Lib Dem Councillors Update July 2026
Lib Dem councillors’ update, July 2026
Lib Dem councillors continue to work with residents, council officers in and community organisations to improve Weston-super-Mare and communities across North Somerset.
Over the past month, there has been further progress on transport infrastructure, the restoration of Birnbeck Pier, support for young people and local businesses, and work to make our communities healthier, safer and greener.
Key highlights
- Lib Dem councillors are supporting the restoration of Birnbeck Pier and work to secure its long-term future.
- The improved Worle Interchange has opened, providing safer and more accessible facilities for passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
- Plans to upgrade nine locations along the A38 have reached an important milestone.
- Lib Dem councillors have welcomed the extension of free bus travel to 16 and 17-year-olds in care.
- A new local operator has been selected to reopen the café in Grove Park.
Lib Dem councillors supporting Weston
The restoration of Birnbeck Pier continues to make good progress. North Somerset Council and the project’s funders are speaking with experienced heritage organisations and operators about how the site should be managed when it reopens to the public, which is currently planned for summer 2027.
The aim is to appoint an experienced operator capable of managing the pier sustainably and on a not-for-profit basis. Any future arrangement must also recognise the contribution made by local volunteers and community organisations, whose determination has helped make the restoration possible.
Lib Dem councillors believe Birnbeck Pier is a nationally significant part of Weston’s heritage. Restoring the structure is a huge achievement, but securing its long-term future is just as important.
We will continue to support an approach that protects the pier, involves the community and makes the site an asset residents can enjoy for generations.
There is also welcome news for Grove Park. Busy Lizzies, a new local business, has been selected to operate the park café under a 15-year lease.
Applicants were asked to demonstrate strong environmental and social values, support for local suppliers and a commitment to providing high-quality food and drink.
The café sits at the heart of one of Weston’s best-loved parks. Its reopening will build on recent improvements, including a redesigned entrance, upgraded landscaping, improved facilities and new accessible toilets.
Lib Dem councillors welcome the return of the café and the opportunity it provides to support a local business while bringing a valued community facility back into use.
Lib Dem councillors supporting better transport
The newly improved Worle Interchange has opened following a significant programme of work to make the area safer, more accessible and more welcoming.
Improvements include larger bus shelters with real-time passenger information, accessible boarding bays, wider footways, upgraded lighting, improved pedestrian crossings and better cycling facilities.
New seating includes “Happy to Chat” benches, while artwork created by pupils from Priory Community School has been incorporated into the interchange.
Lib Dem councillors believe public transport must be reliable, accessible and pleasant to use. These improvements should make everyday journeys easier while creating a safer connection between the interchange, nearby shops and local services.
The proposed A38 Major Road Network scheme has also taken an important step forward. The Full Business Case has been submitted to the Department for Transport, which will decide whether to approve the funding needed to deliver the project.
The plans cover nine locations between the Barrow Street junction at Barrow Tanks and the Edithmead Roundabout at junction 22 of the M5.
The proposed improvements are intended to increase road safety, improve journey reliability and provide better options for walking, cycling and public transport.
The A38 is an essential route connecting North Somerset’s communities with Bristol, Somerset and the wider region. Lib Dem councillors recognise that investment is needed, but each part of the scheme must be carefully designed and delivered.
Proper consideration must be given to residents, businesses, road safety and the natural environment.
Work on the Queensway transport scheme is also creating employment and training opportunities for local people.
North Somerset resident Keri is gaining practical experience in highways and construction while completing an apprenticeship through Weston College.
The Queensway project includes upgraded junctions, new roundabouts, safer crossings and changes intended to reduce congestion and improve journey times.
Lib Dem councillors want major infrastructure projects to provide lasting benefits for local communities. This includes supporting apprenticeships, training and careers for people living in North Somerset.
Lib Dem councillors supporting young people and families
Hundreds more young people across the West of England are set to benefit from free bus travel following an extension of the Care Leaver Bus Pass scheme.
The scheme already provides free travel for care leavers aged 18 to 25. It will now be extended to include 16 and 17-year-olds currently in care, potentially helping another 400 young people across North Somerset and the wider region.
The support will remain available until at least 2029 and could save each young person as much as £10,000 over ten years.
For young people in care, the cost of travelling to school, college, work, healthcare or appointments can become a major barrier.
Lib Dem councillors welcome the extension of the scheme. Free bus travel provides more than financial support. It gives young people greater independence, helps them remain connected and makes it easier to access opportunities.
