CARNIVAL NIGHT DISASTERS UPDATE

The Wall due to collapse (Photo Jana Branecka)

Sedgemoor District Council operated a Rest Centre at Bridgwater Arts Centre, Castle Street overnight (Friday, November 4) for residents evacuated from West Quay and nearby dwellings DUE to the collapse of part of the riverside road. Approximately 30 residents initially used the Rest Centre, the majority went to stay overnight with friends and family; four remained at the Rest Centre overnight. The Rest Centre has now relocated to the Sedgemoor Room at Bridgwater House. SDC would like to thank the Arts Centre for their help with this incident.

Water drainage staff are assisting the responsible organisation, Environment Agency, with advice. It is hoped that the dwellings will be unaffected, declared safe and that people will be able to return home sometime today .Sedgemoor District Council’s reception in Bridgwater House at King Square will be open, to give information and advice.

A spokesman said "The Environment Agency has inspected the wall and it looks clear that a 20-30m section will collapse. This may take some days. The consequences will then be assessed as a result. The good news is that work is now almost complete to secure services and utilities running under the road. This means that electricity, water, sewerage and gas systems will still work for the majority of the rest of the town should the wall and road collapse. The challenges are that 19 families have been moved from their homes and will only be allowed back over the next day or two in order to collect their belongings."

MOTORWAY INCIDENT

The horrific incident on the M5 which saw all available Emergency units called out of Bridgwater at the height of the Carnival procession and led to the cancellation of the Squibbing means the motorway is likely to be closed until Sunday lunchtime. This is to enable Police to recover burned out vehicles, clear debris and carry out their investigations into what is now classed a crime scene.

A meeting of Gold Command has finished and as a result, North Petherton carnival has now also  been postponed.

There are still no confirmed figures for the number of fatalities but it is known that more than 50 people were injured in the incident. SCC has teams of people assisting where appropriate.

Leader of Council Duncan mcGinty said "This incident will now see local authorities take the lead. Sedgemoor District Council responded speedily and effectively on the night with support from various teams among SCC. The impending collapse will see further SCC involvement and the eventually repairs and restoration is likely to take weeks if not months."

 

WEST QUAY FLOOD DEFENCES COLLAPSE



  On the night of Bridgwater's famous Guy Fawkes Carnival a major civil emergency is unfolding on the town's ancient riverbank. A large section of the flood defences along the West Quay collapsed with the pressure of  built up water from drains  caused by torrential rains which caused  massive sudden flooding the force of which cracked the wall and pushed it into the river.


Emergency Services cordon off West Quay
(Photo Jana Branecka)


Cllr Brian Smedley, one of the Councillors for the affected Westover ward, was on the scene as events unfurled and described what happened. "The heavy rains were causing the drains in Castle street and surrounding areas to fill to capacity and the pressure build up searching for an exit simply pushed a 20 foot section of the tidal wall along west quay into suspension above the river. I was called to the waterfront by worried shopkeepers and residents at approximately 4.15 and saw a further part of the road next to the watergate hotel subside and then collapse".


Wall collapse as West Quay falls into the river
(Photo Jana Branecka)


Westover resident Steve Coram saw the original wall collapse "The flooding was a foot deep and you could hear the rush of the water under the shop in the drains and then the wall suddenly broke away."


The extent of the damage on West Quay-
seconds later the road section subsided
(Photo Jana Branecka)


The town, filled up with visitors for tonight's carnival, was suddenly the centre of a major civil emergency. Sedgemoor District Council Corporate directors Bob Brown and Doug Bamsey were on the scene as Police and the Fire Brigade  closed roads, including the town bridge. Bob Brown said "Sedgemoor has activated it's Civil Contingencies Unit under Malcolm Brooks and is dealing with the situation." 

Doug Bamsey confirmed that the collapsed wall meant "..a potential breach in the Flood defences"  but that "..emergency action was being taken and that the Art Centre had agreed to take in any displaced residents."



Civil Emergency on Carnival night
(photo Jana Branecka)

 Cllr Smedley said "The flood wall was only built in the early 80's and the section just appears to have peeled away and is currently suspended over the river between West Quay Records and the Watergate hotel. Theres clearly a continuing danger of  further encroachment at high tide and further potential collapse."

