The seafront tennis courts have been shut and walkers told to stay away from a popular park. Allotment holders have been barred from their plots and classes at a community centre cancelled.
At what should be its busiest time of the year, the Somerset seaside resort of Clevedon has been forced to close down many of its amenities after its town council lost its insurance.
Notices were posted on facilities run by the town council declaring: “Access is strictly forbidden” and explaining the council did not have any cover for damage or injury sustained at its sites.
“Pretty much everything has ground to a halt,” said the town council chairman, Trevor Morgan. “It’s hit the council for six. We’re in uncharted waters. We have had our insurances revoked, which has meant we are unable to operate on a day-to-day basis. We have lost our public liability insurance, employers’ liability insurance and fidelity insurance. It’s created a really difficult situation and we’re stuck.
“There’s very few insurance companies in the UK that will insure lower tier local authorities. We haven’t got many companies we can go to. We’re finding it challenging at the moment.”
Morgan said he could not reveal why the insurance policies had been revoked. “We’ve been told we can’t make that public at this stage. I’m not being difficult. I can say it’s not anything to do with the actions of our staff.”
As well as amenities being closed, the council’s offices are shut and its four staff members are on indefinite paid leave. Outsider contractors and suppliers are being paid. But lots of fun stuff has been halted.
The seafront tennis courts are closed as is Herbert Gardens, an area of greenery donated to the town in 1865. Six sets of allotments have been shut, meaning lovingly tended fruit and veg may wither in the warm spell. The Barn, which is hired out for activities such as dance and exercise classes, has been closed, apart from a children’s centre area.
It follows a miserable year for the town, famed for its wonderful pier (which remains open).
In May the council announced that it had not been able to agree a committee structure, meaning that meetings were being halted and decisions put on hold.
There has also been a bitter row over a road scheme featuring a bright pathway nicknamed the “yellow brick road” that critics said defaced the town’s Victorian seafront.
Morgan accepted that Clevedon’s reputation had taken a dent. “We’ve had a few turbulent months,” he said. “We’re getting too much attention for all the wrong reasons.”
Thanks to the help of North Somerset council, toilets and a skateboard park have remained open.
But Hannah Young, a North Somerset and Clevedon town councillor, said she was very sad at what was happening.
“I have been working hard with council staff, some other councillors and North Somerset council to try to avoid this and to find a solution.
“I joined the council to protect and improve our community facilities and services. Town councils in other local towns seem to do this really well. I hope now that all councillors will put the interests of the community above their own to sort this out quickly. Clevedon deserves better.”
Stuart Bannerman, the head coach of North Somerset Tennis Academy, who runs classes and camps on the council courts, said: “A lot of people are affected by this – it’s my busiest time of year. I coach some players who have been training for next week’s Avon championships. They have been affected. I don’t know how long this will go on for. It’s embarrassing.”
