Weston-Super-Mare feed - This is Somerset

Screw-up on decking means more delays for Grand Pier

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Thousands of screws used to secure the decking on Weston-super-Mare's new £51 million Grand Pier may have to be taken up and replaced – because they are the wrong size.

It is understood the error was discovered during an inspection of the new decking which was laid around the pavilion last month.

Engineers said the screws used to pin the decking into place are not of the right specification and around 40,000 of them could have to be taken out.

Structural engineers have been brought in to assess the problem and are currently preparing a report on the decking.

It is understood that although the decking will be able to take the weight of pedestrians, there are concerns about whether it will be able to safely take the weight of heavy vehicles.

Main contractors John Sisk and Son is waiting to see the result of the report before making a decision about whether the screws need to be replaced.

Work to rebuild the pier started in April 2009 but the project is now two months behind schedule after being hit by a number of delays.

The news will come as another blow to the Michaels who estimate they are losing a million pounds a month in revenue during the peak summer months because the pier is closed.

Mr Michael refused to comment on the screw size being wrong, but has previously said: "Structural engineers are looking into the design of decking to see if it meets the requirements and if, as I fear, it does not, it will have to be stripped and re-done.

"I am bitterly disappointed at the continued delays on the project."

This is the latest in a series of major blows to the project to rebuild the pier, which was destroyed in a fire in July 2008.

They have also recruited around 300 people to work on the attraction either full time or part time – the majority of whom are still waiting to start their new jobs.

Although a completion date has yet to be announced the Michaels believe it is "imminent".

No one at John Sisk and Son was prepared to comment on whether the wrong screws had been used when laying the decking, but admitted the entire project was a complex one.

Heritage award for museum of helicopters

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Weston-super-Mare's Helicopter Museum has been presented with a prestigious heritage award.

The museum, which is a registered charity, has been recognised by the Transport Trust as a Transport Heritage Site.

The museum, which boasts the world's largest helicopter collection, is the first in the South West and only the second in the country to be presented with the accolade.

The award was given in recognition of the museum's connection with the manufacturing of helicopters in the town between 1955 and 2002.

The trust has promoted the preservation of Britain's heritage in all modes of transport form more than 40 years and last year agreed that many sites where transport development took place are little known and barely celebrated.

In response it launched the Red Wheel initiative so sites of interest could be recognised.

A Red Wheel plaque will be unveiled at the museum at a ceremony later this month.

The museum is sited on land that was previously part of the original Weston-super-Mare airport.

It was expanded in 1940 to provide shadow factory facilities for the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

The firm later relocated its helicopter division to the town in 1955.

Helicopter production and overhaul finally ended in 2002 when the factory closed down.

Bedside vigil put soldier in jail

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:00:00 GMT

A West army medic was demoted and jailed after he went absent without leave to keep a 24-hour vigil at his baby daughter's hospital bedside.

Acting Corporal Ben Peters, 28, of Weston-super-Mare, returned to the UK from his base in Germany to be with family after his five-week old daughter Alana contracted deadly viral meningitis.

But despite keeping the military informed, Ben was arrested on his return to his German base, demoted and given 30 days military detention and docked two months wages.

Ben's devastated wife Charlie, 27, who lives in Weston, said: "All he tried to do was be there for his family and he has been severely punished for it.

"They let you fight for your country but you're not allowed to fight for your family."

Ben, who is part of the 2nd Medical Regiment, has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Belize, where he was recommended for a commendation in 2007 after pulling casualties out of the jungle.

He took approved leave in April when Charlie began to suffer from severe sciatica towards the end of her pregnancy.

Ben then also took the agreed two-week paternity leave when Alana was born in May – only to be posted Awol when he failed to return to Germany after she contracted meningitis.

Charlie added: "We were told to expect the worst.

"We were told there was a one in ten chance Alana wouldn't make it and she was only five weeks old, but all the time Ben's mum kept the Army up-to-date."

The Army granted Ben compassionate leave while Alana was at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and although the family feared the worst, she pulled through and was discharged after six days.

The devoted dad spent hours at Alana's hospital bedside, as he and Charlie worked in shifts to watch over their daughter and care for their eldest daughter, Alexa, aged three.

