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2026/27

Chard Town Council
Strategy

ADOPTED BY FULL COUNCIL 21.09.2026
STEPHEN HILL – TOWN CLERK & RFO

CHARD TOWN COUNCIL | Guildhall, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1PP

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Introduction
Chard Town Council is proud to share the Town Council’s strategic plan 2026/27. This
document tells you about the Council’s Strategy, its Priorities and Priority Projects and
details its budget 26/27 and other information.
Chard Town Council was established in 1974 following the changes in local government.
It is comprised of 15 councillors representing the town’s six wards: Avishayes, Combe,
Crimchard, Holyrood, Shephard’s Lane and Jocelyn. It has three standing committees as
well as a number of working groups. Chard Town Councillors are supported by officers
based at the Guildhall, Chard. The Council’s website includes more information about
the history of Chard and the Town Council https://chard.gov.uk/history/
The Town Council is a critically important part of local democracy being the Council most
local and “in touch” with Chard’s people, its communities and other statutory agencies,
community services and volunteers.
The Town Council’s Precept 2026/27 is £1,187,378, which is £249.87 pa per Band D
equivalent property.
Background
This Strategy builds on the Council’s report (draft strategy) August 2025.
Contact details and Register of Interests for all Town Councillors can be found at the
website: https://chard.gov.uk/councillors/
Chard is provided with services from a number of statutory services including Avon &
Somerset Police, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service and Somerset Council. It can
be confusing to understand the different roles provided by each statutory agency.
Although the Town Council has adopted the General Power of Competence (GPC) it has
legislative Duties that it must provide and Powers (to act lawfully and as an individual can
lawfully) that it can choose to apply. Beyond that, the Town Council cannot act.
We have observed that several services in Chard are not provided well in Chard and the
Town Council has “stepped in” and maintains several areas of Chard that are not its
responsibility but are important to Chard and better than the statutory minimum of
maintenance makes Chard a better place to be.
The Town Council is not the Planning Authority, Highway Authority, Waste Collection &
Disposal Authority. The Town Council does not provide education, social care or health
services and is not the Police or Fire & Rescue service. Nevertheless, the Town Council
works in partnership with those statutory agencies. The Town Council is not an
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CHARD TOWN COUNCIL
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emergency responder but has a pivotal non-statutory role locally during emergencies and
at recovery stage.
The Town Council works in partnership with (but is not responsible for) foul or surface
water drainage, flooding or watercourses. These are the responsibility of the Environment
Agency, Wessex Water and riparian owners.
The role of the Town Council within Chard’s community is particularly important providing
leadership and working in partnership eg with the Hive, Hub, Citizen’s Advice, Holyrood
Academy, and CommuniTea Waffle. The Council provides representatives to several local
community groups, which feedback to the Council; eg Museum, Clare House, Allotment
Association, Chard Area Resilience Group and the Hive.
Chard Town Council has had a difficult decade with some tensions within the Council
and with the community. These tensions are a drain on resources. They may have settled
in the past 18 months and there is a focus on delivering the best for Chard. There has
been a high turnover of Town Clerks and other staff with varying skills which hampered
consistency, delivery and compliance.
The Town Council provides a range of services including parks, play areas and open
spaces, Cemetery, allotments, The Guildhall, market, events, floral displays, closed
Churchyard, consultee on the Local Plan and Planning Applications and its role in multi
façade role in community leadership. The Council provides about £15k Grants each year
and this year Octagon Yeovil and Fore St Grade 1 Listed Building.
The roles of Councillors and Council staff are complementary, one team working together
with staff providing options, Councillors making Decisions and staff then implementing.
The Council and staff structures must be designed to support the implementation of this
Strategy. A separate document describes implementation of a revised staff structure,
roles and responsibilities.
This Strategy is planned to enable the Council’s success at securing the National
Association of Local Councils (NALC) Bronze (foundation) award by December 2027.
Council Structure 26/27
Full Council (15no.)
Chairman: Tricia O’Brien

