26 Apr

Sedgemoor Finally Acts on Classic Buildings

Sedgemoor District Council officer Tim Mander on a recent walkabout with Town Councillors and concerned members of the public. Now SDC has taken action.

Sedgemoor District Council has this week successfully prosecuted the former owner of the semi-derelict ‘1 – 5 Classic Buildings’ at Penel Orlieu in Bridgwater, as a result of the condition of the building.

Following various failed attempts to secure a voluntary improvement in the condition of the building, the Council last year used statutory powers to serve a notice on the then owner requiring them to undertake specified remedial steps to improve the condition of the land within six months.  These steps included replacing all the boarded up windows and doors appropriate to the character of the building; repairing the canopy and roof to make it sound and weatherproof, replacing gutters and downpipes; and the removal and replacement of perished render as well as a total repaint.  The owner was given six months to comply with the steps specified in the notice.  Continue reading “Sedgemoor Finally Acts on Classic Buildings”

14 Apr

Bridgwater Declared Frack-Free Zone

Bridgwater-a Frack Free Zone

Bridgwater has become the latest local authority to declare it’s opposition to the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, known as ‘Fracking’ that has incensed communities across the country. Now with the Government granting licences to companies to authorise fracking in the Somerset coastal region, already home to a massive nuclear power project, the Town Council has unanimously voted to declare Bridgwater a Frack Free Zone.

Town Council Leader Cllr Brian Smedley (Labour, Bridgwater Westover) proposed the motion “This Council recognises that areas of Somerset have been licensed for onshore unconventional oil and gas development, which could include the process of fracking. Unless and until these activities can be shown to have a ‘social licence to operate’ and that the consensus of scientific peer-reviewed evidence indicates that they can be carried out without risk to public health, without risk to the environment, without risk to water contamination, without risk to our rural economy and further that the industry as a whole can meet the three tests set aside by the Government’s Committee on Climate Change, the Parish of Bridgwater is resolved to be a frack free zone.” Continue reading “Bridgwater Declared Frack-Free Zone”

6 Apr

Bridgwater Civic Society AGM Wed 12 April

Saving our heritage..not everyones first priority.

The AGM of the Bridgwater and District Civic Society will be held on Wednesday 12th April, 7.30pm at the Victoria Centre in Victoria Park. During the last year the Society has been as vigilant as ever in protecting our historic built heritage and is a key partner of Bridgwater Town Council.

Examples include insisting upon an enhanced Watergate on West Quay, the town’s oldest surviving structure, being open to the public, and our protests at the Eastover Hotel site being developed without proper archaeological safeguards for the St John’s Hospital remains beneath it.

Guest speaker will be Nadja McDevitt, Bridgwater Library Manager, who will explain to BDCS members and guests some of the impressive new features and developments at our much-loved town Carnegie Library. Continue reading “Bridgwater Civic Society AGM Wed 12 April”

5 Apr

Bridgwater 3rd Annual Twinning Event to culminate with all-star show at Arts Centre

From Bridgwater’s Italian twin town Priverno

Bridgwater is proud of it’s internationalist heritage and for the 3rd year running will be highlighting this whilst promoting it’s 5 twin towns from across Europe during the weekend of 22nd April including an Internationalist ‘drop in’ at the Angel place and a ‘Twinning Cabaret’ at the Art’s Centre.

The Somerset town is twinned with La Ciotat (France) Homberg (Germany) Uherske Hradiste (Czech Republic) Marsa (Malta) and Priverno (Italy). La Ciotat and Bridgwater are celebrating 60 years of twinning this year whilst Homberg and Uherske Hradiste celebrate 25 years. Continue reading “Bridgwater 3rd Annual Twinning Event to culminate with all-star show at Arts Centre”

16 Mar

Town Council demands ‘Futureproofing’ as Tidal Barrier decision takes shape

‘From out of the mists of the Parrett a mighty barrier will arise’….Cllr Smedley ponders as he wanders on the proposed site

In the second world war the River Parrett was going to be Churchill’s ‘stop line’ if Hitler had invaded from the south west. That’s why there’s pill boxes everywhere. Today the major issue along the banks of our river is stopping any tidal invasion of Bridgwater and so that’s why they’re going to build a Tidal Barrier here.

This week Sedgemoor District Council and the Environment Agency confirmed that their preferred location for the Barrier would be the ‘option 5’ one, just south of Express Park on the Bristol road and that their preferred model of Barrier would be the ‘Vertical lift one’. Bridgwater Town Council had urged option 4 and the ‘rising sector’ option which they believe would be the best combination for future regeneration of the waterways. Town Council Leader Brian Smedley (Lab,Westover) raised the issue immediately at this weeks Full Council Meeting of Sedgemoor District Council. Continue reading “Town Council demands ‘Futureproofing’ as Tidal Barrier decision takes shape”