LABOUR GROUP ANGER AT TESCO'S 'DONE DEAL'

Sedgemoor Labour Group was the first of the Political parties to engage with the Tesco consultation process tonight as the Superstores consultants were invited to put their case to their meeting at Bridgwater House.

The Labour Group increased their share of the seats on Sedgemoor District Council at this years Local elections in the Bridgwater area after a strongly fought campaign against the closure of the Sedgemoor Splash and yet another supermarket coming to the town.  The Tesco development had been steamrollered through by Sedgemoor Council's Tory majority group - 4 of whose members in the town lost their seats.




Ian Thorn (Lib Dem candidate
turned PR guru)

 Tesco's newly employed consultants, former LibDem parliamentary candidate for Bridgwater (2001) turned PR man 'Ian Thorn' and Emma Heesom, who has only been with Tescos for 10 weeks yet is their Corporate Affairs manager, said that Tescos would regenerate the town centre and prevent 'leakage' of shoppers to other towns. They said that 66% of the people they had spoken to supported the proposal with only 31% against. However they admitted that the consultation thus far had shown that the public were massively unhappy with the loss of green space due to the sale of the Brewery field , the premature loss of the Splash swimming pool in order to facilitate the deal ,the potential damage to the town centre and the widespread belief that there was enough supermarkets in the town already.

Cllr Ian Tucker
"Calls for a public meeting"

 

Labour councillor for Dunwear Ian Tucker confronted them about the destructive effect of supermarkets in other town centres and cited Shepton Mallet and Yeovil . Ian said “Three years ago SDC were quick to level the splash and now it seems that the Splash area wasn't even required!” Asking the Consultants whether Tescos would agree to a public meeting he was told that they had “given 2 days to public consultation as agreed with SDC and that was enough.”


Group leader cllr Mick Lerry (Victoria) said Bridgwater's most recent experience with a supermarket promising regeneration was ASDA which had in fact led to decline and made no linkage. He felt Tescos could be a 'one stop shop' which we didn't want. He further stressed the need for a Local Labour force Agreement. Mick said “we need to engage with the next stage. We have to go with the section 106 agreement and the planning process to see how best we can affect this and we need to put the emphasis on SDC to see if in fact they really do support business in the town centre”.


Cllr Julian Taylor (Eastover) said that his concern was the leakage claims were not comparable examples and he had long ago proved that what was claimed to be leakage was in fact simple shopping elsewhere that wouldn't be done in Bridgwater. . Julian, who was concerned about the validity of the consultation process,said “ Tescos aim is clearly to increase it's market share at the expense of others and in this case that would be town centre traders. Job numbers brought in would be equal to jobs lost. Furthermore, Ian Thorn said that the council needed to carry out a retail impact assessment, so far the council has not agreed to this. “


Cllr Dave Loveridge (Eastover) said at County Council that he had been offered condolences by councillors from other areas of Somerset that Tesco had moved into and asked what lessons had been learnt from Stokes Croft in Bristol.

Cllr Reg Winslow (Fairfax) requested that Tesco produce artist impressions of the building from ground level and expressed concerns about the poor visual impact such a large building could have on what is a prime town centre site.

He also expressed concerns about proposed traffic calming measures in Northgate and suggested that the increased volume of traffic coupled with the calming measures could lead to problems of more traffic congestion in Bridgwater.

He enquired about opening hours, and was told they are going to be the same as adjacent stores although 24 hour opening was a possibility in the future.



"We're being Shafted"
Cllr Adrian Moore



Cllr Brian Smedley said as Westover ward member his concerns were for the nearby residents whose properties were perilously close to the site and asked what would be done to prevent light pollution and nuisance from 24 hour service vehicles in close proximity.

Cllr Adrian Moore (Hamp) , who chaired the meeting said he felt the town was "..being shafted" and that “... it was a done deal and it looked like we were going to end up with a Tescos no matter what !”

Cllr Leigh Redman (Dunwear) said “ We have to encourage local residents and traders to engage with the consultation. We have to stress the Local Labour Force Agreement, learn the lessons from the failings of the Asda development and continue to push the importance of High street regeneration.”

