A COMMUNITY survey will be launched on Monday (July 1) for residents of Milverton to have their say on how the village should look in future.

The exercise is being run by the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) with support from Milverton Parish Council.

Although the community review will be an online exercise, CCS will hold some drop-in sessions to help villagers complete the form and there will be a limited number of paper copies available.

A spokesperson said: “This consultation is designed for everyone who is a part of Milverton, whether you live, work, or visit here.

“Your voice matters.

“This is not just a consultation, but a crucial opportunity for you to share your unique perspectives on Milverton as a place and community.

“Your input is invaluable in shaping our future, understanding how we can best meet future challenges and embrace the abundant possibilities ahead.

“Your feedback will be instrumental in helping us understand our community and its needs.

“The parish council, in collaboration with other groups, will then use these insights to propose a range of actions for our community.”

CCS is conducting a number of community reviews across Somerset and Milverton was selected to be one of them.

The survey will run until the autumn and CCS has been looking for six to eight volunteers of all ages from across the parish to form a steering group to work with an adviser and draw up the form’s questions.

It said all aspects and issues affecting the community were up for discussion, including traffic, parking, public transport, amenities such as a youth club, environment, education, and new development. 

CCS aims to enable parish councils to engage with their communities in an inclusive and meaningful way to create a community plan to address the needs and ambitions of the parish.

The results of the survey will be collated and analysed in conjunction with the steering group, after which CCS will produce a community review report and an action plan incorporating recommendations for projects within the village, as well as potential funding streams to help finance any projects.

Among the initiatives with which the parish council has recently been involved is working with the Somerset Bus Partnership and First Bus to bring the No 25 Taunton to Dulverton service back through Milverton.

First Bus agreed to re-route the 25 service to loop through Milverton from the beginning of September, or possibly earlier, which would mean residents no longer had to walk to the roundabout on the B3227.

Parish councillors have been awaiting information on bus stop locations and will keep residents informed once they were known.

The service was expected to run through Station Road, Silver Street, Fore Street, St Michael’s Hill, North Street, and exit via Station Road.

The No 25 bus was previously under threat of being axed because it was unviable without a subsidy from Somerset Council, which had said it could not afford the funding because of its financial crisis.

The Milverton community survey can be found online at www.milvertoncommunityplan.org.uk.