2,400 name signature adds to Post Office woes

Hero of the Day-Ken Trunks (pic Andy Slocombe)

Hero of the day, Ken Trunks, has spent the best part of the last few weeks out on the streets of Bridgwater getting signatures for a petition to oppose the Post Offices proposed move to Sainsbury's.  With only a week to go until the consultation ended, Ken turned up at the Town Council's specially called meeting on Post Office relocation and presented in person 2,400 names to the man who will make the final decision, Mr Tony Jones.

Bridgwater Forward members attending the meeting  were at the forefront of the grilling given to Mr Jones with no single dissenting voice in the room.

Sally Jones, Chair of Bridgwater Forward,  said "They have chosen a site on the Clink which is so difficult for the disabled to access " 

 

Glen Burrows said "No one believed supermarkets  were the best option as Post Offices needed skilled workers. She also asked why  this valuable and unique service was being thrown on the mercy of market forces when other towns the size of Bridgwater had dedicated crown Post Offices". She further asked whether it was a level playing field with potential small businesses being priced out of the market by large multinationals.

 

Bob Cudlipp asked for other locations to be considered and asked where they had looked so far.

 

 

 

Nick Gibson asked if the decision had already been made  and "was there a smiling face behind the smokescreen?" 

 

   Tony Jones assured him that "No final decision has been made yet" he said he would listen and a decision would be taken by the end of september.

 

The consultation ends on the 5th September and people are urged now to make their submissions.

email consultation@postoffice.co.uk

Telephone 08457223344

Write National Consultation team PO Box 1138 St Albans AL19UN

 

 

 

 

TRADERS PUT THEIR CASE TO BRIDGWATER FORWARD



Eastover 'in the olden days'

Members of campaign group Bridgwater Forward welcomed representatives of traders in Eastover to their meeting last week, to discuss problems and solutions for independent traders in Bridgwater.

In spite of being overshadowed by ASDA, threatened by the possibility of a super-sized Tesco and surrounded by boarded-up premises, Eastover traders still manage to offer an amazing variety of retail outlets, along with excellent service.

Independent 

Sedgemoor District Council and the Bridgwater Retail Initiative should  consult with and represent the interests of independent traders more effectively, rather than focusing on large stores and supermarkets.

Bridgwater Forward is urging people to contact Post Offices Ltd and ask for the Post Office in Bridgwater to re-locate to Eastover rather than to Sainsbury’s store. This will to help lead to a re-generation of a retail area competing with ASDA.

 'Clean up Eastover'

 A “Clean-up Eastover” campaign was also discussed, and the group will approach Sedgemoor District Council about this.

Above all, Bridgwater Forward urges local people to respect and use their local shops. Said one member: “ For fresh bread, cakes and flowers, good second-hand furniture and books, great food and pubs, and all your “do-it-yourself “ requirements, you can’t do better than Eastover, so let’s use them, so we don’t lose them”.

NEXT MEETING OF BRIDGWATER FORWARD: Tuesday 7^th August, 7pm, Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater

CAMPAIGN ALERT AS TESCO BID IMMINENT

Tesco’s plan to build a massive and unnecessary supermarket on the Brewery Fields is on the move and Bridgwater Forward is urging local people to prepare to make formal objections.

A pre-planning application has been submitted for council officials’ initial comments. Tesco will then submit a formal planning application to the Council’s Planning Committee, rumoured to coincide with the end of August holidays.

As more green spaces in town centres disappear, along with sports and playing fields, Bridgwater Forward is campaigning to raise awareness of the effect the sale of the Brewery Field to a huge corporation will have on our community and landscape, both now and in the future.

The Government’s recently published National Planning Policy Framework gives specific guidelines to protect green spaces and minimize the effect of development on biodiversity. Green spaces must be proved to be surplus to requirement, before they can be developed. Any loss of open space should be replaced by the equivalent in area and quality

 The proposed development of Northgate will also mean the demolition of the Enterprise Centre, the former hospital wing of the Bridgwater Workhouse and some forty trees, including cedar, walnuts, lime, field and Norway maples, home to nesting birds and a safe food source for bees.

For more information and guidelines on how to prepare a formal objection contact Bridgwater Forward on 01278 450562 or 450095. 

Find us on our website at http://bridgwaterforward.blogspot.co.uk or on Facebook: "Save Bridgwater Town Centre"

The next meeting of Bridgwater Forward is at 7pm on Tuesday 24^th July at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater

SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE – BRING BACK OUR POST OFFICE!

Campaign group Bridgwater Forward welcomed the news that Post Office Ltd are holding a public consultation over the siting of Bridgwater’s Post Office, but say that a public meeting with a regional network manager is not enough.

Bridgwater Forward says that local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger should meet with the head of Post Office Ltd to demand that they replace our present Portakabin with a town centre, Crown Post Office. He should also raise the matter in the House of Commons as a matter of urgency for the town. We have lacked decent post office facilities for too long now.

Disgrace

Said Chair Sally Jones:  “Our MP says what has happened to our post office facilities is a disgrace, but what is he planning to DO about it?”

Bridgwater Forward was set up because the destruction of the town’s swimming pool and the proposal to build a Tesco Extra, threatens the viability of our town centre. Just as a giant Tesco will draw trade away from our town centre shops, a town centre post office will bring people into the town. 

