Renters and landlords in North Somerset are being invited to 'sit on the sofa' at a special event in Weston-super-Mare to find out more about the biggest shake-up to renting law in a generation. A pop up 'Living Room' will be at the Italian Gardens on Monday 27 April between 11am and 2pm – kicking off a week of awareness events across the region ahead of the Renters' Rights Act coming into force on 1 May.  The new law abolishes Section 21 'no fault' evictions, ends fixed-term

Three men have been sentenced to a total of 24 years in a young offenders' institution after carrying out a series of violent robberies targeting New Year’s Eve revellers in Weston-super-Mare. Danius Melgailis, 18, of Orchard Street, Mohammed Ahmed, 19, of Ashcombe Gardens, and Henry Hathaway, 18, of Longridge Way, all of Weston-super-Mare, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 17 April. Hathaway, Melgailis, and Ahmed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery,

Councillors gathered on Tuesday (April 21) to discuss a proposal for global entertainment company Live Nation to take on a 25-year lease to operate the seafront venue. They were told the site would likely host “mid-range acts,” such as Madness, and could accommodate crowds of up to 10,000 people. However, several concerns were raised during the discussion, including transport arrangements, limited available details, the implications of Martyn’s Law, the requirement to borrow

Yesterday( 20 April 2026), officers from the Weston-super-Mare Neighbourhood Policing Team, supported by North Somerset Neighbourhood Tasking Team, Community Response, Street Wardens, and CCTV Operators, carried out targeted activity focused on individuals engaged in persistent anti-social behaviour and criminality within the town centre. One prolific offender was arrested for three shop theft offences and three breaches of a Community Protection Notice. She will be presented

The One.Network platform is now being used in North Somerset to help better coordinate roadworks and manage traffic disruption. The map details planned road closures, as well as locations where utility companies will be undertaking work. The one.network platform transforms how highway authorities, utility companies and contractors plan, coordinate and communicate traffic interventions by enabling cross-sector collaboration and seamless public engagement. It is hoped that

mydentist's Oxford Road and Beaconsfield Road branches are integrating into a single large practice opening at Gallagher Retail Park. The new site, between Pets At Home and Topps Tiles, is set to open on June 9. It will offer treatments for private and NHS patients, including potentially new NHS patients. A spokesperson for mydentist said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve access to care and create better environments for our patients and teams.  We’re planning an exc

Developers aiming to revive the long-empty Grand Central Hotel in Weston-super-Mare have said their plans depend on being allowed to convert rear extensions at the property into a large shared house, known as a house in multiple occupation (HMO). The proposal involves turning the main hotel building into 28 flats, but the developers argued the overall project would not be financially viable without the additional HMO element. Planning officers at North Somerset Council had re

Families across Weston-super-Mare are set to benefit from new free breakfast clubs, launching as children return to school after the Easter break. Four local schools are now taking part in the Government’s Best Start programme: • Oldmixon Primary School • Windwhistle Primary School • Westhaven School • Bournville Primary School The rollout will provide children with a healthy start to the day alongside 30 minutes of free childcare each morning, giving parents valuable extra t

Today, officers from Avon & Somerset Police Weston-super-Mare town centre team were alerted by members of the public to concerns about the sale of tobacco products. With assistance from North Somerset CCTV, officers attended the location where the individuals involved were detained, and suspected counterfeit tobacco products were seized. One of the individuals was also found to be wanted in connection with a robbery in a neighbouring force from August 2025 and was arrested. A

Families in Bournville are benefitting from a £127,000 government investment to support early years provision at the Healthy Living Centre, strengthening services for parents, babies and young children. The funding will support the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies , a major national programme designed to give every child the best start in life by bringing together health, education and family support under one roof. Dan Aldridge, MP for Weston-super-Mare,

An eight-week consultation on whether North Somerset Council should join the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has found that people and businesses across the West back the proposal. The results show 56.7% of those who responded are in favour of the expansion, with 37.6% opposed, and 5.7% not sure. Detailed analysis of the 1,273 responses received will take place over the coming weeks before being published. The consultation , which closed on Monday (13 April), follo

North Somerset Council has received an additional £62,120 for further restoration of Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare. This has been awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, delivered by Historic England. This additional funding will pay for the initial conservation of the Grade II Listed entrance gates and turnstiles. It will also enable further work on the Grade II Listed Toll House and its extension, known loca

Four men from Weston-super-Mare have been jailed after launching an arson attack on a house in Protheroe Street, Ferndale, South Wales. Connor Pitt, 24; Auryn Gustur, 19; 19-year-old Alfie Wheeler; and 33-year-old Lewis Manito attacked the home of an 82-year-old grandmother due to a criminal vendetta directed by an organised crime group outside the UK. Just after 11pm on July 27, 2025, Storm Truman, 19, from Weston-super-Mare, drove her white Seat Ibiza, containing Wheeler an

Weston College has secured significant new investment to deliver advanced manufacturing training, marking a major win for Weston-super-Mare and the wider region’s skills and jobs pipeline. The funding - linked to the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector, including Airbus- will support high-quality technical education and help young people access well-paid, skilled careers in advanced manufacturing. The successful bid was delivered through close collaboration between college le

Weston Amateur Boxing Club has secured a new five-year lease in partnership with the YMCA at its centre on Coleridge Road in Bournville. This agreement ensures the club can continue its important role within the community, offering boxing classes for people of all levels and abilities. The club is a grassroots organisation, entirely run by volunteers, and has been serving the Weston community since 1954. Club Chairman, Cllr James Clayton, said: “This is a great step forward

An investigation into an incident in Weston-super-Mare last week in which an 11-year-old boy fell unwell has been carried out with no criminal offences identified a spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police has said in an update of the investigation. Detectives have visited the boy since he was discharged from hospital and his family, and taken accounts from witnesses and medical professionals, as part of the investigation. No evidence was found that a vape, which the 11-year-o

A report will be considered by North Somerset councillors when they meet next Tuesday (21 April). They’ll hear about the proposals and preferred operator before voting on recommendations in the report. Live Nation is one of the most experienced live entertainment companies, with a wealth of expertise and operations in more than 40 countries. Following a robust procurement process, they have been announced as North Somerset Councils preferred operator A spokesperson for North

Dan Aldridge, Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare, has backed new Government action to tackle knife crime as part of a wider plan to halve offences and make communities safer. With knife crime already down by 8% nationally, and knife-related homicides and hospital admissions for assaults involving a sharp object at their lowest level in a decade, the Government has announced further measures to drive down violence. The plans include targeted support for schools in high

The Weston-Super-Mare Town Centre Neighbourhood Team has been conducting patrols in response to ongoing concerns around the use of electric scooters and electric bikes within the town centre. Police have received numerous reports of these vehicles being ridden dangerously on roads and in pedestrianised areas, with pedestrians having to take evasive action to avoid being struck. Electric scooters and certain electric bikes are classed as mechanically propelled vehicles. To be

A hearing will take place tomorrow afternoon (Friday 10th April) at North Somerset Magistrates Court with Police and Trading Standards seeking a closure order of Weston Supermarket which has been allegedly linked with two incidents involving “laced” vapes. As reported by us , the action comes after a woman became unwell after being given a sample vape by Weston Supermarket in March. Weston Independent News has been told that the closure order request is in relation to this in