Ben then asked for a few more days off to ensure he could attend Alana's follow-up appointments when she came out of hospital, but this was refused.

He was again posted Awol and arrested days later when he returned to the base.

A military hearing in Germany found Ben guilty of going Awol and sentenced him to 30 days at the forces correction centre in Colchester, docked his wages and demoted him to the rank of private.

The ordeal has left the couple having to take out a bank loan to pay for bills and food.

Charlie, a retail supervisor, added: "I was under the impression that as the wife of a soldier with children the Army would look after me and care for me.

"I have had several conversations with them in which I stressed our financial situation, but I don't feel I have seen any evidence at all of support towards me and my children.

"The very serious events that have happened don't seem to have any relevance to them.

"I'm really quite disgusted and upset about the way it has affected us as a family and it has affected our marriage."

Ben is now back at his base in Germany but despite being told he would be given a compassionate posting to the UK, is still waiting.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman yesterday refused to comment on individual cases but confirmed that all formal complaints were "fully investigated."

Bond girl who Loves a coffee

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Bond girl Caroline Munro is heading to Weston-super- Mare for a cuppa to raise money for charity.

The actress will be arriving in the resort on September 24 to take part in Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee morning at Loves cafe.

Mrs Munro, who appeared in the James Bond classic The Spy Who Loved Me, will be at Loves from 9am to noon.

Mrs Munro said: "My mother sadly lost her fight with cancer and Macmillan was with us every step of the way.

"To be in a position where I can give a bit back, albeit in some small way, is very gratifying and I have seen first hand how important Macmillan are to people."

Macmillan's fundraising manager, Ian Dore, said: "To glean the support of such a highly regarded actress and have her attend their coffee morning is another feather in their cap. Loves is a great location and this is a great 'showbiz' addition to the coffee morning event."

To register to host your own coffee morning supporting Macmillan Cancer Support on September 24, visit www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee.

Dog-loving war veteran dies with pet by his side

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

War veteran Harold Pursey, who refused to move into care unless his faithful dog could go too, has died peacefully at the age of 94, with Labrador Bob at his side.

Mr Pursey, of Burnham-on-Sea, a retired butcher, was allowed to keep Bob with him when he moved first into a residential home and then, a few weeks ago, into a nursing home.

The Western Daily Press told how Burnham Lodge nursing home also agreed to give Bob, aged ten, a home for life.

Now social worker Judith Alder, who helped ensure Mr Pursey found dog-friendly care, and Soriaya Mandiga, the matron at Burnham Lodge, each plan to undertake a daring sponsored wingwalk to raise funds for any veterinary care that Bob may need as the years go by.

Miss Alder said yesterday: "The home will feed Bob and look after him, but veterinary bills can cost hundreds of pounds. I am planning to set up a Bobby Appeal bank account to which people who may like to sponsor us can donate. We were overwhelmed by how many people wrote to Mr Pursey after seeing the story in the paper of how he was able to keep Bob with him."

Mr Pursey's funeral will take place at Weston-Super-Mare crematorium at 3.30pm on Thursday – and staff have relaxed their "no dogs" rule to allow Bob to attend.

Lifeboat Pull is tribute to RNLI heroes

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

In Weston-super-Mare it is not a rare sight to see the RNLI lifeboat being pulled along the famous promenade.

Yesterday, volunteers joined the town mayor and former lifeboat man Phil Judd to take part in the Pull which has been happening in the town for as long as lifeboats have been around.

The event shows the public what a lifeboat looks like and gives them a chance to throw coins into the boat to show support for the volunteers.

During the RNLI's history there have been several notable incidents where a lifeboat has been pulled. In 1881 the Whitby lifeboat was hauled 10 miles overland to Robin Hood's Bay to rescue the crew of the brig Visitor. In 1899, the Louisa, the Lynmouth lifeboat, was pulled over Exmoor to rescue the Forrest Hall, a 1,900-ton ship with a crew of 13 men and five apprentices, on its way from Bristol to Liverpool. Storm winds had prevented a launch at Lynmouth itself. In 1914, the people of Whitby once again pulled a lifeboat more than two miles to help with the rescue of the hospital ship Rohilla. In 1940 the women of Newbiggin, Northumberland, pulled a lifeboat one-and-a-half miles over moors so they could launch to rescue the Eminent's crew.

