14 Jun

Special Measures in Place as Town Centres Re-Open

Social distancing measures in place in town centres

Across the Country Town Centres are re-opening from Monday 15th June and Councils are getting together to put in place measures to reassure shoppers and traders and to enable social distancing. The key measure across Somerset is a reduction of pedestrian-car conflict with temporary pedestrianisation schemes in place to allow for wider pathways and structured queueing. In Bridgwater a series of  road closures  and one way schemes are being introduced for Westover and Eastover.  These will be 24 hours 7 days a week. Bridgwater Town Council’s Transport Forum has engaged with District and County officers in an Active Travel Cell and has been instrumental with these proposals.

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11 Jun

BLAKE STATUE MUST STAY, SAY HISTORIANS

Admiral Robert Blake 1598-1657. Son of Bridgwater

Bridgwater’s leading local history experts are in unanimous agreement that the town’s iconic statue of Admiral Robert Blake must remain in its place of honour on the Cornhill. Historians from across the political spectrum are agreed that Blake’s career is a source of pride for the town, and that his only involvement in slavery was in freeing them. Last Sunday, the statue of Bristol Slave Trader Edward Colston was thrown in the docks by Black Lives Matters protestors. Today its been fished out by the council and will be put on display in a museum surrounded by the placards. Probably where it should have been in the first place. Shortly afterwards the spotlight shone on all the monuments of Britain’s Slave Trading past and a ‘topple list’ was drawn up including such historical figures as Nelson, Drake and Cromwell. Surprisingly on this list was Bridgwater’s own Admiral Robert Blake. Surely some mistake. Town Council Leader and Historian Brian Smedley who researched and published the story of Bridgwater being the first town to petition against the Slave Trade, immediately summoned a (socially distanced) (in some cases by hundreds of miles) Bridgwater Convention of Historians to investigate the allegations.

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6 Jun

When All This Is Over….

https://bit.ly/2Tjy78F

‘When All This Is Over’ – What are our  hopes for the future after the pandemic? Bridgwater Together is hostiong a live event – this Saturday 6th June – 6pm on Zoom. This will be the 3rd in the series of Zoom ‘get togethers’ organised by Bridgwater Together and will include informal reflections, anecdotes, stories, poetry, music and film. Invited speakers will include key front line workers and members of groups such as the CCHB-the Coronavirus Community Help Bridgwater group who have been doing such a great job during the pandemic and are now looking at ways of taking those ideas of community support into the post covid world. 

To join the event at 6pm simply click on this link https://bit.ly/2Tjy78F

29 May

Westover Planning Matters May 2020

The new Aldi on Northgate is up for consideration 23rd  June

Planning issues for May 2020 coming to both Sedgemoor District Council and Bridgwater Town Council. Matters come first to Town Council where the planning panel sits fortnightly to consider a Town position (Support, Oppose or add conditions) and then it goes to Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Control Committee for the final decision. Ward Councillors and Town Council can comment on each application and if their views are different to the recommendation of Sedgemoor’s Planning officers then that application must be heard at Committee for discussion and vote. All ward councillors are notified of these applications.

Residents are welcome to write to us at Westoverward@gmail.com to make their own points on these issues which we may be able to take up. Brian Smedley is a member of the Bridgwater Town Planning Panel and Kathy Pearce and Li Gibson  are members of the Sedgemoor Development Control Committee.

URGENT NOTICE:- Due to the Coronavirus lock down normal council proceedings are suspended and planning decisions are taken on Bridgwater Town Council by the Town Clerk in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder Cllr Mick Lerry. The public can still comment directly on the web site or write to ward councillors with their views.

Sedgemoor District Council Development Committee is meeting on skype and meetings are available on the Sedgemoor you tube channel here. Continue reading “Westover Planning Matters May 2020”

18 May

Seed the Streets

Kath Pearce and Li Gibson sowing some seeds

It wasn’t long ago that Bridgwater Town Council contributed some money to the project to revamp Bridgwater’s Fore Street which included some large tubs for planting flowers to further enhance the street scene. However, with one thing and another , not to mention the Covid crisis, the large tubs have been left empty-apart from an increasing number of fag butts! This week Westover councillors Kathy Pearce and Li Gibson took things into their own hands and (after a chat to Clean Surrounds) planted their own seeds and are now busy tending them -and asking the public to also keep an eye out.

Kathy says “We used a wildflower seed mix which included Corncockle, Corn Camomile, Cornflower, Corn Marigold and Corn Poppy. Once in bloom these flowers will provide food in the form of nectar and pollen for bees and many other pollinating insects. Most plants that we eat  for example, grains, seeds, fruit ( crops) need to be pollinated in order to grow. So bees and insects are vital to this process. Planting other living and feeding areas for pollinator bees and insects helps maintain the living numbers of these pollinators and then therefore helps the food (crops) environment on a wider scale.”

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