Students' views help to shape future of district economy

HUNDREDS of young people have been having their say on the future shape of West Somerset by taking part in a major consultation on the district’s economy.
About 240 sixth form students gave their views to the experts working on West Somerset Council’s long-term economic ‘masterplan’ at a series of workshops held yesterday.
The event at West Somerset Community College, Minehead, was organised by the council and consultancy EKOS, which is developing the plan for the authority.
It is the first time young people have been consulted on the plan in this way.
Last year, the council asked EKOS to develop a 15-year strategy to help regenerate the local economy, retaining and creating jobs in West Somerset and supporting enterprise, training, tourism, and business growth.
EKOS director Adrian Dawson said: “We have been speaking to businesses, community groups, and many other people with an interest in the long-term future of West Somerset.
“It was important to get the views of the young people too, as they will be in work or training in the future and will be directly affected by economic developments in West Somerset over the next 15 years.
“It is vital for them that we get this right, and that is why we have sought their views now.”
The consultation event saw young people take part in two workshops led by EKOS, Somerset Rural Youth Project, and local councillors.
Their views will be used by EKOS to develop an action plan which will form part of the council’s strategy.
The plan’s action will be funded by the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund, the South West Regional Development Agency, European Union funds, and other sources.
The college’s head of sixth form, Jerry Hardingham, said: “This event was well attended and the students found it extremely worthwhile.
“They contributed a number of excellent and imaginative ideas with real enthusiasm.
“They were a real credit to the college.
“Young people are the future of West Somerset, and the best way to ensure that the council’s plans meet their needs is to seek their views now.
“I am pleased that young people have been given the chance to be included in this important consultation.”
Council leader Councillor Keith Ross said: “We aim to create an economy that serves all of our residents and provides high quality, sustainable employment and business opportunities.
“Young people are key to maintaining sustainable communities, so we need to know what economic opportunities we should be providing to help keep our communities healthy, as well as boost the district’s future business prospects.
“This event has played an important part in developing our strategy, and I would like to thank the students and teachers for their enthusiasm and ideas, and for giving us a valuable insight into their aspirations for West Somerset’s economic future.”
The council’s economic development strategy is due to be finalised in March.
Our photograph shows Councillor Keith Ross (right) with college sixth form head Jerry Hardingham. Photo submitted.

Police work taster for college students

TEENAGERS across West Somerset have been given a taste of what is required to work in the police force.
Youngsters from the West Somerset College, Minehead, spent the past week with one of the town’s police officers, PC Charlie Fitzpatrick.
The experienced a flavour of everyday working life for a police officer and for Police Community Support Officerse.
Activities included taking part in a police physical, learning how to use a police radio, learning about powers of arrest, and using a driving simulator.
The students also had sessions with a dog handler, the police helicopter, underwater search team, and even had an opportunity to don protective equipment used in public order situations.
They were able to put their new-found skills to the test when they posed as police officers in a series of scenarios, including asking other students what they would do in a missing person search and during a serious road traffic collision involving a cyclist.
The week ended with the students being presented with certificates for their work with the initiative, which also goes towards endeavour credits for their college courses.
PC Fitzpatrick said: “The week was a great success and a big insight into the role of police officers and PCSOs.
“It is important that young people see how we work in order to fully appreciate what the police are about and this week gave the students a very broad look at policing in West Somerset.
“We could also have been looking at police officers and PCSOs of the future, as recruitment to the constabulary was also explained.
“It is not often we are able to hold work experience weeks on this scale, but hopefully it is an eye opener for all involved.”

• Our photographs show (from top): Youngsters being given a 'hands on' experience of the police helicopter; Working with Sgt Mike Smalley, of the Road Policing Unit; Handling a serious road traffic collision involving a cyclist, with PSCO Les Lloyd. Photos submitted.