Pity kitty couldn't find the paws button

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A six-week-old kitten was nearly killed when she crept into a tumble dryer for a nap and ended up going through a complete spin cycle.

Sleepy Fudge ended up in the machine after curling up on a fluffy duvet cover inside the machine for an afternoon nap at her home in Weston-super-Mare, north Somerset.

Owner Ashlea Boon, 25, had no idea Fudge had crept in and turned the drier on to give the blanket a refresher spin. Shocked Ashlea, a nurse, pulled out the sheet after the five-minute cycle and saw her tiny new pet fall limp and lifeless to the floor.

She said: ''I pulled the bedsheet out of the dryer and she just fell out straightaway. She was limp and wasn't moving. She was dead when she came out. She was very limp and lying on the floor. I was very shocked. It was horrible."

Ashlea began gently rubbing Fudge's tummy to try to revive the tumbled tabby and she started breathing.

It took 30 minutes to bring the animal around before Ashlea could rush her beloved pet to the vets where doctors feared Fudge might have brain damage.

But the curious cat came round by the next day, and is now back at home with Ashlea, her partner Ben and their two-year-old son Jayden recovering from her ordeal.

Ashlea added a warning to pet owners to be careful when using their washers and tumble dryers.

Pier Square project takes step forward

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A multi-million pound project in Weston-super-Mare is set to take a major step forward next month.

The bulk of the work to lay asphalt, and finish carriageway and drainage works for the whole of Pier Square is to be completed during September.

North Somerset Council's executive member for strategic planning, Cllr Elfan Ap Rees, said that good progress was being made in bringing the £3.9 million project to fruition.

"Large areas of the square are now paved and being used by the public, with around 100 sq m of paving being laid per day. Walls around the square are being put up and the northern section is completed, apart from some lighting work, and fully open to the public together with the pedestrian crossing to the pier.

"I expect it to be installed by the end of September."

£10,000 benefit cheat told to pay back £250 . . . at £5 per week

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

A benefits cheat who helped herself to almost £10,000 in fraudulent housing benefits has been ordered to pay back £250 – and at a rate of £5 per week.

Claire Harper, 34, was arrested in March after it emerged she had been falsely claiming housing and council tax benefit for two-and-a-half years. She failed to alert the authorities when she moved out of the two-bedroom flat in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, she shared with her young son. Harper moved in with a friend but continued to claim council tax credits and income support as a single mother living alone in the old flat – pocketing a total of £9,421.96.

Fraud officers from North Somerset Council visited the property earlier this year after a tip-off.

She pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at North Somerset Magistrates' Court on Monday and was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and ordered to repay £250 in costs.

But because of her financial situation she will be allowed to pay it back over 50 weeks – at £5 a week or 71p per day.

Sally Andrews, prosecuting, said: ''Before signing the housing benefit declaration it clearly says before the signature box that you must agree to let the council know of any change in circumstances.

''In an interview Ms Harper confirmed that she failed to report this and her explanation was that she couldn't afford to live without it. She said she was up to her eyeballs in debt."

Harper, who works part-time at a nursing home, legitimately sought housing benefit when she moved into the flat in March 2006.

But she moved out in May the following year and continued to have the monthly benefits paid into her account. Investigating officers became suspicious after a tip-off that she may be co-habiting with another person and visited the property in January 2009.

Ms Andrews said: ''In January when the officer attended the flat a man answered the door and said he was the tenant and Ms Harper had moved out some two years ago."

A subsequent investigation revealed that Harper had been claiming housing benefit at the property for 30 months.

She was arrested and quizzed and admitted falsely claiming the benefits – and confessed to knowingly failing to alert the authorities.

Ms Andrews asked magistrates to order Harper to repay the full £600 costs of the case – but they asked her to pay £250 at £5 a week.

A North Somerset Council spokesman said they had the power to retrieve the remainder of the debt from her future benefits claims. Alternatively, they can seek civil action to recoup the sum.

The spokesman said: ''We want benefits to go to those who are legitimate claimants and we will investigate fraud and take appropriate action."