Deputy Chairman: Craig Hussey

Finance & Policy Committee (7 no.)
Chairman: Zak Williams
Deputy Chairman: Andy Kenton
Amenities & Events (9 no.)
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Chairman: Jason Baker

Deputy Chairman: Garry Shortland

Planning & Highways (5 no.)
Chairman: Dave Bulmer

Deputy Chairman: Tim Eggins

HR (5 no.)
Chairman: Victoria Bates

Deputy Chairman: Jenny Kenton

Appeals Committee (4 no.)
Chairman: Zak Williams

Deputy Chairman: Jason Baker

The Council has a number of informal Working Groups. The Council’s Structure may be
revised dependent upon the work of the Council.
All-Out Elections May 2027
Like many other Councils, Chard Town Council’s Term ends with “all-out” Elections May
2027, when all 15 seats at the Town Council will be open to re-election. Therefore, this
Strategy is until May 2027, when a newly Elected Council may have a different Strategy.
Current Councillors would need to put themselves forward for Election and be success
fully Elected to retain their position on the Town Council.
The Council plans a campaign (starting late 2026) to encourage people to put themselves
forward as candidates for Election. This campaign is planned to describe more about the
role of the Town Council, its work and its democratic processes and involve advertising
and in person briefings.
Public Participation and Community Engagement
The Council enables and encourages public participation, is open and transparent,
provides information at The Guildhall, websites and via social media (Facebook pages)
Each meeting provides an opportunity for public questions and is open to the public.
Meetings are advertised including on website, Facebook and noticeboard. The Council
holds regular Council surgeries and will undertake specific, focused public surveys. The
Annual Town Meeting enables people to question the Council. Nevertheless, ongoing and
improved communications should establish the Council as a beneficial cornerstone of
the community eg better communications via social media, PR, relationship with the
Press and ensuring accessibility compliance. The Council plans to have new
communications and community engagement policies and resources to enable their
implementation. This is particularly important so that tensions within the Council do not
dominate.

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Services
The Town Council provides several services:
hanging baskets and planters
Christmas lights (with Town Team)
Christmas trees brackets
Hive (SLA) Young Peoples Centre
leased land (for various)
allotments (land leased and licenses)
cemetery
play Areas (Higher and Lower Henson Park, Bampton Ave Park, Ashcroft Park, Jocelyn
Park)
Multi Use Games Areas
skate park
open spaces/parks: Jocelyn Park, Henson, Bampton Ave, Ashcroft and Halcombe
Jocelyn Park Pavilion (new, to be completed)
outdoor events support
The Guildhall
Chard.info (to be launched)
Civic & Ceremonial events
Local Information Centre
Markets
The Council will start a programme of Service Improvement Plans (SIPs) for each of:
-

parks, play areas and open spaces
town centre floral displays
closed Churchyard (and War Memorial)
cemetery (including internal audit);
MUGAs and skate park;
allotments;
The Guildhall (operation, events, H&S and maintenance eg M&E, doors and roof);
markets; and
outdoor Events.

