Yes it was more than 4 years ago that residents of Westover said PLEASE can we have a residents parking scheme and councillors said ‘we’ll support that, but only in the streets that really really want them’ and so we asked Somerset County Council, but then it took all that time to get them to actually introduce the schemes and now..NOW…they’re almost.. ALMOST here. We dared to dream, but dare we risk open our waking eyes to see what the new world looks like??
Well, if you look around Westover today you’ll see a series of roads marked out saying ‘Permit Holders only’…which means that dream is now pretty much a reality. However, it’s a little confusing. We’re not sure that they’ve marked out the right streets (and they certainly can’t have finished the job yet) and people aren’t yet sure how to obtain their permits. On top of this, visitors and people from areas not involved in the schemes are naturally wondering what’s going on and how it affects them. Continue reading “Residents Parking: We Dared to Dream…”
Equalities Officer for the Bridgwater & Taunton Unite Community Branch, Sarah Shaw, is organising a display in Bridgwater Library from the 7th March until the 12th March in celebration of International Women’s Day which is on 8th March.
Inspired by America’s National Women’s Day in 1909, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated on 19 March 1911 when a million women and men rallied in support of women’s rights to vote, work, train and end discrimination. In 1913, the date was moved to 8 March, and it has remained on this day ever since. It gradually became more of a truly international celebration, and the UN firmly got behind International Women’s Day in 1977 – as a day to “reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination in the history of women’s rights”.
It is a collective day of global celebration, where we celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women –whilst also acknowledging a call to action for equality. Despite the amazing achievements and contributions of women from all walks of life, we still have a way to go before we achieve true gender equality.
Celebrating International Women’s Day in Bridgwater
Event organiser is Bridgwater mother Sarah Shaw
To celebrate International Women’s Day in Bridgwater, we asked individuals and community groups to nominate a woman, or women, who have made a difference, or who have inspired them. The results are shown here in this display, from internationally famous women to historical women, from the positive female characters in children’s literature to local women making a difference in the lives of individuals and in their community. The nominations will also be available to view on our website http://bridgwater.unitecommunity.org
You can also complete one of the blank cards in the library with your own nomination to add to our community display.
Event organiser Sarah Shaw says “It has been a true honour and privilege to collate your nominations and read about how all of these wonderful women have touched your lives – thank you.”
A couple of events this week with a Union flavour to them are being sponsored at Bridgwater’s ENGINE ROOM in the High Street.
PRIDE
On Thursday 25th February there will be a special benefit screening of the BAFTA award winning comedy ‘PRIDE’which was released in 2014 and tells the true story of a London based group of gay and lesbian activists involvement in the 1984 Miners Strike and their attempts to raise money to support strikers families in a small South Wales mining village. The event is sponsored by the Rail union RMT as part of LGBT history month and will be introduced by David ‘Dai’ Donovan, the Welsh miner whose story the film tells.
The film starts at 8pm and tickets cost £5 with £3 concessions and are available from the Engine Room.
GET ONLINE IN BRIDGWATER
On Friday 26th February UNITE COMMUNITY Union will be hosting a drop-in session at the Engine Room called “Get online in Bridgwater”.
Councillor Brian Smedley will introduce useful websites relating to the local area and Unite organiser Sam Quigley will have a number of free online learning tools available. Tea, coffee and light nibbles will be available. The session will run from 11am – 1pm.
Sam, a UNITE the UNION learning Organiser says “The Engine Room is a great meeting space. Brian Smedley will be delivering a session on great websites that will give you information on what is happening in the Bridgwater Area. I will be available to offer information, advice and guidance regarding Learning Opportunities through Unite the Union as well as a number of free sites, supporting learning. Coffee and tea will be available, so why not pop along. Meet new people and find out what is happening in Bridgwater”
SDC CEO Kerry Rickards -“Inspirational leadership” under scrutiny
Sedgemoor’s under fire Chief Executive Kerry Rickards, lambasted in the press as ‘two job chief exec’ and ‘paid more than the Prime Minister’ had his chance to redeem himself today at the Corporate Scrutiny committee chaired by Westover Councillor Brian Smedley.
“The concern has been that the Chief Exec had received a large pay rise that had been agreed behind closed doors and that this wasn’t setting a good example at a time of austerity, not just for staff but also amongst the general public when the council was facing stark choices in it’s budget set and at the same time seeking joint working with other councils.”Cllr Smedley explained “It was therefore important that this was all fully explained and in the public eye so that Sedgemoor could be seen to be open and transparent and to have acted correctly and that due process and policies had been followed. The meeting today agreed that it had.” Continue reading “‘Carry On Kerry’ says Sedgemoor Scrutiny Committee”
Bridgwater Town Council’s ‘Planning Panel’ meets every month to give it’s opinion on planning matters before they go to Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Control Committee which has the power to determine them. Today we were offered two new hotels, several restaurants, various extensions, some replacement windows and some street lights.
The long awaited conversion of the former Bridgwater Hospital on Salmon Parade was welcomed by the panel as a boost to Eastover and the riverfront area. The plan is to convert the 3 storey hospital building into a Hotel and the former Physiotherapy Building into a Day Nursery . At the same time the former Dental Surgery would become 3 dwellings and a ground floor restaurant whilst outpatient buildings would be demolished and a 3-storey Heallth Club, Gym and Swimming Pool built in their place. Chair of the Planning Panel Cllr Mick Lerry (Victoria) said “This will really smarten the area up and the proposal is completely inline with the existing architecture. We could however do with ensuring there is linkage to the nearby shopping centre.”
The Panel pore over plans
Cllr Pat Morley (Westover) said “We should insist that there is enough outdoor space for the nursery.” While Cllr Peter Johnstone (Wyndham) said “I have no issue with the demolition of these outbuildings. They were just boxes built to do the job and won’t be missed,”
A second hotel with filling station and associated offices was also approved at the Bridgwater gateway site on the Huntworth roundabout.
Several housing developments were supported. The former Tax Office on Penel Orlieu/North Street required some extra permission for a revised ground floor plan and a proposed new entrance lobby to increase it’s capacity whilst 7 houses on the former Withy Cutter pub site in Sydenham was also approved.
Temporary Car Parking
Now apparently usable for car parking
Sedgemoor DC was requesting permission (of itself) to turn the former Sedgemoor Splash site into a temporary car park for up to 100 cars for the next 12 months while the Northgate Car Park was being dug up by Wessex Water to install an underground storm sewage tank. Cllr Brian Smedley (Westover) pointed out that there was “.. some confusion regarding the Northgate car park as it wasn’t the one at Northgate – this was in fact called Mount street – but was actually the one by the Job centre.”Cllr Pat Morley (Westover) queried “whether this site was capable of being turned into a car park as Sedgemoor had historically said it wasn’t because the surface wasn’t safe“. Peter Johnstone (Wyndham) pointed out that “…they’d tested it with a dozen Fair Lorries for the last 2 years so it must be”.
Town Clerk Alan Hurford also notified the meeting that Somerset County Council Regulation Ctte had passed the Planning function for the proposed Northgate Leisure and Educational development to Sedgemoor District Council for decision due to the joint use nature of the site.
