Last Community Update for 2014 from EA

The Environment Agency has issued its final update of 2014, giving an overview of its work during the past year. There is no detailed mention of the Seven Bends (Beer Wall) project, but other mentions of work on the Aller Spillway and Aller Drove, both complete for the present time. There is also news, in the form of a technical report, on the proposed Parrett Barrage.

You can read the Update here.

Firing notice for Christmas period

The Langport Range Firing Notice is this time issued for 4 weeks due to the Christmas break, covering the period from 22nd Dec to 18th Jan 2015.

River Sowy and King Sedgemoor Drain - Othery Drop-in Event

River Sowy and King Sedgemoor Drain
Community Drop-in event
Wednesday 10 December 2014, 2pm – 7pm

Langport Range 8-12 to 21-12

The latest information on use of the Langport Range for the period from 8th Dec to 21st Dec can be found here.

Flood Action Plan Meeting - Tonight, 24th Nov

South Somerset District Council is hosting a public meeting Tonight Monday 24th November 2014
Time: 7-9pm (arrivals from 6.30) Venue: Huish Episcopi Academy – 6th Form Auditorium
For seating and refreshment purposes please let us know you plan to attend:
email communities@southsomerset.gov.uk

Additional Parish Council meeting 1st Dec

Planning Applications 14/04976/COU Oath Hill Farm,Wickmoor,Oath,Bridgwater,Somerset,TA7 0J - Change of use of land to residential use & 14/05142/FUL Longstone Farm, Aller Drove, Aller - Single Storey Extension

Aller Parish Council will hold an additional meeting to discuss the above applications on Monday 1 December at 7.30pm at Aller Village Hall

Planning Application 14/04300/FUL - Solar Power Development at Aller Court

The above application has been amended and revised plans along with a copy of the Construction Management plan is available for inspection at the rear of St Andrew’s Church. The Church is open during daylight hours.

There has also been a direction by the Secretary of State that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required before the application can proceed further.

In view of these developments there will be a second opportunity for Aller Parish Council to comment on the application. The next scheduled meeting of the council is Monday 12 January 2015 at 7.30pm in Aller Village Hall. It is possible, if the EIA is submitted, that it will be necessary to call a meeting before that date. Should that occur then the council will meet in public and the meeting will be advertised in the usual way, online and on the noticeboard of Aller Village Hall.

Langport Range Firing 24/11 - 7/12

The latest notice about use of the Langport Range , for the period 24th Nov to 7th Dec is now available here.

Flood Risk warnings

The past couple of years have taught us to be aware of the risk of flooding. The Environment Agency from time to time issues warnings of flood risk, and have just released this one (11/11/14).
Overall there is a low river and surface water flood risk, but we are monitoring river levels closely and working alongside partners, including the Met Office and local authorities – and our gangs will be out across the patch clearing any debris from trash screens and keeping watercourses flowing.

With regards to the Somerset Levels and Moors, the spillway at Hook Bridge on the River Tone is expected to run, however this depends on rainfall totals and is completely normal for the winter period.

Following our discussions with the IDB (Internal Drainage Board) all pumping stations, with the exception of Stanmoor, are going to winter levels (as of this morning). We expect spillways on the River Parrett to run over the next 24hours and are operating Monks Leaze to reduce levels upstream. Once spillways run, we will close Monks Leaze. Again, this is completely normal for the winter period.

As part of the extensive asset repairs programme, we have been out on the ground making our defences more robust and resilient ahead of winter. If needed we have robust contingency plans in place, including dumpy bags and temporary defences.

We are continuing to monitor river levels closely and are working alongside partners.

Please keep yourself safe by checking the gov.uk website and Met Office warning page or follow @EnvAgency or @EnvAgencySW and #floodaware on Twitter for the latest flood outlook. Sign up to receive free flood warnings at Floodline - 0345 988 1188.

We will continue to keep you informed of the situation.

LIVE FIRING – LANGPORT RANGE – 10th to 23rd November 2014

The latest details of activity on the Langport Range can be found here.

Dredging work finishes

 The Environment Agency completed the dredging on the Rivers Parrett and Tone on Wednesday 29th October.

They have successfully removed just over 130,000m³ of silt from the two rivers during the 7 month dredge. The work will help to reduce the likelihood and duration of flooding to properties on Curry Moor and North Moor, the A361 and the west Coast mainline.
Read the last bulletin here. Check out the details below.

Agenda for Parish Council meeting 3rd Nov

The Agenda for the Parish Council Meeting, to be held in the Village Hall at 7.30 on Monday, Nov 3rd is now available here.

Dredging Update

Work on dredging the confluence of the Tone and Parrett is coming to an end. The latest Dredging Bulletin (#35) is likely to be the last but one. It has information on the road closure situation around Burrowbridge and Moorland which may be of interest to anyone travelling in that direction.

Firing notice 27/10

Here is the latest notification of firing activity on the Langport Range. This covers the period 27/10 to 9/11/14

Revised date for Parish Council meeting

In order to meet the deadline for the Parish Council to comment on the planning application for the proposed Solar Installation at Aller Court it has been necessary to bring forward the next Aller Parish Council meeting to Monday 3rd November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

Details of the application can be found on the SSDC Planning website but a copy of the plans will be made available in the parish for those who cannot access the website or who have difficulty viewing them online.

Parishioners who wish to make their comments known to the Planning Authority can do so via the SSDC website (link above) or in writing to South Somerset District Council, Brympton Way, Yeovil, BA20 2HT quoting the reference 14/04300/FUL

A copy of the plans are now at St Andrew's Church Aller in a clearly marked box at the rear of the church by the main entrance. The church is open during daylight hours.

Proposed Solar Power Installation at Aller Court Farm

Proposed Solar Power Installation at Aller Court Farm

A planning application has been submitted to South Somerset District Council for the proposed development at Aller Court Farm. Documents relating to the application have not yet been uploaded to the SSDC site but will be made available here <https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1404300FUL> 

Aller Parish Council will be invited to comment on the application. Because of the time constraints that apply to planning issues it is likely that it will be necessary to arrange an additional PC meeting which will take place at Aller Village Hall. The meeting will be held in public as usual. Once a date is arranged further details will be posted on the website,

Dredging update 32a

Here is the latest update on the dredging, issued by the Environment Agency.

