Lib Dem Councillors update September 2026
Lib Dem councillors supporting Weston
Birnbeck Pier’s restoration reached another milestone on 28 September, when the first official steps were taken on the replacement deck. Four of the sixteen sections connecting the mainland to Birnbeck Island are now in place.
Lib Dem council leader Mike Bell joined representatives of the funders and contractors to mark the occasion. Fellow Lib Dem councillor Mark Canniford, who has responsibility for the project, reported that work remained on track against its programme and budget. He also thanked the volunteers and residents whose campaigning helped save the pier.
The remaining deck sections will be installed over the coming months, with public reopening planned for summer 2027.
September’s Heritage Open Days programme also offered opportunities to learn about the pier’s history and restoration. Events included talks at Weston Museum and the Blakehay Theatre, meetings with the project team and volunteers, and workshops for a cardboard pier installation. Lib Dem councillor and heritage champion John Crockford-Hawley encouraged residents to take part.
At Grove Park, new public toilets opened on 3 August, including accessible facilities and baby changing provision. The completed improvements include a redesigned entrance, planting, seating, resurfacing and better drainage.
Busy Lizzies has a fifteen-year lease for the park café and funded its renovation, with preparations under way in late August for a bank holiday opening. The business plans to serve customers throughout the year and host community events and workshops.
Lib Dem councillors welcomed the investment. Weston Town Council will continue to manage the toilets, working alongside North Somerset Council to look after this much-used town centre park.
Lib Dem councillors supporting better transport
A safer route between Weston railway station, the town centre and nearby homes is moving forward. Work on a new signal-controlled crossing at Hildesheim Bridge, on Francis Fox Roundabout, was scheduled to begin on 14 September and finish in mid-October.
The crossing will help people who currently face four lanes of traffic without a dedicated crossing point. Lib Dem Central ward councillor Robert Payne welcomed the scheme, having long wanted safer access to the station from communities on the other side of Locking Road.
At the Milton Road and Ashcombe Road junction, replacement traffic signals now include bus priority and a five-second early green signal for cyclists when they are detected waiting. The new equipment also uses less energy.
Plans announced in September will bring safer crossings, improved bus shelters, wider pavements and a 20mph zone to Worle High Street and surrounding roads. The main programme is due to run from 5 October to spring 2027, with changes to traffic directions on The Scaurs and Ebdon Road and improvements to The Maltings.
Across North Somerset, more than £10.1 million is being invested in highways during 2026/27. Council teams repaired around 9,250 potholes and cleared 23,870 highway gullies in 2025/26. A new maintenance strategy will use inspections and condition data to target work before damage becomes more expensive to repair.
An August update also reported a trial outside Weston Library of a treatment designed to seal cracks and surface defects quickly, without excavation. The results will be assessed before any wider use; the treatment cannot repair underlying structural problems.
In Backwell, completed works include drainage improvements, 9,330 square metres of resurfacing, a new pedestrian crossing, a 20mph limit and improved bus facilities.
Bus use is growing. Figures published in September recorded 704,453 passenger boardings on services travelling to and from North Somerset in July, more than 32 per cent above July 2023.
From 30 August, the X10 was extended to Congresbury, Langford and Wrington, with Walton Park in Clevedon regaining a bus service. A one-year trial of evening journeys will provide later connections. Other changes include an additional afternoon service 9 journey between Worle and Weston, and the X14 serving Pill and more of Clevedon. Service 125 was withdrawn, while the 126 was amended to serve Locking Village.
New transport facilities are also planned for Long Ashton, Yatton and Cleeve. These include bus shelters, live arrival information and accessibility improvements. Cleeve’s scheme includes safer crossing points and a reduction from 40mph to 30mph through the centre of the village.
Lib Dem councillors want these investments to make everyday journeys easier, with clear information and access maintained for residents and businesses while work takes place.
Lib Dem councillors supporting libraries and families
Worle Library and its car park closed permanently from 7 September. This is a substantial loss for people who used the building, and residents need practical help to access the services that remain.
Lib Dem councillor for Mid Worle, Jemma Coles, welcomed a new access point at Worle Health Centre allows customers to collect reservations and return books. Nearby libraries include The Campus, Weston Library and the For All Healthy Living Centre. A new WESTlink connection between Worle High Street and The Campus forms part of the alternative arrangements, alongside outreach and the Home Library Service.
The Best Start Family Hub based at Worle Library is also relocating, with alternatives at Locking Castle, The Campus and Ashcombe.
Lib Dem councillor Mark Canniford acknowledged Worle Library’s importance and set out the council’s commitment to maintaining access to books, information and support. Opening hours across the library network changed in September, while developer-funded work at The Campus was scheduled to introduce self-service extended access from 5 September.
Discussions continue with Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council about library provision after council funding ends in April 2027. Winscombe Library remains open while a community-managed option is considered, with alternative outreach provision to be developed if that proves unviable.
There is better news for children who need residential care. Two council-run homes, Haven House in Weston and Strawberry House in Winscombe, now have planning permission. Haven House is expected to open in November, followed by Strawberry House in early 2027.
