Like everywhere in Britain, Tuesday 4th August 1914 in Bridgwater was a day of excitement and anticipation as the Nation waited to see if the German Army of Kaiser Wilhelm would obey the British Government’s ultimatum to withdraw from Belgium by 11pm. In fact, this war, which had been a long time coming and pretty much expected by everyone, wasn’t going to be stopped, even at the last minute by anyone in any country saying ‘hang about, this isn’t going to end well’. The mincer had been turned on, and it wasn’t going to be turned off until some 17 million people had died, 8,000 of them from Somerset and 380 from Bridgwater.
The War Memorial in King’s Square was erected in 1924 and bears the names of the people of the town who fought and died telling the story of the war and Bridgwater’s role in it.
Bridgwater in 1914 on the Eve of War
In 1914 there were about 16,000 inhabitants in Bridgwater and the town was basically either Eastover or Westover, depending on which side of the river you lived. There were no vast housing estates in Hamp or Sydenham, the rich of the town lived mainly in the villas of Northfields or out of the town in Wembdon whilst the Westover working class lived in the slum courts spreading from West street to Market street, or in newer build houses in Blacklands, Camden rd and Victoria rd. Continue reading “On This Day in History -Tuesday 4th August 1914: ‘The Day War Broke Out’”
Tuesday 22nd July 1645 and Bridgwater was in flames.
On Tuesday 22nd July 1645 Bridgwater was in flames after an 11 day siege, surrounded by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army and under constant bombardment from Parliamentary cannons positioned on Hamp Hill. The townswomen had been allowed to leave the town ,the Roundhead army prepared to storm the castle and Bridgwater was on the verge of complete destruction.
The Civil War was the defining moment in the English Revolution and Bridgwater played a key part in it. By disposition a Parliamentary leaning town of merchants and providing one of the Revolution’s great military leaders-Robert Blake, it had been (as is always the case with Bridgwater) caught up in a sea of Royalist Blue everywhere else around the West Country. In 1643 the Royalist Edmund Wyndham , from the stately home of Orchard Wyndham on Exmoor, had occupied the town against the wishes of the townsfolk and made himself Governor of Bridgwater’s powerful castle holding down the population. On occasion it was noted that Wyndham ‘hung any troublesome locals from the signpost of the George Inn’. Wyndham had been a Bridgwater MP before the Civil War (in the days when nobody actually ‘elected’ their MPs) and had opted for working his way ‘in’ as a lacky to the autocratic King Charles 1st with the aid of his quite barmy wife Christabella, who had been enrolled as nursemaid to the baby Prince Charles. Continue reading “On this day in History JULY 22nd 1645 –‘Bridgwater Under Siege’”
Wyndham and Westover Councillors join Tony Freeman as the first pick-axe digs into the surface to start work on the West Street community garden.
Residents of West Street will have noticed some work going on next to the shops. Finally the first stones are being upturned to start what will be the long awaited Community Garden, the brainchild of Neighbourhood Beat Manager Constable Tony ‘Tex’ Freeman.
The idea for a community garden in West Street came up in 2010 when all of West street was part of the old Quantock Ward which stretched from the traffic lights out to Durleigh and a ward grant was supported at the Town Council Finance meeting of 18th February 2010. Since May 2011, however, most of West Street came under the newly created Westover Ward with a dividing line on the North side of the street running down the middle of the Canal and therefore right down the middle of the new community garden. So at it’s launch councillors from Westover, Brian Smedley and Pat Parker joined former Quantock ward councillors, Gill Slocombe and David Baker ,who now represent the newly created Wyndham ward.
Cllr Gill Slocombe whose Town Council ward grant gave the project a boost in 2010.
Cllr Gill Slocombe (Wyndham), who was involved from the outset, said “The idea came up as a result of one of our walkabouts. The area suffered from anti-social behaviour and neglect so we wanted to enhance it to bring it into community use so we allocated our whole ward grant for 2010 for it.”
A Long Fight for Funding
Constable Freeman, who had the idea for the original project was already trying to bring it to reality and with the council money under his belt he spent the next few years fighting for extra funding until finally the budget stacked up and he could guarantee a result.
Constable Freeman said “I want to give the community a free garden and I’ve battled to get this project on track. A lot of different authorities are involved, such as the Canal and Rivers Trust , the Town Council , the Police and the Showman’s Guild. The work is being done by Dave Howe of Samson Howe Landscaping and Construction and it will have a canal theme to it with mock lock gates, flower beds and adjustments to the walls with a small fence.”
Westover ward councillor Pat Parker acknowledges the key role played by Constable Tony Freeman in giving something to the West Street community.