Langport Range

The latest information on times of firing on Langport Range is available here. This covers the period 13 to 26/10.

Community Update from EA

Lots of news of progress with dredging and re-instatement works in our area in this update from the Environment Agency - including news of the Allermoor spillway (pictured left) and Aller Drove projects.

Bus timetable and service changes

Somerset County Council has issued a revised timetable for buses to and from Aller, with the statement below. You can view the timetable here.

Due to the closure of the A372 near Othery beginning on 29 September and lasting for 11 weeks, there are major changes to public transport in the Langport area.

Service 16 will terminate at Othery, it will not serve Langport or Aller. Service 903 has been enhanced to provide a daily service between Aller and Langport, providing access to services from Langport to Taunton and Street.

Bridgwater College students from Aller, Langport and Huish Episcopi will need to catch a temporary service (16/624 Shuttle) provided by Hatch Green Coaches (see timetable) rather than the 16 or 624. There will only be one bus serving Langport. Passengers from Aller will need to catch this bus from the opposite side of the road

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Seven Bends road closure

The details of the road closures affecting Seven Bends on the A372, and the associated closure of Aller Drove have now been made public on the SCC website.

The individual documents are available here, with a summary of the closures and alternative routes for greater convenience.
Seven Bends
The Order PROHIBITS ALL TRAFFIC along Beer Road to Beer Door and Langport Road from 50m south-east of the junction with Beer Drove, westwards for a distance of 1350 metres. Effective on 29 September 2014 and will remain in force for twenty one days followed by a full order for eighteen months from 20th October 2014. The works are expected to last for 13 weeks and 2 days. While the closure is in operation an alternative route will be signed as detailed below and shown on page 2 of the linked document..
Aller Drove
PROHIBITS ALL TRAFFIC from proceeding along Aller Drove from outside Longstone Farm to Brookside House a distance of 570 metres, to carry out flood defence works in this road..
Effective on 29 September 2014 The works are expected to last for 13 weeks and 2 days. The alternative route will be signed as detailed below.

The Parish Council wishes to be informed of any discrepancies or shortcomings in the signposting of alternative routes, for what is a major disruption of access to the village. 

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
For vehicles under 4.6m high from the northern end of the closure along A372 to junction with A361 at Othery, turn right onto A361 to Junction with A39 at Pipers Inn, turn right onto A39 and then immediately right again onto Berhill . At Marshalls Elm turn right onto B3151, Turn right at Somerton onto B3153, continue on B3153 to Huish Episcopi, at roundabout take second exit onto A372, take third turning on right onto A372 Newtown Road to Aller and
southern end of closure and vice versa.
Vehicles over 4.6m high from the northern end of the closure along A372 to junction with A361 at Othery, turn right onto A361 to Junction with A39 at Pipers Inn, turn right onto A39 to Glastonbury . Take A361 from Glastonbury towards Shepton Mallet. At the A361 / A37 junction at Beardley Batch turn right onto A37. At traffic lights at Lydford on Fosse, turn right
onto B3153 towards Somerton. At junction of B3153 and B3151 turn left towards Somerton, Turn right at Somerton onto B3153, continue on B3153 to Huish Episcopi, at roundabout take second exit onto A372, take third turning on right onto A372 Newtown Road to Aller and southern end of closure and vice versa.
For information about the works being carried out please contact Richard Needs on 01823 359470
For further details of the alternative route please contact Somerset County Council on 0845 345 9155

Latest Dredging update #31

Work on dredging the confluence of the Parrett and Tone continues and is on schedule. If you are interested, the latest information from the Environment Agency is here.

A372 closure - Bus services

Bus services will be affected by the closure of the A372 at Seven Bends next week, potentially for up to 10 weeks. Timetables are still being finalised, but here is a comment from County Hall and the operators.

We have agreed that service 16 will only operate as far as Othery. Then we will put on a service run by Isle Valley Transport that will run from Aller to Langport. This will enable residents of Aller to get to Langport and be able to access the wider bus network. 
College Students from Aller, Langport and Curry Rivel will have a bus put on for them operated by Hatch Green Coaches. The usual 624 will not be serving these villages, it will be turning off at Ilminster and going straight to Bridgwater College. 
 The new timetables are still being tweaked to make sure they are right they will be sent to Bridgwater College, Parish Clerks and all student who have County Tickets.


Any updates will be posted on the village websites and publicised as well as we are able. Watch for more news.

Dredging Bulletin #30

The latest news (19.09.14) from the Environment Agency is here.

The picture shows the amphibious excavator, soon to be joined by a second, brought over from Holland.

Firing Range

The timetable of activity on the Langport Range is available here. It covers two weeks from Sept 29th.

EA asset repair update 17-9

The latest information from the Environment Agency contains detail of the road closures and repair work taking place (or about to take place) on their various assets in our area. Please read the full report here if you are likely to be affected. Below is a brief summary for your information. No details yet of the A372 closure at Bere Wall, due to start on 29th Sept. or proposed alternative routes.

Aller Drove – works to reduce flood risk
The first part of this work will now begin the week commencing Monday 29 September and will include raising the existing road and constructing a new kerb on the north side of Aller Drove.
Construction plant will be operating on Aller Drove which will be closed from 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday for approximately four weeks. The road will be open during the evenings and on a Sunday to reduce disruption. If we are able to complete work earlier than 19:00 some days, we will post an update on the Wessex Facebook page and on Twitter to let people know access is clear.

Allermoor Spillway - update
Some repair work on Allermoor Spillway is already completed. The installation of the concrete beams along the top of the spillway and a large section of the fibre reinforcement mat has been repaired, including a 35m2 area at the downstream end. We have removed all the stones deposited at the base of the spillway and stockpiled these for future use. Work to repair the bank slippage will start this week.

Work on the embankment at Cocklemoor starts this week and will affect Bow Street and the Cocklemoor car park.

Latest Dredging update

The latest update from EA (#29) on the progress of dredging is now available here.

Firing at Langport Range

The firing programme for the two weeks commencing 15th Sept is available here.

