LIKE so many others I am really looking forward to the Coronation on Saturday and I feel honoured to be witnessing this historic event in my lifetime.

There are myriad ways of participating and enjoying the event whether on tv or via the range of events and street parties planned both nationally and locally (including in my own village).

Check out what's going on near you via this useful interactive map www.coronation.gov.uk/events/

As I write, I’ve just had the memorable privilege of meeting His Majesty himself at a celebratory coronation reception held in the ancient Westminster Hall in Parliament.

He conveyed his best wishes to everyone and as we all know His Majesty is passionate about our environment, which I am pleased to say I share.

And environmental issues linked to food and farming were raised in my recent meeting with farmers and growers in Taunton Deane in particular concerns over slow progress in obtaining planning permissions for simple farm facility improvements many of which will benefit the environment such as new slurry stores.

I shall raise this with Ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities in connection with it being considered in the review of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Poor connectivity is another testing issue for some farming businesses, this was starkly raised, and I am following up.

It is essential that our farmers have adequate signals so they can conduct their relevant applications for various grants and apply for the new farming schemes.

A range of rural issues were also raised with me in my regular catch up with the Blackdown Hills Parish Network.

Top of the list was the increase in speeding traffic through our county lanes and the thorny issue of the lack of public transport.

I shall be working with the network’s representatives on a potential UBER scheme that might offer some opportunities.

Water quality was also discussed, and I shared details of the raft of measures now in place to tackle water pollution from a wide range of sources.

It is thanks to the monitoring this Government has put in place that we have an accurate picture of our water quality and are doing more than ever before on this issue.

On sewage in particular - I stressed yet again in a debate last week in Parliament that sewage in our rivers is completely unacceptable and through our game-changing Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan we have set out stringent targets and up to £56bn of capital investment plus £1.6bn of fast-forwarded infrastructure that will deal with sewage and improve water quality.

We are also consulting on unlimited fines for water companies that break the rules.

South West Water was fined £2.1m last week for serious water quality breaches, demonstrating there is no escape.

On the health front I was pleased to facilitate a meeting with the Health Minister and representatives from the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in Westminster to highlight how the recent merger of acute, community and mental health services across Somerset will work to deliver much-improved patient care across the county.

Minister Will Quince was genuinely impressed with the work being carried out and the ambitious plans.

I stressed the importance too of the need for the proposed whole hospital site upgrade, with particular emphasis on a rebuild for our antiquated materiality unit.

Having the ear of the relevant Government Minister is so key in terms of progressing projects like this.

Likewise, my campaign for a Wellington Rail Station where I've also been working closely with stakeholders and chairing the rail group.

I am keeping up the pressure on Rail Minister Huw Merriman in Westminster to escalate the project and am anticipating a visit soon.

Finally, last Thursday was a poignant evening as I proudly presented a Cup in my late husbands' name for the Charles Clark Memorial Novices steeplechase.

I was deeply honoured that a race had been named after him and thank you to all involved and to the many who attended and shared memories of Charles’ work in the agricultural community and of his (infamous) fundraising auctions for local charities - he is sorely missed but leaves a wonderful legacy.

Written by MP Rebecca Pow