Resort's latest attempt to revamp derelict Tropicana goes on show

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Proposed designs to revamp Weston-super-Mare's derelict Tropicana will be exhibited next week.

The £19 million plans have been put forward by businessman Richard Nightingale.

He has been working with architects to draw up three schemes to return the seafront attraction to its former glory after previous developer Henry Boot's scheme collapsed.

Details of the first option – which would see the Tropicana covered with a roof similar to that of the Eden project – go on display on Tuesday.

The scheme has been drawn up by renowned London architects Grimshaws, who were the brains behind the design of Cornwall's Eden Project and Bath Spa.

As part of their plans, the entire Tropicana would be demolished and replaced with a contemporary building that would be encased by glass and set on a huge wooden deck.

The roof would be made out of a material that would allow people to still sunbathe below.

The exterior part of the deck would act as a promenade around the building. There would be a 5,000 sq metre water park with three flumes, a wave rider and a lazy river.

There would also be an exercise pool and a separate fun pool and an outdoor pool created on the exterior deck.

And there would be a number of cafes, restaurants and retail outlets, as well as an ice skating rink.

Mr Nightingale, who runs Nightingale Group, has spent the past 18 months consulting with residents and organisations, including the town's Senior Citizens Forum.

He tried to buy the building in 2005 but lost out to Henry Boot, and it continues to be owned by North Somerset Council. The authority launched a Europe-wide procurement process to develop the attraction earlier this year.

Mr Nightingale, 41, is the first potential developer to publicly declare his hand.

He said: "The unveiling of our proposals has come about following many months of hard work and extensive consultation with the residents."

The second scheme has been drawn up by architects Stride Treglown and would see the front of the Tropicana building retained and the rest of the building demolished to make way for an undercover water park.

The final scheme is being drawn up by Ferguson Mann and Faulkner Brown, the company responsible for designing the Aquadome at Basingstoke and Cardiff International Swimming Centre.

All of the architects were asked to design a scheme within the development brief that the Tropicana must have an undercover pool and a water park of at least 5,000 sqm.

The pool, which opened 72 years ago, closed its doors in 2000 and is being used by seafront flood defence works contractors Birse for storage and accommodation

Grimshaws plans will be on public display at Nightingale Property Sales and Letting, Station Road, Weston, on August 31 from 10am to 4pm.

Signs are not good for £21bn barrage across Severn Estuary

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Ministers are now studying the feasibility report into plans to harness the tidal energy of the Severn Estuary – and are signalling they will not back a £21 billion barrage.

The coalition Government will formally respond when Parliament returns after the summer recess to the document, which follows a two-year consultation.

But Tory Energy Minister Charles Hendry has warned the costs of the barrage are rising at a time when the nation's finances are at their tightest for decades.

He told an energy conference in Norway: "We have been studying responses to consultations and we are looking at that and we are due to publish a report in the near future.

"We are also looking at the likely costs and these have been escalating over time."

His comments echo those of his Liberal Democrat boss, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne two months ago, as reported by the Western Daily Press.

He said then: "In principle, I am very much in favour of everything we can do to make this country more energy independent and to provide security of supply, but there have to be considerations of costs as well.

"That is one of the things the feasibility study is looking at." The previous Labour government was keen on a barrage, but significantly the coalition has not issued any statements about tidal energy schemes, and there was no mention in its policy agreement.

And the Lib Dems voted at their party conference last year to reject the most controversial proposal, the £21 billion ten-mile crossing from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff.

It could provide five per cent of the UK's electricity, but opponents claim it would damage a unique and fragile ecosystem.

Other schemes currently being considered include a smaller £3.2 billion 'shoots' barrage, and lagoons, which could harness the estuary tides of up to 14 metres.

The £21 billion includes construction and 'compensatory habitat costs' but not connecting to the national grid, and possible other environmental implications, such as changes to flood defences.

Down came the rain and up went the umbrellas . . . but sunshine is on the way

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Even the donkeys were sheltering from the torrential rain on Weston-super-Mare beach yesterday.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for the South West during the day, warning of six inches of rain in less than three hours, and rain is likely across the region until tomorrow.

But, if the organisation's forecasts are to be trusted, the weather in the West is to improve by the weekend.