Road Closures

Somerset County Council have announced dates for the closure of Aller Drove and the A372 at Bere Wall (Seven Bends) for the repairs and flood defence work. The details are in the PDF document here, but briefly, the expected closures are as follows:

Aller Drove - starting 15th Sept for 6 weeks.

Bere Wall - starting 29th Sept for an estimated 10 weeks.

Aller Parish Council Meeting

Aller Parish Council Meeting

7:30pm at the Village Hall on Monday 15th September 2014

Agenda can be found on the Council Page

This is a council meeting open to the public, the meeting will commence after an Open Session for Aller Parishioners only.

Dredging Update #28

The latest update on the progress of dredging on the Parrett and Tone, issued by the EA, is here. 6.4km of bank still remains to be cleared, but they are on target to finish by the end of October.

Range Firing Schedule

The latest schedule for Langport Range is available here. It covers the first two weeks of September.

Dredging news

The latest reports and newsletters from the Environment Agency are available.

For the Dredging Report #27 click here.

For Community Update #4, click here.

We understand that work is to start on the Parrett river bank and the wall to protect flood prone properties on Whatley at Cocklemoor on Monday 8th Sept, and 5 spaces will be lost from the Car Park for about three weeks because of contractors equipment.

Solar Farm Open Morning

OPEN MORNING TO ALLER COURT FARM PROPOSED SOLAR PARK 10.30 – 12.00 SAT 6 Sep 14

 

As you will be aware, British Solar Renewables are arranging a visit morning to the proposed Solar Park on Aller Court Farm between 1030 – 1200 on Sat 6 Sep 14. Visitors should park their cars in the playground car park and walk to the meeting point outside the church gates where someone will be there to meet you (map attached). We ask that you arrive at 10.30 and that for Health & Safety reasons you do not enter the farmyard. You will be escorted to site where there will be other members of staff to meet you, explain the proposed layout and answer questions. After the visit, you will be escorted back to the meeting place. Although the weather forecast is not fully understood at this time, we would like to suggest that you dress prepared for wet weather and wear suitable footwear for walking through fields.

There is a link to a PDF of the meeting point and car parking here.

Dredging briefings 25 and 26

Two for the price of one!

Here are the links to the latest updates on the progress of dredging from the Environment Agency.
Briefing 25
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0a7Fjo2xLwOUjhmWDNSQTJ0V2c/edit?usp=sharing
Briefing 26
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0a7Fjo2xLwONlNhcU5wcWw1S0E/edit?usp=sharing
 Don't forget, you can see a visual representation of the progress of dredging at http://www.facebook.com/environmentagencywessex

Road Closure - Aller Drove

W/C 11th August Aller Drove will be closed to all traffic for resurfacing working, the work is due to take approximately one day but this means it will be closed to all traffic for that time.

Live Firing and Dry Training – Langport Range

The programme of activities on Langport Range for the period 18th to 31st August 2014 is now available. Click here for details.

EA Dredging Briefing #24

The latest news (8th August) on the Parrett and Tone dredging project is available here.

EA are planning to hold a community open morning at the dredging compound in Burrowbridge on Saturday 30 August. More details will follow. They continue to hold Wednesday drop-ins at Gillards (Samways Farm) from 16:30 until 18:30. Look for the Land and Water sign on Riverside, Burrowbridge.

The remnants of Hurricane Bertha, expected at the weekend, are unlikely to result in flood events, as the high water level is a metre below that seen in February. The situation will be intensively monitored.

Public Exhibition - Aller Court Farm Solar Park

Residents should already have received a letter through the post inviting them to a Public Exhibition at the Village Hall on Tuesday 12th August, between 3pm and 7pm, together with an explanatory leaflet. Details of the proposals for a Solar array to the west of Aller Drove, some distance from the road, will be on view and you will be able to discuss the project with representatives of the companies involved.
This project is at the preparatory stage and a formal Planning Application has not yet been made. This is an opportunity for the village to comment on the proposal while there is still an opportunity to influence it.

Dredging Update #23

Latest news from the Environment Agency on the Rivers Parrett and Tone Dredging Project is available here, summary of work to date below.

Progress over the last week 
We continue to have 9 gangs working on the dredging.
We have dredged a length of 3.15km of river (6.3km of total river bank length) on the Parrett and Tone. We’ve removed approximately 68,400m³ of silt and remain on programme to complete work by the end of October.

Range Firing 4-08 to 17-08

The schedule for activities on the Langport Firing Range from 4th August is available here.

Dredging Update #21

The latest update on progress of the current dredging operation and other repairs is available here.

Next week the EA plan to begin repairing Allermoor Spillway. This will start with diggers repairing the track providing access to the Spillway, so watch out for extra traffic.

Future dredging of Parrett

The Environment Agency is conducting a modelling exercise to investigate the effects and potential cost of further dredging along the Parrett. This is part of the 20-year plan, and will be reported on (and hopefully actioned if funding is available) in the autumn. 10 locations across the Levels and Moors are identified, including most of the Parrett downstream of Thorney and the Yeo below Huish Episcopi pumping station.
The briefing note from EA is available here.

Repairs to Allermoor Spillway

The Environment Agency held a well attended and informative drop in session at the Village Hall today to explain the work about to start on the Allermoor spillway. This will be a major project taking place over the next few months. Around 500 meters of bank is involved and the new concrete crest being installed will ensure a consistent water level and reduce the possibility of future breaches and bank collapses. This should provide a permanent solution in place of the emergency repairs that took place in March.
It will result in more traffic movements, with the main access to the site via Combe and Monksleaze Clyce.
Repairs to the spillway is part of an ongoing review of the whole Sowy area, including work at Bere Wall (Seven Bends) which is under the control of the County Council Highways department. There is a separate public meeting in Othery to discuss this later in the month - details to follow.

In the meantime, you can keep up to date with dredging on the Parrett and Tone confluence in the latest EA bulletin, by clicking here.

Langport Range 21-7 to 3-8

The latest details for firing on the Langport Range are here.

New Flood Meetings

The regular flood meetings, which up to now have been held at Canalside are being moved to North Petherton from July 9th. They will take place every other Wednesday at 6pm - 8pm at North Petherton Bowling club.

You can download the leaflet here. A map of the location is included.

