From the pub to the industrial estate: how a conversation led to an MP’s visit
Plenty of great ideas start in a pub, and they can be forgotten by closing time. This one wasn’t.
A man I got chatting to told me about where he worked: Evercreech Junction Industrial Estate. Most of us drive past without realising how big it is or how many interesting businesses are there. He talked about the green energy his company produces and how it goes back into the grid. I was so intrigued that I promised to visit and bring an MP.
This week I kept that promise. After her business breakfast in Cranmore, Anna Sabine MP met me at Evercreech Junction Industrial Estate, which is in my Mendip South division.
The estate stands on the site of the old Evercreech Junction station on the Somerset & Dorset railway. When the line closed, the family who now run the estate lived there. Today it is home to green energy, haulage, minibus hire, one of Somerset’s recycling facilities and many more businesses, many of which have been there for decades.
Listening to business
Anna asked the businesses how things are for them right now. Red tape, finding skilled workers and high business rates came up again and again. The mood was still optimistic. They want to grow, and they want a government that listens. Anna came away with important ideas and insights to take back to Westminster, and I came away with casework to follow up as their councillor.
Recycling success, and a warning
At the recycling facility, run by SUEZ for Somerset Council, we heard that Somerset recycled 55% of its waste last year, putting us in the top 10% of unitary authorities in England.
When Anna asked how she could help, their answer was simple: get the message out about batteries. Batteries in the wrong bin can cause serious fires. Across the UK, waste management companies reported 1,518 fires in the year to March 2026, with at least 541 directly linked to lithium-ion batteries and a further 216 battery fires in bin lorries. That works out at more than 10 battery fires a week at recycling centres, with damage estimated at £1 billion a year.
So here it is: please never put batteries, vapes or battery-powered gadgets in your rubbish or recycling. Take them to a recycling centre or a battery collection point.
An MP who listens
Whenever I’ve asked Anna to meet residents in my division, she has gone out of her way to do it. She is sharp, thoughtful and always looking for ways to help her constituents and work with local councillors.
A chance conversation led to a visit where everyone learned something. To the man who reminded me about this important industrial estate: thank you. Promise kept.