| 
Wincanton Town Council
Wincanton has been a Parish Council since 1894 when it had a Chairman
but not a Mayor. This was changed in 1986 when Wincanton became
a Town Council and introduced a Mayor.
Wincanton’s fifteen Town Councillors are elected every four
years. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the various sub-committees
are elected annually by the Town Councillors. Details of serving
Town Councillors are available from the Town Hall, they are posted
on the Town Council’s notice board and on the Town Council’s
website - www.wincantontowncouncil.co.uk.
Council meetings are held in the Town Hall. Full Council meets on
the second Monday of the month. The Town Council also meets on the
final consecutive Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the end of each
month, when Planning Full Council is held on the Monday. The Open
Spaces Committee is held on the Tuesday and the Finance and General
Committee is held on the Wednesday. All meetings start at 7.30pm.
All meetings of the Town Council are open to members of the public.
Twenty minutes is allocated for the receiving and answering of questions
from members of the public. Agendas and Minutes are posted on the
Town Council notice board and on the Town Council website.
Town Council Website - www.wincantontowncouncil.co.uk
The Town Council’s website has been designed and constructed
to provide what Wincanton Town Council hopes will be a valuable
resource of information to all residents of the town and to increase
our links with the community and visitors to the town. The website
has three sections of information - Wincanton Town Council, Community
Directory and MCTi (Wincanton People’s Plan).
The functions of the Town Council
The Town Council employs two office staff, the Town Clerk and Deputy
Town Clerk. They are available at the Town Hall between 9am - 1pm
and 2pm - 4pm to help with any enquiries. Other staff are employed
to look after the recreation grounds, the cemetery and toilets.
The Town Council is responsible for managing the Town Hall, which
is home to Wincanton Town Council and a ‘one-stop’ community
centre offering help and information on a range of local services.
Have you ever wondered who is responsible for what and not known
whom to contact with a problem or issue? We will try our best to
point you in the right direction and if we don’t know the
answer we will put you in touch with someone who does!! April 2003
saw the set up of a Local Tourist Information Centre - this has
generated a large number of enquiries relating to Tourism in the
area - pop in and have a look at the large range of leaflets. 
The Town Council manages the Burial Ground situated at the top of
Rickhayes Recreation Ground and the closed churchyard.
The Town Council maintains a number of facilities throughout the
town including three recreation grounds - Rickhayes Recreation Ground,
Penn View Recreation Ground and Coneygore. Rickhayes Recreation
Ground and Penn View Recreation (located at Penn View off Bayford
Hill) both have a fenced off children’s play area including
a toddler area. Coneygore, which is situated at the back of Carrington
Way, is a wildlife area on a steep slope.
The Skate Park is located at Southgate Road, although you can gain
access to the Skate Park via the play area at Rickhayes. This was
officially opened in July 2004 and provides a very popular facility
for youngsters.
The Town Council also manages the Allotments situated at Moor Lane.
The Town Council owns and manages the old Red Cross building at
Rickhayes Recreation Ground, which is available for hire for meetings
and social events. Telephone the Town Council staff on 01963 31693
for details or to make a booking or email: wincantontownclerk@hotmail.co.uk
The Town Council has been given delegated powers, in that it deals
with Taxi Licensing - Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicles, Hackney
Carriage/Private Hire Drivers, and Private Hire Operators.
The Town Council was awarded Quality Status by central government
on 30th July 2004 (the first in Somerset to achieve this accolade)
in recognition of its proactive approach to providing first class
local services, and was re-accredited in January 2009.
|