Dredging Briefing #19

The Environment agency have four gangs working on the River Parrett and two on the River Tone.
They have dredged a length of 1.93km of river (3.86km of total river bank length) on the Parrett and Tone and removed approximately 40,000 m3 of silt.The full text of the latest briefing, which includes road closure details for Moorland, can be read here.

Allermoor spillway – drop-in event 11 July 2014

The Environment Agency hope you will join them at Aller Village Hall on Friday 11 July 2014 to explain and discuss the proposed works to repair Allermoor spillway.  This is a drop-in event between 3pm and 7pm.

As you may know, it is essential that the work is completed ahead of next winter. You will see the temporary storage compound near Monksleaze Clyce taking shape from the week beginning 7^th July, with actual works including works to the track leading down to the spillway commencing in the following weeks.

At the drop in, EA staff will be available to explain the options they have considered and the reasons for the proposals, and answer your questions or discuss any concerns you may have. They will also be able to provide you with information on the wider River Sowy and Kings Sedgemoor Drain works.

Dredging Briefing #18 (27/6)

The latest information in the form of the (now) regular Dredging Briefings from the Environment Agency is here. 3.4km of river bank has now been dredged.
This includes latest information on road and footpath closures and diversions around the dredging area, particularly Riverside in Moorland.

Well done Aller Community Group

The Aller Community Group, which runs the various Fun Days in the village has reported a profit of £1,100 from the Summer Solstice celebrations and bonfire.

This will be split with £300 each going to the Village Hall, the Parish Church and the Recreation field, retaining £200 for their own funds (and hopefully contributing to the next event).

Grateful thanks from the whole community to all who contributed, helped and attended, and especially the organisers. We have so much talent in the village and punch well above our weight.

Langport Range firing notice

The latest information on firing on the Langport Range is now available here. This covers the period 7/7 to 20/7/14.

EA Community Newsletter ~2

The Environment Agency is now issuing regular update newsletters to keep local communities in the picture for a very complex series of actions to alleviate flooding in the future.

You can view it on-line here. If you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive these updates directly, please email EA.  Here are some highlights:

Sowy/Kings Sedgemoor Drain (KSD) improvements

We are assessing improvements for the River Sowy and KSD so that in a future flood we could quickly and more easily divert water from the River Parrett through to Dunball. This would lower the levels in the River Parrett sufficiently to enable us to operate the pumping stations to help lower water levels on the moors around Langport, and to a lesser degree around West Sedgemoor, Currymoor and Northmoor.

We are currently project planning/scoping the work and hope to have a consultant appointed by the end of July. We will work with communities and our professional partners to agree aims and to include them in the development of the options. By the autumn we will have assessed a range of options to see what is feasible. We will need partnership funding to build the scheme.

Dredging update:
This week we've dredged 2.2km of river bank on the Parrett and Tone and removed 25,000m³ of silt. We are currently continuing to work downstream on the River Parrett towards Westonzoyland Pumping Station, and we have two gangs working on the Tone between Athelney Road Bridge and Creeds Farm.

Missing traffic cones

After the highly successful Solstice Bonfire on Saturday we are still looking for a few traffic cones that went missing. They may have got pushed into a ditch or thrown over a hedge, so keep your eyes open. They were kindly lent to the organisers by Avon and Somerset Police and hopefully prevented some of the traffic and parking problems we have had in the past. They are triangular and prominently marked with a 'no parking' sign on each side. Contact Gerald Matravers, Len White or Ivor Dixon if you know where they are.

Dredging Briefing 17

The latest news from the Environment Agency on progress with dredging the Parrett and Tone is now available here. 1.1km of river (2.2km of banks) out of the planned 8km has now been dredged.
They are also putting the latest weekly updates on the Environment Agency's website and are piloting a designated Wessex Facebook page where they will be posting frequent updates, alongside continuing to use the @EnvAgencySW Twitter account.

Speedwatch

Attached here is the graph of mean speeds through the village at the end of May. The period covered extends to 1st June, but the figures for that day are very similar to those shown here. These are figures from the SID results for Aller, on the approach from Langport for May/June 2014.

Langport Firing

The latest information about usage of the Langport Firing Range, covering the period 23.06 to 06.07 is available here.

Latest update from EA

Continuing work on dredging the Parrett means that there are some road closures in effect around Burrowbridge and Moorland. The details are in the Dredging Bulletin 16, issued by the Environment Agency. There are also some footpath closures and re-routing. Extract below:
The first road closure will be on Riverside in Burrowbridge on the right bank of the River Parrett between the A361 and Meadow View. This will come into effect from the 17 June.
We will be closing a section of road on Moorland Road alongside the River Parrett between the Winslades Farm and Northmoor Pumping Station on the 8 July. We will be completing a letter drop, putting up information boards and raising awareness on social media over the next few weeks.

Changes at Northmoor Pumping Station

The Environment Agency has announced its intention to replace the two diesel engines at Northmoor Pumping Station with electric motors. This is on the grounds of difficulty in maintaining the elderly engines and better economy and convenience of operation. The pumping capacity will remain unchanged for the time.
The press release with the relevant details is available for download here.

Live Firing

LIVE FIRING AND DRY TRAINING – LANGPORT RANGE AND DRY TRAINING AREA – 09th June to 22nd June 2014 - Details here.

EA Drop in Surgery

This took place in the Village Hall on 27th May. It was an opportunity to meet people from the Environment Agency and other bodies informally to discuss and review the floods of the past winter, and see their plans to prevent or at least alleviate the problem in the future.

We have included comments here from David Martin and Ivor Dixon, who attended the afternoon session. If anyone has any additional observations, please use the comments facility on this post.

We're back!

Having moved hosts, the Parish Council website (DragonFlyer2) is back in business. If anyone experiences problems accessing items on it, please let Ivor Dixon know as soon as possible.

We can now start the hard work of rebuilding and updating the content, so your suggestions as to what we need to keep, what to ditch or what to improve would be welcome. Use the comments box below to do this.

Langport Range Firing

The latest information, for the period 26-05 to 08-06 is available here.

Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish Meeting (Assembly) was held on 12th May at the Village Hall. This brief meeting is an opportunity for the village at large to find out what the Parish Council has been up to over the past 12 months, and is open to the public. As so few residents were at the meeting, the Chairman's report can be found here.

