Parish News

While the library is closed – if you have access to the internet and have a PC, phone or tablet which can download Apps, you can have free access to books in a different way – give the library Apps a try. Have a look at the chart below and see what you could use.
You can’t argue with free emagazines, ebooks and audio books at the moment! An amazing service!
There is a great section on the library website which gives a guide for the Apps
https://www.somerset.gov.uk/libraries-leisure-and-communities/libraries/library-facilities/e-books-e-magazines-and-e-audiobooks/
All you need is your library number from your library card and your library pin number. Don’t worry if you have forgotten your pin number – you can retrieve it on the library website –
www.librarieswest.org.uk – Click on ‘login’ and then ‘Forgot my pin’
If you are not a library member – don’t worry – you can join the library online during the closures, so you can still use these services
https://www.somerset.gov.uk/libraries-leisure-and-communities/libraries/libraries-services/library-membership/
You can download the Apps from your App store on your device, or from the library website links then you follow the instructions for each one.

Some tips:
• Don’t be put off by the fact that not all audio books or ebooks are instantly available. You can always find one you want to read instantly and it is quite fun having them queued up by date. They don’t always take as long as they say to become available.
• On some devices they will download instantly but on others you may need to prompt the download
• You can change the size of the font on ereader but not the font itself
• With audio books you can have a listen to a ‘trial’ first – with an audio book, who is reading it is as important as the author!
• The audio books will renew for over 40 days and the ebooks for over 20 days
• The magazines (a really great range of 136 titles – from Chat to Good Housekeeping to Gardeners World to Cycling Plus to National Geographic to Radio Times. You will be pleasantly surprised at what is there) can also be downloaded and they stay on your device – no automatic checkout date
• You can set up the magazines to automatically download new issue

A poster providing more information about the apps is available here: poster

Due to current Government restrictions during the Coronavirus outbreak, it would be wrong for us to ask our volunteers to deliver Fiveways magazine to subscribers. Because of this, the Fiveways team has taken the difficult decision to suspend publication of the magazine until the restrictions are lifted. We apologise to all our readers but be assured that Fiveways will be back!

Following the most recent statement made by the Prime Minister, the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting scheduled to take place this evening (24th March) and on 8th April have both been cancelled.

If you wish to contact the Parish Council regarding any matter, please contact the Clerk Amy Shepherd on 01823 412922 or clerk@bishopslydeard.org

Dear Customers

In the interests of the health and wellbeing of the community, as of Thursday 19th March 2020 all public libraries in Somerset will be closed until further notice.

The volunteers that run the library on behalf of the Parish Council have investigated how we could keep this vital link open to help serve our communities but at this stage it is not possible but we will continue to take advice from SCC on this and if in the future we can then we will let you all know.

In the meantime can I remind customers that No overdue charges or additional hire charges will apply on any items during this time. All reservations have been cancelled and will not be available to collect.

Please also remember library services are available 24/7 at www.SomersetReads.co.uk, where you can download Books, Audiobooks and Magazines.

I hope to post some more information on how this can be done soon .

Please keep visiting the Bishops Lydeard library and the Parish council web sites / social media sites for updates,

Iain Hunter on behalf of the Parish Council and the Library volunteers

As many readers will be aware, the parcels of land to the front of the mansion at Sandhill Park has remained open for very many years allowing local residents the opportunity of using them for various recreational purposes including, in particular, walking with or without dogs. Until recently, the land was owned by Strongvox. It was this company who built the new homes behind the mansion.

It has come to the notice of the Parish Council that Strongvox has , or is in the course of selling, the afore-mentioned parcels of land and has also applied for planning permission to fence them with railings. This has prompted the Parish Council to consider investigating the possibility of making an application to, firstly, register the land as an Asset of Community Value and, secondly, to apply to have the land registered as a Village Green open to all. These are complex applications with no guarantee of success!

The Parish Council will require to build an evidence base as we need to show that the land has been used by a significant number of local people for recreation “as of right” (i.e. without permission, without force and without secrecy) for at least 20 years. Accordingly, we now need those local residents who feel that they qualify to come forward and confirm that they are willing to give written statements along these lines which will be submitted in support of the Parish Council’s applications.

In the first instance, I would ask those wishing to partake and who are in a position to give the statements outlined above to contact the Parish Council’s Clerk whose details are:
by email at clerk@bishopslydeard.org or by post to Amy Shepherd, Rose Cottage, Oldway Lane, Wrantage, Taunton TA3 6DE.

With my thanks in anticipation.

Henry Davenport
Chair, Bishops Lydeard & Cothelstone Parish Council

An update provided by SCC about Coronavirus is available here: Members’ Briefing Sheet 130320