Lib Dem Councillors Update: April 2026

March brought a mixed picture for Weston and North Somerset. There has been real progress on some long-running local priorities, especially Birnbeck Pier, Grove Park and community-led investment in Bournville.

Key highlights

• The extra £19 million for Birnbeck Pier is hugely welcome. This is the kind of investment Weston has needed for years, and Liberal Democrats will keep pushing to make sure momentum is maintained and the restoration is properly seen through. (North Somerset Council)
• Grove Park is another example of where investment now needs to turn into visible results for local people. With improvement works nearing completion and the café lease now on the market, the priority must be making sure this much-loved park works for residents, families and local businesses, not just on paper but in practice. (North Somerset Council)
• The appointment of a Chair and Deputy Chair for Pride in Place in Bournville is a positive step. The key test now is whether local people really stay in the driving seat, because community investment only works when it is genuinely community-led. (North Somerset Council)
• There has also been welcome action on town centre safety, with the Winter of Action delivering arrests and anti-social behaviour enforcement, and being extended into 2026. Residents have every right to expect that this work continues. (North Somerset Council)

Delivering for Weston

• Birnbeck Pier remains one of Weston’s biggest opportunities. The council says the extra £19 million from the Government will support work to the landside and island buildings and could also help restore the north jetty. That is excellent news, but after years of delay and disappointment, people will rightly judge success by what gets built and reopened, not by the number of announcements. (North Somerset Council)
• There was also a welcome local sustainability update at Birnbeck, with salvaged timber set to be reused through a partnership with Somerset Wood Recycling. That is exactly the sort of practical, greener thinking we need more of: protecting heritage, backing local enterprise and reinvesting income into the site’s future upkeep. (North Somerset Council)
• In Bournville, the appointment of John Wheatley and Chloe Critchley to the Pride in Place board is a good start. But this must not become a top-down exercise. The promise of local investment has to mean local voices shaping priorities from the beginning, not simply being consulted after decisions are already made. (North Somerset Council)
• Grove Park is another scheme that now needs to prove itself. The council says the first phase of improvements has been completed, final works are due by the start of April, and bids for the new 15-year café lease close on Thursday 16 April. This should be a chance to bring fresh life into one of Weston’s best-loved parks, strengthen the town centre and support local trade. (North Somerset Council)

Transport and cost of living

• The changes to WESTlink are deeply disappointing. From 5 April the service moved to weekdays only, 9am to 2pm, with no weekend or public holiday service, a maximum five-mile trip length, and several areas dropped because the council says they are served by regular routes. For people who came to depend on WESTlink, especially for everyday journeys, that is not a minor tweak, it is a serious loss of flexibility. (North Somerset Council)
• The council says these changes are being driven by reduced funding after the end of the Bus Service Improvement Plan. That underlines a bigger point: public transport cannot be rebuilt on short-term funding one year, then quietly cut back the next. Liberal Democrats will keep arguing for transport that people can actually rely on, especially in communities where alternatives are limited. (North Somerset Council)
• Cost of living pressures also remain very real. North Somerset Council highlighted concern about rising heating oil prices in March, noting that 3,146 homes in the district rely on oil-only heating. That matters hugely in rural communities, where households are often hit first and hardest by energy shocks. Support needs to be easy to access, and central government must stop treating rural fuel costs as an afterthought. (North Somerset Council)
• One smaller but genuinely useful step has been the rollout of 45 refurbished smartphones through libraries and Opportunity North Somerset for residents who are digitally excluded. In a world where so many services are now online, that kind of practical help can make a real difference, especially when tied to job support and advice. (North Somerset Council)

Safer and fairer communities

• The expansion of the Winter of Action is welcome. The council says the programme, run with police, Weston BID and outreach teams, delivered seven Days of Action, 18 arrests and 11 anti-social behaviour enforcement actions, and will now continue into 2026. Residents and businesses in Weston town centre have been asking for visible action for a long time, and this shows that joined-up work can get results. (North Somerset Council)
• There is also a wider consultation under way on Public Space Protection Orders across North Somerset, running until 9.30am on Monday 27 April. These powers can be important in tackling persistent anti-social behaviour, but they need to be fair, targeted and backed by proper enforcement, not used as a substitute for the police, youth services or long-term support. (North Somerset Council)
• Domestic abuse services are also being reorganised from 1 April, with Cranstoun, Next Link and Family Action taking on different parts of provision. The test here is simple: survivors and families must see better support, faster access and a system that works when they need it most. (North Somerset Council)
• Around Bristol Airport, enforcement against rogue parking has clearly had to intensify. The council says it has now issued 89 enforcement notices in total, including 36 since 2024, alongside more than 1,000 site visits in 2025 and 56 active investigations. Residents living near the airport should not have to put up with fields full of cars, unsafe roads and constant disruption while loopholes are exploited for profit. (North Somerset Council)

Greener communities

• There was also good news for community-led climate action. Clevedon YMCA and Pill Community Foundation have each secured £30,000 through the Community Climate & Nature Action Project, alongside mentoring and specialist support. This is exactly the sort of local, practical environmental work Liberal Democrats champion: rooted in communities, linked to everyday life, and focused on long-term resilience rather than short-term slogans. (North Somerset Council)

And as always, Liberal Democrat councillors will keep making the case for a North Somerset that is safer, greener, fairer, and one where Weston gets the investment and attention it deserves.