MICK IS NEW LABOUR LEADER

Councillor Mick Lerry has been elected as the new Leader of the Labour Group on Sedgemoor District Council. In a statement today the Labour group explained that this is because Cllr Kath Pearce has decided, for personal reasons, to stand down from the post of Leader which she held since the death of Cllr Roger Lavers in 2009.

   Cllr Mick Lerry, recently elected as member for Bridgwater Victoria Ward, explained that this was a great disappointment to the Labour Group and that he was determined to take forward the values of Cllr Kath Pearce. 

At a meeting of Sedgemoor District Labour Group on Tuesday 11th October Mick was voted in as leader unanimously by his fellow Labour Councillors .

   Mick said  "This is a crucial time for Bridgwater and surrounding areas as major projects are unfolding. The impact of such projects must have a positive outcome for regeneration of the Town, quality employment and growth; enhanced recreation and leisure facilities for all and affordable homes to rent and buy." He further stated that he would embrace this challenge in his  new leadership role in the Labour Group.

Biography;-

Mick taught in a Secondary School in Bridgwater for 22 years, before becoming a lay officer for the National Union of Teachers. He is passionate about equality of opportunity for Bridgwater people. In his Union role he worked hard to develop good employee relations for teachers.

Mick understands the need for good public services to enhance peoples' lives and that is why he is part of the Labour movement.

Mick says "The current Government and Tory controlled Sedgemoor District Council are determined to run down public services while creating higher unemployment and inflation. When there is a lack of growth in the economy, communities need public services and investment."

Mick  believes that Sedgemoor needs good local community services, affordable houses to buy and rent and permanent employment opportunities and Sedgemoor District Council should take responsibility and support the aspirations of the people of Bridgwater.

LUCKY 19

Bridgwater Labour Party Lotto Club has paid out £100 to its first winner !

Kate O’Byrne of Over Stowey is the holder of number 19 – which was the bonus ball in the first Saturday Lotto draw of August. The attached picture shows her receiving her cheque for £100.

The Lotto Club now has 41 members and will be a valuable source of funds for the Party. All the profits go straight to our new Campaign Fund, to be spent on political campaigning.

The chance to win £100 costs just £4 a month. To join, contact me. If you’re already a member – you could be the next winner. Good luck!

Andy Lewis

CLP treasurer

westsomersetlabour@hotmail.co.uk

LABOUR PUTS BY PASS PRESSURE ON EDF

EDF Transport Assessment

A Community Scrutiny Committee of Sedgemoor District Council met on August 10 to examine in detail the decision by EDF Energy not to recommend a Bridgwater Bypass as part of the development proposals for the new Hinkley Point C Power Station.

The meeting was arranged following the presentation of a 1400 name petition to the council saying that EDF Energy should not be allowed to start work on the new plant until a bypass had been built to relieve congestion in Bridgwater. As a result of the meeting EDF  will be asked to submit a report to the Infrastructure Planning Commission on the local impact of the proposed development. 
 

Held in the YMCA, Friarn Street, the all-day meeting which was chaired by Labour Councillor Julian Taylor (Eastover) was addressed by representatives of parish councils and wards as well as from EDF Energy. Following a session of questions and answers, councillors agreed to the following resolution:

   "This committee recognises the overwhelming community support expressed at this meeting for a Northern Bridgwater by-pass. The Scrutiny committee urges EDF not to submit a Development Consent Application to the IPC until such time as EDF have robustly and comprehensively assessed traffic impact and means to mitigate it, including a truly comparative assessment of a Northern By-pass and online improvements, to the satisfaction of the Local Authorities. The assessment should align with the NATA/Webtag methodology stipulated in Department of Transport Guidance.

    In the absence of this robust assessment of transport options by EDF, the Council should contribute financial and officer support to the completion of such a study working with the Highways Agency, Somerset County Council and West Somerset Council as appropriate.  It should be completed in the most comprehensive level of detail that can reasonably be achieved prior to the submission of a Development Consent Order application for Hinkley Point C.  It is recommended that this study should form the basis of a decision by the Council on highway matters, when the Council sets out its position to the Infrastructure Planning Commission in a Local Impact Report. This work should commence immediately."

