Cllr Sam Crabb

First the GOOD news …

1564 people (including 1441 residents of Yeovil) have so far (on the 12th) taken part in the Yeovil Travel Survey at www.iontravel.co.uk/yeovil.

Now the BAD news …

The response could have been much better from some key local organisations. Obvious shortfalls are:

• RNAS Yeovilton
• Screwfix
• Silverline
• Pittards
• Primary and Secondary School staff (except Holy Trinity, thanks)
• Town Centre Retail
• Town Centre Offices

If you know of someone who could give these organisations a nudge, please do so. The data will help us shape more appropriate public transport than we have had to date and may help us avoid ever worsening congestion problems.



The Petition was delivered to Somerset County Council as planned. A formal decision has yet to be made by David Hall, the Portfolio Holder, but I am hopeful that we will soon be asked to help with the design of a new crossing.

The results of the residents survey and the Petition count are still on the revised page. Click here

Guidance on severe weather services is posted on the SWP website, on the SWP Facebook page and Twitter feed, and made available to local radio and district council customer services.

The Nissan Leaf at Brympton's Allotments

As part of South Somerset DC’s drive to reduce back-office costs, we’re looking very carefully at our large mileage and fuel bills. The District is about 34 miles by about 13 miles and it’s very difficult for Council staff to do some jobs without travelling. People expect a planning application site to be seen, samples need to be taken at food factories and grass needs to be cut in situ. Indeed, District Council officers travelled well over half a million miles last year with Environmental Health being the lead user at 92,000 miles.

The car above is the Nissan Leaf, on long term loan to the Council for evaluation. Electric vehicles offer very low running and servicing costs and if the useage is high enough, this saving recoups the initial outlay. As a comparison, we’re paying about 2.75p per mile to re-charge the Leaf and we could be doing if for free – off the Council’s new electric roof!

As part of our evaluation Cllr Jo Roundell-Greene, John Richardson and I took the Leaf out to the Brympton allotments, which are on the border with St Michael’s, Jo’s ward. We were very impressed with the way it handled carrying 4 adults and the camera kit. This is definitely a saving I would want to make.

Peter

Please spend a few moments to fill in the survey at www.iontravel.co.uk/yeovil. The idea is that if we can state what we’re after from transport, the town can be better planned. So if you only want to use a car, parking would be needed whereas if you wanted to go by bus, but something is stopping you, that could be fixed.

For me, it’s not having a bus service at all from home to work, and I would also need a car for work travel. I’d be very happy if there were a bus that went into the evenings, and work would let me use a pool car. Meanwhile, I’ll tell them about my occasional cycling habit.

Click here for SWP revised collection dates 2011

Lib Dem Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined a £1 billion pound Youth Contract to tackle youth unemployment. The aim is to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.

• Over three years, the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24 year olds into work. Starting April 2012
• Including 160,000 wage subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.
• In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices.
• A new programme to help the most disengaged 16 and 17 year olds – getting them back to school or college, onto an apprenticeship or into a job with training.

People have been wondering about AW’s Future since the announced “re-structuring” (redundancies). In the absence of new MoD helicopter orders (Cameron and Fox bought American – hopefully not on advice, and Brown bought Romanian – by accident!), AW Yeovil is learning to be competitive on the civil market where margins are tighter but volumes are hopefully greater.

Back in July, the AW169 helicopter was launched, here in Yeovil, by Vince Cable and David Laws with the assistance of AW’s apprentices. They also announced a commercial loan package to secure UK jobs and funding for research support to help transition into the civil market.

In October, this aircraft was exhibited outside BIS (Vince’s department) giving unprecedented access to senior industrialists, overseas visitors, etc. The air-ambulance sized aircraft has been selling very well, even ahead of first flight.

Now AgustaWestland have announced that Bristow Group has signed a contract for another new AW type – the AW189. Bristow have initially ordered six AW189 helicopters plus options for additional aircraft. This new aircraft is aimed at offshore transport missions. Bristow, which already has smaller AW139s operating globally, is a hard-nosed commercial buyer.

Given the planned retirement of a large AS332 Super Puma fleet over the next few years, and the continuing growth of deepwater developments in the energy industry, prospects for this new type seem good. AW’s unveiling video is here.

After about 12 years of community consultation, and a false start in 2008 (when the sub-prime mortgage problem in the USA stopped work), Area South finally gave Brimsmore the go-ahead.

Brimsmore Phases 1, 2 and 3

Allotment Holders at the opening

Saturday saw the official opening of the new parish allotments and the hand-over of responsibility for the 2 acre site to the Brympton Allotments Association.

Success is toasted with some proper scrumpy!

The project is almost starting with a waiting list. All the plots are taken, bar a couple of half-plots. Contact the Association if you are interested.

The Official Opening