12th September news update
from Weston Central Ward Councillors Mike Bell, Robert Payne and Caroline Reynolds
Hello everyone - welcome to issue 77 of our regular local email newsletter.
This month we’ve got details of lots of events during September, an appeal for your help to identify the most important local issues and good news on new businesses opening in Walliscote Road.
As always, if there are any issues we can help with, please get in touch.
Best wishes
Mike Bell, Robert Payne and Caroline Reynolds
Your Liberal Democrat councillors for Weston-super-Mare Central Ward
Tell us your priorities
After May's local elections, our new leadership team at North Somerset Council has been mapping out our priorities for the next four years. We want to hear your views about what's most important and how council tax should be spent.
Starting this week, we're offering various ways for local people and organisations to help shape our work. We want to be a council that is open, fair and green, and we want to know if you think this remains the right focus for the area.
We also want to hear your views on four big ambitions for North Somerset:
For our children and young people to feel cared for, safe, supported and given equality of opportunity to thrive.
For our communities to be caring, healthy and safe, where people help each other to live well.
For our towns and villages to be thriving and sustainable places to live, work and visit.
For our council to deliver consistently good services and value for money to support an ambitious community.
Share your views with us online here. Paper copies will also be available at all our libraries and there will be a series of in-person opportunities planned across North Somerset over the coming weeks - Weston’s event is taking place at Weston Museum from 6.00pm to 7.00pm on Monday 25th September.
New businesses in Walliscote Road
Coming in the next few months, two new businesses in Walliscote Road – Sustenance WsM, a bakery, café and deli concept and MiMi’s Thai Bistro, a Thai street food venue. Good luck to both the new operators - and really pleasing to see these units back in use.
4, 6 and 8 Walliscote Road were refurbished by local developer, Nathan Moffatt, with the help of funding from North Somerset Council's shopfront enhancement scheme, funded as part of our Historic England Hertiage Action Zone.
Wilko’s closing this week
We were sorry to hear that Wilko’s in Weston-super-Mare is one of 52 branches across the country set to close this week.
This has been a possibility since the business got into trouble and our thoughts go out to anyone directly affected through redundancy.
North Somerset Council is working at a regional level with the rapid redundancy task force to identify job opportunities for staff affected and will be looking to work with local skills providers where residents affected by job loss need to retrain or upskill. We can also provide free business start-up workshops for residents that may want to restart as an entrepreneur. Email business@n-somerset.gov.uk for more information.
Events galore in September
September is a big month for events in Weston-super-Mare. We've got:
ClubLand and Cafe Mambo on the beach this Friday 8th & Saturday 9th - https://www.skiddle.com/.../Bristol/Weston-Super-Mare-Beach/
Promenade Weekender, on the seafront 15th-17th hosted by Super Culture - https://superculture.org.uk/listings/promenade/
We’ve also got the Heritage Open Days programme kicking off on Friday 8th and running through to Sunday 17th - https://n-somerset.gov.uk/.../Weston-super-Mare%20...
YardiGras 3 at The Brit Bar from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th - https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/.../23766473.yardi.../
Weston Beach Race 40th anniversary year, Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th - https://rhlactivities.com/events/weston-beach-race-2023#home
SKA in the Pier on Saturday 23rd - https://buytickets.at/conciergeuk/868213
eat Weston, Italian Gardens, Saturday 23rd Sep from eat Festivals - https://facebook.com/events/s/eat-weston-autumn-edition/846711233261507/
Pride in Weston UK Pride in Weston, Grove Park Saturday 30th
Arts & Health Weekender to celebrate 75 years of NHS, Shrine, High Street, Marine Lake Saturday 30th Sep-1st Oct - https://superculture.org.uk/listings/arts-health-weekender/
Want to keep in touch with what's going on? Check out the Visit Weston-super-Mare website.
Birnbeck planning continues
Following the successful acquisition of the Birnbeck Pier and Island earlier this year, North Somerset Council has continued to progress the detailed work needed to begin restoration. In partnership with the RNLI, work will start on the landward side and then focus on the pier itself.
Robert joined volunteers from The Birnbeck Regeneration Trust, to help clear the courtyard and car park at the entrance to the pier of years of overgrown vegetation and a mountain of litter. Lots of enthusiastic volunteers have made a big difference.
You can keep in touch with the latest news on the project on the North Somerset Council website.
Get in touch
Contact Councillor Mike Bell on 07881 320 279 or email mike.bell@n-somerset.gov.uk or follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Mike serves on North Somerset Council and Weston Town Council.
Contact Councillor Robert Payne on 07904 026 096 or email robert.payne@n-somerset.gov.uk or follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Robert serves on North Somerset Council and Weston Town Council.
Contact Councillor Caroline Reynolds by emailing caroline.reynolds@wsm-tc.gov.uk. Caroline serves on Weston Town Council.