Councillors in Highbridge were celebrating on Wednesday (May 21st) after the Bank Street Car Park was saved from potential development by Sedgemoor District Council.
The council’s executive committee accepted that the car park should not be on the list of assets to be sold, after a successful campaign by residents in the town and Liberal Democrat councillor Cllr Joe Leach and parliamentary candidate Tessa Munt (pictured).
Sedgemoor’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee examined the council’s capital expenditure plans last week and recommended that the controversial proposals to sell off part of the town centre car park should be put on hold – but on closer examination on Wednesday, the Executive decided that the plans should not proceed.
A petition of 800 signatures was collected by Cllr Leach and Tessa Munt, adding to the 500 collected by County Councillor Rosemarie Parsons and the town’s regeneration team earlier in the year.
Cllr. Leach told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Wednesday: “This is a fantastic result. We have worked very hard in all aspects to ensure that our car park stays.”
“Now we can concentrate on the full regeneration of our town, starting with the cattle market, which I would like to see as shops. The whole team has tirelessly fought this proposal and I am proud of the results.”
RELATED LINKS:
Public meeting held to fight car park sell-off plans
Opposition grows over Bank Street car park sale
Map showing the Sedgemoor plans in full
Council urged by Lib Dems not to sell off Highbridge car park
Anger over bid to sell off Bank Street car park
