Published: December 20, 2008
New barriers aim to tackle seafront boy racers in Burnham-On-Sea

New barriers have this week been introduced along the entrances to hard-standing parking areas on Burnham's South Esplanade in a bid to halt 'boy racers' congregating at night.

Sedgemoor District Council hopes the plastic barriers, which are pictured here, will reduce anti-social behaviour and cut down late night noise for nearby residents by preventing vehicles from parking there.

The moves follows a meeting between police, the county council and town councillors to try and find solutions to the long-running problem of seafront speeding and anti-social behaviour.

Burnham-On-Sea.com reported in September how Cllr Neville Jones had gained the majority support of members of Sedgemoor District Council for a new £29,000 'leisure drive' to be created along the Esplanade to try and combat the problems of anti-social driving.

The plans would see the Esplanade turned from a public highway into a private drive and several sets of speed bumps being introduced.

However, Somerset County Council's Head of Highways, Ioan Rees, stated in August that "traffic calming of the South Esplanade would have a very low priority for funding from Highways budgets." He claimed the low number of accidents along the seafront means there is no argument for changes.

Seafront home owners say the situation is so bad that a serious accident is waiting to happen - and it's for this reason that 'short-term solutions' such as the barriers are now being used to tackle the problems.