Latest Dredging & Flood news from EA

You can find the latest Dredging update (11) from the Environment Agency here. To date, over 350m of river have been dredged and 6,500 cubic metres of silt removed.

Environment Agency flood surgeries

The Environment Agency is holding more flood surgeries in the coming weeks; details as follows:

• Tuesday, 13 May, 4-7pm: St Peter’s Church Hall, North Newton.
Covering North Newton including Northmoor Corner, Chadmead, Tuckerton, Bankland

• Thursday, 15 May, 3.30-6.30pm: St Martin’s Church Hall, Kingsbury Episcopi
Covering Thorney including Newtown

• Tuesday 27 May, 4-7pm: Aller Village Hall, High Street
Covering Aller including Aller Drove, Combe and Pathe

• Thursday 29 May, 4-7pm: Willows and Wetlands Centre, Stoke St. Gregory
Covering Stathe including Oath, Wick and West Sedgemoor Area

Please note, if you attend one of these events you are invited to complete a short online survey which you can find through the following link. The survey is confidential and will help us make sure that these events are as useful as possible. http://feedback1.environmentagency.uk.com/s3/Feedback-survey

Annual Parish Meeting 12 May

ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY

Meeting to be held in the Village Hall

Monday 12^th May 2014 at 7.00pm

The agenda for this Meeting, on Monday, May 12th is here.
This is an Open Session for Aller Parishioners only
 

The Parish Assembly will be followed by the Parish Council Meeting, to which members of the public are welcome as observers. The Agenda is here.

Firing Range

The latest schedule for activity on the Langport Firing Range is available here. This covers the period from 12/05/14 to 25/05/14

Assessment for solar farm

British Solar Renewables are a local solar development company, based in Butleigh, and have developed a number of solar farms within the County. They are currently carrying out assessments at Aller Court to determine whether or not this would be a suitable location for a solar farm. This includes aquatic invertebrate surveys which requires them to erect a small number of solar panels within the site.
They want to inform you that these are only surveys and an application for a solar farm has not yet been submitted or permission granted without your knowledge.
Once these surveys and other technical assessments have been concluded and if this is a suitable site for a solar farm, they would consult direct with the Parish Council and the local community, to gauge local opinions and provide information on such a proposal. If the programme remains on track, this is likely to be in June/July this year.

 

EA Dredging Briefing 9

With no direct effect on the village, the latest briefing from The Environment Agency is reproduced here for interest. Work is proceeding and as the weather improves and things dry out, the pace should quicken.

A reminder for retail businesses that have been affected by the flooding: South Somerset District Council have issued an application form and guidance for the Retail Rate Relief Scheme. Read the Fact Sheet here.

Langport Range Firing

There is an amendment to the timings for the period ending 27-04-14, including additional dates and activity. It s published here.

The timings for firing on the Langport Range for the period 28-04-14 to 11-05-14 are available here.

Dredging, Briefing 8

At present, most of the dredging activities being carried out by the Environment Agency have a minimal direct effect on our village. This is the last of the Bulletins we will post on this website, but we will keep you informed if there are any urgent messages. You can see Bulletin 8, issued 11/04/14, here.

All future bulletins will be available on the Gov.uk website.

If you want to find out more about the 20 year plan which has now been published, follow this link. http://somersetnewsroom.com/2014/03/06/a-big-step-forward/

Langport Firing Notice

The details of firing on the Langport Range for 14/04 - 27/04 can be found here.

Dredging - Briefing 7

Briefing 7 from the Environment Agency details the work now taking place on the Parrett at Moorland House Farm. With improving ground conditions work should start soon on the opposite bank, with silt being carried directly onto adjacent fields.

All the details are here.

The link below takes you to the Governemnt website for other relevant information.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/somerset-levels-and-moors-reducing-the-risk-of-flooding

SSDC Grants for flood affected businesses

SSDC have issued forms for flood affected businesses in their area to apply for Business Support Grants, Repair and Renew Grants and Business Rate relief.
You can download the form here if this applies to your business.

Dredging starts soon

Read about the tests going on at the moment in order that dredging of the planned 5 mile stretch of the Parrett and Tone can start soon.

The latest Environment Agency bulletin (no 6) is here.

Dredging update

The latest news about the dredging programme is in this newsletter. It provides useful background information.

A372 likely to be closed until the end of March

Aller Drove – The EA have removed the temporary defences that were installed to protect Aller Drove.

The A372 is likely to be closed until the end of the month so that Somerset County Council Highways can carry out emergency repair works to ensure the road is safe for users. Please contact Somerset County Council Highways on 0845 345 9155 for more information.

Notices of road closures and re-instatement works is on the latest EA newsletter here.

Langport Firing Notice

The latest notice about activity on the Langport Firing Range is here.
This is the updated version dated 31/3/14

Bush Telegraph goes digital

The Aller Bush Telegraph (ABT) has provided an excellent way of communicating important news around the village. It is now going digital, using the system the Parish Council has already used to communicate flood information. It is important that everyone signs up with their email address and at least their post code, to make the system effective and cover most of the properties in the village.

Full information and the sign-up form for mailings is on the alleronline.co.uk website here.

Latest on Flood works

The flow through Monksleaze Clyce is being reduced and is operating within ‘normal’ parameters, reducing flows through the Sowy and King Sedgemoor Drain system. 

Due to improving conditions and the reduced flow through the Sowy, the large temporary pumps at Beer Wall (A372) near Aller are no longer needed and have now been removed. The A372 will remain closed after the pumps are removed so that SCC Highways can undertake an assessment of the flood damage and carry out emergency repair works to ensure the road is safe for users.

Rivers Parrett and Tone Dredging Project

EA remain on target to start dredging by the end of March 2014, provided water levels continue to drop, and the banks and adjacent land are dry enough for contractors’ machinery to work safely. The dredging work will start on a stretch of the River Parrett at Moorland House Farm. Plant will arrive on site from next Wednesday, 26 March. 

Latest news (20/3) from the EA is here. 

'Response' becomes 'Recovery'

85 days after the first winter storm struck Somerset, and with flood waters drastically reduced, there is no longer a known risk to life, so the overall command of the 'Response' to the flooding crisis in Somerset has formally passed from the police to a joint 'Recovery' operation led by Somerset County Council.