Helen Chivers, forecaster at the Met Office, said: "It looks like the western part of the country is going to have the best weather over the bank holiday weekend.

The weather is still not looking brilliant for Friday, with cloud and outbreaks of rain predicted during the morning, but it won't be as heavy as we've seen.

But things are looking better for Saturday and particularly Monday."

Sisters from Weston hurt in Spanish holiday hotel explosion

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Two sisters from Weston-super-Mare have been badly injured after an explosion at a hotel on the Costa del Sol, Spain.

Carol Gardener, 53, is in a sedated coma after undergoing brain surgery and her sister, Julie Loud, suffered severe cuts to her legs.

The pair were injured as they walked past the three-star Hotel Globales Cortijo Blanco on their way to the beach when it exploded at about 10am on Monday.

The sisters had been on holiday with their husbands at the hotel in Marbella when the side of the building blew off.

It is understood the explosion happened in the water pipes that ran down the side of the hotel.

Mrs Loud's husband, Andrew, said they could have been killed in the explosion, the cause of which is under investigation.

Mr Loud, who along with his brother in law escaped with cuts and bruises, said: "The devastation was just like a bomb had gone off.

"Carol and Julie took the impact from the explosion.

"Me and my brother-in-law were five yards in front and escaped pretty much unscathed.

"We could have all been killed. My sister-in-law was lying in the road with rubble all around her."

Mr Loud said the group were only about 15 feet away from the hotel when they heard a large bang.

He said: "It was 30 seconds of mayhem. Then the dust settled, then there was just rubble, bodies all over the place.

"Everybody ran towards us and tried to help. At the moment my sister-in-law is in a coma. She had brain surgery through Monday night and we are waiting to hear from the hospital.

"My wife has got severe lacerations to her legs and her arms, she's badly bruised and obviously she's all shook up."

"She's got about 20-odd stitches in her legs, but she's back at the hotel. She's in a wheelchair at the moment.

"Amazingly they allowed people back in within ten minutes of the explosion."

Mrs Gardener was initially taken to the nearby Costa del Sol Hospital but was later airlifted to the Carlos Haya Regional University Hospital in Malaga.

She has suffered a fractured skull, severe lacerations over her body and 30 per cent burns down one side of her body from the steam from the explosion but is said to be in a "comfortable" condition in hospital.

The family is due to return home to Britain this Friday but Mrs Gardener is expected to remain in the Costa del Sol until her condition improves.

They said the explosion had resulted in a big hole being ripped out of the wall, a water pipe being torn in half and bricks being catapulted across the road.

A Carlos Haya hospital spokeswoman said: "The woman was admitted to hospital in a very serious condition and was put on artificial ventilation.

"She is suffering from burns and is badly injured."

Couple's Weston Pier wedding off . . . at least for now

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hannah Love and Ben Hoskin were due to be the first to tie the knot on Weston-super-Mare's £51 million Grand Pier, but they have had to postpone their big day because of delays to the building project.

As the Daily Press has reported the opening of the pier has been delayed by at least two months.

Hannah and Hoskin were due to say "I do" on the landmark on September 25 in front of 150 family and friends.

They are now planning to rearrange their big day to a date in October or November and will still be the first to be wed at the reborn pier..

Multi-talented A* students have big futures ahead

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The new A* grades were gleefully targeted by hundreds of West students.

But perhaps the top performer was Sunoo Park, from Long Ashton in North Somerset, who notched up six of them.

The 18-year-old Bristol Grammar School student received A*s for her entries in computing, maths, further maths, physics, Russian and Spanish, and will be heading to Trinity College, Cambridge, next month to read computer science.

Other students who are already showing top-level sporting prowess have matched it with academic success. Pole vaulter Cameron Walker-Shepherd is preparing to take up a scholarship in the US after picking up his exam results at St Brendan's Sixth Form College in Bristol.

Cameron, 18, from Fishponds, will fly to New Jersey next week to start a course at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Charlotte Davies, 19, from Weston-super-Mare, who is officially seeded UK women's number one for dry and indoor snow slopes skiing, passed A-levels at Weston College in biology, psychology and PE.