North Somerset’s libraries are also preparing for the return of the free Summer Reading Challenge.
This year’s theme, “Read to the Beat”, encourages children aged four to eleven to explore the connections between stories, music, creativity and self-expression.
Lib Dem councillors recognise that libraries are much more than places to borrow books. They provide welcoming and accessible spaces where children can learn, discover new interests and develop a lifelong love of reading.
The summer challenge is also an enjoyable way to help children maintain their confidence and reading skills during the school holidays.
The council’s electric library outreach vehicle, known as Molly, welcomed 2,244 visitors during its first four months of service.
Visits to schools, pre-schools and community centres helped more than 100 people become new library members, with particularly strong interest from children and families.
Molly is helping to take books, information and council services to communities that might otherwise struggle to reach a library.
Lib Dem councillors are pleased to see greener technology being used to make public services more accessible.
There has also been national recognition for active travel work in North Somerset’s schools.
Becket Primary School increased the proportion of pupils travelling actively from 64 per cent in March 2023 to more than 80 per cent.
Across North Somerset, 33 schools took part in the Big Walk and Wheel challenge, recording nearly 48,000 active journeys. Together, pupils travelled more than 71,000 miles and avoided an estimated 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Helping more children walk, wheel, scoot or cycle supports healthier lifestyles, reduces congestion around school gates and improves air quality.
Lib Dem councillors will continue supporting schools and families to make active journeys safer and more convenient.
Lib Dem councillors supporting businesses and nature
A new North Somerset Food and Drink Directory has been launched to help residents, visitors, retailers and hospitality businesses find local producers.
The online directory brings together growers, bakers, producers, retailers, markets and food events in one place. It also provides information about where local products can be bought and highlights business support opportunities.
North Somerset has a growing and diverse food and drink sector.
Lib Dem councillors want to make it easier for people to buy locally, support independent businesses, strengthen local supply chains and keep more money circulating within our communities.
The new West of England State of Nature report has provided a concerning picture of the pressures facing local wildlife.
Of the species analysed over the past 25 years, 15 per cent were found to be declining, compared with only 4 per cent increasing. Declines were particularly significant among fish and bird species.
Nature supports clean air and water, reduces flood risks and contributes directly to people’s health and wellbeing.
Lib Dem councillors believe protecting and restoring natural habitats must be central to decisions about planning, transport, farming and the management of public land.
Councils and communities must work together across local authority boundaries if nature is to recover.
Lib Dem councillors supporting healthier and safer communities
New mental health support plaques have been installed on benches at prominent locations across Weston, including along the seafront.
Each plaque provides a QR code connecting people with trusted national and local support services. The benches offer somewhere to pause while making help easier to find for anyone who may be struggling.
A plaque cannot replace properly funded mental health services, but small interventions can help people find support earlier and demonstrate that it is acceptable to ask for help.
Lib Dem councillors will continue to support measures that improve access to mental health advice and services.
North Somerset Council has also joined the police, charities and support organisations in making clear that football is never an excuse for domestic abuse.
Major tournaments can coincide with increases in abusive behaviour, particularly where heightened emotions and excessive drinking are involved.
Responsibility for abuse always rests with the perpetrator.
Anyone experiencing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or economic abuse should be able to seek confidential help and be treated with dignity and compassion.
Lib Dem councillors are committed to working with partner organisations to prevent domestic abuse and ensure survivors can access the support they need.
The council and the North Somerset Partnership Against Hate have also condemned recent hate-related incidents, including the racial abuse and assault of a taxi driver in Weston.
North Somerset should be a welcoming and inclusive place. There can be no justification for hatred, violence or discrimination against any individual or community.
Lib Dem councillors will continue working with residents, community organisations and the police to challenge prejudice and protect people from abuse.
During June’s red heat-health warning, council teams worked to protect vulnerable residents, people sleeping rough and frontline staff.
Waste collections began earlier to reduce risks to crews, some libraries operated as cool spaces, and additional welfare support was provided to people experiencing homelessness.
Extreme weather is becoming an increasingly important challenge for local councils.
Lib Dem councillors believe good preparation, clear public information and strong community networks can make a real difference, particularly for older people, young children and those with long-term health conditions.
As always, your Lib Dem councillors will continue working for a North Somerset that is fairer, greener, safer, better connected and ambitious for every community we serve.