13 Aug

New Post Office to open on September 11th

27 Eastover
27 Eastover

The current Bridgwater temporary Post Office situated on the site of the former Sedgemoor Splash will finally close it’s doors at 1730 on Tuesday 10th September. The long awaited NEW town centre post office will open in Eastover at 09.00 on Wednesday 11th September.

Cllr Brian Smedley, Bridgwater Westover, said, “Westovers minor loss is the town centre’s gain. It was as a result of a popular and united campaign that we convinced the Post Office to abandon their plans to relocate to Sainsbury’s supermarket and at the same time got them to redefine their attitude to the town centre and make sure the new Post Office remained here. It’s important for the regeneration of the town that both Westover and Eastover are recognised as together constituting the town centre of Bridgwater and that planners and developers should take note of this.”

The new post office will be located at 27 Eastover,Bridgwater TA65AW. Opening hours will be 9am to 5.30 monday to saturday with all day closing on Sundays. In a letter to ward councillors Field Change Advisor Matt Walls said, “The new post office is 0.6miles from the current location, the same wide range of products and services will still be available including on demand travel money, passport check and send and car tax. There will be a mixture of screened and open plan serving positions, access will be level with a wide door,a low level counter and space for a wheechair plus a hearing loop. There is a fee paying car park nearby and the local bus station within 92 metres of the new premises.”

5 Aug

Sedgemoor come down hard on Dog Fouling in Town centre

The message this week from Sedgemoor District Council is “Keep an eye on your dog and pick up that poo” as more prosecutions hit the headlines. In a press release today Sedgemoor makes it clear that they’re taking the issue seriously.

“Dog fouling is one of top complaints made to Sedgemoor District Council. A Bridgwater resident was prosecuted at Taunton Magistrates Court on Friday, 2nd August for failing to ‘pick up’ after his dog on four occasions in Bridgwater Town Centre. The offences were captured on CCTV. The dog owner commented that he usually cleared up after his dog, but there was nothing he could do if he didn’t see the offence. The clear message from Sedgemoor District Council is to supervise your dog, especially when off the lead, and always clear up after it.The defendant was ordered to pay fines and costs of £230.”

3 Aug

Westover Councillors Review Meads Eco Park

Eco ParkSedgemoor District Council’s plans to create an ‘Eco Park’ on the Meads floodplain between Westover, Hamp and Wyndham wards, have been challenged by long term campaigners from the Durleigh area opposed to the proposed Housing Development on the fringes of the Meads and more recently by a petition organised and presented to SDC by Hamp resident Ursula Martin, which had attracted 538 signatures when presented on 11 July 2013.

Sedgemoor Labour group, including Westover councillors, had voted to support the Eco Park on the understanding that neither Houses nor permanent roads were to be built on the actual Meads themselves and that any development would be sensitive to the natural environment and took into account the fact that the area is often underwater.

Campaigners contacted Cllr Brian Smedley (Westover) in his capacity as Chair of Corporate Scrutiny Committee to review the decision and to invoke the constitutional requirement that petitions can be presented to his committee. Continue reading “Westover Councillors Review Meads Eco Park”

5 Jul

Bridgwater Flower Show

Bridgwater Flower Show
Bridgwater Flower Show

“A Great Success and Future Assured”

With entries up, exhibitors up, over 30 new entries and many offers of help, Bridgwater Flower Show has survived a difficult year which saw the sad loss of key supporters and now hard working secretary Jackie Sealey says that ‘Next Year is assured’.

Showing their wares to the public for the past 2 days in Bridgwater Town Hall, the Flower Show also includes photography, art, vegetables, wine and other exhibits alongside the floral entries.

As Mayor of Bridgwater Dave Loveridge handed out a table full of glittering prizes, Deputy mayor and Westover Councillor Steve Austen said “It’s a very high standard this year. In fact I’m astounded by the level of competition”. Continue reading “Bridgwater Flower Show”

5 Jul

Town Green Bid for Brewery Field Rejected by County

Brewery Field
Brewery Field

As widely predicted, Somerset County Council has rejected the application for town green status for the Brewery Field. This was the position as recommended by the inspector who looked at the case at a hearing in Bridgwater earlier this year.

Bridgwater Labour councillor Ian Tucker, who attended the meeting, said, “The application was basically rejected on a technicality due to an order by SDC in the 90’s to prevent dog fouling.”

Bye law technicality unticks campaigners boxes

Westover resident, Tricia Walsh, one of the two applicants and Bridgwater Forward member summed up the meeting, “As you will see from the notice sent today at 4.15pm the application to register the Brewery Field as a town green was rejected. It was a byelaw about dog fouling, simultaneously applied to several green spaces in Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham in 1994 that was considered as the only absolute proof of Sedgemoor’s governance of the Brewery Field and thereby allowing the public to use it ‘by right’ i.e. with implied permission rather than ‘as of right’. The end the verdict was a very close run affair. The Inspector’s work was thoroughly carried out with further applicant’s maps accepted as proof of the Brewery Field’s ‘Northgate and Docks neighborhood being within the locality of the Town of Bridgwater whose boundaries have remained constant for the qualifying 20 year period. This has been a long, complex and exacting task and the result, though not a complete success, is still a good one, the best we could get with four out of the five criteria accepted. All those who filled in evidence questionnaires will have a copy of the notice and an explanation of this outcome as well as our thanks” Continue reading “Town Green Bid for Brewery Field Rejected by County”