Cllr John Osman, Leader of Somerset County Council, said: “This is a big step forward for all our flood-hit communities, it is a clear indication that we are moving now to help people piece their lives and futures together again, rather than just working to keep them safe. Our thanks to everyone who has worked so hard for us all over the past weeks.”

There are still challenges for the agencies and for the communities they serve. This will in some cases require significant extra work and in some cases extra investment.

There is also a commitment to continue to engage with communities, to host the regular Wednesday evening public meeting at the Canalside Centre near Bridgwater; to provide roadshows into all flood-hit areas; to continue to provide bases in Burrowbridge and Moorland for residents to raise issues and request help and to improve communications from all agencies to the public.

A single point of contact for residents and businesses has been set up to be operated seven days a week on the phone number 0845 345 9166.

Road closures

Even though the water levels are dropping, there are still road closures in operation at Bere Wall (Seven Bends) on the A372, and on Aller Drove, and these will stay in force for some time to allow assessment of the damage to the roads and repairs to take place to make the roads safe. Although some bastions are being removed from the Drove to allow vehicles to reach Longstone Farm, it is not a sign that the road is open! Vehicles operating on this stretch of road will be an added danger.

The latest news from EA about A372 closure is here.

Firing Range

The latest timetable for the Langport Firing Range is here.

What to do when the water goes down

Advice from the Environment Agency about water supplies in flooded properties. Sensible advice if you are affected. Read the Community Update here.

With all permanent pumps now running and a forecast of some drier weather this week, the Community Situation Update (here) suggests a more positive outlook.

Update - Sunday 2nd March

The full update is available here. Locally relevant information below.
Sowy –Monksleaze Clyce was partially closed overnight due to concerns about rising levels downstream. This has now been reversed as levels have now dropped.
Aller Drove – We have placed some temporary flood defences along Aller Drove to mitigate
any increased flood risk here. The pumps at Beer Wall are running as required for the increased flows above. We will continue to monitor water levels downstream on the King’s Sedgemoor Drain as part of the overall pumping strategy and pump operating timings.

Situation and Dredging updates

The latest (28th Feb) Situation Update is here.

News on dredging in the Parrett catchment is included here for information. Although it may not directly affect most of the village, once it starts there will be some traffic disruption in the area.

High tides over weekend

The Environment Agency warns that high tides over the weekend, with a peak at 8.00am on Monday 4th March, may adversely affect water levels in the Parrett Estuary, but are not expected to cause additional flooding problems unless there is a strong tidal surge.

The full update on pumping operations, which are steadily reducing water levels, is available here.

The Community Update has info on local transport arrangements for flood victims (Bridgwater/Burrowbridge etc)

Pumping Update

With falling river levels more pumps can operate to remove excess water from the Levels. The latest information for the Environment Agency is here.

Community Update 25/2

The latest Community Update, available here, consolidates a lot of information into one rather long document, but most of the information applies to areas beyond Aller.

Useful list of contacts on the last page, and the safety advice is applicable to everyone. Good to hear Oath may get a reliable transport service at last.

Langport Firing Range

The timetable for firing at the Range is available here.

24th February

The latest situation update is here.
Please note: a subsequent verbal update from the EA indicates Monks Leaze Clyce has been raised a further 20cm today, without incident.

Monks Leaze Clyse opening today (Sat)

The Environment Agency have decided, in view of the faster than expected decrease in water levels around Aller, to bring forward the opening of the sluice at Monks Leaze Clyse. It will be opened gradually, from today with close monitoring of water levels downstream. This means the pumps at Seven Bends will operate as necessary to deal with the increased flow. Pumping is expected to take place soon afterwards to relieve Oath and Langport

The full update can be read here.

Friday 21st Update

The update on the flooding situation is here.
Watch for a new email to all people of Aller Parish, with latest news, including the proposed schedule for opening Monks Leaze Clyse.

This helicopter carrying a very heavy load, swinging wildly, passed over this afternoon. Not sure where it was going.

Latest Community Update

The Community Update for 21/2 is here.

Dredging - at last

Dredging to start on the Rivers Tone and Parrett as soon as possible

Dredging of the Somerset Levels will begin next month as soon as it is safe and practical to do so, the Environment Agency (EA) announced today. The Environment Agency is formally advertising the works in preparation for work to start. A copy of the briefing note is available here.

Dredging will take place on eight kilometres of river channel where the Tone and Parrett meet at Burrowbridge. Work will start on a 200 metre long stretch of the river Parrett north of Coates Farm.

Community update – Somerset Levels Flooding

The update for 19/2/14 is available in full here.

This version includes information about weekend opening hours for some offices and services (mostly in Sedgemoor) and news of an EDF scheme to help victims of flooding.

The second breakdown of the BV serving Oath shows the vulnerability of this link. Comments from our residents there 'the BV is not fit for purpose, being unreliable, uncomfortable, noisy and extremely difficult to get in and out of, whereas the tractor and trailer has none of those disadvantages.'

Community Update 18/2

This is the latest update from the Police, detailing a lot of the road closures and special transport arrangements for the area. There is also useful information on safety and hygeine for anyone affected by flooding, plus contact details for various organisations.

You can view it by clicking here.

Community Update 14-16 Feb

The information in this Community Update from the Police may now be slightly out of date. Events move quickly and sometimes the communication channels used by the major agencies don't work quite as well or as fast as they should, especially when the prolonged crisis is putting everyone under pressure.

The report is here.

Allermoor Spillway Repair Works

There is important remedial work due to take place on the Allermoor spillway, as soon as conditions allow. It will result in increased traffic in the village. The full details are in the EA document available here. There are copies of this on various notice boards around the village.

The latest situation report from the EA is here

Better communication around the village

The current flood situation has highlighted the need to improve our communication with the village, to ensure that information arrives in a timely manner, without unnecessary duplication. Various village organisations are working with the Parish Council to bring this about.

Within the next 24 hours, any villagers for whom we have an email address should receive a newsletter, asking them to confirm their details and by doing so agree to receive email notifications.

We ask everyone to look out for neighbours who might not have email, to ensure they are fully notified. Anyone who is not a member of village organisations is unlikely to be on our list, so please forward the email, when it arrives, to them. Alternatively, you can complete the form below.