SIPs are likely to focus on:
a. improvement of play areas and maintenance/replacement (eg consultation on
improvements, community volunteers and securing Green Flag);
b. football pitch improvement/maintenance;
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c. Cemetery chapel refurbishment and Cemetery (internal Audit);
d. management of the allotments (eg security of tenure and self-management);
e. markets improvements;
f. improving number and quality of town centre floral displays;
g. improvements of open spaces (eg Great Mead);
h. operating model of The Guildhall (and public subsidy); and
i. improvements to MUGAs and skate park.
The Council will continue to provide its consultation comments on Planning Applications
and with growing importance as consultee of preparation by Somerset Council of the
Somerset Local Plan.
The Town Council provides service that appear to be the responsibility of others, which
result from complaints from members of the public to the Town Council, which the Town
Council then actions to address complaints and make Chard a better place. A list is
included in Appendix B. However, that action incurs time and cost (circa £8k pa) for the
Town Council, which is not charged to the responsible person/organisation, so a cost to
the Town Council taxpayer.
The Guildhall
The Guildhall is owned and operated by the Town Council. The Guildhall provides a
unique and valued community venue not just for Chard but a wider catchment area. Net
budget subsidy of the Guildhall is circa £160k - £200k pa (ie £200k - £224k pa exp and
£28k - £36k pa income).
A Working Group has been established to direct and consider a Business Plan for the
Guildhall. The Guildhall is owned and operated by the Town Council and used for several
community events, Civic & Ceremonial functions, community entertainment and is hired
out. The Guildhall is a significant presence in the Town, being prominent and the primary
event place for Chard and surrounding areas including Ilminster and Crewkerne. It also
has significant budgetary and operational impacts for the Town Council. It’s operating
model and amount of public subsidy must be acceptable to the Council and the Business
Plan is planned to ascertain and approve that.
The operation of The Guildhall including maintenance, financial viability of events and
staffing will be reviewed as part of the Business Plan and Service Improvement Plan.
The Town Council can provide a focal point for the provision of services perhaps to other
nearby local councils.

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Priorities
The Town Council identifies its Priorities as Community, Young People and
Environment. Those Priorities cascade to specifics Projects of:
Community: Outdoor Events, Civic Ceremonial function, The Guildhall, and Jocelyn park
pavilion; Bath st PC
Young People: Youth Council, Hive
Environment: Devolution, Open Spaces, parks, play areas.
The Council identified its Priority Projects in September 2025. These have been
prioritised so that only a few ideas are planned to be progressed in this strategic period
(to May 2027):
1. restroom and welfare facilities for the Grounds Maintenance team;
2. grass cutting: grounds maintenance and devolution of services from Somerset
Council;
3. establishing a Working Group for working with young people eg re-establishing a
Youth Council; and
4. Bath St Public Conveniences – complete lease from Somerset Council and
improvement works (Changing Place).
Other projects that are progressing include:
1. providing secure and compliant CCTV to enable its operation;
2. working in partnership to improve community safety, reduce crime and ASB;
3. Jocelyn Park Pavillion – works to be completed for community football use;
4. Bath St Public Conveniences – currently owned by Somerset Council and
operated by the Town Council;
5. introduction of Chard.info (building on from KIND Chard);
6. improvements to Great Mead (building on the multi agency community
engagement);
7. re-establishing a Youth Council;
A Project Management methodology is planned to be implemented with Lead Councillors
and Lead Officers appointed to work on each Project and with Delegated Authority to the
Town Clerk (in consultation with Lead Councillors) for Project implementation.
The Council will also focus internally to ensure that it is compliant with legislation,
procedure and its governance. To do that the Council will focus on:
1. its democratic processes eg Agenda and Minutes;
2. introduction of Service Improvement Plans (SIPs)
