Local Newspaper Review by Harry Mottram on Thursday, March 12th, 2020
A long-running road safety campaign is the headline in the Cheddar Valley Gazette with Somerset Highways pledging to begin work on Cross Lane in Axbridge next month.
The battle to improve road safety for pedestrians has been led by Tess Gill and a large number of residents who want to see a paved path for walkers and those in wheelchairs and people pushing prams. Currently the narrow main road with no verges and high hedges gives little space for those on foot or for cyclists. The lane is heavily used by trucks from the quarries and has seen a number of near misses and accidents over the years.
Meanwhile in the Weston Mercury the main story is about the plan to knock down the Lord Nelson pub in Cleeve and replace it with a petrol station and shop owned by the Tout family. Inside there’s news of a petition to save Burnham-on-Sea’s War Memorial Hospital which is under threat of clousure from Somerset Clinnical Commissioning Group who have spoken of the area having to adapt to meet future needs – which campaigners have read as code for closure. Details of the petition are on the website for the friends of the hospital.
Also in the Mercury is a full page of photos of the recipients of civic awards in Axbridge presented by the mayor Kate Browne and the High Sheriff of Somerset Jonnie Halliday. They included awards for long standing town councillor Mike Taylor and for one of the Axbridge Pageant’s costume makers Babrara Wells who recently stepped down from the council.
Jason Bryant’s photo of what appeared to be a still from World War Two takes up half a page in the Gazette – but in fact it’s his snap of a film set at Saunton Sands in Devon re-creating the invasion of Sicily for a new movie called Operation Mincemeat.
Yatton’s new primary school at North End willnot open until 2021 due to problems in the building work. The £5.73m project to construct Chestnut Park school has thrown education in the town into chaos as parents now need to find places for their children who were due to start at the site in September.
Finally the slight respite in the wet weather has seen some sport take place with Draycott pulling off a well-earned draw against Somerset County League Division Three leaders Chew Magna in a 3-3 thriller. Pete Symons was man of the match who headed in the equaliser in the final minute. Elsewhere Winscomebbeat Staplegrove 4-1, Yatton and Cleeve lost by the same margin to Street and Wells beat Bridgwater Town 3-0. iN rugby Wells came out on top in the Somerset Premier League by 22-21 to rivals Wells.
Harry Mottram
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