The £2 million investment aims to reduce placements outside North Somerset, helping children stay closer to school, friends and family. The council estimates annual savings of more than £250,000 per home compared with existing arrangements. More local foster carers are also needed.
Lib Dem councillors supporting businesses and jobs
The Epic Campus development in Long Ashton is creating opportunities for local construction firms and suppliers. Upcoming contracts cover trades including brickwork, electrical installation, ventilation, joinery and decorating.
Developer funding secured by the council will support a five-year programme to help local businesses and residents benefit. Lib Dem councillors encouraged firms to register with the Somerset Supply Chain so they can hear about tenders and support.
The council also announced a construction opportunities event at Weston Library for 7 October, bringing employers and training providers together to discuss jobs and apprenticeships. Projects including Birnbeck Pier, the Banwell Bypass and the Epic Campus are increasing demand for construction skills.
One example is Katie, who received help from Opportunity North Somerset to gain a construction qualification and secure work on the Winterstoke Bridge project. She progressed from part-time to full-time employment and continued her training.
In Portishead, a £2,880 grant has helped Bosscut Barbers improve its children’s sensory room, making visits easier for families who find a conventional salon environment overwhelming. The council-managed Portishead Economic Development Fund has supported 32 projects. Lib Dem councillors highlighted how a relatively small grant can help a business improve its service and accessibility.
Lib Dem councillors supporting greener communities
Councillors have approved funding for the next stage of plans for a new waste depot and replacement household waste recycling centre serving Weston and the surrounding area. The depot would bring together waste operations for the whole of North Somerset.
Existing facilities face space and long-term suitability problems. The next stage covers detailed designs, planning preparation and further business case work, with a separate decision still needed on the full construction programme.
The council and Garden Organic also invited residents to train as Master Composters, joining more than sixty volunteers who share advice through schools, community projects and local events. Helping households compost can reduce waste and make better use of garden and food scraps.
On Weston seafront, painted footprints have reinforced the council’s message to use bins or take rubbish home. Lib Dem councillors backed the campaign, which also reminds visitors about the danger of hot barbecue coals left on beaches.
Essential tree work is affecting sections of the Strawberry Line, where ash trees severely damaged by ash dieback must be removed. The programme includes phased weekday closures in September, October and November, with the route intended to remain open at weekends. Lib Dem councillors acknowledged the disruption and asked users to follow the closure signs while the safety work takes place.
Lib Dem councillors supporting healthier and safer communities
The Blunt Truth knife crime prevention programme reached 1,849 Year 9 pupils across nine secondary schools over the past year. Seventy workshops covered the consequences of carrying a knife, reporting concerns and practical first aid.
We welcomed the programme’s emphasis on early intervention. Schools have already begun signing up for the next academic year.
The council and police are also responding to dangerous and antisocial driving, including concerns at Royal Sands, Sand Bay and Clevedon. We stressed the impact on residents and the importance of joint enforcement. The response includes the use of the council’s round-the-clock CCTV service.
Operation Agora brought together Trading Standards, police and HMRC to investigate businesses in Weston and Portishead. Officers seized illegal tobacco and other goods with an estimated street value of more than £44,000, including illicit vapes and unsafe toys. Investigations continue.
In public health, a new campaign developed with young people, including students at Weston College, encourages those aged 16 to 24 to check their HPV vaccination history and ask their GP about catching up if they missed it.
North Somerset is also supporting the regional “What Will You Miss?” smoking campaign, directing people towards free local help to quit through Smokefree North Somerset.
Two free Wellness in Action events were announced for October, at the Sovereign on 8 October and the For All Healthy Living Centre on 27 October. Both run from 10am to 2pm, offering health checks, advice and practical support without an appointment.
Community groups and sports clubs can also apply for grants of up to £2,000 from the Physical Activity Fund. This round focuses on helping women and girls become more active, with applications open until 30 October.
Volunteers’ contributions were recognised at a garden party organised by Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant. Voluntary Action North Somerset was among the organisations invited to nominate people for recognition. We thank the volunteers who give their time to local services, charities and community groups.
Lib Dem councillors standing up for local services
North Somerset faces a £12 million budget gap for 2027/28, within a forecast £40.5 million gap between 2027 and 2031. Demand and costs for care and other essential support continue to rise, while government funding is under further pressure.
The council’s share of council tax rose by 8.99 per cent for 2026/27. Lib Dem council leader Mike Bell has acknowledged the strain this puts on households and called on government to fund care properly, rather than continuing to pass the cost to council taxpayers.
An independent assessment by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy found that the council manages its finances well. That does not remove the difficult choices ahead. Residents are due to be asked about their priorities, with draft budget proposals in December and a final decision expected in February 2027.
There is also an opportunity to find out more about representing your community. Ahead of the May 2027 council elections, North Somerset announced free information sessions for prospective councillors on 8 October online and 14 November at Weston Town Hall.
Your Lib Dem councillors will continue to raise residents’ concerns, scrutinise spending and press for the funding needed to sustain local services. Please get in touch with your local councillor if there is an issue you would like us to take up.