By Harry Mottram: The road linking Axbridge to Wells is to be closed for most of September to allow Wales & West Utilities to carry out gas pipe works. In phase one the A371 will be closed from Hillier Garden Centre to outside Strawberry Fields Luxury Lodges as well as the junction of School Lane and Latches Lane. From September 1st work to replace old gas pipes in danger of leaking will continue to around the 27th September before phase two when work till see the road partially closed until 11th October further along on Draycott Road between Strawberry Fields Luxury Lodges and the electric substation. But that closure will feature a set of lights so traffic can get through.
To bypass the works there is the alternative road to Wells via Wedmore and Theale or Cheddar Gorge and then down to Wells via Deer Leap and Wookey Hole. Emergency Services will also be blocked from passing through during phase one.
Wales & West Utilities are not a supplier of gas but provide the pipe network for gas companies to use to supply their customers. Originally, they wanted to do the work in August but interventions by the local MP Tessa Munt, local councillors and business owners managed to get them to move the date back a month to avoid summer holiday traffic. As it is there will be congestion and disruption to the 126 bus service.
Wales & West Utilities said: “The essential upgrade to the network in the area will involve the replacement of old cast iron gas pipes that have reached the end of their life cycle, with some pipes dating back to 1915 and the 1960s. They will be replaced with new polyethylene pipes that are more durable and capable of meeting the increasing demands for gas and preparing the network to distribute green gases such as hydrogen and biomethane.”
For any further information visit www.wwutilities.co.uk/gas-pipe-upgrade-projects/. As projects begin, customers can also find out what to expect from the work at www.wwutilities.co.uk/services/gas-pipe-upgrades/.
If you have further queries about the project, our Customer Service Team is here to help. You can call us free on 0800 912 2999, message us on X (@WWUtilities), or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/wwutilities.
Tarnock man jailed
Police have reported that Thomas Maguire, 19, of Bristol Road, Tarnock, along with two other men have been jailed for several months following a trial at Taunton Crown Court on August 14th. The trio were involved in so-called “car-key burglaries” in which thieves enter homes to take keys, enabling them to steal cars parked outside. The charges relate to several reported incidents in locations including Burnham-on-Sea, Weston-super-Mare and Glastonbury, between Monday 16 March and Tuesday 5 May. The most disturbing aspect is how young the thieves are – leaving them with a prison record at an age when many millennials are still in full time education.
Tarnock is part of the former Axbridge Rural District and lies three miles from the town – which is why this case caught my eye – car thefts in Axbridge are not unknown. A car key burglary can involve keyless technology where the car’s card is cloned, which allows thieves to take your vehicle sometimes without ever getting their hands on your key fob or entering a home. Targets included expensive high end makes but also more humble older cars like the Ford Fiesta which can be broken up for parts.
The Constabulary advised residents to store keys out of sight and away from any windows, doors, or letterboxes and place keyless fobs inside a signal-blocking Faraday pouch to stop relay electronic scanning. And using an old school deterrent of fitting a steering wheel lock or pedal box lock to prevent the car from being driven even if entry is gained. Maguire pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and has been sentenced to 30 months, serving nine months in prison and the remainder of the sentence on license.
Mayoral powers
The Government have announced new powers for elected mayors to overrule local councils on some planning decisions – but not in Axbridge. Our mayor Councillor Richard Willis is the head of the town council. It is a voluntary and unpaid role partly to chair meetings and partly ceremonial. The mayors with these new powers include Helen Godwin for the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority – often called Metro mayors – which covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Glos and soon North Somerset – but not Somerset – yet.
The change will give metro mayors the power to be involved in proposals to build more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space or buildings over 30 metres – powers that are enjoyed by Sir Sadiq Khan in London. Housing developments in Hutton, Winscombe and Churchill have been taking place so it is possible should Helen Godwin be involved then more properties could be built just up the A38 from Axbridge.
Somerset Council which includes Axbridge could soon be in a new metro mayor authority dubbed the Wessex Partnership. That would combine Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Councils – a plan that could see a new authority by sometime next year or 2029. The main driver is the Government has promised more funds to metro mayors for inter county development. In the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority that now includes plans for a mass transport scheme which would see modern trams linking Bristol Airport to Bristol and Bath. My caveat is that major infrastructure plans don’t always happen as finances and politics can get in the way as not everyone is keen on the idea – and some opposition MPs prefer local collective councils to make those type of decisions.