Cllr Taylor-"EDF's duty of care"

Chairman Julian Taylor said " I am   pleased that local people from Bridgwater and the surrounding communities had the opportunity to speak in support of a sorely needed Northern  by-pass for Bridgwater.  I hope that EDF will recognise its duty of care towards the community and get on with providing a by-pass as soon as possible as part of the Hinkley Point development. " 

Cllr Lerry "Denied opportunity"

Cllr Mick Lerry (Bridgwater Victoria) spoke forcibly at the meeting saying   "It  was clear from the presentation from EDF and Somerset County Council that the real assessment for a bypass had not been considered as an alternative to the proposed road junction alterations in Bridgwater,  because EDF refused to submit their proposals on the Bridgwater bypass to Somerset County Council and Sedgemoor District Council, instead they would only submit the bypass proposal to the Infrastructure Planning Commission. The people of Bridgwater were being denied  the opportunity to be consulted on the bypass, because of a policy decision made by EDF at head office level. Consequently a real traffic assessment has not been carried out."

Labour Councillors Support Call for 'Local List' to save Bridgwater's Heritage

In the light of the recent demolition of the Colley Lane Drying sheds the question of Bridgwater's industrial and architectural heritage has been brought to  the publics attention following an angry letter from the Chairs of Bridgwater Forward Dave Chapple and Sally Jones in which they attack Sedgemoor District Council for 'Official vandalism".

In an angry letter to the Mercury, Dave and Sally write "When this letter is printed, Bridgwater’s last brickyard drying sheds will have been demolished: destroyed, that is, by official council vandalism masquerading as ‘planning permission.’ We refer to the distinctive long, low wooden-slatted sheds at the Pathfinder Terrace end of Colley Lane. These drying sheds, dating probably from the late 19^th century, belonged to the firm of H J and C Major Ltd. The Colley Lane brick and tile makers, members of Ernie Bevin and Jimmie Boltz’ TGWU/Transport and General Workers Union, played their part in the town’s distinctive and often turbulent working-class history. On behalf of our campaign group Bridgwater Forward, we have to register our disgust and anger that such a vital link to our industrial past has been destroyed."

Dave Chapple added "Who is responsible? Have the decency to own up! Hang your heads in shame! Did those who voted to grant planning permission for demolition of the drying sheds for housing know anything of their history?Do any of these planning officials or councillors live in Bridgwater?"

Bridgwater Forward says that some nine months ago the Bridgwater Civic Society brought this matter to the council’s attention and that nothing was done.  They also say that there is also a possibility that some of Bridgwater’s oldest houses-(3-7 North St) may also be under threat.

Dave Chapple adds "If we were talking about a fine old country mansion in the Polden Hills, would there be this same distinct indifference? Vandals, if caught, may get punished, but how can Bridgwater people prevent such “official vandalism” by those who have a duty of care to preserve our town?"

Cllr Taylor calling for 'Local List'

Cllr Julian Taylor & Cllr Dave Loveridge (Labour Eastover) have been campaigning to try to save the Drying Sheds and are now calling for a 'Local List' in support of the Civic Society.

Cllr Taylor says " We have been trying to get this building listed for the last year The council have refused to introduce a local list.    Similarly with North Street.  The Local List was started when James White was conservation Officer in 2007, when he left the list was ‘lost’ .  The drying sheds are one of two remaining, the other is in the Drove . It's clear  the result is that we are losing our heritage for short term gain. The next to go could be  the Crypton building. "

Glen Burrows of Bridgwater Forward on the demolition site

Cllr Brian Smedley (Bridgwater Westover) , visiting the demolition site with members of Bridgwater Forward , supported Cllr Taylor's call for a Local List    "We should now  press to have this list so that the built environment heritage in Bridgwater is not lost to rapacious developers.  Because we do not havea local list we have lost these brick drying shedsand  next to go could be the  Art Deco Crypton Building  on Bristol Road,  and the 1930's cinema on Penel Orlieu   as well as the North street cottages. Why has there been no Conservation Area Appraisal in Bridgwater since the areas were first designated in the 1970s? Because it has not been seen to be a priority so maybe it is now time to make it one. I would urge groups such as the Town Council to get together with the Civic Society and Bridgwater Forward to make this campaign a reality"