Wells Cathedral School student Emily Day, from Westbury-sub-Mendip, achieved four grade A*s and will read Natural Sciences at Cambridge. And Katherine Jarman, a fellow Wells Cathdral School pupil, also achieved four grade A*s and will read Natural Sciences at Murray Edwards College.

Dozens of pupils at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham are destined for either Oxford or Cambridge after the school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate.

Matthew Beckett, 18, passed with an A* and two As, and is planning to study philosophy at Cardiff. He said: "The head teacher at my last school said I wouldn't get the grades I needed if I left, but I proved her wrong."

In the Cotswolds, one in seven of 100 candidates at the Cotswold School, in Bourton- on-the-Water, gained at least one A* grade in the school's best results yet.

Hundreds of students across the Bath area were celebrating achieving the new A* grade at A-level today.

At Bath's Ralph Allen School, the number of A* passes was 10 per cent, with staff describing the achievement as "fantastic".

At St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon more than a quarter of all exams results was either an A or A* grade.

Four students are now heading off to Oxford or Cambridge.

Weston pier needs repairs before it can open

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:50:00 GMT

The wooden decking on the new £51 million pier in Weston-super-Mare may need to be replaced – possibly causing even further delays to the opening.

Pier owner Kerry Michael has admitted that the new wooden decking around the outside of the pavilion is already failing and structural engineers have been called in to assess the problem.

This comes after the news broke that one of the main sub-contractors working on the project had gone bust.

Bristol-based heating and design engineering firm Joyner Morgan, which was the main mechanical services contractor on the pier working for main contractor John Sisk and Son, went into voluntary liquidation on Friday.

Surveyors have been asked to prepare a report about the structural integrity of the wooden decking on the pier, but Mr Michael says he is expecting the worst.

He said: "Structural engineers are looking into the design to see if it meets the requirements and if, as I fear, it does not, it will have to be stripped and redone.

"I am bitterly disappointed at the continued delays on the project. We should have been open weeks ago and not only have we lost the entire summer, but it looks like we will be losing what's left of the season as well.

"I can only apologise to everyone that has been waiting patiently for the reopening – those who have booked events that cannot go ahead, the staff waiting in the wings for a start date and to the whole town and sea-front traders, who like us, are losing out every day."

Liquidation causes more delay to Weston-super-Mare's £51m pier

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

The opening of Weston-super-Mare's new £51 million pier could be delayed further – because one of the main sub-contractors working on it has gone into liquidation.

Bristol engineering firm Joyner Morgan, which was the main mechanical services contractor on the pier, went into voluntary liquidation on Friday.

It is believed around 40 staff have lost their jobs.

Staff working directly for Joyner Morgan – a range of plumbers, electricians and engineers, were phoned on Monday and informed

Joyner Morgan managing director, Geoff Jones, confirmed it had gone into voluntary liquidation, but refused to comment further.

The news will put further pressure on John Sisk and Son, which is already two months behind with the completion of the project.

The pier, which was destroyed in a fire in July 2008, was due to be handed over to its owners – Kerry and Michelle Michael – at the end of June.

But the handover never took place because work was not finished and an opening date for the landmark has still to be confirmed.

Contractors are still on site completing a number of jobs, including fitting decking around the pier and installing lighting and partition walls.

A number of firms sub contracting for Joyner Morgan have not been paid.

Bristol-based firm Leader Air Conditioning was installing air conditioning on the pier and although the work has been completed and signed off, the firm, which employs 12 engineers, is still owed money by Joyner Morgan.

Leader Air Conditioning, which has been trading for 24 years, had most of its engineers on site since April, many working around the clock to get the job finished on time.

Leader Air Conditioning managing director, Mike Ward, said: "We have completed our air conditioning work on time on the pier and have not been paid in full.

"We are currently owed around £50,000 by Joyner Morgan.

"There is no doubt this debt puts a strain on my company's finances, but we are determined to trade our way through this situation.

"There are also a lot of other companies and suppliers that are still owed money for their work on the pier."

Another company also owed money by Joyner Morgan is Feltham and Sons Ltd, based in Stoke Gifford, which carried out some of ventilation and ducting work at the pier.

A team of six engineers started work on the pier in May and completed their work a month ago.

Director, Martin Feltham, who has built the business up from scratch and works with his two sons, said: "Everyone has bust a gut to get the work on the pier finished.

