ISLE ABBOTTS RESIDENTS INFORMATION SHEET February 2024 EDITION

This leaflet is published by Isle Abbotts Parish Council and sets out useful contact and other information to the Parish. It is intended primarily for new residents, but we hope some of the information will also be useful to others.

For the latest information on events and services, plus some historical detail, visit the village website: www.isle-abbotts.org.uk. There is also a village email distribution list operated by the webmaster to provide information about website changes and any other information relating to life in the village. The service is open to anybody living in an Isle Abbotts postcode. Email the webmaster isleabbottsweb@outlook.com with Name, address, and postcode. Additionally, there is also WhatsApp Groups for Flooding updates and for General Chat and information. Tim Westworth and Lorraine Vaun-Davis are the contact points if you want to be added to these.

Somerset Council produces a contact list of County Council services each year. visit the website www.somerset.gov.uk

The elected Parish Councillors all live in Isle Abbotts. They are available to try and help with any matter of local concern and have established key contacts to deal with such matters as planning, road defects and aircraft noise. The public is welcome to attend Parish Council meetings – an agenda is displayed on the Parish Council notice board in the bus shelter at Cox’s Pit, the village hall notice board and the village website a few days before the meeting.

Chairman: Elizabeth Lockley

Vice- Chairman: Alistair Richards

Councillors:

Tim Westworth

Lorraine Vaun-Davis

Andy Hillman

Parish Clerk and Finance: Kim Larsson 59 Spurwells, Ilton. 07871 935101 isleabbottsclerk@outlook.com

County Councillors are Adam Dance and Jo Roundell Greene

Most of the village falls within a designated conservation area. This seeks to maintain the special character of the village and brings with it various additional constraints including restrictions on tree felling and erection of TV satellite dishes. An explanatory leaflet on planning in conservation areas is available from SC website (link above). It can be a lot less stressful and expensive to check the rules before carrying out any work.

A neighbourhood watch scheme is in operation. If you see anything suspicious, contact the co-ordinator, Peter Herbert on 01460 281889. Peter maintains contact with our Police Liaison Officer. If you see a vehicle or its occupants acting suspiciously, please note the vehicle make and registration number together with time and date and let Peter have the details. Remember that people don’t usually visit Isle Abbotts without a reason, legitimate or otherwise. Noting details of strangers may help to establish a pattern and possibly prevent a crime. Unfortunately, it is inviting trouble to leave dwellings, sheds or outbuildings unlocked at any time, day or night.

The Mobile Library visits Isle Abbotts every 4 weeks. It stops at the Village Hall from 12.30 – 12.50pm. A visit schedule is posted on the Parish notice board or you can call 0300 1232224 or go to www.somerset.gov.uk/libraries

Postal collections from the post box in Church Street are at 9.00am Mondays to Fridays and 7.00am Saturdays. In practice the postman delivering your mail (normally around lunchtime) empties the post box on his round. You can also hand letters for posting to the postman when he delivers your mail.

Isle Abbotts low-lying position makes the approach roads liable to occasional short-term flooding. You are strongly advised not to attempt to travel via Two Bridges when the road is flooded as the water can become dangerously deep for any vehicle. The route least likely to be impassable in flood conditions is usually that to the Southwest via Merryfield and Ilton. Further advice on flood diversion routes is available from any Parish Councillor.

The Church holds regular services – full details of the months services is shown on the notice board outside the church, on the website under the news heading or in the Parish Magazine. If you would like the Parish Magazine delivered each month, contact Churchwarden, Anthony Habberfield.

After being silent for over 100 years, the church bells were restored in 1999, and there is now a thriving bell ringing team, which practices most Tuesday evenings at 7.00pm. New bell ringers are welcome – no prior experience necessary. Contact the Tower Captain, Lesley Sutcliffe 01460 281440 for further information.

The designated primary school for Isle Abbotts is at Hambridge, telephone 01460 281370 although most village children currently go to Curry Mallet, telephone 01823 480421.

The Walking Group usually has regular walks locally. Contact Barbara Rickitt 01460 281226 or Carolyn Pix 01460 281677.

The village choir meets in the village hall on Wednesdays at 3.00pm. Anthony Reynolds is the leader.

Details of Village Hall events appear on the notice board outside as well as the village website. The hall, tables and chairs are available for hire for private functions. Contact Susan Robson 01460 281519.

A semi-useful bus service operates from the village. It is essentially a "Ring and Ride" and can travel from Isle Abbotts to Taunton at 9.45 on a Saturday or from Isle Abbotts to Langport on a Tuesday. The service is operated by Isle Valley Transport in Isle Brewers, the telephone number there is 01460 281213.

Please keep your speed down whilst driving through Isle Abbotts. Children and pets often roam freely! When surface water is laying on the roads please drive really slowly, especially past the bus shelter. They're maybe children in the shelter waiting for their school bus and we would rather they didn't start the school day soaking wet! Remember that wide agricultural vehicles sometimes use the roads, so please park considerately.

Helicopter noise is a feature of life in the area! In the event of excessive noise or low flying, you can talk to the Officer in Charge at Merryfield on 01460 52018 preferably at the time of the incident.

If you are a dog owner, think of other residents and use a poop-scoop/bag. You can be fined if you don’t!

Rubbish is collected every 3 weeks on a Tuesday. Recycling is collected weekly on a Tuesday. Following a Bank Holiday, the collection occurs a day later. All bins should be placed outside the front entrance no later than 7.00am on collection days and no earlier than 5.00pm on the previous evening. Leaflets giving current collection details are available from 01823 625700 or www.somersetwaste.gov.uk.

Believed correct as of 22nd February 2024. Please contact the Isle Abbotts webmaster isleabbottsweb@outlook.com with additions/corrections for future editions.