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January 2007 news archive

Calls to clean up town's beach
BURNHAM-On-Sea beach users have this week called for urgent action to clean up the town's beach. It comes after a series of high tides left debris strewn along the shoreline between Maddock's Slade and the town's famous lighthouse, as pictured here. More...

Pool closed by technical fault
A water chemical problem at Burnham-On-Sea's 33-year-old swimming pool forced the facility to close on Tuesday and Wednesday this week - and it is now expected to open at lunchtime on Thursday (February 29th). Engineers are currently working on the problem and hope to re-open it later. More...

Town ice rink plans slide closer
PLANS to build a 2,500 seat ice rink on land near Burnham-On-Sea's BASC Ground appear to be edging closer. A local company, Burnham Development (Somerset) Limited, which was first created in 1999, has outlined its plans for a rink on land near Stoddens Road. More...

Jetty re-opens to the public
BURNHAM-On-Sea's jetty was re-opened for public use on Wednesday 28th February, after a new barrier and warning signs were put into place on Tuesday. The district council said the jetty was re-opening to allow "residents and holidaymakers to use it." More...

Car thieves escape air police
A POLICE helicopter was launched in a search for three car thieves near Burnham-On-Sea on Monday night (February 26th). The helicopter pictured here carried out a search of land around Huntspill, south of Highbridge, after a Renault car was stolen at 11pm. More...

New barrier in place on jetty
A NEW barrier and warning signs went up on Burnham-On-Sea's storm-damaged jetty on Tuesday (February 27th) as the district council edges closer to re-opening the landmark to the public. Sedgemoor District Council said last week the jetty would open by April. More...

Police probe gardens 'assault'
BURNHAM-On-Sea police were called to investigate an alleged serious sexual assault in the town's Manor Gardens on Sunday (February 25th). A large section of the gardens in Berrow Road was taped off by officers as they conducted a search of the area. More...

Deadline nears for beach firms
BURNHAM-On-Sea businesses have just a few days left to apply for beach concessions for the next three years. A council spokesman said offers are now invited for beach concessions at Burnham-On-Sea, Apex Park and Berrow Beach for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. More...

Fire-hit club plans re-opening
THE first slates have been laid on the new roof of Berrow Football Club's newly reconstructed pavilion this week as work to rebuild the property following its devastating fire in November 2005 continues. The building is due to re-open to the public in April. More...

Vandals attack shop signs
THE owners of a Burnham-On-Sea art gallery and coffee shop are counting the cost of crime after vandals ripped down signs outside their two premises at the weekend. Empty spaces on the walls outside Burnetts Coffee Shop and The Art Gallery mark the site of the signs. More...

Arcade safety fears raised
WORRIED parish councillors have this week expressed concern about plans to build a new fast food outlet at an amusement arcade in Brean, near Burnham-On-Sea. Councillors are worried that a lack of car parking at Stardust may cause safety issues in the summer. More...

Video coverage of MP's visit
THE introduction of an 8ft high gate, new CCTV cameras, and more police patrols were among the options put forward when Burnham-On-Sea's MP visited the town on Saturday (February 24th) to discuss ways to tackle high-profile vandalism problems along a street. More...

Asda jumps to BARB's rescue!
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has disappointed fundraisers at Burnham-On-Sea's hovercraft group by asking them to remove a vital charity collection box from its store in the town. The distinctive collection box is a miniature replica of Burnham's low lighthouse. More...

MP visits Rosewood residents
BURNHAM-On-Sea's MP met residents of the town's Rosewood Avenue on Saturday (February 24th) to see the extent of damage being inflicted by vandals in the area. David Heathcoat-Amory discussed the problem with residents Ron Parker and Eric Vause. More...

Night of fun raises £1,600
THE final sum raised for St Margaret's Hospice during a night of entertainment at a Burnham-On-Sea club was more than £1,600, it has been confirmed this week. Tich and Sue Williams, the managers of Lakeside, organised the special evening of music, comedy and magic. More...