"We have worked well with Joyner Morgan for the last 25 years and have always found them to be a great company.

"Joyner Morgan owe us £50,000 in total, a large proportion of which is for work carried out to the pier.

As with all major contracts, penalty clauses are included if a job is not finished in time and it is understood that Sisk is to pay the Michaels an agreed amount in compensation.

Bosses at Sisk met with the Michaels last week to discuss the project but a completion date for the pier has still yet to be agreed.

Mr Michael said he was not prepared to comment on the news that Joyner Morgan had gone into liquidation and any effect it may have on the pier rebuilding programme.

The pier is not expected to open until September at the earliest and the Michaels say the fact work is not finished and the landmark is closed, means they are losing £1 million in revenue a month through the peak summer season.

Bosses at John Sisk and Son, who have been working since April 2009 on the project to rebuild the landmark, confirmed all money due to Joyner Morgan has been paid.

A spokesman for John Sisk and Son said: "Having checked our records, we can confirm that all invoices to date have been paid by their due date.

"As a family run business, we go to great lengths to ensure that all of our subcontractors are paid what they are due on time and without delay.

"We continue to work together with our subcontractors to complete the works, returning this landmark of Weston-super-Mare back to its rightful iconic place at the heart of the community."

Rewards website keeping shoppers in the High Street

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Traders in Somerset are battling with the big chain supermarkets by taking part in an innovative scheme which they hope secures the future of local businesses in the town.

Orca Local Burnham-on-Sea is a new community website and loyalty scheme which offers small and local businesses a cost-effective platform to promote themselves to their local community.

The website works in conjunction with a key fob – the Orca Local Key Card – which is provided free and entitles holders to exclusive offers advertised on the website.

Prominent Burnham-on- Sea businesses supporting the scheme include G W Hurley's book, toy and sports shop and The Oak Tree Arena, home of speedway.

Orca Local is a franchise being taken up by communities nationwide.

Shoppers can visit the website to sign up for a free card, or if they do not want to wait for one to arrive by post, they can simply pop into one of the shops which distributes them. Card holders can also sign up for email alerts about offers.

Steve Spaven, of Orca Websites, whose wife Sue runs Orca Local Burnham-on-Sea, said: "The big brands spend millions on loyalty cards.

"We are trying to keep the people who are going to Weston-super-Mare and Bridgwater in the High Street.

"We have about 25 special offers on the home page. Some of the businesses also distribute the key cards.

"The aim is not just to provide an online hub for the local business community but also to provide a great incentive to get local people to shop locally again."

The website also includes information on neighbourhood policing and carries other local business advertising.

Supporter Monica Morris, of G W Hurley, said: "It's early days but we've had very positive reaction to the loyalty cards. As an independent retailer in a small town I think it's a fantastic idea.

"There is a cost to us but it is very professionally organised, by local people.

"This sort of thing has been talked about for years but no one had organised it. E-commerce has come and this is a way we can benefit."

Mrs Morris's business is offering ten per cent off artists' materials when a customer spends more than £20 and 15 per cent off full-price football boots. Customers can join the scheme in the shop and instantly take advantage of its benefits.

For more information visit http://orcalocal.co.uk/burnham-on-sea.

Ex-serviceman set for the ride of a lifetime

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A retired serviceman is riding more than 1,000 miles of the hardest cycle routes in the UK over ten days to raise money for soldier's charity, Afghan Heroes.

Peter Buckley will be taking on the treacherous roads of The Wessex Way, The Sarn Helen Trail, The Coast-to-Coast and The Scotland Way for the charity.

He begins with The Wessex Way in Weston-super-Mare on August 26 and rides 250 miles and finishes off at Beachy Head, Eastbourne.

Hundreds queue from early hours for Jordan

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Glamour model Katie Price thrilled fans at a book signing in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Hundreds of fans queued from 5.30am to see the star, who was signing copies of her novel Paradise.

She visited Waterstones in the Sovereign Centre.

One of the first people to meet her was Brendon Ford, 15, who lives in the town.

Brendon was involved in a road accident in Marchfields Way in 2006 which left him unable to walk.

He hoped to meet Katie but got more than he bargained for when she agreed to have her picture taken with him.