Road closures in Winterbourne

You might want to avoid driving through Winterbourne in the evening for the next week.

From 31st August - 7th September, road resurfacing will take place in Flaxpits Lane, Dragon Road and Beacon Lane. The work will be done between roughly 8pm and 6am. From 31st to 2nd, Flaxpits Lane and Dragon Road will be closed to through traffic overnight with diversions in place. When the work moves to Beacon Lane there will be temporary traffic lights. All times and dates are subject to change due to bad weather or other problems.

First Bus raise fares

On Sunday, First Bus increased the price of adult and children, single and return tickets between 5p and 20p depending on the length of the journey. They have also introduced three new season tickets and are reducing prices for a limited period on some of the existing ones.
 
More information on the First Bus website.

New police non-emergency number - 101 coming soon

From 19th September you will be able to contact Avon and Somerset Police by calling them on 101.

Part of a national programme to make it easier for you to contact your local police, 101 will be used for non-emergencies such as:

• reporting a crime
• contacting local officers
• getting crime prevention advice
• making us aware of policing issues in your local area
• making an appointment with a police officer
• for any other non-emergency

Key Facts

101 will not replace 999, which will continue to be used for emergencies.
It will replace the existing 0845 number, although there will be a period when both numbers will be available.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can textphone the police on 18001 101
Calls to 101 from landlines and mobiles cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long your call lasts.
International callers, those in the UK residing outside of England and Wales and those residing in local force areas currently awaiting access to 101 should call 0845 456 7000 to contact Avon and Somerset Police.

Remember...

999 should be used for an emergency, when a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, someone is injured, being threatened or in danger.

For more information about 101, please take a look at the police Frequently Asked Questions

Sixty sheep stolen from field near Bagstone

Police are appealing for information following the theft of sixty sheep from a field near Bagstone. You can read more on the Avon and Somerset police website.

Free cardboard recycling bags

To help stop cardboard blowing around our streets, South Gloucestershire Council is providing local residents that want one with a FREE bag for recycling cardboard. 

They will be available from 22 August on a first come, first served basis (one per household) from the following local places:

• Yate Leisure Centre
• Yate Library
• Chipping Sodbury Library
• Yate Town Council (Poole Court)
• Dodington Parish Council (Dodington Parish Hall, Finch Rd)
• Frampton Cotterell Parish Council (Brockeridge Centre)

Other locations are listed on the South Glos cardboard recycling web page

If you have a disability or mobility issue and there is no one else that can collect a bag for you, South Glos may be able to arrange delivery. Please contact 01454 863593 or email waste.management@southglos.gov.uk to talk about your situation.
(Delivery may take up to 10 working days)

Latest on speed limit reductions

You may have read in the Gazette that the Council has now advertised the B4465, Westerleigh Road and Nibley Lane scheme. This is the next stage in the legal process for introducing the speed limits.

In the paper it says that the deadline for comments is 1^st September. However, Claire Young spotted a mistake in the Notice of Proposal and raised this with officers. As a result a corrected Notice of Proposal has been issued and the deadline has been extended to 12 September 2012.

You can see all the details of the consultation on the South Glos website.

Reporting odours in Westerleigh village

The bad airborne odours in Westerleigh village last week appear to have been related to a filter failure at Tulip. The filter was replaced but there has been one further report earlier this week. The Environment Agency officer who has been dealing with the case has been on leave and will be sending Claire Young the formal report on her visit to Tulip that she made at the end of July on her return.

It is very important for those involved to learn of problems as soon as possible, so that they can try to identify the source. If the smell appears to be coming from Tulip, please call 0117 957 1919. If you also call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 it may be possible for someone to make a visit to the village if it is during office hours.

Could you help the Friends of Ram Hill Colliery?

The Friends of Ram Hill Colliery are still looking for a new Chair and also volunteers for gardening at the site on a Wednesday or the 2nd or 4th Sunday of the month. If you can help please contact David Godden at da.godden@btinternet.com .

If you'd like to find out more about the site, why not go along to the Heritage Open Day between 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday 11th September. Or if you'd like to raise money to help the work of the Friends, get a quiz team together for Thursday 22nd September in the Miners Institute. To book a table call Steve and Liz Hillyard on 0117 923 6595. 

Yate X-Ray - your views please!

We reported recently that the X-ray facility in the new West Gate Centre at Yate has started closing at 5pm due to lack of patients in the early evening. Focus councillors persuaded health chiefs to run a survey that asks you, the residents of the area about the hours and services you want at the Minor Injuries Unit, the X-ray facilities, and the outpatient clinics.

You can click here to complete the survey online, or download a copy to print out and send to a Freepost address or drop in to the NHS reception desk at the Yate West Gate Centre.

This letter from the NHS to residents explains more about the background to the survey.

Please take part in this survey to make sure that we get the local health service we want and need. The survey will run until Friday 30 September.

Good news on SORT IT! Centres

 From 1st August there will be improvements at the SORT IT! centres, including the one at Yate.

• Extended opening hours - every day from 8am until 6.30pm until Friday 30 September, 8am to 4.30pm in winter
• New materials recycled - rigid plastics like children's toys, cooking oil, printer cartridges, books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, reusable items
• Extra staff to help visitors and make sure only South Glos residents use the sites

Users of small double-axle trailers will be glad that the ban on those has ended, but transit-size vans will now be limited to using the site between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday, and 8am and 12noon on Saturdays.

You can read more here and here. Note that if you ever use the Stoke Gifford SORT IT! centre the arrangements are slightly different.