The contentious ‘Northgate’ issue is back in the public eye this week as the long awaited report has now been published by SDC Corporate Director Doug Bamsey for consideration by a Special Full Council meeting to be held on Friday 27th November. The day before this, Thursday 26th, will see the new ‘masterplan’ unveiled to the Town Council’s new Town Development Forum and an initial public response will be required.
Town Council Leader Cllr Brian Smedley has studied the masterplan ,met today with Doug Bamseyand lead officer Stuart Martin and here outlines the key issues from the report in advance of the meetings. Continue reading “Northgate back at top of Town agenda”
Well, you know it’s going to be Christmas soon when…well, usually when it’s Boxing Day. Seems to go on forever doesn’t it! However, in the real world (that’s Bridgwater) Christmas starts on 27th November with the annual Snowflakes and Shopping event. At exactly the time when the Mayor turns on the Christmas Lights.
This year the ‘big turn on’ (not a phrase usually associated with Town Councillors) will be at 6pm on Friday 27th November.
On that date the Town Centre will be awash with street entertainment from 4pm to 8pm, a Christmas market and extended shopping until 8pm. Father Christmas will arrive on a Christmas Carnival Cart and and there will be squibbing on the Town Bridge at 7pm.
Westover Annual Xmas Get Together
Thursday 10th December
And of course the other event everyone will be waiting to put into their diaries will be the Annual Westover review of the year. That’s where councillors and residents get together for a friendly Christmas loo back over the years events.
This year (well, as every other year) it will be in theBridgwater Arts Centreat 7.30 and the date will be Thursday 10th December.
Everyone is welcome to attend and the evening will take the format of a powerpoint presentation highlighting the main things that happened month by month with anyone who wants raising anything they like about anything they wish. That’ll work.
Westover beat bobby Tex gets the recognition he deserves
Westover Beat Bobby Tony ‘Tex’Freeman is the star of the latest episode of NEIGHBOURHOOD BLUES the BBC series which follows Police forces around the country in the course of their operations.This weeks episode see’s the best and worse of Westover ward.
The episode includes footage of the Police and SDC raid on an address in Taunton road in support of the new powers Local Authorities now have to evict homeowners in perceived problem areas. Tex (a former Royal Marine) is seen as ‘back up’ to the bailliffs and Sedgemoor staff that ‘go in’ with a show of force – that ultimately led to a peaceful resolution of the situation.
Bridgwater cops lay in wait for the action to kick off
Raid on Taunton road
The TV programme reveals the awful state of the property and the conditions within the house which were clearly in a sorry state. There was also some ‘Kill the Bill’ grafitti on the wall, but who’s to say this wasn’t referring to some unpopular legislation going through Parliament…..
West street wallflowers
Tex’s West street garden
On a more cheerful note Tex can be seen in the West street area -described in the programme as ‘one of the most deprived areas in Somerset’. Here Tex had raised some £12,000 to make a community garden and the film follows local children as they paint a mural with the officer adding his own Rembrandt-esque touches to the wall while getting into a Dali-esque conversation with a resident to who he says ‘you gotta live the dream’ to which she replies ‘No I live in the flats‘.
The programme is available on BBC I-Player for a limited time and we suggest everyone should watch it to get a behind the scenes look at Policing in the County in the light of recent statements about the state of the Service locally.
County Councillor Leigh Redman with residents and workers on the newly finished Brownes Pond footpath
Back in June 2013 when The Bridgwater Way (TBW) had set up camp in Rhode Lane, local people were consulted about the problem areas in Hamp in respect of the streets and urban environment. One of the areas that was highlighted as desperate for improvement was the path that runs adjacent to Browne’s Pond. This path was identified as a major route for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooterists to get from Hamp to Morrisons, the YMCA, and via Broadway to the town centre.
Users of the path were reporting issues ranging from cyclists whizzing at speed and pushing or skirting dangerously close to pedestrians, of children tripping into the rhyne (and some jumping across in a form of extreme sport) and mobility scooters toppling over when descending from the bridge. All in all, the shared use of the path by these multiple user groups, was proving problematic and often dangerous. The increasing population of Hamp meant that the squash of bodies navigating the narrow path was going to worsen. TBW was encouraging people to walk and cycle more and use their cars less, so it made good sense to address the problem of pedestrian and cyclist congestion sooner rather than later. Continue reading “Browne’s Pond Footpath Finally Finished”
Crosses at Kings Square from Italy, Canada and the Czech Republic
Visitors from Bridgwater’s Czech and Italian Twin Towns were here to watch carnival but when it came to Remembrance day they had a plane to catch. Nevertheless they wanted to pay their own tribute to the people who had fallen in the many wars that have scarred humanity and so made a brief appearance at the Kings Square cenotaph before catching their flight.
Along with visitors from Canada they placed their own tributes .
Canadians Shawna Cooper and Liam Clarke-Cooper were from the Ontario town of Guelph -coincidentally the home town of First World War poet John McCrea author of the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ which had been the inspiration for the whole poppy idea in the first place and so we couldn’t let the occasion go by without inviting the rich North American tones of 16 year old Liam to recite the poem at the King’s Square memorial as the guests planted their crosses bedecked in their national colours.
Liam Clarke-Cooper recites ‘In Flanders Field’
Stanislav Blaha, Mayor of Uherske Hradiste, planted the Czech Cross, Luigi Teodonio, from the Bridgwater-Priverno link, planted the Italian cross while Shawna Cooper planted the Canadian cross bearing the words ‘Peace in our time’.
