Weston news in brief September

THE PARTY'S OVER

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg ended his party conference with a closing speech in Brighton on Thursday with a dig at North Somerset MP Liam Fox.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that proving the party could manage the economy better than Labour and more fairly than the Tories would be a central plank at the next election.

In a reference to Dr Fox's call to make it easier for companies to fire staff, Mr Clegg said: "The idea that if government just deregulated a bit more, as Liam Fox proposes, or borrowed and spent a bit more as Ed Balls proposes, we would, at a stroke, achieve strong and lasting growth, is just not credible. In my experience, if you're being attacked by Liam Fox from one side, and Ed Balls from the other, you're in the right place."

Mr Clegg promised that more than 1,000 struggling 11-year-olds at schools in the Bristol area will be given extra help to stop them being left behind.

Secondary schools will receive a £500 'catch-up premium' for every pupil deemed to be falling behind when they leave primary school, he said.

The new payment would apply to about 1,200 children in Bristol and the surrounding areas who fail to achieve Level Four in their Key Stage 2 exams, taken at the end of primary school.

The announcement comes after ministers unveiled a new, tougher qualification to replace GCSEs from 2015 and Mr Clegg used his speech to try to reassure parents who may be 'worried by talk about making exams tougher'.

He said: "We will do whatever it takes to make sure your child is not left behind."

The first allocations will be made in January, for every pupil failing to achieve Level Four in either reading or maths.

FIRE AT SUPERMARKET

Shoppers and staff had to be evacuated from a Weston-super-Mare supermarket after fire broke out.

Firefighters dealt with a small electrical fire at Asda in Phillips Road. at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

The supermarket was evacuated after the smell of burning was noticed in the bakery area of the store.

The fire was discovered in the roof area.

A carbon dioxide extinguisher was used to put out the fire.CAR PARKING

North Somerset Council is still considering introducing car parking fees in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead.

Having decided to charge for on-street parking in Weston the district council is still minded to make people pay in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead.

It is currently talking to the three town council about where and how pay and display charges could be implemented.

District councillors met in Nailsea on Thursday to discuss the matter.