleford he would give £2,000 over two years towards the pilot scheme if elected. He's only just been elected - and he's already threatening to break that promise," Claire said.

"Gloria Cawood has worked hard on the pilot scheme and committed £2,600 over two years to help Stratton, Kilmersdon and Stoke St. Michael. It's bad news for Coleford if the new Tory County Councillor can't do the same as Gloria to help the people he represents."

Claire has pledged to fight for more funding for the scheme and has asked for a meeting with the new Tory Councillor to demand he keeps his promise to his supporters in Coleford to back the Parish Lengthsman pilot.

Disgust as Tory Mendip says 'NO' to Youth Moped Scheme.

The Moped scheme helps young people in rural area aged over 16 years old to access employment, training and education. Training to ride the moped is given and the bikes are loaned for up to 6 months.

Despite support from the Neighbourhood Forum, Mendip District Council has refused to consider funding for the Somerset Rural Youth Project Moped Loan Scheme. As one Parish Councillor said, "It is ridiculous and scandalous that Tory-run Mendip is the only District Council in Somerset not to contribution towards this excellent scheme." Luckily for the youth of Mendip, Somerset County Council does!

"This scheme has helped many young people in more rural parts of our area. It is hard to believe that Mendip can't support it when every other District in Somerset does," said Gloria Cawood.

Gloria Cawood - Working for Young People

Stoke Youth Club members with Gloria

Gloria Cawood has worked hard hard to support local youth in her area.

"There is now an active committee - and three years on, the youth club continues to thrive. This is a really good example of how young people can influence services in their own local communities."

Over the past three years Gloria Cawood has helped Stoke St. Michael, Nunney and Holcombe Youth Clubs with her County Councillor's Community Grant. This has helped fund equipment, a hip-hop dance\music and gig day and training for voluntary youth workers. Gloria stepped in again when funding to Mendip Community Transport used to take young people from surrounding villages to Holcombe Youth Club dried up.

"The young people of Stoke St. Michael approached me for help in re-opening their youth club. They gave out leaflets on the school bus and managed to get over thirty young people - and some adult helpers - to a meeting with the Somerset County Youth Service, held in the village hall."

"Lack of public transport is a big issue for young people in rural areas," Gloria said."Holcombe is one of the best voluntary Youth Clubs in the County. I am always delighted to do what I can to help."

Doulting School Winners at Somerset's Children's Parliament

Gloria with the winning team!

Gloria attended the Children's Parliament, which is held every year in Shire Hall, the home of the county's law courts. Children from primary schools right across the county, put together a presentation on something that is important to them. When they finish, they have to answer 'on the spot' questions from the waiting children in the audience and also from a panel of judges.

Gloria later wrote to the school's headteacher to say how proud she was of the team from St. Aldhelm's who won the trophy for their excellent presentation on Global Warming. They were so good, but she was afraid that the judges might have forgotten just how good by the time they had heard all the other presentations, since they had to go first! The standard was very high indeed, so those involved; Alice, Rebecca, Chloe and Hayley, deserved the greatest praise.

Afterwards, Gloria spoke to David Heath MP to ask if he would entertain the winners to tea at the House of Commons. David answered that he would be delighted to do so. The school accepted the invitation to tea on the terrace with David.

It was a lovely day - and Gloria (who has the portfolio for education) could only repeat how proud she was of this school in her division.