Council publishes newsletter
BURNHAM-On-Sea and Highbridge town council is publishing the second edition of its new quarterly newsletter this week. Featuring news and information about the two towns, the latest A4-sized issue will be available free of charge later this week. More...

Small blaze at seafront arcade
BURNHAM-On-Sea fire fighters rushed to a seafront amusement arcade on Saturday evening (February 24th) after flames had been spotted on the front of the building by a passer-by. A single fire engine was sent to Sunspot Amusements at 7.40pm, as pictured here. More...

£8k bill to replace town lights
Exclusive: THE final cost of replacing Burnham-On-Sea's storm-damaged decorative lights will be a huge £8,000, it emerged this week. Over half of the lights were wrecked or damaged during the 75mph storms which slammed into the seafront last month. More...

Land yachts breeze into Brean
BREAN Sand Yachting Club is set to hold its annual National Sand Yachting Regatta on Brean Beach next month. The event will be held on March 10th and 11th March, with racing taking place at approximately 10am each day, depending on wind conditions. More...

Film revisits 1930s Burnham
AN INCREDIBLE new film which provides a glimpse of Burnham-On-Sea during the 1930s is to get a special screening at the town's Ritz Cinema next month. The unveiling of 'Norman Gobey - Burnham's Movie Maker' is to be held on Sunday 11th March at 11am. More...

Stert foxes spark rescue scare!
BURNHAM-On-Sea Coastguards were called out this week amid concerns that two dogs may be trapped on Stert Island. A holidaymaker dialled 999 after spotting the animals walking on the island opposite Burnham, causing fears that the owner may try venturing after them. More...

Party for Trevor's supporters
SUPPORTERS and family members of Trevor Hayes, the Burnham cerebral palsy sufferer who has been the focus of a big fundraising drive, will hold a party on Saturday evening (February 24th) to mark the successful conclusion to their fundraising campaign. More...

Bowling club's plan approved
BURNHAM-On-Sea Bowling Club's controversial bid to extend its opening hours until 2am have this week been given the go-ahead. Although residents organised a petition to try and stop the application, the district licensing panel this week gave it approval. More...

Rotarians give £2,500 boost
MEMBERS of Burnham-On-Sea's Rotary Club handed over two cheques worth a total of £2,500 to two well-known Somerset charities on Thursday evening (Feb 22nd). The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Musgrove's Neonatal Special Care Unit benefited. More...

Lucky escape as car overturns
Exclusive: THESE were the dramatic scenes on Wednesday afternoon (February 21st) when a young motorist heading to Burnham-On-Sea on a shopping trip lost control of his vehicle, overturned and ploughed into a fence just off the M5 motorway near Highbridge. More...

Pub awaits ruling on decking
A BURNHAM seafront pub has run into planning problems with its new decking terrace, pictured here, which it installed late last year. Chaplins has spent more than £5,000 on building the new extension but did not have full planning permission for the structure. More...

Town shop is 'best in the west'
DELIGHTED Burnham-On-Sea shop owners John and Katharine Edwards are celebrating this week after scooping a top prize in a national awards competition. Material Needs in the High Street was voted 'South West Stitching Retailer Of The Year' at a top event this week. More...

Small rise in council tax rates
BURNHAM-On-Sea residents will pay an extra £3.93 per year on their council tax after Sedgemoor District Council this week announced its proportion of the tax has been set at 3.5 per cent. This equates to a rise of just 7.5p a week for a band D property. More...

Sea safety advice from BARB
A GROUP of Bridgwater schoolchildren got to see Burnham-On-Sea's Light Of Elizabeth hovercraft up close on Wednesday (February 21st) when crew members took part in a special sea safety awareness event in Bridgwater. Crew members gave the children tips. More...

Last orders at Burnham pub
LANDLORD Kevin Tippets is preparing to call 'last orders' for the final time when his Burnham-On-Sea pub closes next month to be replaced by a new development of flats. The Crown Inn in Oxford Street will open for the final time on Saturday March 3rd. We spoke to its landlord this week. More...