Council to find £1.1m for new hospital

A NEW agreement is to be considered next week which could be an important milestone in the ill-fated New Horizons project aiming to deliver a new £36 million community hospital for West Somerset.
The cash-strapped district council will be recommended on Wednesday to find up to £1.1 million to pay for capital works to enable the scheme to go ahead.
The council previously pulled the financial plug on New Horizons when its share of the costs rose to £11 million – but there was said to be nothing in the coffers to fund it.
Despite The Post being told the council was bound by an undertaking to provide infrastructure for the hospital to be built anyway, the authority’s media and PR officer, Stacey Beaumont denied this.
Now, the ‘riot act’ has been read to district councillors by their Somerset Primary Care Trust partners and a new agreement has been drawn up, which also involves Somerset County Council and the West Somerset Community College.
New Horizons also aims to deliver a 14 to19 years vocational training centre, adult learning facilities, sports opportunities, and affordable housing.
If the agreement is approved by councillors on Wednesday, the proposed new Minehead Community Hospital will be then the subject of a detailed planning application which will be submitted by the PCT in the summer.
The agreement also maps out how the partners intend to take forward land deals so that work can also start on marketing the housing aspect of the project, 30 per cent of which will be affordable housing.
The county council has already approved the agreement, in which it commits to contributing up to £1.2 million as well as transferring significant amounts of land to partners to make the scheme work.
The report going to district councillors recommends:

• A capital contribution equal to approximately a 25 per cent share of certain infrastructure costs of the project. This sum is to be capped at £1.1m and would support all elements of the community facilities, the Community Hospital, Skills and Enterprise Centre, new playing field provision and residential housing.
• 
  The transfer to Somerset County Council of an area of land adjacent to Seaward Way equal to approximately 4.4 acres. In exchange, Somerset County Council will transfer an area of land adjacent to Seaward Way equal to 0.42 acres to West Somerset Council. This will enable the creation of an access road from Seaward Way and the replacement of sports pitches within The West Somerset College.
• 
  The transfer to Somerset Primary Care Trust of an area of land adjacent to Seaward Way equal to approximately 0.42 acres to enable the completion of the access road to the new hospital site.

West Somerset Council has already invested £2.7m in purchasing land to help facilitate the project and has also contributed a significant amount of staff resource and time in working with the partner organisations.

Students help police express crime reduction message

SIXTH form students of the West Somerset Community College, Minehead, have been working with police to help find ways to put across crime reduction messages to the local community.
It was part of the teenagers’ public services course as they looked at ways of solving problems such as reducing theft from sports changing rooms.
Their ideas included crime prevention pop-ups on school computers, new crime reduction posters, and better lockers.
The course also involved working with West Somerset Council and the West Somerset Crime Prevention Panel.
Minehead Police crime prevention officer PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, who organised the initiative, said: “The council, ourselves, and the crime prevention panel were very impressed with the level of work carried out by the students.
“They were given a real problem to research and solve and their ideas were innovative and positive.
“The school has seen a small number of thefts from changing rooms, but we are hopeful the number will be reduced following the students’ ideas and the crime reduction advice we have been able to give them.
“I am hoping this will be a regular part of the public services course and that in future we can give them some other local issues to look at.”
Council community safety officer Pete Hughes said: “These projects are an excellent example of young people taking ownership of an issue that affects them and other users of the sports facilities.
“Their breadth of thought to identify ways of stopping these thefts is to be commended.”
One student, Emma Taylor, said: “The project was a fun and interesting. It is amazing to think that we as a group have come up with something to reduce the crime.”
Another of the students, Emily Ketchen, said: “The project enabled us to work closely with the local police on a subject that directly affects us as a college and we hope our ideas can be taken forward and put into action, benefiting the community as a whole.”

• Our photograph shows Minehead Police Inspector Carol Pearce (front, centre) and PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, with council community safety officer Pete Hughes (front, second from left), college principal Nick Swann (front, right) and some of the staff and students involved in the course. Photo submitted.

Emergency services to reconstruct car smash to teach students a graphic lesson

A GRAPHIC demonstration of the effects of poor driving is to be given to students in West Somerset as part of a road safety campaign by the emergency services.
It will involve a full reconstruction of a road traffic collision to be staged for sixth form students at the West Somerset Community College, Minehead.
The event will show exactly what happens to the occupants of a vehicle after it has been involved in a serious accident.
Ambulance, police, and firefighters will show what they do when rescuing casualties from a crashed car.
Jon Martin, of the Somerset Road Safety Partnership, who has been a fireman for 24 years, said: “Many of the students watching will be turning 17 and about to start learning to drive, so just maybe this will slow them down and make them think.
“The college has been very supportive and is keen to make it an annual event. Teachers are even designing lessons and question papers around the day.”
The demonstration takes place on Thursday, December 6, and will also include presentations by representatives from the road safety partnership, a driving simulator, and questions and answers.
The emergency services will also be highlighting their annual Christmas drink-drive message.
The national campaign will aim to convince all drivers, with a particular focus on young male drivers aged between 17 and 29 years, that a drink-drive conviction has the potential to ruin their life, by highlighting a mixture of the legal and personal consequences.
These include:

