News in Radstock

Local solicitors' firm Thatcher + Hallam LLP is very much set and ready for the nation's second lockdown starting today Thursday 5th November. The Managing Partner at the practice is William Weller, who is working hard getting the message out to clients, fellow local businesses and the community that the firm is both open and here to help.

'As soon as the lockdown was announced over the weekend, on Monday morning we were immediately in contact with clients both personally and via the media to let them know that if they were in the process of moving house or were planning to move house, then they were largely exempt from the new government restrictions,' says William. 'Clients who already have a completion date or are planning to move in the next few weeks will largely be unaffected by the latest lockdown. The local residential property market in this part of Somerset remains extremely busy with fresh instructions being received every day, so this particular piece of news has come as a huge relief for many families.'

In planning application news this week in and around Radstock:

The big Westfield company Sun Chemicals on Old Pit Road has applied to make the existing site access road wider and to create a series of passing places. You can review that application under 20/03947/FUL. A pre proposal of this plan was ' viewed favourably by the Council.' They reported that although there are existing trees and vegetation along the access road, the plans would not impact them, only grassland and insignificant vegetation.

Young sweethearts Mr White and Miss Christmas tied the knot in a last-minute pre-lockdown wedding at the beautiful Roman Baths.

Mr and Mrs White-Christmas, 20-year-olds Tilly and Kieran, from Bridport, Dorset, married last night (Tuesday November 3) at the historic attraction in the city watched by close family and friends.

Children at St Julian's Church School in Wellow welcomed some special four-legged friends into class last week.

Molly, Elsie, Dougie and Hope are all trained (or in-training) therapy dogs with Dogs for Health - a local organisation that uses dog therapy to tackle loneliness, isolation and mental health amongst humans.

Jacob Rees Mogg writes:

Last week, Jeremy Corbyn, was suspended from the Labour Party following his critical response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report on anti-Semitism.

Local conveyancing solicitors have since the weekend been inundated by anxious clients concerned whether they will still be allowed to move house after the government announced new lockdown restrictions coming in to effect this Thursday the 5th November.

'Part of the problem has been that when the Prime Minister announced details of the new restrictions during his Press Conference on Saturday, what was not mentioned was what happens to those who were already planning to move house, on or after 5th November,' says conveyancer Hayley Wakefield at local solicitors Thatcher + Hallam LLP.

Running on Hempty in Fortescue Road has moved all her product lines on line, hoping that people will chose the next lockdown to get ahead with their Christmas shopping.

It is just one of the ways local businesses are gearing up for Thursday.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has responded to the Government's lockdown announcement on Saturday by highlighting the challenges the area faces in reducing the rate of infection, which have been rising rapidly in recent weeks.

The council has also committed to supporting the most vulnerable and to keeping public and staff safe, whilst maintaining services wherever possible within the restrictions that are finally adopted by central government.

The traffic lights on Waterloo Road in Radstock are scheduled to be there until at least November 20.

As the government announced November 1, construction work on the centre will continue under the new lockdown measures announced.

The Radstock Mayor writes:

Some years ago I was involved in preliminary discussions with Chinese scientists about constructing a couple of Eden Project-like centres. The purpose was not to provide a representation of plants from different biomes but to trace the art of plant cultivation and animal husbandry throughout the history of China. In so doing it was hoped that householders would be encouraged to grow their own food, thereby becoming self-sufficient and considerably more eclectic in their choice of food.