TV's Little Britain helps charity
A HIGHBRIDGE-based charity's idea of writing to celebrities for support is paying off with the stars of TV's Little Britain now lending their support. Charity spokeswoman Margaret McDowell is selling two postcards signed by Matt Lucas and David Walliams. More...

'Rising seas threaten Burnham'
Burnham-On-Sea is today (Wednesday February 21st) singled out as one of the Somerset towns most at risk from climate change. Somerset County Council has published a new report predicting what impact the effects of global warming and sea level rises will have on the county. More...

YouTube biker speaks out
A BURNHAM-On-Sea man who was accused of driving his motorcycle through a built-up area of the town at up to 100 miles per hour, filming the ride and then posting the footage on the Web, has spoken out for the first time. He gave an interview to a motorbike magazine. More...

Distraction burglars strike
POLICE in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge have this week urged local people – especially the elderly – to be on their guard following a distraction burglary in the town. The incident took place in Trowbridge Close, Highbridge at about 6.30pm on Monday (Feb 19th). More...

Jetty to re-open for Easter
BURNHAM'S storm-damaged jetty looks set to re-open in time for the busy tourist season. Sedgemoor District Council issued a statement on Monday (Feb 19th) confirming that the jetty would open by April - and that plans to increase the cost of launch permits have been deferred. More...

Town MP to receive petition
BURNHAM-On-Sea's MP, David Heathcoat-Amory, will be in town this Saturday (February 24th) to receive a petition from residents of South Street, who are angry about vandalism problems in the area. The visit comes after our report about problems along the street. More...

Poor turnout at town meeting
PLANS to extend Burnham-On-Sea's conservation area got a lukewarm reception when they were discussed at a poorly attended public meeting in the town on Monday evening (February 19th). Just 30 residents attended the gathering in The Princess Hall. More...

Drifting raft retrieved by RNLI
A drifting raft in Bridgwater Bay sparked a call-out for Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards and an RNLI crew on Monday morning (February 19th). The object was reported at 9.10am by a member of the public on the seafront who saw it slowly drifting out of the bay with the falling tide. More...

D-day arrives for mobile phone mast
Exclusive: THE future of a controversial phone mast in the centre of Burnham-On-Sea could finally be decided on Monday (February 19th) when a government planning inspector is set to visit the site to decide whether O2, the phone giant that owns it, should be forced to remove it. More...

Burnham election race begins
THE timetable for budding politicians in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge to get elected onto the town and district councils has been announced this week. Several key dates have been unveiled by officials in the run-up to polling day being held across the area in early May. More...

Pier flags get a makeover!
IT isn't a job for people who don't like heights... but for this man it's all in a day's work. Professional flag repairer Wayne Orchard of Porthcawl's Celtic Flag Services scales the heights of piers on a daily basis and was on Burnham Pier on Saturday morning (Feb 17th). More...

Car seized by Burnham police
ONE person was arrested and a vehicle was seized during an incident in Highbridge Road, Burnham-On-Sea, on Friday evening (February 16th). A car was impounded by police officers after it was found to have no tax, insurance or MOT, confirmed a police spokesman. More...

Wine lovers flock to festival
DOZENS of bottles were uncorked when scores of wine lovers flocked to Burnham-On-Sea Rotary Club's 45th annual wine festival on Friday night (Feb 16th). More than £1,000 is expected to have been raised for local charities from the popular event. More...

Police probe town incident
POLICE were called to Highbridge on Thursday afternoon (February 15th) after two men were reportedly acting in a 'suspicious manner' near several shops in the town. One local resident said: "There was concern that two men were attempting to enter several businesses." More...

Tourism fair comes to Brean
SCORES of Burnham-On-Sea tourist businesses will be flocking to Brean later this month when Sedgemoor Tourism Association holds its annual 'Somerset Attractions Leaflet and Information Fair'. This year's event will be held on Thursday February 27th throughout the day. More...

New look at 150-year-old firm
ONE of Burnham-On-Sea's longest-running companies has this week formally unveiled its new look and new name. We reported in January that estate agent JH Palmer and Sons was being taken over by the west country property chain Greenslade Taylor Hunt. More...