3. democratic services (support to Councillors);
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4. Audit (internal and external including action plans and internal control);
5. training & development of Councillors and staff;
6. HR policies and procedures (eg staff appraisals);
7. Digital AGAR;
8. managing its corporate risks;
9. Business Continuity planning;
10. management of Health and Safety;
11. skills, resource and capacity: re-organisation of staffing structure;
12. corporate policies review (eg IT policy); and
13. introduction of a Project Management methodology with Project Implementation
Plans (PIPs).
Projects that have recently been completed include:
Hive at the Young People’s Centre – lease from Somerset Council and SLA with the Hive;
Construction of building shell, Jocelyn Park changing rooms;
Additional cemetery land provided.
The above lists constitute projects that are planned to be undertaken, so other ideas and
initiatives may arise but will not be done and are not resourced. This brings a degree of
rigour, discipline and focus on priorities that can be resource.
The above list of Priorities are proposed in addition to the day-to-day operation of the
Council.
Community Plan
A Community Plan has been prepared 2022/23 with “smart communities”:
https://chard.gov.uk/community-plan-for-chard/
The Council works together and in partnership with the community. The Council’s
Stakeholder Liaison Officer/Community Development Officer works with the Hive (at
Young Peoples Centre), Hub (Boden Centre), CommuniTea Waffle, the Town Team, Police,
Holyrood Academy, Museum and many other community leaders.
CTC to contribute to Community Plan actions
Devolution
Since the formation of Somerset Council its financial status has been precarious. The
ability of Somerset Council to finance discretionary services is limited to the minimum to
provide places that are safe, eg broken play park swings will not be replaced but removed.
That level of service is unlikely to be acceptable and therefore where the Town Council
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believes that discretionary service provided by Somerset Council are local important, the
Town Council plans to have those services and assets devolved (transferred over time via
either lease or freehold) so that the Town Council can provide a quality public service to
Chard (and initially an acceptable level of service before transfer may be agreed with
Somerset Council). That will have significant impacts on the Town Council not least
financial and also operational and HR implications.
Whilst Somerset Council may transfer responsibility for discretionary services, given the
pressure on Somerset Council to provide its statutory duties, it is unlikely that funding for
discretionary services will be provided from Somerset Council to the Town Council. The
Town Council will need to establish implications including budgetary impact before
Deciding to assume responsibility.
Nevertheless, it is intended that a better quality of service will be provided by the Town
Council for people in Chard, locally controlled and with a greater sense of pride.
Impacts of devolution include budget, staff, tools, vehicles, machinery, depot budget and
increases to the Precept charged to Chard’s taxpayers. These impacts are likely to dictate
the pace at which services/assets will be transferred and may be years, until which time
other arrangements with Somerset Council may be necessary to safeguard an
acceptable quality of service.
The Town Council has already started to increase its Precept in preparation for transfer of
services and £232k is retained as EMR and budget £75k. The costs of establishing the
right HR (eg staff in the GM team), equipment and depot/welfare facilities will be
significant and are not yet included in the Council’s budget/Precept. Providing a new
depot of sufficient size will be significant project, cost and a site has not yet been
identified and will require consultation, a preferred site to be identified, Planning
Permission secured, preparation of a specification, allocation of funding, tender, build
and commissioning. That will take several months (if not years) to complete and may
dictate the speed of service transfers. Council will be asked to determine the priority (to
provide an improved existing restroom at the cemetery) or focus on early stages of
providing a new depot (with welfare facilities).
Chard Town Council
agreed interest
(November 25)
Bath St public convenience
Bonfield Way allotments

