North Somerset Council has refreshed Weston-super-Mare's much‑loved Floral Clock with a new selection of hardy perennial plants designed to create a vibrant, attractive, and more sustainable display for the years ahead.  The replanting, completed today, focuses on climate‑resilient and low‑maintenance species to help the display cope better with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Last summer’s prolonged high temperatures and drought made regular watering challenging

A series of upgrades at Worle Interchange will soon begin to improve accessibility, safety and the overall experience for bus passengers. Work is scheduled to start Monday 23 February 2026 and continue through to May, supported by funding from the Government. A series of enhancements will modernise the transport hub and make it more welcoming, accessible, and environmentally friendly. These include: Three new large bus shelters featuring extra space for wheelchairs and buggi

Birnbeck Pier is making progress on its journey to return as a jewel in the crown of Weston-super-Mare with a 100-tonne crane being transported to the site and will be located near the Pier Masters Cottage at the entrance to the Pier, in the first major step in its £20 million programme of repairs. A Grade II* listed structure and the only UK pier linking an island to the mainland, the re-generation of this iconic local asset is coming on leaps and bounds and there are many l

The first phase of improvement works for the Tropicana are complete after contractor Morgan Sindall Construction finishes demolition works. North Somerset Council contracted Morgan Sindall Construction to strip out and demolish the existing 1980s internal event space building. The second phase will be for the council to go out to tender for the next stage of the works, which include:  Preparing the venue to become a major cultural and entertainment venue Improvements to the o

On Saturday night, officers from Weston’s Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team arrested two suspects whilst they were in the act of carrying out a burglary of a home on Locking Rd. A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said; “During the course of their duties, officers discovered an insecure address on Locking Road where the front window had been smashed. In accordance with their officers entered the premises to ensure the safety and security of the property and any oc

A proposed ban on social media use for under-16s has sparked debate across the country, with politicians, parents, teachers and tech companies all weighing in. But one group sits right at the centre of the issue, young people. For under-18s, social media is not just entertainment, it's part of how they socialise, learn and is a place to truly express themselves. So how do they feel about the possibility of stricter age limits and legal restrictions? We wanted to find out, so

Weston Youth Council is asking people to sign a petition calling on the introduction of political education to coincide with the reduction in voting age to 16yrs old. Oliver Masley, 15, who is the Communications Officer for Weston Youth Council said; “Something our youth councillors have been discussing in our meetings is the benefits that would emerge from the introduction of political education for young people following the introduction of legislation allowing 16 year olds

Her Majesty The Queen visited the Police Headquarters in Portishead today to see the pioneering work being done to tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence. The Queen was welcomed by Chief Constable Sarah Crew and Superintendent Sharon Baker — who shared her lived experience of domestic abuse in the ITV documentary “Her Majesty The Queen – Behind Closed Doors.” Her Majesty toured the control room, speaking with emergency call handlers about how they support victims in cris

A street warden who operates as part of the Weston Business Improvement District (BID) Team detained a youth today who was in possession of a knife. The knife, which a witness has told Weston Independent News, was exposed and not in its packaging had been stolen from a local store just before 1pm this afternoon. Weston Independent News has learnt that BID team member Simon Vowles was working in the town centre and was alerted to the incident. Weston Business Improvement Distr

Police are investigating a serious assault in Weston-super-Mare and are renewing their appeal for the public's help to identify two people. Avon & Somerset first appealed for witnesses last year and are now renewing their appeal. Officers believe the two men pictured may be able to aid their enquiries into the incident which happened in December 2024. Photo: Avon & Somerset Police Both men are described as white, with one wearing a white polo T-shirt and the other wearing a g

North Somerset Council have been given the go-ahead by Government this week to raise council tax in the year ahead beyond the usual limit. The council submitted a formal request for council tax flexibility in December, and has this week been told that it is one of just seven councils nationally being given permission to raise council tax by more than 4.99 per cent. The Government has told North Somerset that it can raise council tax for one year only by up to 8.99 per cent. T

Papers for North Somerset Council’s upcoming cabinet meeting reveal that the council requested government permission in December to raise council tax above the usual 4.99% cap as part of “exceptional financial support.” However, with just over two weeks until the budget is due to be set, the council has not yet received a response. It is also awaiting confirmation of its final local government finance settlement. The cabinet is scheduled to meet on February 11, but meeting p

Brean Theme Park, located at nearby Brean Sands, appointed liquidators last week and has now entered the Resolutions for Winding Up stage, which means the business must stop trading except for activities necessary to complete the winding-up process. The attraction originally opened in the 1940’s as a camping and leisure park before expanding into fairground rides in the 1970’s. Hazlewoods LLP's Nicholas Stafford has been named as the liquidator, tasked with properly distribut

Leader of North Somerset Council, Cllr Mike Bell has issued a scathing statement against the Weston-super-Mare branch of Reform after they claimed £650,000 had been spent by the council on catering in a social media post about council expenditure. Weston Reform Facebook post that Cllr Mike Bell challenged (Photo: Reform UK - Weston) Cllr Mike Bell said; “ Reform UK are back at it with their politics of lies and misinformation that trash services people rely on. They talking a

Families and children across Weston-super-Mare will soon benefit from free, daily breakfast clubs, as the government confirms the next 500 schools to join the scheme from April. Four Weston schools have been selected: • Oldmixon Primary School • Windwhistle Primary School • Westhaven School • Bournville Primary School The announcement represents a campaign win for Weston-super-Mare’s Labour MP, Dan Aldridge, who has consistently pushed for greater investment in children and f

Police have issued an appeal for two teenage boys that are missing and could be in the Weston-super-Mare area. Harry aged 14yrs old has been missing since Thursday 29th January and Jamie aged 16yrs old has been missing since Wednesday 28th January. Police are urging for anyone who knows where they are to call 999 quoting reference 5226029184, or call 101 with any other information.

The University of Exeter will mark LGBT+ History Month in the UK with a series of events and the launch of free classroom resources for secondary schools and museums that highlight the achievements of LGBT+ individuals working in maths and science. The teaching resources were announced in November and are now free to access and download to mark LGBT+ History Month in February. The resources pack includes slides, posters, postcards, videos and class activities, produced in col

A new booking system to use North Somerset’s recycling centres will launch today at the Weston-super-Mare site.  From today, anyone wishing to visit the Weston‑super‑Mare recycling centre will need to book a time slot in advance. After a monitoring period at Weston-super-Mare, the council will look to extend the system to the Portishead and Backwell sites from Monday 2 March.  The new approach is designed to make visits faster, safer and more efficient for residents, while en

Martin Fear, Terry Wells and Richard Spindler all received Royal National Lifeboat Institution long service medals presented by the High Sheriff of Somerset, Janet Montgomery and The Mayor of Weston-super-Mare, Councillor Martin Williams on Sunday 25th January 2026. From left to Right, Martin Fear, Janet Montgomery, Richard Spindler, Terry Wells, Cllr Martin Williams, (Photo: RNLI) Volunteers are the heart of the RNLI and make up the vast majority of their staff, 97% of their

Work to restore Birnbeck Pier will continue next week with North Somerset Council’s contractor Mackley on site from Monday (2 February) in preparation for works to start on the pier itself. Double-stacked office cabins will arrive next week with a 100-tonne Long Reach excavator planned to arrive by mid-February. This will shortly be followed by a 100-tonne crane which will begin works to the foreshore and first Pier. Later this year, a long-reach excavator with a cherry picke