• being caught and breathalysed by the police
• a minimum12-month driving ban
• a criminal record
• a hefty fine
• lifestyle changes (ie, potential loss of job, relationships, or car)

Window smashing vandals go on Minehead rampage

VANDALS caused damage estimated at tens of thousands of pounds in Minehead when they went on a window-smashing spree during the night of Friday, November 16-Saturday, November 17.
A total of about 80 windows were broken, including almost 50 in the West Somerset Community College alone.
Other premises to be targets of the vandals included the nearby Aquasplash leisure centre, Minehead Cricket Club, in Bircham Road, the sea front Queens Hall, three public telephone kiosks in Jubilee Gardens, Hedley Price Funeral Directors, in Mart Road, the McDonalds restaurant, in Vulcan Road, and Tom Williams Lawn Mower Centre, in Ponsford Road.
Two iron bars were found near one of the premises
CCTV film of the areas is being studied by police who have also appealed for any witnesses to come forward.
Anybody who may have information should contact PC Jeff Trimmings at Minehead Police Station by telephoning 0845 4567000 or they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, where they do not have to give their name but they could receive a reward.
A fortnight earlier, damage was also caused to three other premises in the town when windows were smashed at Traveline Holidays, in the Summerland car park, and nearby Subway, in The Avenue, and the adjacent Lifestyle Warehouse.

Second information evening to show latest thinking on New Horizons project

AN information event on the £50 million New Horizons project in Minehead is being held at West Somerset Community College on Thursday, November 1, between 5 pm and 7 pm.
New Horizons aims to revolutionise learning, leisure, cultural, business, and health facilities for the people of West Somerset by providing a new community hospital, skills and enterprise centre, sports and leisure centre, and replacement all-weather sports facilities.
It will also provide 5.3 acres of housing, 30 per cent of which will be affordable housing for local people to rent or buy.
District council deputy leader Councillor Simon Stokes said: “Public consultation has been key to getting this fantastic project right for local people.
“We have been delighted by the positive feedback and we have arranged further events so that residents can come along and see the latest plans.”
The information evening will feature displays and the opportunity to talk to representatives from the delivering partnership about:

• Community Hospital
  
• Skills and Enterprise Centre
  
• Rural Skills Centre
  
• Sports, Leisure and Learning Facilities
  
• Housing provision and affordable housing

Aedas, the project’s architect and lead consultant, has designed the masterplan to accommodate the facilities on the site off Seaward Way, in Minehead, with the exception of the rural skills centre, which will be located on land below Conygar Tower, at Dunster.
The plans have been submitted to the district council and will go to the planning committee for a decision before Christmas.
College principal Nick Swann, representing all parties, said: “Our last open evening was really successful and this is a further chance for local people to come along for an update and to see how all the elements work together.
“We will make the displays as informative and interactive as possible so that people can really get an idea of the benefits the scheme will bring to West Somerset.
“There will be opportunities to ask questions and to feed back views and suggestions. We have been delighted with the support the project has received so far.
“Following sustained efforts to get New Horizons off the ground, we are very pleased with the rate of recent developments.
“Robust business planning must now be completed to map out how the leisure centre part of the scheme can be operated in the most efficient way to achieve best value.”
Somerset Primary Care Trust capital project director Simon Corrick said: “The development of the New Horizons project and new community hospital for Minehead is an exciting and innovative initiative and one which will benefit the whole community.
“Minehead Hospital will be the second of four new community hospitals built by Somerset PCT, and with finance already secured to pay for its development, tendering and design work will be able to progress in line with plans for construction to start in 2008.”
New Horizons is being delivered by a partnership of West Somerset Council, Somerset County Council, Somerset Primary Care Trust, and the West Somerset Community College.
More information on the project is available on West Somerset Council’s website at www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk/newhorizons.

• Our image above shows the New Horizons masterplan. The buildings are colour coded: Orange - community hospital; pink - skills and enterprise centre; blue - sports and leisure centre; yellow - housing; red - performing arts centre (phase two). Image submitted.