The design will also include a mural by local schoolchildren on the theme of Bridgwater Fair
Cllr Pat Parker (Westover) said “This will be something for all the residents of West street and the Town Council has backed it all along. All ward councillors have pulled together to support this but we are especially grateful to Constable Freeman for doggedly pursuing his goal.”
Constable Freeman said “Actually, I’m chuffed to bits that it’s going to happen and at the moment I’m buzzing!”
The former doctors surgery on East Quay could become Asda’s petrol station.
Westover councillors Brian Smedley and Steve Austen are now members of the Town Council Planning panel. This body meets monthly and is able to make comment and raise objections to planning applications that affect Bridgwater before they get forwarded to Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Control Committee for a final decision.
On the agenda this month were two applications that affected Westover ward. Firstly the proposal by ASDA stores to finally do something with the former doctors surgery on East Quay (which Sedgemoor scandalously included in the original sweetener deal with them and which has been left derelict ever since). The proposal is for the development of an aed Petrol Filling station and related mix use development. Although the site is in Eastover ward the impact across the river into Westover ward is a key factor and so our members have a critical interest.
The view from Westover will be affected by the development
Eastover councillor Julian Taylor commented “The proposed development is close to two conservations areas. Any such development must be sympathetic to these areas and the town centre. The proposal has not addressed the major issue with the ASDA site. The need to allow easy pedestrian access from the ASDA site to Eastover and the Town centre. The proposal also needs to be fully integrated into the Eastover development plan agreed by the Sedgemoor District Council.”
Proposals for the filling station currently involve just the car park side of the building.
Westover councillor Brian Smedley said “The visual impact across the river from West Quay is something that needs to be got right. With the focus of the town turning more towards the river and big plans afoot for regenerating Eastover as a shopping destination we musn’t be railroaded into some quick fix solution just because Asda doesn’t have a petrol station. The site is currently a key grot spot in the town and it’s neglect sends the wrong message. Something needs to go there , but something that fits and is in keeping with the strong river frontage that we’re developing”.
The East Quay site has a general air of neglect and something is needed.
The Asda planning application can be viewed and commented on at 08/14/00083/RB
Another planning application, this time in the Westover ward itself, is the proposed change of use to the former Broadway taxi office on the West Bow crossroads. The proposal is to change the now disused taxi office to a takeaway (Broadway taxis having moved slightly further down into Friarn street). With the development of the Bar Brunel on that corner, which most would agree is a welcome addition to the night time economy, it nevertheless would be situated alongside this and the exit doors to the Palace nightclub, which can be a lively spot into the early hours of the morning on some nights.
The site of the proposed Takeaway at the former Broadway taxi office.
Cllr Smedley said “Ward councillors will have to take into consideration residents feelings on this one. The general view is that they are not very keen on yet more fast food places that will stay open late and encourage people to linger around longer rather than go home. The new taxi office already has a burger van parked on it’s lot and he sometimes opens at night. There needs to be a balance between businesses that add to the night time economy but which could potentially increase the amount of anti social behaviour that they are subjected to already.”
Members also took into consideration objections on heritage grounds and added these to their observations. The Broadway Takeaway application can be viewed at 08/14/00081.
Cllr Steve Austen added “Ward councillors have on many occasions objected and/or supported planning items at Development committee stage and their input can be crucial so we would urge people to let us know their views.”
The next Town Council Planning panel meeting is Thursday 14th August 10am.
The Meads is on the agenda once more and so Cllr Smedley tries out a bridge.
For a couple of years now it’s gone very quiet over on the Meads. Back in July 2012 Sedgemoor District Council voted to support an SPD (Supplementary Planning Document) for the delivery of an Eco Park. At the same time a land deal allowed developer owned land on the Meads to come into public ownership through the council in return for land in the Durleigh end of town becoming available for housing development.
Both the Eco Park and the Housing development have been controversial projects with much unfounded speculation that the Meads , which regularly floods of a winter, might be built on. At the same time residents in Durleigh have been fighting a campaign to stop an unrelated housing development in their back yard .
The initial confusing of these two projects and their now final separation has made the picture a lot clearer.
SDC has just acquired ‘Area 2’
42 Acres of the Meads Now in Public Ownership
The access land has now been transferred to Summerfield Developments in exchange for which 42 acres of the Meads is now in the ownership of Sedgemoor District Council . Summerfield are likely to start works on the access road in the North West corner of St Matthews Field in the next month or so. Undertakings have been given by Summerfield to ensure that the operation of Bridgwater Fair is not compromised.
This week Westover councillors were on the newly re-established Meads Working Party to take forward the SPD and focus on how an Eco Park can be delivered on the Meads. Continue reading “The Meads – A Bridge Too Far??”
