2nd October news update
from Weston Central Ward Councillors Mike Bell, Robert Payne and Caroline Reynolds
Hello everyone - welcome to issue 78 of our regular local email newsletter.
This month we’ve got details of the Weston Literary Festival, a new council move to make crossing roads easier and another chance for you to tell councillors what you think!
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.
We’ve arranged an extra face-to-face event for residents to have their say on Wednesday 4 October, 6pm to 7pm at Weston Town Hall. This is your chance to hear about council plans to 2027, where the money goes and quiz councillors. Hope to see you there.
Quicker crossing times across North Somerset
North Somerset Council is making changes at controlled pedestrian crossings across the area to reduce waiting times.
Currently people walking or wheeling can wait up to 60 seconds at some standalone signalised crossings.
Research shows that people waiting to cross often become impatient after 20 seconds, resulting in unsafe crossings without the green man light. This also leads to frustration for drivers who find themselves facing a ghost crossing - a red light with no-one waiting to cross.
The council is now going to improve most of the controlled crossings in the area to reduce the wait time to around 15 seconds.
Council urges action on energy bills
North Somerset Council has joined forces with a group of consumer organisations and charities, including Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, to ask for urgent action to introduce a social tariff for energy – something that is desperately needed by struggling households.
As winter approaches and temperatures drop, our most vulnerable households find themselves in fuel poverty, unable to pay fuel bills and making desperate choices between heating and eating.
We can't see our most vulnerable people in North Somerset go through another winter in fuel poverty and risking their health by living in cold homes. We're calling on the government to act with urgency and share its plans to protect low-income families from sky-high fuel bills.
Fighting for better health services
Mike met with staff from Pier Health Group recently to discuss the recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report into Graham Road and Horizon health centres.
The CQC rated both practices as "inadequate" due to a range of administrative and regulatory failings based on an inspection in May 2023. This followed a previous finding in 2022 where the practices were rates "requires improvement".
It is clear that both practice staff are working hard to deliver improvements and sustain these for the long term. It is only in the latter half of this year that a full compliment of GPs have been successfully recruited and the practices have been dealing with national NHS pressures as well as historic problems.
For Graham Road, in particular, the move to new, purpose-built premises is a key milestone and long overdue. NHS leaders are hoping to get started on the new site in Sunnyside Road this autumn, but it has taken far too long to progress this.
As councillors, we will continue to challenge NHS managers on behalf of our residents and push for improvements. The fundamental issue is that there is not enough staff and money to deliver the quality of service that we all demand. We are also raising this with our local MP as only government intervention can solve the longer term challenges.
BBC Awards recognise community
The awards recognise volunteers and community champions who make a difference. It was great to see North Somerset groups individuals like Sophie’s Super Litter Picking, Proud Bar, the Strawberry Line Society and Eve Lauder nominated for recognition.
Weston Literary Festival
Raynor Winn, million-copy international best-seller and prize-winning author of three Sunday Times bestsellers -‘The Salt Path’, ‘The Wild Silence’ and ‘Landlines’ – is to headline the Weston Lit Festival, taking place in the seaside town this Autumn (5 – 8 October).
Presented by Super Culture and produced in partnership with Weston-super-Mare Town Council and The Write Box, the Lit Fest, programmed around the theme ‘Words on the Edge: Bookish adventures across land, sea and identity’, features a host of nationally-renowned names alongside acclaimed local authors and poets.
The four-day event is packed with experiences for everyone, including talks, readings, book signings, family workshops, poetry and performance – from free drop-in sessions to ticketed, pay-what-you-decide events at venues throughout the town.
For more programme details and to book tickets, visit https://superculture.org.uk/whats-on/
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.