A Vision for Wellington Town Council
Wellington Town Council is an aspirational Council that wants to engage with the people it represents and reflect their views to enable a vibrant and thriving community.
The Council will work with and offer support to all members of the community as needed with the aim that Wellington is or becomes:
An inclusive, safe and secure town where everybody is supportive of each other and offers particular care for the more vulnerable members of our community.
We will do this by:
- Making grants available to community groups that offer support to members of our community.
- Working with statutory bodies, local agencies and voluntary groups to ensure that more vulnerable members of the community get the support they need.
- Making effective use of data to enable early identification of need and target support where it is needed.
- Working with schools to encourage children and young people to have pride in their town and engage in making it a better place
A town with a diverse, thriving, and resilient local economy
We will do this by:
- Promoting the town as a place for businesses to base themselves.
- Supporting developments that provide employment opportunities for the residents of the town whilst recognising the need for developments to be appropriate and meet planning requirements.
- Supporting the building of the train station both in principle and through the provision of funding to deliver it and the surrounding developments.
A town with vibrant cultural, sporting, and social communities
We will do this by:
- Supporting organisations delivering cultural, sporting and social events through the provision of grant funding.
- Supporting the development of sports facilities through Community Infrastructure Levy funding and other grants.
- Taking on the delivery and management of significant events in the town such as street fairs.
- Working in partnership with voluntary groups and other organisations to support them in delivering facilities, activities and events that will benefit the town and its residents.
Proud and protective of our heritage, green spaces, and biodiversity
We will do this by:
- Working in partnership with local organisations and councils to ensure our heritage sites and green spaces are secured and used for the benefit of the community.
- Celebrating the history of the town through the provision of information and trails.
- Using our green spaces to promote biodiversity.
- Making sure our green spaces are accessible to all.
Committed to becoming a net carbon neutral town
We will do this by
- Developing and delivering a strategy that will help the town work towards being carbon neutral by 2030.
- Making grants available to support projects/work that will reduce carbon emissions and where outcomes can be shared with others.
- Support the development of a Community Farm and deliver additional allotments to enable the town to become more self-sufficient.
- Develop an improved walking and cycling infrastructure over the next 10 years through the development of Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.
A destination of choice for people to live and work and for businesses to be located.
We will do this by:
- Promoting Wellington both locally and nationally as a place to come and live and work.
- Working with developers to encourage businesses to base themselves in and around Wellington.
- Delivering this vision so that Wellington is seen as a destination of choice.
Connected with the Blackdown Hills AONB and surrounding communities
We will do this by:
- Working with surrounding Parish Councils to develop links and work collaboratively for the benefit of all our communities.
- Working in partnership with the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the National Trust to promote the area.
With local government reorganisation occurring in 2023 the council recognises the opportunities that may arise for Wellington to be a more self-determining community.
The Council will look at potential asset and service delegations from the new Somerset Council and in each instance will consider if doing so will:
(a) Support the Council in achieving the aims and aspirations set out above.
(b) Add value to or improve the quality of provision of those assets and services locally.
(c) Save costs or improve value for money for the town.
(d) Provide facilities which were not previously available to or in the community.
