THE online community newspaper for Nailsea people, their family and their friends

May 2026

Our town is a very, very nice town

Property people

To be part of Nailsea or not is the dilemma facing the boundary commission as The Elms housing estate currently adjoined to the town but officially in Wraxall is again under review. Residents previously accused Nailsea Town Council of a land grab!

What's On 2026

Marvellous May comes with two bank holiday weekends, fun fair and lots of street food treats. All club quiz and bingo nights are also featured on our What's On page HERE Eat:Nailsea food and drink street fest is for the first time on a Sunday - which means yippee free parking for stallholders and visitors

Gallery 2026

We have 10 slideshows now in our 2026 gallery including the first farmers' markets, charity concerts at St Andrew’s church, Backwell, and a new how does your garden grow. This photo of an otter feeding at Backwell Lake was taken by Nailsea resident Phil Williams. See more HERE and please email your photos to nailseapeople@gmail.com

Please sponsor Sue our super septaugenarian as she cycles 500 miles to raise funds for Wellspring. And check out all our wonderful marathon runners raising money for worthy causes featured HERE

Sadly a young girl on a motorbike dies after collision with a car on Brockley Combe Road on Wednesday, April 29. See police appeal for witnesses on our Breaking News page HERE

Christmas is coming and on our What's On page we have details of the pantomimes but did you know local hotels and pubs are already taking bookings for the festive period with The George at Backwell say this May it already has tables reserved and expects all to be gone in four weeks

Girl killed on motorbike at Brockley

It took four years and a quarter of a million pounds for Paul O'Brien to get full planning permission from North Somerset Council to build on the old Weston College site in Nailsea town centre. His company Developments Bristol Ltd has finally been given the go-head for a six storey mix of 38 affordable apartments with commercial units on the ground floor at Somerset Square. Only issue now is finding a housing association to fund the flats...not an easy task although many in Bristol have been built with the help of government grants. Read decision HERE

Wanted housing association help

Nailsea Neighbourhood Policing Team with North Somerset Neighbourhood Tasking Team make shoplifting and bail restriction arrests after day of action in town. More details HERE

Police clampdown on shoplifters

Play park on Hannah More Road is now much improved thanks to Nailsea Town Council spending £70,000 using Community Infrastructure Levy funds provided by builders out of recent development

North Somerset Council reduces car parking fees for Station Road in Nailsea by 50p for first hour and scraps them for Hill Road and Alexandra Road, Clevedon - but reviews are ongoing

Parking fees 1st hour reduced by 50p

Play away at Hannah More park

Christmas 2026 really is coming

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Downing's Bar turned its building pink for the Cancer Research UK fortnight has counted up all of the donations and its final figure is £1,764.
Owner Geoff Downing said: "It has been an absolute joy to be involved in this amazing and worthy cause." Maggie, on behalf of Nowhere Fundraisers for CRUK team, said: "My goodness me, that is an amazing amount. Painting your building pink was inspiring and I think people will be talking about it for a very long time." If you have donations to pay in the account name is Nowhere Fundraisers for Cancer Research UK, sort code 30-99-50 and account number 64200360. Read more on our Turn Nailsea Pink page HERE

And Karen Leighton added that the award-winning decorations at Coffee Corner could be used again and it would be a shame for them to go to landfill. They are yours for a small donation so pop into the Colliers Walk cafe and make them an offer

In the pink with Downing's Bar

A controversial planning application to build one house on a play space at Tetbury Garden has been submitted to North Somerset Council.
The application for a four-bed detached home and new footpath comes only weeks after a previous application for two houses was refused.
Already nearly 40 online objections have been posted on the council planning portal HERE.

The London Auction House sold the land which adjoins 46 Tetbury Gardens, Nailsea, for £83,000 back in May 2023.

This example sums up the feeling of people living in the area:
'...the site represents a long-established area of public amenity and an important pedestrian route within the local community. It has been used consistently over many years as a connecting path, and its closure has already had a noticeable impact on local residents. The loss of this route reduces permeability within the area and removes a well-used link that has functioned, in practice, as a public right of way. Secondly, the proposal would result in the loss of a valued informal green space. Although not formally designated, spaces such as this make an important contribution to the character of the area, providing openness, opportunities for informal recreation, and wider wellbeing benefits for residents. The incremental loss of such spaces can have a cumulative and harmful effect on the quality of the local environment. The route has historically provided a safe and direct walking link for children and families travelling to and from Golden Valley Primary School. While alternative routes exist, these are less direct and reduce the convenience and attractiveness of walking. The loss of this route therefore risks discouraging walking and increasing reliance on cars for short local journeys, contrary to policies that promote sustainable transport and active travel. The enclosure and potential development of this land would also alter the established character of the area. The current openness contributes positively to the surrounding residential environment, and its loss would represent a significant and harmful change. Furthermore, allowing the loss of this long-used community space risks setting a precedent for the erosion of similar informal amenity areas elsewhere, which would be detrimental to the wider community. On a personal level, I have lived in this part of Nailsea for 50 years and have seen first-hand the importance of this space to local people. My own children regularly used this area on their walk home from school, often stopping to play, and it formed part of a well-used and valued daily route. It is deeply disappointing to see it fenced off and no longer accessible. For these reasons, I strongly object to the proposal and ask that it be refused...'.

