CCS Village, Community and Carers Agents are working extremely closely with both the health services and social care to broker a range of support, phoning people to check on their welfare and connecting residents with local support groups.On the 23rd of March, the start of the lockdown, CCS launched a county-wide universal referral link which within four weeks received over 32,000 enquiries. As Village Agent Julie says: “The past four weeks have been absolutely MANIC!”
The re-forestation of the town centre starts with Castle Street
Last year Bridgwater Town Council set up a ‘Tree Fund’ to encourage the blossoming of the town and to help to tackle climate change and to promote biodiversity. The more biodiverse an area is the healthier an areas wildlife ecosystem is. Climate warming is due to an overload of carbon and other human activity gases into the atmosphere. Trees take in the carbon and capture it and lock it into its roots, branches, shoots, and leaves. Then the tree gives us back our clean air we breathe. The tree root structure locks soils and mud into place which helps prevent flooding. Town council’s outgoing In December 2020 the first trees planted with the help of the tree fund went up in Hamp Green Rise and are now in Spring bloom. This week has seen another development, residents taking it upon themselves to re-forest as can be witnessed with the new initiative of Town’s tree expert Roy Cheek who has overseen the establishment of a new tree lined avenue in Bridgwater’s historic Castle Street.
And it’s thumbs up for the Stronger Somerset case from Council leader Smedley and his panda tee shirt
Bridgwater Town Council recently voted unanimously to support the STRONGER SOMERSET case for Unitary reorganisation in Somerset and with the deadline of April 19th now with us, councillors are urging members of the public to respond to the Government Consultation. Town Council leader Brian Smedley (Labour, Westover) says “The only chance people will get to have their views heard on this will be to reply to the Government consultation as the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick appears to be ruling out any vote by the people of Somerset. That suggests to me a very flawed process and that he doesn’t think the people actually matter. He’ll be taking the decision but he will at least need to look at what people are saying in their replies. Town Council has responded in detail to the questions and we urge everyone to study the 2 choices and to make their own response in time for the deadline. This might even be the last chance to save local democracy.”
For over a year now the future of Bridgwater’s famous Docks has been in doubt as its owner Somerset County Council and Canal and River Trust, who operate the Docks, have discussed termination of the lease. Caught in the middle are the boating community who live there and trying to bring all sides together to find a solution is Bridgwater Town Council. Finally, as the end of April deadline set by Somerset County Council for boaters to leave the Docks approaches, Bridgwater Town Council managed to get all sides around a table to agree a way forward and things are looking up again. How we got here is reported below.
Mayor and Pub landlady meet up for the first time in a while as Bridgwater re-opens
It’s Monday 12th April 2021 and the biggest step yet in a post covid return to normality is being taken across the High streets of the UK. Some pubs have been trading since just after midnight and some traders opened their doors as early as 6am. Here in Bridgwater it’s no different and the streets have been filling up nicely with cafes doing a roaring trade, with gazebos and beer gardens aplenty while hairdressers have seen queues since early morning often down the street and around the block . Although in no particular need of a haircut himself, Mayor of Bridgwater Leigh Redman has been out and about seeing what’s open and talking to traders and shoppers .
Devastating floods and landslides have hit Timor-Leste (East Timor) this Easter starting in the early morning of Easter Sunday, 4 April 2021. Some 34 people have been reported to have died, mainly in the countries capital Dili. The sizeable East Timor Community in Bridgwater has already raised over £5,000 from personal donations. Their spokesman in Bridgwater Januario Gusmao, says “This figure could be higher. Many are missing. Over 7,000 people have been left homeless, without food, medical supplies, shelter, clothing and are extremely vulnerable. Religious organisations, Government buildings, schools are being used to house them. This disaster is unprecedented, worst flooding in memory.”
