June 2025 news update
from Weston Central Ward Councillors Mike Bell, Robert Payne and Caroline Reynolds
Hello everyone - welcome to issue 98 of our regular local email newsletter for residents in our ward and surrounding areas.
In this edition we’ve got information on the Kids Go Free bus offer, our campaign to tackle pavement parking, a new youth talent competition being organised by the Town Council.
We hope some of these stories will be of interest. If we can be of any help or assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Best wishes
Mike Bell, Robert Payne and Caroline Reynolds
Your Liberal Democrat councillors for Weston-super-Mare Central Ward
Kids Go Free on the buses this summer
Children and young people under the age of 16 are set to be able to travel for free on buses across our region during the school holidays.
Around 150,000 kids in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire aged from 5-15 years old could benefit from free bus travel this summer – just by hopping on board, with no bus pass or registration required.
It’s part of a new scheme North Somerset Council has agreed with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Not only will these help local families enjoy our area this summer, it’ll encourage those from the wider region to come and enjoy what North Somerset has to offer.
The school holidays are due to start on 19 July. The proposed free travel offer would run from then until 5 September (to cover varying INSET days) across the West of England and North Somerset during the same period on all registered commercial and supported bus services starting in those areas, with limited exemptions to be set out in due course on the Travelwest website – e.g. for airport services.
Travel for children and young people aged from five to 15 years old, inclusive, is currently capped at £1 per journey. Children under five years of age already travel for free on the majority of services in the West of England.
Find more travel information on the TravelWest website.
Tackling pavement parking
More and more people in Weston - and across the country - are speaking up about a growing problem: vehicles blocking pavements.
When cars and vans are parked on the pavement, they don’t just take up space - they take away freedom and safety. For older people, disabled neighbours, or parents with buggies, this often means stepping into the road, into traffic. That’s not just inconvenient - it’s dangerous.
Our pavements are meant to be safe spaces for people, not parking spots for cars. They aren’t built to bear the weight of vehicles, and the damage causes costly repairs - money that could be better spent on schools, parks, and public services.
We all want to live in communities that are safe, caring, and accessible to everyone. So please, think twice before parking on the pavement. The Highway Code is clear: you should not obstruct the pavement - and doing so could lead to a fine.
If you see examples of pavement parking you can report this to the police on 101 for action, this includes blocked pavements or obstruction/dangerous parking on the road. If somebody is illegally parked and there are parking restrictions in place (e.g. double yellow lines) you can report this to the council parking team for action here.
Our view is that it is time for the law to reflect what’s right. Scotland has already taken the lead and made pavement parking illegal unless clearly permitted by exception: and we believe England should follow. This would give local authorities the tools they need to protect pedestrians and keep our streets safe for all.
New operator incoming for the Trop
We're making progress in securing a new long-term operator for the Tropicana. The process to secure an experienced venue operator to take over the building has been ongoing since last year and we're now reaching the conclusion of a process that attracted a lot of local and national interest. Due to commercial sensitivities and legal constraints, the name of the preferred operator cannot be made public yet, but once the procurement and contracts details are completed we expect to announce this latest in the summer.
Construction work is due to start later this summer and will be completed next year (2026) with the successful venue operator expected to complete their fit out and reopen the Tropicana shortly afterwards.
Together this programme - which has been funded through the council's successful bid for government funding to improve Weston-super-Mare - will see the Tropicana reopen as an all-year-round cultural and entertainment venue with increased capacity, better facilities and flexible indoor and outdoor spaces.
Youth talent show - could you be Weston’s next big thing?
Our wonderful Weston-Super-Mare Youth Council is organising a youth talent show 'NextGen Spotlight' on the 27th September at the The Blakehay Theatre, and they are looking for talented youth in Weston - aged 11 to 21, who want to take part in the show. Whether that is singing, dancing, magic or another talent, they want to hear from you!
Young people can submit an audition or find out more by contacting: alli.waller@ymca-dg.org
Partial u-turn on Winter Fuel Payments
Slashing winter fuel payments for pensioners was more than a spreadsheet mistake - it was a moral failure. Thousands of local pensioners were left to face rising bills and falling temperatures with no support. The partial u-turn announced by the Labour Government is welcome but it should never have come to this. They shouldn't have to wait for public outrage to do the right thing.
We hope the Government learn from this. We all know difficult decisions have to be made to balance the books, but this was a policy rushed out in the two weeks after Labour won the General Election. They have paid the political price for leaving older people in the cold.
Weston College Business Awards
Mike was guest speaker at the Weston College Business Awards, held recently at the Winter Gardens - and helped celebrate the inspiring achievements of learners and local employers.
The event brought together 200 guests to recognise the work done by the college and local businesses to offer work-placed opportunities to people taking their first steps in their career.
The stories from learners who had participated in training, apprenticeships, placements and through them learned new skills, secured jobs and unlocked their own potential was so good to hear. Equally, it was so pleasing to hear from so many businesses who benefited from the programmes too, not least in securing the future talent they need to thrive in the future.
Well done to everyone nominated and to all the winners.
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.