Welcome to the website of Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge Town Council. This website is designed to share information about the Town Council, where it meets, its responsibilities and how you can contact us. Please follow the links on the menu bar to navigate to the sections about the Council, its members and its work.
Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge Town Council is the local authority for the two towns of Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge, with a population of more than 20,000 people. It is the second tier of local government after Somerset Council . The Town Council has 18 councillors who are elected every 4 years. The current Members will serve until May 2027 and are elected across 5 wards.
Our MP for the new Bridgwater parliamentary constituency, that includes Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge, is Sir Ashley Fox (Conservative).
His contact details are:
16 Northgate, Bridgwater TA6 3EU
email: ashley.fox.mp@parliament.uk
The Town Council carries out many functions across the towns of Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge. It undertakes maintenance of open spaces and town assets, provides direct services and commissions additional services from outside bodies. Many of our functions can be found below.
We are responsible for three operational cemeteries at Highbridge, Burnham and Brent Road.
We have two allotment sites, one of which is administered by an Allotment Association by way of a lease.
Princess Theatre & Arts Centre, is owned and operated by the Town Council. The Princess offers entertainment and flexible spaces to hire. There are storage units on the site, which are currently leased to tenants.
The Town Council grounds team undertakes grounds maintenance & planting at various open spaces, including land at:
- Highbridge Green, along A38
- Frank Foley Parkway
- land at Marine Drive
- The Old Courthouse
- Princess Theatre curtilage
- Southwell Gardens
- The old garden of Aramathea, Berrow Road
- Public rights of way pavements and verges under the responsibility of the County Council
- sites requiring hedge trimming (plus issuing letters to owners of overgrown hedges)
- some paths identified for cold weather gritting
- sites where clearance of small-scale fly-tipping is required
- sites in need of additional litter picking, monitoring and removal of flyposting and graffiti.
The Council owns, maintains and manages:
- 10 Bus shelters
- 57 benches and seating areas
- 3 noticeboards and 2 poster points (outside the Highbridge Community Hall & Pier St car park Burnham)
- numerous signs, plaques, and history panels throughout the towns
- iron bollards in Burnham
- 30 cycle racks throughout Burnham & Highbridge
- 2 secure motorbike ground anchors in public car parks at Bank Street, Highbridge & Oxford Street, Burnham-on-Sea (to be installed summer 2020)
- Flagpoles and flags at Old Station Approach, Burnham & at Highbridge Community Centre
- Town Clock at Highbridge
- Water Feature at Marine Drive Burnham
- funds & helps maintain seasonal hanging baskets
- fingerposts at Burnham town centre (to be replaced 2020)
- 10 grit bins.
We fund Somerset council to provide additional street cleaning in Town Centres and for the provision of dog waste bins and litter bins.
We provide and refill 7 dog waste bag dispensers at locations:
1. Burnham High Street – On post next to fountain,
2. High Street/Victoria Street – On Raised flower bed by bike rack opposite Victoria Pub,
3. South Esplanade on Post by floodgate as you enter river footpath,
4. Bank Street/ Southwell Gardens – on post as you walk into park by St Johns Ambulance building
5. Apex Park – next to dog waste bin Parson Road entrance,
6. Manor Gardens – Main vehicle entrance from Manor Road on post
7. Rear Path Manor Gardens past Cemetery – Next to dog bin accessed via path from St Johns Road
We pay towards the provision of on-street CCTV
We provide additional community information services.
We offer grant funding opportunities to local groups.
We considers and comment on local planning applications to the planning authority
We own and organise for the installation of Christmas lights
We seek out and use external funding to carry out improvements to our towns
We play a key part in liaison and information sharing with local groups and other local authorities, such as the local police, neighbouring parish & town councils, and Somerset Council.
The Railway signal box, & railway signals, buffers, bogey wheels and planters were donated to the town by the local Railway Heritage group. The signal box is available for hire
Manor Garden in Burnham-on-Sea is an attractive town park managed by Somerset Council. The park bandstand is the property of the Town Council and is available to hire