Carry On Langport!: A few late items of news...

Nothing earth shattering...just NFL (normal for Langport)

Bits and bobs land on Carry On Langport's newsdesk from time to time that don't necessarily contain any satire....but are worth passing on anyhow.

So here we go and in no particular order:

HUISH POOL has an opening date. It's June 11th. Not only have a roof and side walls been added but work's been done on the pool itself and the changing rooms. The total bill: £1.2 million which a spokeswoman for Huish Academy described as "slightly over budget".

LANGPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. It's emerged that requests have been made by 'some' Langport businesses that the Christmas lights go up earlier than they usually do at the end of this year. We understand that the response to that has been a resounding no - not only from the town council but from several members of the audience at the recent town assembly. As in previous years, the illuminations will again go up at the end of November.

HANGING CHAPEL ROAD CLOSURE CONSULTATION. The public consultation carried out on whether the road through the chapel should have a bollard put in it to make the whole area a no through road didn't go down well with the public. Many complained [to Carry On Langport] that not everyone had been asked, just addresses on the hill and homes leading up to the chapel. There was also some anger that the wrong question was being asked. Rather than close the road, many locals wanted traffic calming to tackle poor parking, speeding and congestion. It's now emerged that the road closure idea came from Somerset County Council, and that despite objections from our town clerk that the public consultation about closing the road through the chapel was "missing the point", the county council ignored him and went ahead and posted the consultation leaflets anyway.

The final verdict from Langporters (and Huish residents who weren't even consulted but surely should have been) was "it's a no from us" and the closure idea was abandoned.

Instead, some extra signage will be put up at the bottom of the hill warning lorry drivers reading SatNavs not to go up there. Pretty lame really and it does nothing to ease locals' speeding, parking and congestion worries. Round and round we go eh.

THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LAND OPPOSITE KELWAYS is still on Persimmon Homes' 'to do' list. Having being told where to go some months ago, the developper has submitted TWO more applications for the same piece of land, the trial ground. One is for 80 homes, the other is for 94. Why they've put in two applications is unclear, but either way - both plans still intend to rip out the beech hedge/avenue which straddles the plot from one end to the other.

You may remember that Persimmon's original justification for felling the beech hedge is that its removal would "enhance" the development.

So these new applications mean that all those comments and/or objections you posted on the district council's website have to be done again - for BOTH the new applications. Sorry folks, it's the way planning law works...incredible isn't it. The deadline to get them in is 10th May. Carry On Langport is on to it and we will soon be publishing e-mail addresses and links on how you get your comments/objections in - just like last time.

LANGPORT LIBRARY. Remember the odd way in which NatWest monitored how much its Langport branch was being used before it closed it? Despite queues out the door on many Monday mornings, the bank said its measuring stick was how many cash desposits had been made. Nothing else counted apparently. Now, the future of libraries may be decided in a similar bizarre way.

As part of cut backs, the county council is now considering which Somerset libraries it may have to close. Both Langport and Somerton are on the hit list and one may well win over the other. But we understand it's not how many people come through the doors that matters - it's how many books are borrowed. So what are library supporters supposed to do? Go down with a shopping trolley and get out as many as you can? This hasn't been confirmed but if anybody working for the library service can let us know if it's accurate, please do get in touch.

and finally...

RIVER PARRETT. We're delighted to report that Ian 'Pugwash' Macnab has his mini passenger ferry 'The Duchess of Cocklemoor' back on the river and taking passengers. More details later - but he's a town councillor so if you want to book then get in touch via the town hall.

Pugwash isn't the only one hoping to entertain the crowds, a new boat hire service is being launched from an address on Bow Street with easy access to the river. From 'Langport Boat Hire' you can not only rent canoes and kayaks but pedalos! More details later.

That's it for now - more news and local nonsense as it comes in.

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