Somerset Council
proposals (October 25)

Possible cost
(all tbd)

Bath St public convenience
(lease) and parking space to
enable Changing Place
Bonfield Way allotments

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Somerset Council
areas and parks

play Somerset Council play areas
and parks
Highway
verges
and
sightlines
Footpaths maintenance
Footpaths maintenance
Shrub beds and planters
Shrub beds and planters
Young People Centre (long
term lease)
Beacon (and location) – Beacon (and location)
more information needed
Street cleaning and litter
picking
Rills
Rills
Flooding
Clearly Chard is susceptible to flooding events, which can be dramatic, sudden, internal,
short lived and may derive from overland run-off (eg field run-off), blocked gulleys and
poor maintenance. Whilst the Town Council is not responsible for causing flooding or
resolving and neither is it an emergency responder, the Town Council has a role to play in
helping to disseminate information, has an Emergency Plan and during the emergency
recovery phase. As individuals Councillors are also likely to assist people during flood
events. There may also be impacts from flooding of the Town Council eg The Guildhall.
The Town Council will work with Somerset Council, the Environment Agency and private
landowners/businesses to plan to reduce the impacts arising from flooding. At present
and in particular at this time, this includes working with Somerset Council to ensure it
prepares plans which are then implemented.
Development
The Town Council will contribute to the Somerset Local Plan, currently starting to be
prepared by Somerset Council as Planning Authority. The need for housing/business and
other developments and impacts of development must be carefully balanced. At present
the Council is particularly aware of plans for an eastern relief road to Chard and
associated housing development. The Town Council is also consultee for individual
Planning Applications.
Staff Structure (re-organisation)
Council staff are employed to implement the Decisions of Elected Councillors. The
Council employs 15no. people with some part-time and others full-time. Employees
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include grounds maintenance (eg Cemetery, parks, play areas), Guildhall caretakers,
finance, governance, events and managers.
It is important that the Council has the right skills and capacity to achieve its operational
day-to-day services and also to implement Priority Projects and internal services (eg
H&S, finance, governance, democratic service).
The Council (July 26) has Decided that the Town Clerk reviews the organisation and to
ensure that the Council has the right skills and capacity and brings a report to Full
Council, planned for September 26 for implementation by Christmas 2026 and Job
Evaluation to enable staff budget setting 2027/28.
The number and size of Projects and opportunities arising from devolution/transfer of
services from Somerset Council is likely to require a Programme or Project Manager,
perhaps for a period (say 2 years, related to Projects) and funded from EMR.
Civility and Respect
The Council has signed the Civility & Respect Pledge and Councillors accept the seven
Nolan Principles of public life and are bound by the Council’s Code of Conduct. Managing
complaints is resource intensive, cam involve Somerset Council’s Monitoring Officer and
can be detrimental to morale, although must not be avoided and processed according to
policy.
Outdoor Events
There are several events in Town that the Council helps to provide and promote including
Party in the Park and Christmas lights (inc switch-on). The Council co-ordinates with the
Carnival Committee and Town Team.
Civic & Ceremonial
The Town Council’s Chairman is styled as the Town Mayor and the Deputy Chairman also
as Deputy Mayor. Throughout the year they attend a number of Civic & Ceremonial events
on behalf and the Town and Town Council including the St George’s Day parade,
Remembrance and Mayor Making.
Council Corporate Policies
In phases the Council will review all of its corporate policies from its Standing Order to
Biodiversity and IT Policy via a Working Group, Finance & Policy Committee and finally for
approval by Full Council.

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Council will start to review its leases (eg of land at Jocelyn Park to Clare House), contract
arrangements (eg maintenance/servicing, IT, HR) and subscriptions (eg South West
Councils) to find any gaps.
HR Policies
The Council will undertake a review of and approve several HR policies to ensure that it is
legally compliant and upto date eg Employment Rights Act. An Employee Assist
Programme (EAP) will be brought to Council for approval.
Health and Safety
The Council intends to appoint a H&S consultant that can ensure that it has correct
policies, procedures and practices in place not least for high-risk services, such as
grounds maintenance and operation/maintenance of The Guildhall. This will include a
review of operational service Risk Assessments. It may also include an Employee
Assistance Programme (EAP) for Officers and Councillors.
Training & Development
The Council is committed to training and development of Officers and Councillors as a
committed learning organisation. A budget has been included. Training & development
must be continuously identified including through skills assessment, annual appraisal
and sourced from providers, NALC/SALC and in-house learning on the job. The Council
plans to adopt a Training & Development Policy which will include mandatory training for
Committee Chairmen, on the Code of Conduct and specialist services eg planning and
HR. Learning of employees is important and several general and service specific training
will be provided. Records of learning will be maintained.
Audit, Corporate Risk Assessment, Internal Control
The Council is subject annually to internal and external audit, and there is legislation,
regulation and procedures that must be complied with. The Council’s Audit action will
need to address the need for a Corporate Risk Assessment, an IT Policy and
improvements to internal control.
The Council will receive training and prepare for digital AGAR, making Tax digital and VAT.
Each year the Council must complete and provide its Annual Governance and
Accountability Return (AGAR) and accounts and governance return are open to public
challenge July each year.

