Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox gives an update on his latest activities in the Burnham and Highbridge area in this regular column.
“I’m pleased to be back with another update on my work as your Member of Parliament. Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve been up to recently.”
“On 16th September I started the day at Halswell House in Goathurst, which has a long tradition of links with Bridgwater MPs. Edward Strachan kindly showed me around as part of National Heritage Week, and it was fascinating to learn more about the history of this important local landmark.”
“I then headed to Highbridge, where I was pleased to officially open the newly refurbished Lyndon Pharmacy at Highbridge Medical Centre. The pharmacy is now under new local ownership following the collapse of the previous operator, and I had the pleasure of cutting the ribbon and meeting Nikhil, Mo and the team behind Lyndon Health. Community pharmacies play a vital role in our towns, providing convenient access to advice, treatment and everyday healthcare, and I wish the team every success.”
“From Highbridge I travelled to Burnham-On-Sea, where I spent time knocking on doors and speaking with residents about their priorities. One concern raised repeatedly was Somerset Council’s parking proposals, including the possibility of new on-street charges in the town centre. Residents and traders are understandably worried about the impact additional parking costs could have on local businesses.”
“Later that day I headed back to Bridgwater, where I joined town councillor Carole Edmunds to speak with residents. Traffic was one of the biggest issues raised, particularly frustration with the one-way system on Salmon Parade and East Quay, with strong support for restoring two-way traffic.”
“I finished the day at Hamp Community Association for a community meeting with residents. We discussed concerns including antisocial behaviour and Royal Mail deliveries, as well as the opportunities presented by the £20 million Pride in Place programme for Bridgwater South. Local people should be at the heart of decisions about how this investment is spent.”
“The following day I started in Bawdrip, where I joined parish councillor Rebekah James to knock on doors and listen to residents. One of the issues raised was access to reliable bus services, which are particularly important in rural communities.”
“After lunch I headed to Sydenham Community Centre for one of my regular constituency surgeries. I hold these in different locations across the constituency to make them as accessible as possible and give residents the opportunity to speak to me directly about issues where they need my help.”
“I finished the day in Othery, meeting parish councillor Anthony Betty to discuss issues affecting the village and surrounding area.”
“There has been a clear theme to much of my constituency work during the Parliamentary recess: getting out, knocking on doors and listening.”
“There is no better way to understand what is happening across the constituency than meeting people face-to-face. Whether it is parking in Burnham, traffic in Bridgwater, buses in our villages or individual problems residents need help resolving, those conversations help ensure I return to Westminster fully aware of the issues that matter locally.”
“In Parliament, I took Somerset Council’s SEND failures directly to the Education Secretary. Education, Health and Care Plans are supposed to be completed within 20 weeks. Yet while neighbouring North Somerset is completing around 85% within that timeframe, in Somerset the figure has fallen to fewer than 2%. That is simply not good enough.”
“I told the Education Secretary that this stark difference shows much better performance is possible, while families in Somerset are being left waiting far too long for the support their children need.”
“The Liberal Democrats have been running Somerset Council for more than four years. They cannot continue blaming others while children and families pay the price for a service that is not delivering. I will continue holding Somerset Council to account and pressing ministers until children with SEND in our county receive the timely support they are entitled to.”
If you need support or want to raise an issue with the MP, contact his office at ashley.fox.mp@parliament.uk