It is important that everyone in the village is covered. Thanks for your cooperation

Add me to the Aller village mailing list

* indicates required

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Phone No

Post Code *

15/2 EA update

The latest update from the Environment Agency is here.

The letter gives 48hrs notice of the intention to increase the flow in the Sowy by opening Monks Leaze Clyse gradually. This should take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. The second page of the document explains the procedure that is being adopted, which is basically as described by Peter Maltby at our parish meeting last week..

Aller Parish Update Friday 14 Feb

Dear all

Since the meeting on Tuesday there has been a marked improvement in communications with SSDC and the authorities generally. The Police and authorities can be informed of non urgent flood related issues using the link here <https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact-us/flooding-on-somerset-levels/>. Routine Police Patrols have been stepped up including Officers in 4 x 4 vehicles patrolling otherwise hard to access areas. More information in a Community Update from the Police that can be downloaded from Alleronline (link below)

SSDC have arranged an information meeting for Monday next at 2pm at Huish School - More details below - to enable more people to get the sort of information given at Aller's meeting on Tuesday. It is appreciated that this is a difficult time of day for many but notes from the meeting will be available afterwards for those unable to attend. I will try to post any new information that is given on the PC website/Facebook and by email. 

As of this morning four pumps of the planned eight were operational at Dunball. There is no update on the timing for gradual opening of the Sluice at Monksleaze. I was assured by the EA yesterday that for reassurance and in order to keep residents informed, those on Aller Drove and some on Church Path close to Aller Drove will be visited and leafleted with information prior to that operation commencing. Information will also be circulated by email and on the parish website / Facebook page. 

Information related to specific areas of the parish;

Aller

There have been concerns for those in residents on Aller Drove that have at times been cut off by flood water in the event of needing medical attention or for attending routine medical appointments and the like. SSDC are aware of those in that area with specific transport issues as are the Police. 

In the event of anyone needing help to get to a non urgent medical appointment when they are cut off by flooding please call 101 in plenty of time and they will endeavour to help with specialist vehicles. For urgent medical help, call 999 as usual.

Oath

It is hoped that a vehicle will be provided to provide a ferry service to Oath by Saturday. A temporary measure was being investigated and may have been operating today. Somerset waste Partnership have agreed a revised programme for the removal of refuse. SSDC Environment Officers visited on Thursday and Police visits should have commenced by today. 

Beer

Police and Highways have been made aware of the issue with unsuitable vehicles attempting to drive through Beer. Signs have been requested but there is a shortage due to the demand for signage caused by road closures.

Links: Aller PC Facebook Page <https://www.facebook.com/AllerParishCouncil>                    
Aller Online (DragonFlyer) <http://www.alleronline.co.uk>

Some of the documents are quite long but I will try to provide up to date hard copies available via the noticeboard in the Old Pound for those without email. If there are specific difficulties not addressed here please contact me or any Parish Councillor and we will do our best to help.

David Mayor

Chairman

Aller Parish Council

Avonwater, High St., Aller

01458 253623 

EMERGENCY FLOOD RELIEF WORKS ON SOMERSET MOORS AND LEVELS

South Somerset District Council is hosting a public meeting to help explain the current emergency flood relief works on the Somerset Moors and Levels and to answer any questions you may have.

Date: Monday 17th February 2014
Time: 2 - 4pm
Venue: Huish Episcopi Academy (Main Hall), Wincanton Road, Langport TA10 9SS

The meeting will be chaired by Mark Williams, Chief Executive, South Somerset District Council, supported by officers of the Environment Agency.

We appreciate that this is short notice, and that attendance may be difficult due to the time of day. Notes from the meeting will be available from South Somerset District Council after the meeting and on our website. There is further information on the flood incident available atwww.southsomerset.gov.uk/majorincident

SSDC message to residents and businesses affected by flooding in South Somerset: -
Call us on 01935 462462 Monday to Friday (8.45am to 5.15pm) - an out-of-hours service providing cover for emergencies operates outside of these times. In addition you can visit an SSDC Customer Advisor at the Langport Information Centre, Bow Street. Opening times: Mon, Tues and Thurs 9am to 2.00pm. (See our website for details of our other local community offices). For help with SSDC services, a home visit will be arranged for those residents unable to access an office or use our services by phone or on-line. SSDC will help those who may be made temporarily homeless and once the initial stage of this major incident has passed, we will be working to help communities recover. Other services include help with council tax reduction & housing benefits, business rates relief, and environmental health services - including guidance on dealing with septic tanks during this difficult time.

Contacts for help and support in Somerset

There is a very useful listing of contacts for various emergencies during the flooding here.
Published by Somerset County Council, but on their Newsroom website, so not immediately visible.

Click to enlarge, or visit the link above.

Thursday 13th Feb update

The latest news from the Environment Agency is available here.

From approximately 5am tomorrow (Friday 14 Feb) heavy rain is forecast, with rainfall of approximately 20mm expected.

Winds are decreasing today with speeds of 15-20mph, gusting to 25mph. On Friday and Saturday winds will pick up, gusting to 50mph.

Firing Range use - Feb

Details of the use of the Firing Range for February are available here.

Flood update 12/2/14

A very well attended meeting at Aller Village Hall last night heard Peter Maltby, chair of the Inland Drainage Board and one of our local farmers, clarify the situation of flooding and water management affecting the area. Peter outlined the present situation, which is likely to persist for some time before things return completely to normal, and also spoke of some of the medium and long term measures that may take place once water levels subside. The concensus is that the measures being adopted will ensure that the situation in the village does not deteriorate, but it may be some days before we see the benefit of the pumps now being put in place.
The latest situation update from EA is here.
A more detailed update on the pumping strategy, supporting the discussion at the village hall, is also provided here.

Update on Pumping 10/2/14

Full report from EA is here.

The Environment Agency in partnership with Gold and Silver Control have been working on a number of short term, emergency options to maximise the amount of floodwater that can be pumped away from the Somerset Levels and Moors as quickly as possible. This includes options like pumping to the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal, increasing the volume of floodwater that goes down the Sowy (River Parrett Alleviation channel) and pumping at both Beer Wall and Dunball.

