The County Councils traffic regulation sub committee recently met and approved a West Quay Pedestrianisation Scheme. The scheme originated from the West Quay Action Group in the light of the wall collapse there, the repair of which provided an opportunity to consider pedestrianisation.
The Action Group presented a petition of 586 signatures in support and gained the support of the Town Council, Sedgemoor District Council, the Heritage Regeneration Group, the Police and Emergency services and now Somerset County Council.
The original proposal put to Council by the Action group was for full length pedestrianisation but this was reduced due to lack of funding to an apron along the front of the shops in West Quay. Continue reading “West Quay Pedestrianisation Given Go-Ahead”
Following a lengthy campaign by Councillors, Trades Unionists, Bridgwater Forward and thousands of local people
showing an inspiring unanimity of purpose in order to provide Bridgwater with a proper town centre post office, including a major fight to stop it being located in Sainsburys, has now resulted in the much talked about 27 Eastover location going out to consultation as of today.
The site on offer is the former CD world site on the corner of Eastover and New road and could be key to regenerating that part of the town.
The plan is for one of the new ‘main style branches’ ,’newly refurbished’ , with ‘longer opening hours’ and ‘improved accessibility’.
The current arrangement – a temporary portacabin on the site of the former Sedgemoor Splash -has been operating since 2011 causing much discontent amongst the population who felt yet again that they were being treated as second class.
Westover cllr Brian Smedley said, “I’m certain it was the united public campaign that showed Post Office ltd that Bridgwater had to be listened to and not just dumped on. We have constantly argued for a town centre location and organised public meetings, petitions and a campaign of opposition to the plans to choose an easy ‘supermarket- solution. In particular people should congratulate Ken Trunks, the Westover resident who spent hours on his own in all weathers getting the majority of those signatures against the Sainsbury location.”
The Public Consultation started 5th March , ends 18th April and the relocation is scheduled for May/June 2013.
When Westover residents Tricia Walsh and Trevor Monaghan, supported by over 50 witness statements from local people, submitted an application to Somerset County Council for the Brewery Field to be registered as a Town Green in July 2011, they were making a stand against Sedgemoor and it’s plans to devastate their community with a massive Supermarket. The Town Green application was based on the legitimate claim that a significant number of local inhabitants had indulged in lawful sports and pastimes as of right on the land for at least 20 years.
For Sedgemoor District and Somerset County Councils – who stood to lose millions should this mean that their development plans for Northgate were jeopardised, they had to take this challenge seriously and threw everything they had at them.
Sedgemoor Objects
Somerset CC publicised the application in the local press and invited comments and objections. Only one objection was lodged by the deadline -this was by Sedgemoor DC itself. The Council claimed the Brewery Field did not meet the required criteria to be registered as a Town Green, principally because the Council claimed it was held for leisure purposes under the Open Spaces Act and that the public therefore had the right to use it anyway because this was the purpose for which it was held by the Council. Continue reading “Town Green Hearing goes ahead despite Residents ‘No-Show’”
At today’s long awaited meeting of the Sedgemoor District Council Development Control committee, councillors finally voted 8.3 to grant planning permission to the Supermarket giant Tesco to build on the site. Westover Ward Labour District councillors attended and spoke strongly against the proposal supported by adjoining Labour ward councillors from Victoria and Eastover, Alan Hurford speaking on behalf of the Town Council, Nick Gibson on behalf of local residents plus 170 letters of objection against 1 solitary letter of support.
The meeting opened with a rambling defence of the proposal from case officer Rebecca Miller, many of her statements drawing laughter from the 70 strong audience. Things got worse when sole supporter – former Tory councillor David Preece – had his 3 minutes worth claiming he ‘liked to select fresh produce himself’ to cries of ‘horsemeat?’ and a barrage of ‘owl noises’. Continue reading “Sedgemoor Approves ‘TESCO Extra’ on Bridgwater’s Northgate”
Notice is hereby given that an Inspector, Mr Paul Wilmshurst has been appointed to determine the application by Mr T Monaghan of 19 Admiral’s Court, Bridgwater and Ms P Walsh of 16 Admiral’s Court, Bridgwater to register land known as Brewery Field, Bridgwater (a plan of which can be inspected as detailed below) as a Town Green pursuant to Section 15 of the Commons Act 2006.
He will attend at Bridgwater Pantomime Hall, Dingly Lane, 32 Wembdon Road, Bridgwater, TA6 7DW on Tuesday 19 February 2013 at 10.00 am to hold a public inquiry into the application. All persons who wish to give evidence at the Public Inquiry should attend to do so on that date. Continue reading “Town Green Status for Brewery Field – Public Inquiry Set for 19th Feb”
