Despite Government cutbacks to Local Authority grants, Labour controlled Bridgwater Town Council has set a budget which sees a modest rise in precept combined with a measured use of carefully built up reserves to attract key funding streams to the town while shoring up core community facilities.
Labour leader Brian Smedley said “Labour has run Bridgwater Town Council since it was re-established in 2002 and sensibly saved for a rainy day. It’s now time to spend some of that money and spend it wisely. Bridgwater is a growing town and will grow even bigger. This is a good thing as it increases our tax base and that means combined with measured use of reserves and the equivalent of half a pint down the pub increase in precept, we can start to go forward with a real vision for the town.”
“Not everyone likes nuclear power, but we didn’t really have a choice as the decision for a 3rd Hinkley Point was taken above our heads-however, with the station comes community mitigation funding from EDF and by using some of our reserves to match fund that we can make a big difference to the town as it grows.”
“We are targeting this in key areas that have been identified over the years by our members and in the last 6 months by our Community Forums. This includes improvements to our town centre, our parks and green spaces and access routes into the town .”
“At the same time we’re boosting funding to our traditional community centres on the 3 major estates of the town- Hamp, Sydenham and Victoria, and pushing forward with a co-ordinated programme of cultural renewal and leisure economy led by the Bridgwater Arts Centre on it’s 70th anniversary and with a long awaited leap forward on the refurb and development of our Town Hall theatre and building. On top of this we are supporting the major Sedgemoor and Somerset project for a new leisure led enhancement of Northgate in the wake of the hard fought battle against Tescos and a further major half million pound project for sports pitches on the Bristol road in Eastover.”
“Cllr Smedley added “One of the key developments in Bridgwater Town Council thinking since the May elections has been the establishment of key Community Forums which have brought into the councils structures large groups of delegates from different organisations around the town, service providers, residents and other interested parties. At the Full Council meeting of 3rd December where the proposed budget was approved, so too was the direction of travel document which summed up the ideas coming out of the Forums but also shows that Bridgwater is developing a vision for the future”
Direction of Travel from the Bridgwater Community Forums
TOWN DEVELOPMENT FORUM
Northgate
• Provision of leisure facility on Splash site-support Multiplex and associated outlets
• Retention and enhancement of Brewery Field -support extension of green area to reclaim elements of car park, green link to Town Centre, support celebration mile linkage to docks
• Acceptance of SCC school on Blake Hospital site – sensitive positioning of boundary fence. Maintenance of Dock to Spire sight line, urge community use of school and facilities, insist on workable travel to work plan
• Heritage – Urge retention of workhouse or incorporation into new build reflecting and respecting existing heritage
• Consideration of retail or leisure on corner of Anson way with preference for hotel option
• Insist on town centre linkage – urge removal of Northgate site from Town Centre plan
Bridgwater Vision
• Support urgent need for Tidal barrier, sluice, lock and navigable river
• Re-opening of docks and canal
• Support for celebration mile streetscape and street furniture
• Upgrade Town Centre fittings- bent bollards, lampposts, cleaning
• Support action on empty shops and derelict buildings
• Preserve heritage areas
• Urge enforcement action against unscrupulous developers and recalcitrant owners – Hope inn, Classic Buildings
• Focus on and co-ordinate Bridgwater’s cultural capital linking up arts and culture providers
• Focus on high skilled higher paid employment and training
• Priority attention to rejuvenation of Eastover including Salmon Parade hospital site
• Maintain case for Bridgwater By-pass/ring road
TOWN CENTRE ACTION PLAN
• Urge action on Classic buildings to bring area back into Town centre economy
• Recognise Town Centre starts at Westgate
• Accept ‘night time economy’ from Town Hall Island to Westgate
• Eastover shopping zone to extend from bridge to railway station not cut off at Eastgate
• Northgate town centre zone to stop at Angel crescent
• South entrance to TC to be Broadway/Taunton rd
• Regularly routine for street maintenance, cleaning and repair in TC
• Street furniture upgrade for TC via ‘celebration mile’ project
• Fore street ‘roller doors on historic themes’ to be trialled
• Monitor and encourage residents parking schemes where appropriate in TC
• Castle street area defined as key heritage zone
• Seek Tourist Information Office-ideally in Town Hall
• Investigate funding stream for Town Team
• Seek to increase floor space of TC outlets by supporting enlargement and knock through
TRANSPORT FORUM
• Establishment of a Somerset County Transport Forum – with delegates from BTC transport Forum
• BTC to become a stakeholder in Travel Watch South West, elect delegates from BTC Transport Forum and press SDC to do likewise
• Widen membership of BTC Transport Forum to include Railfuture, Living Streets, Severnside Community Rail Partnership
• Establish working groups to investigate and report back on various transport audits including
– Bus services and Bus shelters, maintenance and location
– Train services and station facilities
– Integrated transport services
– Pedestrian facilities: state of pavements, street furniture; safety
– Disabled facilities and access
– Cycling facilities
• Urge linkage of key TC points-ie Railway station and town centre & estates to TC
• Address poor road network by by-pass/ring road facility
• Support for enhancement of bus shelters/waiting facilities
• Campaign to keep open the railway station, ticket office and urge more stopping services
• Support increased linkage of cycle networks in co-operation with sustrans while seeking to address the cyclist/pedestrian conflict
• Support residents parking in line with county policy whereby 80% support was required
• Seek to re-open waterways – canal,dock,river,to sea
• Raise profile through regular stalls in High street and at public events providing information , questionnaires, surveys
• Lobby MPs,national and local authorities and transport providers on impact of government and local authority cuts on public transport
YOUTH FORUM
• Support and promote the work of the Youth Parliament
• Support youth forum requests for leisure facility on the Splash site which was cheap, central and accessible and could be a kind of social hub, considering ‘Hollywood bowl’ as a model
• Support the YMCA as the key youth activity centre including it’s TC funded skate park
• Increase support for the Bridgwater Art Centre as the key creative youth arts provider in the town including participatory and audience base.
• Encourage new community festivals such as the ‘Big Bash’ while maintaining support for the traditional Carnival & Fair based outlets
• Increase support for the Engine Room as a specialist Youth Community hub for media skills and high street drop in centre
• Maintain and enhance backing for town neighbourhood youth centres- Re-creation, Rollercoaster, Victoria park.
• Consider the workability of a Youth Leisure Pass to encourage youth take up of what’s on offer.
• Work with Bridgwater College and the schools to ensure accessibility beyond curriculum.
• Investigate perceived areas of lack of youth provision ie Durleigh