 Not Good Enough

 Said Co-Chair Dave Chapple: “ We have seen far too many public consultations in Bridgwater which result in people’s wishes being totally ignored. The loss of a town centre post office and its effect on our town and its people should be raised at the highest level possible. Post Office Ltd apparently want just the cheap, safe option in Sainsbury’s. That is not good enough!” 

The next meeting of Bridgwater Forward is on Tuesday 24^th July, 7.15pm, at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater: All welcome!

Further details contact 01278 450562

TESCO PRE-APPLICATION IS IN



NO TESCO WANTED-BRIDGWATER

People concerned at the planned Tesco development on Northgates Brewery field should be aware that the 'Pre-Planning' Application is currently being considered by Sedgemoor District Council officers.  Campaign Group Bridgwater Forward has been warning for some months that this is imminent .

disclosure

NO TESCO WANTED-HACKNEY

Glen Burrows  of Bridgwater Forward said "Now that the pre-application is in,  we need to get ready for the main planning application. At the moment we are querying whether SDC has the right to refuse disclosure of the pre-planning application even to councillors."

public domain

NO TESCO WANTED- BRISTOL

Cllr Brian Smedley said "The idea is apparently to tease out issues which are potential non starters and is said to be fairly common practice for large pre application consultations  involving various officers on an internal consultation basis within Sedgemoor.  We are being told that as it is a draft it is technically not in the public domain. However, this needs to be brought into the public domain as soon as possible and elected members need to know what's going on. People can be reasonably assured that we are rapidly approaching 'end game ' on this one"

NO TESCO WANTED-YORKSHIRE

meetings

Anyone who wants to support the Campaign against the development is invited to attend the meetings  at the Railway Club on Wellington Road, Bridgwater-the dates are  10th July, 24th July, 7th August, 28th August. All 7pm. 

NO TESCO WANTED-CAMBRIDGE

Campaigning for a Better Bridgwater

Bridgwater Forward invites all concerned residents who oppose the development of a massive superstore within the centre of our historic town to be aware that TESCO will be submitting their planning application shortly.  

The Northgate site has been the centre of much controversy and Bridgwater residents continue to express dismay over the loss of the ‘SPLASH’ swimming pool, which was demolished on the Northgate Site to make way for its sale to TESCO. 

consider investing in leisure facilities

 Many now claim that they were kept in the dark, especially since it has emerged that EDF confirmed to Senior Officers within Sedgemoor District Council, in a letter dated 8th July 2009, that they were prepared to consider investing in leisure facilities, such as the SPLASH, if planning permission was granted for new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point. 

Instead of welcoming such an investment, our council decided to close the “SPLASH” and demolish it.  It now appears that TESCO have no intention of building the massive superstore on the former “SPLASH” site itself and many can only wonder why the council reduced the “SPLASH” to rubble quickly, before appeals could be made to review and reverse its decision at the time.

green space

Many people who live in our Historic Town have continually campaigned that instead of yet another supermarket development, they would like to see other options considered, such as a multi-purpose leisure complex, incorporating an ice-rink to be included on the Northgate site whilst keeping as much green space as possible for future generations to enjoy.

It is not too late to make a difference and we ask that you make a stand and take action when the planning application has been formally submitted.

To find out more about driving Bridgwater Forward, you are welcome to attend any of our Tuesday fortnightly meetings.  

The Railway Club

Wellington Road
Bridgwater
Somerset
TA6 5HA

 7.15pm for 7:30 Start

 8^th  & 22^nd May 2012

 Further Information Contact:  Dave Chapple on 01278 – 45 05 62

email: davechapple@btinternet.com

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/385833024795504/

SAVE BRIDGWATER TOWN CENTRE-SAY NO TO TESCO

SAVE BRIDGWATER TOWN CENTRE!

Only the people of Bridgwater can stop a giant 24-hour TESCO ruining OUR Brewery Field, demolishing OUR historic Northgate, grid-locking OUR town, and closing many of OUR remaining local independent small town centre shops & market. 

SAY NO TO TESCO! 

In the next few months TESCO will apply for formal planning permission for a Northgate super-store. Sedgemoor District council & Somerset County Council, are selling OUR land to TESCO. They will NOT be objecting!

TESCO are buying the whole site: Blake Hospital, Enterprise Centre, the Splash site, and the Brewery Field. Once in their hands, OUR prime town centre green space will be gone forever!

1. Keep and enhance the Brewery Field as a prime green corridor between the docks and town centre where people walk dogs and children play.

2. Keep historic Blake Hospital and refurbish it for town centre community use

3. Develop the Splash site for a community-owned leisure and music complex: cinema, concert hall, skating rink, bowling alley and, yes, a family-friendly swimming pool!

 

4. Give OUR town centre shops a massive vote of confidence by denying TESCO the chance to put many of them out of business.

Sedgemoor Council admits that ASDA has done nothing for Eastover!

 

TESCO is a business without any local roots whatsoever: it has responsibilities only to ITSELF. Its profits will go to people who do not live here.

Please join the BRIDGWATER FORWARD campaign to save our town centre

NO TO TESCO IN NORTHGATE!

Published by Bridgwater Forward davechapple@btinternet.com 01278 450562