For details of our town council, councillors and the mayor visit https://www.axbridge-tc.gov.uk/the-council/councillors/
Local (recent) history
Axbridge News reported recently on the Romano-British woman whose skeleton is displayed in King John’s Hunting Lodge – because it turned out she had been wrongly labelled as a man. A visiting ‘bone boffin’ spotted the error and since then Georgina (formerly George) has had the injustice overturned and has become a star attraction. So much for ancient history – a recent display featured in the town’s museum memories of the 1950s and 1960s which sparked recollections of events at the town’s youth club – now the Men’s Shed at the old railway station.
Two such memories are when the former BBC Radio One DJ Noel Edmonds visited – much to the excitement of the town’s teens. The television and radio presenter known by the generations covered in those decades for Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops and Top Gear before going on to present numerous other TV shows – was a household name at the time – and arguably one the few A-list celebrities to visit Axbridge over the years. Also in the local history group’s newsletter Retrospect was a photo of television’s 1960s police Z Cars series actor Stratford Johns. Older readers like me will recall the drama series was compulsive viewing back in the day as it brought a contemporary feel to The Force – since followed by series like The Bill.
Retrospect also features the story of a tragedy at Cheddar Reservoir during the Big Freeze and a list of what’s on events for society members. To join the local history group or for more details email: kingjohnshuntinglodgemuseum@gmail.com
For more on the museum and its history and collection visit https://kingjohnshuntinglodge.co.uk/
For details of the Friends of King John’s Hunting Lodge and how to join visit https://kingjohnshuntinglodge.co.uk/
The Magic Roundabout
Essentially a cross-roads the interchange at the MFG Cheddar Service Station at the junction of Upper New Road, the A371, the B3135, Shipham Hill and Axbridge Road has been known locally as The Magic Roundabout for some years. Unlike its TV namesake it is not a peaceful children’s playground but an accident blackspot that has seen many vehicle crashes, injuries and even fatalities. A former colleague of mine at the Yeovil newspapers Daniel Mumby who is now a Local Democracy Reporter has reported that Somerset Council have decided not to update the interchange – despite many drivers feeling it should be improved.
He wrote on the Somerset Live website that Sedgemoor had planned changes in the past before their demise: “But Somerset Council (which replaced the district council in April 2023) said that it currently had no detailed designs for such a scheme and no funding to implement any improvements. It is currently undertaking a feasibility study to see how the junction can be improved, which is being funded by contributions from local housing developments.”
Those housing developments may include the one planned for the old yogurt factory site nearby and even the planned supermarket on Upper New Road. Few would disagree that something needs to be done as many drivers and cyclists as well as walkers have had near misses there – in part due to the volume to traffic.
Daniel continued: “The current junction is curiously designed, with the A371 and B3135 sliding past each other and limited space for vehicles to turn onto one road or the other (especially when multiple lorries are involved). The ‘magic roundabout’ also has very limited pedestrian facilities, with people seeking to reach the Esso petrol station and shop from Axbridge having to cross onto the existing island (which has no Tarmac surface). Pedestrian traffic across the roundabout is expected to increase in the coming years, with revised plans being submitted to redevelop the former Yeo Valley complex a few hundred yards to the west into 56 houses and a 66-bed care home. Likewise, congestion in the vicinity of the roundabout is expected to increase from the south if a new Lidl supermarket is approved on the A371 Upper New Road, opposite the Oak Tree Park housing estate.”
Sedgemoor District Council’s spokesperson said previously: “We are undertaking a feasibility study at the junction funded by Section 106 funding. Beyond that work, there is currently no proposal to deliver any upgrade. The funding from housing developers is designated for feasibility work only and, at this stage, there is no other funding allocated for the site beyond that work. Therefore, no designs have been funded or developed for the junction, and there are currently no proposals for the council to acquire land in connection with any junction improvement scheme at this location. Any future consideration of potential improvements would need to be informed by the outcome of the feasibility work, the availability of funding and the council’s wider transport priorities. Recent data collection was undertaken during 2024/25 as part of a pre-feasibility technical report. This work provides a baseline of existing conditions at the junction and will help inform the feasibility study.”
Axbridge Diary of Events
Some Axbridge dates coming up at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/diary/
Harry Mottram
Note: I get asked this frequently so just to repeat I write up these stories from time to time out of personal interest – all the information is in the public domain – I put it together, so it makes sense to me. I’ve always taken an interest in local affairs having worked as a journalist in Somerset for many years. More at at www.harrymottram.co.uk and social media on X as @harrythe spiv, Facebook, Blue Sky, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads and God knows where else!
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