Pumping at Beer Wall and Dunball and increase the volume of floodwater going into the Sowy is due to commence by mid week. All risks and benefits across the Somerset Moors and Levels have been considered in making this decision. This is an emergency situation and some very difficult decisions have to be made.

They apologise for the inconvenience caused by road closures and ongoing work.

Emergency Meeting Tues Feb 11th, 7pm

Emergency Parish Council Meeting

There will be an emergency meeting of Aller Parish Council at 7pm on Tuesday next (11th Feb) at the Village Hall to consider the current flooding situation and any additional action required by the PC.
1. Flood situation in the Parish
2. Flood defence work in Aller
3. Pumps at Seven Bends
4. Highways

There is a considerable amount of work taking place over the weekend to try to alleviate the flood risk and protect vulnerable parts of the village.

Floods update 7/8 Feb

The latest (7th) update from the Environment Agency is here. Local radio is giving excellent coverage of road closures and the latest news on a rapidly changing situation.
Road closures are, however, generally poorly signposted and diversions are often not signed at all.

Closure of A372 at Seven Bends

Major flood alleviation works will require the closure of the A372 between Othery and Aller.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these works.  These works are likely to continue over the weekend.

Working closely with partners the Environment Agency has been able to secure approval to evacuate additional water down the River Parrett relief channel (Sowy). This will include additional pumping on the Sowy and King’s Sedgemoor Drain to ensure this water is evacuated quickly. They are extremely large units and will require the A372 road to stay closed for the period they are operating.

If you have any questions about this, please call 0800 807060 and ask to speak to the Somerset Flood Incident Duty Officer.

6th Feb update

Thursday 6 February 2014

Weather forecast

Overnight rain brought 2mm of rain.  The forecast for the next 24 hours is for widespread rain throughout the day and into Friday morning.  During this time we can expect totals of 20mm.  There is a small respite before another band of rain moves in on Friday / Saturday. The current forecast is for 11mm from midday on Friday to midnight and a further 11mm on Saturday.

At Northmoor, the average rate of rise is currently 14.5mm pr hr.

Baltmoor Wall continues to overtop at 20mm over 70 mtrs.  We have an engineer on site monitoring the situation.

Stanmoor Bank is also being monitored, we have placed sandbags along the bank.

Storms and Floods 4/2/14

The latest weather forecast is for a band of rain to spread east into Somerset during this evening, with some heavy bursts as it clears into Wednesday morning. Strong south easterly winds are expected with rainfall totals of between 15 – 25mm. Whilst river levels are generally falling at present, we can expect levels to rise for a time overnight in response to the forecast rainfall and this could pose a risk of flooding to low lying land and minor roads. Further bands of showery rain will spread in from the west on Wednesday morning accompanied during the afternoon by gale force westerly winds. These showers will tend to gradually ease late on Wednesday evening.

The latest Environment Agency warnings can be found here.

Update for 31/1

Friday 31 January 2014

Weather forecast

Wet and windy weather will spread east across the area today (Friday 31 Jan) with some heavy rain and gales. Widespread rainfall bringing totals of between 15 and 20 mm are expected.  Catchments are saturated and all rivers are expected to respond to the rain.

Flood situation 29 Jan.

Weather forecast

The rainfall totals for Wednesday are up to 5mm as light rain. Thursday is set to be a mainly dry day, with totals of up to 2mm.

Friday will see high winds combined with low pressure and high rainfall totals. Totals at present are forecast to be between 10-15mm for Friday afternoon and into Saturday. Winds will be Force 5/6 in a southerly direction. Combined with low pressure, this is likely to cause some coastal issues at high tide on Friday.

The wind is forecast to change direction to more of a westerly direction on Saturday, which will have a bigger impact at high tides, with the wind due to stay up at around the Force 6 strength.

Flooding situation

There are still five flood warnings in place across the area; all of which are on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

The levels on the upper reaches of the Somerset Levels and Moors (upstream of Langport) are dropping following the rainfall yesterday. Rivers will remain sensitive and respond quickly to any further rain. Levels on the lower reaches of the catchment are stable but remain high. 

Read the full report here.

Aller Parish Council on Twitter and Facebook

Aller Parish Council has a Twitter account and a FaceBook page as well as this website. The Twitter page can be found at www.twitter.com/Allerpc and for FaceBook, https://www.facebook.com/AllerParishCouncil and 'Like' the page to keep updated on the latest Aller PC news, including updates on flooding. This is supplemented by old technology in the form of the Aller Bush Telegraph.

We're looking at better ways of communicating information around the village, particularly relevant in times of emergency, so if you have any suggestions, put a comment on this post, or use one of the other media.

27/1 flooding update

Monday 27 January 2014

Weather forecast

A band of showery rain is forecast to move through the region this evening and tomorrow followed by drier weather on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rain is possible again on Friday afternoon into Saturday. This will coincide with the high tides on Saturday.

Latest from EA (24/1/14)

Friday 24 January 2014

Weather forecast

Friday: Light rain/drizzle (up to 12mm) is expected until approximately 20:00.

Saturday: Saturday is expected to be dry, with the possibility of occasional showers.

Sunday: A thin band of rain, with possible intense showers, is expected between 09:00 to 15:00. This rain will last for 4 to 6 hours. 10-15mm of rain is expected.

General information

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY SANDBAGGING OF DEFENCES BETWEEN BURROWBRIDGE AND HUNTWORTH ON THE RIVER PARRETT TO REDUCE FLOOD RISK

We are continuing with works to the banks of the River Parrett. We are placing large dumpy bags of clay material, on the left bank of the River Parrett just downstream of the main Road Bridge at Burrowbridge and working downstream towards Newhouse Farm. The dumpy bags will provide additional protection in time for the high tides which could further affect levels on the Parrett towards the end of next week.

Vacancy for Parish Councillor

PUBLIC NOTICE

PARISH OF ALLER

Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 87 of the Local Government Act 1972 that a vacancy has occurred on the Aller Parish Council.

Unless a request for an election to be held is submitted in writing to the Proper Officer of South Somerset District Council at The Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2HT by 31st January 2014 by ten electors for the Parish of Aller the Parish Council will proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option.

Emma Meecham

Clerk to the Council

13 January 2014