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Budget and Precept
The Town Council budget 26/27 is £1,274k with £1,187k Precept. This equates to £249.87
pa per Band D equivalent property. The Council’s budget and Precept 26/27 was set Full
Council January 2026.
Income and Expenditure Summary

2025/26 budget

2025/26 actual

2026/27 budget

Budget
change

Income:
Precept
Interest
Guildhall income
CTC Events Income
Market Income
Allotment - Rents
Allotment - Licence
Cemetery
Operations income
Grant Income
Other
Total income

£1,185,000
£10,000
£32,216
£0
£2,000
£4,600
£256
£27,582
£3,883
£0
£0
£1,265,537

£1,185,000
£24,097
£35,519
£1,744
£1,897
£4,862
£556
£23,642
£5,014
£20,522
£0
£1,302,859

£1,187,378
£8,500
£26,695
£5,000
£2,000
£4,326
£500
£22,000
£3,470
£3,000
£11,500
£1,274,369

£2,378
-£1,500
-£5,521
£5,000
£0
-£274
£244
-£5,582
-£413
£3,000
£11,500
£8,832

Expenditure:
General Council
Civic & Democratic
Community Services & Support
Operations
Guildhall
Cemetery
Allotments
Markets
Devolved Services
Projects
Staff Costs
Others
Total expenditure

£105,914
£38,880
£124,472
£150,155
£171,827
£29,835
£13,330
£24,633
£210,000
£0
£621,000
£61,670
£1,551,717

£88,035
£28,825
£140,272
£56,955
£64,784
£14,838
£3,450
£322
£12,082
£0
£540,081
£2,927
£952,575

£113,600
£32,000
£120,500
£127,130
£143,680
£28,500
£6,264
£2,100
£75,000
£13,175
£612,420
£0
£1,274,369.00

£7,686
-£6,880
-£3,972
-£23,025
-£28,147
-£1,335
-£7,066
-£22,533
-£135,000
£13,175
-£8,580
-£61,671
-£277,348

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The Council has £3.2m (end March 2025) on its Asset Register, the majority being
Buildings.
Grants
In 25/26 Council awarded S137 Grants to:
Community grants
Somerset Youth Theatre
1st Chard Scout
Chard Carnival Committee
Chard Churches Together
Trident Swimming Club
Blackdown Acapella
Chard Museum
Chard Cricket Club
Citizens Advice Somerset

£1,000
£1,000
£1,000
£750
£400
£660
£1,000
£1,000
£1,000

Core Grants
Chard Carnival Committee
Chard Town Team

£1,000
£1,000

However, the current (26/27) limit of Chard’s S137 Grants is circa £121k pa and in any
case the Council now has the GPC so is not similarly limited.
Earmarked Reserves (EMR)
During the last two financial years Chard Town Council has underspent circa £500k and
that has contributed to Reserves. At end March 2025 the Council had £1.5 million as
Reserves. It is good practice that local councils hold 3-6 months of Precept (£1.1m 26/27)
as Operating Reserve, so that would be circa £1/2m. The remaining £1m can be
Earmarked for specific purposes, so about £1m.
However, the current list of EMR totals circa £1.5m which allocates all Reserves as EMR
and leave nothing as a General Reserve 3-6 months of Precept. This needs to be
corrected.
Total projects: Agreed Earmarked Reserve (EMR)/Sinking Fund (SF)
Reserve

Current (August 26) Balance, £

Capital Receipts Reserve

5,861

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EMR Cemetery Chapel

127,800

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £75k

EMR Future Cemetery

113,363

Sinking Fund – Guildhall

141,798

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £100k

Sinking Fund - Closed Church Yard

4,965

EMR Play Equipment

124,000

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £100k

EMR C I L

13,611

EMR MTIG

7,083

EMR Climate Change

12,221

EMR Service Devolution

232,916

Sinking Fund - Civic Regalia

27,500

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £25k

Sinking Fund -Guildhall Screen

2,137

EMR Staff mess room

200,000

20/10/25: FC: 2025/132 c) addition £200k

EMR Bath Street toilets

200,000

20/10/25: FC: 2025/42 addition £200k

EMR Sports & Changing Facilities

100,000

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £100k

EMR MUGA

50,000

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £50k

EMR Play areas

100,000

23/03/26:FC: 2026/38 addition £100k

From that list of EMRs, Council will focus on Bath St PC and Jocelyn Park sports changing
rooms (completion), which inevitably results in other Projects that have EMRs allocated
to them not being progressed at least until May 2027.