Nailsea Town Council matters

Nailsea Town Council is giving £18,000 of CIL funds to turn a garage at Mizzymead Recreation Centre into space for community repairers Nailsea Shedders who are relocating from Wraxall. Plans for its offices at the Tithe Barn to get new air-conditioning, hearing loop and refurbished windows are under discussion. And a planning consultant at a cost of £12,000 has been commissioned to represent the council at an appeal by St Modwen Homes. North Somerset Council planning committee is set to vote on whether to grant them permission to build on Nailsea farmland near the Taylor Wimpey’s Netherton Grange development. Nailsea and Tickenham Football Club which is no longer playing in any league has proposed changing its name to Nailsea & Swiss Valley Rangers FC to enable a Clevedon-based team to use the pitch and assist with lease costs. It was agreed that the matter should be discussed at a Nailsea Town Council environment and leisure committee meeting. Meanwhile the council has requested a copy of the lease as it has given grant contributions to the club who have been invited to attend a meeting. The directors formally announced the resignation of Nailsea and Tickenham FC from the Jewson Western League in April this year saying 'the decision by the club was not taken lightly, and comes after careful consideration of the challenges faced both on and off the field'. And finally Nailsea Town Council has arranged with GWR to discuss the future of Nailsea & Backwell railway station (see our April front page) and the possibility of relocation. From the draft council minutes HERE

No to 2 houses so let's try 1!

A consultation on draft recommendations for ward boundaries in North Somerset Council has
begun onlilne.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking for your views on proposed new electoral arrangements for North Somerset.

This review includes Nailsea.

This is recommending a different outcome to the Community Governance Review and is suggesting that The Elms forms part of Golden Valley at district level.

They want to know:
• Do the proposed wards reflect local communities?
• How do you think the proposals can be improved?
• Are the names of the proposed wards right?

The consultation closes on Monday, July 6. To have your say go to:

https://localgovernmentboundarycommissionforengland.cmail19.com/t/j-e-ydduuljy-hhlhirklky-c/

Nailsea Town Council will consider the response to this consultation at its meeting on Wednesday, May 27.

Should The Elms be part of Golden Valley for elections?

We had bus ticket to ride to airport

Channel 4 drops its first trailer this month starring Keeley Hawes in Falling which has several scenes shot in Nailsea and Backwell.

The religious romantic drama also stars Paapa Essiedu and is penned by Adolescence writer Jack Thorne.

Falling follows a devout man and woman who have devoted their lives to the church.

So, imagine their surprise when they begin to develop feelings for each other.

Suddenly, their dedication to a higher power is scrutinised amid the unexpected blossoming romance.

A series synopsis tells us: “Both are deeply committed to their work in the church and in their community. Neither are expected to fall in love. But, when they do, both are forced to wrestle with what it means for them, their vows, and their relationship with God. Falling is a witty, moving, contemporary romantic drama that is as honest as it is full of heart.”

There will be six episodes of Falling on Netflix, each lasting 60 minutes.

Falling is ‘coming soon’ to Channel 4, but it doesn’t have an exact release date yet.

PHOTOS: Channel 4 and Nailsea People

New series with Nailsea scenes coming soon

The new A2 ‘airport flyer’ is timetabled to take 42mins from Portishead to Bristol Airport and has 50 request stops on route.

One month after its introduction Nailsea People decided to take a day trip on the bus which has been operating since new timetables were introduced on Easter Sunday, April 5.

Getting on at the Sainsbury’s supermarket bus stop at Portishead and going via Walton and Weston-in-Gordano, Clevedon, Nailsea, Backwell and Brockley Combe the one-way ride took more than an hour, 70 minutes to be precise.

It would have cost £5 (£7 return) but we used our North Somerset bus pass for seniors.

As there are no bus lanes on route our friendly outward driver Matt had to contend with many roadworks and divisions and people hopping on just to ask questions about how the new service works.

All four towns and many villages in North Somerset now have a 24/7 bus service to the airport.

And the hourly First Bus service is a boom for both air and rail travellers as it also stops at Nailsea & Backwell railway station.

On the day we caught the bus many of the passengers were using it as a shopping shuttle and by the time we went down a traffic jammed Portishead High Street it was already running four minutes behind schedule.

I suppose it is subject to the same delays as other road users and goodness knows the timetable chaos when the motorway is closed?

Fellow passengers told us a taxi from Portishead would cost £50 although a door-to-door Uber from Nailsea is approximately £15-20 depending on time of day (or night).

The A2 diversion for Wessex Water roadworks at Clevedon sent the bus into The Triangle at it was interesting to note new shops and others like A Better Weigh for sale.

Stopping at traffic lights going into Tickenham gave time to view lots of new builds and it was a tight squeeze on some of the country lanes when meeting an HGV head-on.

The electric buses are quiet, comfortable, the metal luggage rack plentiful, there is room for a wheelchair but it seems like other buses the digital clocks aren’t on British Summer Time but you do get to read the temperature indoors and out.

It was a bit of a shock on the journey home to find we couldn’t use our bus passes inside the airport and had to pay the £5 fare.

The most people using the bus with suitcases got on at Nailsea Link Road and a family at Clevedon got onboard carrying several 6ft bamboo garden canes which luckily fitted along the metal racks.

From Nailsea town centre the bus takes the old X8 route through Trendlewood.

Bristol Airport has funded this new route, which is operated by First Bus and run by North Somerset Council.

And last year, Bristol Airport opened a new £60m transport hub to accommodate more buses travelling there.

The hub project took more than two years to complete and is part of a wider £400m ‘airport transformation programme’ to improve transport links.

Currently only about 15 per cent of airport customers arrive at the site by bus.

The airport in North Somerset is the largest in the UK without a mass transit link.

We stopped at the airport for a coffee and cake at the new Starbucks – another expensive experience.

It is great Nailsea people can catch a bus to the airport, Portishead, to Backwell and the railway station but there is a question mark still on the Nailsea to central Clevedon service since the X8 was scrapped.

More Bristol Airport news is in our travel section on this page HERE.

Carol Ann Deacon