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S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
Somerset Council collections funding contributions from developers to provide
community infrastructure required to ensure development is acceptable and also to help
fund community infrastructure.
Somerset Council collects and holds S106 monies that are allocated for specifics in
Chard. Applicants (which may include the Town Council) may apply to Somerset Council
for release of S106 monies. At present (August 2026) it is understood that Somerset
Council retains circa £456k allocated to different projects in Chard (eg changing rooms
and play areas); specifics have been requested.
In addition to S106 funds, Somerset Council will collect CIL (from developers), a
proportion of which is provided to Chard Town Council as neighbourhood CIL. The value
for that is to be confirmed but may be £13.6k as EMR.

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Source page 17

CHARD TOWN COUNCIL
COUNCIL STRATEGY 2026/27

APPENDIX A
CONCLUSIONS FROM COUNCILLORS’ PLANNING DAY SEPTEMBER 2025

Board 8
Lease cemetery car park to school 2
Play area improvements 3

Boards 7 and 3 and Another Board
no one else is going to do it (devolution):
Bondfield way allotments transfer from SC 1
Footpath maintenance 2
Street cleaning inc weeds and steam clean 2
Council play parks 3
Grass cutting 4
Boden centre 1 done
Old youth club building 2 done
Beacon 2
Devolution 1

Board 6
have to do it:
Cemetery car park 2
Policy group 1

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Source page 18

CHARD TOWN COUNCIL
COUNCIL STRATEGY 2026/27

Board 4
agreed to do it:
Extra cemetery. Demolition of mortuary 3
Trough 1
Working Group for Youth 4
Bath st toilets 6
Review leases 1
Chat bench 1
Grants 1
Halcombe park 1
Office 2
Boundary review 2

Boards 1 & 2
Probably should do it:
New amenities staff facility 6
Cemetery Chapels 1

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Source page 19

CHARD TOWN COUNCIL
COUNCIL STRATEGY 2026/27

APPENDIX B
WORK UNDERTAKEN BY CHARD TOWN COUNCIL IN PAST 12 MONTHS FOR WHICH
OTHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE
Footpaths
•

Cycle Path and footpath from Chard to Ilminster

•

Forton Road Pavement

•

Holyrood Footpath between Holyrood and Poundstretcher

•

Holyrood School Grass Cutting of Great Mead Open Space

•

Manor Court School Footpath

•

Avishayes Footpaths

•

Beecham Close footpath towards Chard recycling centre

•

Lord Lease Lane

•

Tesco footpath from Millfield to Numatics

•

Redstart Footpath

•

Bews Lane Footpath

•

Leisure Centre Paths

•

Convent Link Pavement Hedge line

•

Mount Hinderance Footpath

•

Laurell Garden Footpath to Snowden Caves

•

Footpaths Around Glynswood

•

Alun Reece Ways

•

Minterns

•

Halcombe

•

Bowles Club path from the Scout Hut to Mount Hinderance Lane

•

Victoria Road

•

Dwelly Close

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Source page 20

CHARD TOWN COUNCIL
COUNCIL STRATEGY 2026/27

Open Spaces
•

Mitchell Gardens

•

Redstart Park

•

Entrances to Snowden

•

Area of Grass Behind the Museum

•

Highways Verges on Crewkerne Road, Forton Road, Tatworth Road

•

SEND School hedge line and drive way at Jocelyn Park

Flooding
•

Catchgate Lane Gullies

•

Hornsbury Hill Gullies and Stream

•

Great Mead Gullies and Stream

•

Holcombe

•

Laurell Gardens

•

Forton Road

•

Millfield

•

Blackdown Heights

•

Lombardi Avenue

•

Dowlish Wake

Rev 6, 21 September 2026, approved by Full Council

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