Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team.

Have your say on Ruffet Road plans

Earlier this year we reported the good news that South Glos had finally given the go ahead for the third phase of the Quiet Lanes Scheme in Kendleshire. This will involve installing a gateway treatment at the Badminton Road/Ruffet Road junction, to highlight to drivers that they are entering a more rural area where they should expect to find walkers, cyclists and horse riders sharing the lanes.

At a meeting in the summer, one option discussed was closing the slip road. This hasn't proved possible due to the utilities buried there. Residents and Claire Young held a further meeting with officers in November to look at revised plans.

Now officers want your views on their proposals. You can view and comment on the plans on the South Glos website until 27th January.

South Glos moves out of the slow lane

Fast broadband is vital for many local residents and businesses. While some local authorities have already claimed their share of Government money for improvements and others have submitted plans, until now South Glos had only got as far as starting a consultation to gather evidence of demand:

http://www.southglos.gov.uk/broadband

Now though there is good news as South Glos has announced it is joining Wiltshire and Swindon’s project, described as the most advanced in the country. This will speed up the roll-out of superfast broadband to rural areas and should bring significant savings. The process of inviting bids from commercial suppliers is set to begin in spring 2012, with the contract announcement due in the summer. Work to install the network is expected to begin by December 2012, with the first residents and businesses able to sign up for superfast broadband from 2013. The Council has changed the deadline for completing its surveys to 29th February 2012 to fit in with these plans.

Local MP Steve Webb, who has been campaigning for faster broadband in our area, has urged local people to fill in the online surveys and spread the word to friends, family and colleagues. As well as holding meetings with South Glos, Steve has spoken to Virgin about getting cable to more areas and has met BT at Westminster. He stressed to them the urgent need to get improved broadband in South Glos and BT is providing information to help South Glos in preparing its plans.

Planning applications return to committee

The applications for outdoor activities at Box Hedge Farm and a Wessex Water sewage holding tank in a Badminton Road layby are both on the agenda for the Development Control (West) planning committee on Thursday 5th January. In both cases, the committee deferred the applications so more information could be supplied.

You can view the agenda and the officer reports online.

Bins and buses over Christmas

If you're wondering when your recycling and rubbish will be collected over Christmas, you can find out on the South Glos website. On the same page you can also find out the opening times for the Sort IT centres and the best way to dispose of your Christmas tree and cards when the time comes.

South Glos has also provided details of changes to local bus timetables over Christmas.

Henfield Road closure postponed

Last Wednesday night the section of Henfield Road between the Station Road junction and the Ram Hill junction immediately to the south of the viaduct should have been closed to enable a safety inspection to be carried out on the viaduct. Unfortunately the weather was too bad for the inspection to take place, so it is now planned to happen between 10pm on Weds 18th January amd 6am on Thurs 19th January.

Royal seal of approval for Armadillo

HRH The Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) came to Yate on Tuesday 13th December to visit the Armadillo Youth Cafe and Venue. Despite a storm that delayed his helicopter flight, the Earl spent a long time talking to the young people and the organisers behind the venture.

There was some good coverage in the newspapers - check out the reports on the Gazette and Evening Post websites.

The Armadillo has its own website where photos of the visit will appear in the near future (click on the Cafe icon, then Royal Visit). You can also take a virtual tour of the building.

Update: You can now view photos here.

Nibley Lane Closure

Nibley Lane will be closed from 9.30am until 2.30pm on Tuesday 20th December for cleaning.

Bus stop markings

The Greater Bristol Bus Network project has been trying to encourage more people to use buses by improving bus shelters and other infrastructure on key routes.  As part of this, South Glos is going to install some additional raised kerbs on the Bristol-Yate corridor and change some of the existing bus stop clearway markings so the buses can line up properly with the raised kerbs. You can see what's planned and make any comments you may have on the South Glos website - the closing date is 23rd December. Subject to comments, the work is expected to be carried out in the new year.

Improving safety on our roads

At the recent Frome Vale Area Forum, your Focus Team won funding for several road safety schemes in our area.

A large number of people turned out from Iron Acton, Frampton Cotterell, Mayshill and Coalpit Heath to give their views on how best to improve road safety on Frampton End Road. The committee awarded £12,500 so that officers can investigate a number of different options, including lower speed limits and closing the road. There will then be a public consultation so all residents affected by the officers' proposals can have their say. Any scheme that comes out of that consultation will only be implemented when further funding is provided.

Money was also awarded for schemes to make it safer for children walking to school. Children cross Park Lane from Clyde Road to Rectory Road beside the Live & Let Live en route for Cof E and Winterbourne International. £10,000 was allocated for "wigwag lights" here,which are required for a school crossing patrol, and a further £5000 was allocated to investigate road safety issues highlighted in the Frampton Cotterell C of E School travel plan.

Henfield Road closure

The section of Henfield Road between the Station Road junction and the Ram Hill junction immediately to the south of the viaduct is expected to close between 10pm on Wednesday 14th December and 6am on Thursday 15th December. This is to enable a safety inspection to be carried out on the viaduct.

North Road closure

North Road is expected to be closed from its junction with Armstrong Way to the bridge over the River Frome between 6am and 8am on Monday 12th December so that the road can be cleaned. This is necessary to avoid flooding.

Congratulations to Crossbow Pre-school

Crossbow Pre-school has won £6000 towards renovating St Peters Hall from the the NatWest Community Force competition. Well done to all involved!

Support Fromeside Youth Centre

Would you like better youth facilities in the Frampton Cotterell area? Ryan Wood is a young entrepreneur and fund raiser who is trying to get £18,000 towards the Skate Park and Social Enterprise at Fromeside Youth Centre. You can back his idea on "The Stake" website.

Nominate a community hero

Do you know someone in your community whose work deserves to be recognised? If so, go to www.southglos.gov.uk/communityawards before 3 February 2012 to nominate them for a community award. The award winners will be invited to a ceremony at  BAWA, Filton on 29 March 2012.

Westerleigh odour update

The following update has been agreed with all involved following the most recent meeting of the Odour Working Group:

Westerleigh Parish Council’s Odour Working Group met on 16^th November following an increase in reported smells in the late summer. All reports are logged and when analysed the data showed a general pattern of smell reports building up through a week, with most reports on late Thursday and Friday. However, it was noted that there have been no reports since early September.

The Management Team at Tulip advised that since March of this year they have carried out a daily ‘sniff test’, which they record in a log. Since identifying an effluent tank filter failure in the summer, Tulip has invested around £8,000 in a new five stage filtration system to replace the old one. The filters change colour to warn that they need replacing and because there are multiple filters, even if one does fail it should not lead to odours escaping.

Wessex Water has received no reports of occurrences directly. Dosing is continuing at Kidney Hill pumping station and nothing has changed. They again confirmed that there is adequate flow capacity within the sewer system.

Whilst the situation again seems to be improving, it is vital that local residents report any odour occurrences as they happen. If it is reported immediately, persons can be on site very quickly to try to establish the cause. When reporting any odours please be descriptive as possible and as accurate as you can about the time and location.

For all smells call:

Environment Agency’s 24 hours a day 365 days a year freephone number 0800 80 70 60.

If you think it may be coming from the abattoir, please also call:

Tulip Ltd 0117 957 1919

If you think it may be coming from the sewers, please also call:

Wessex Water 0845 600 4 600

You might also like to inform:

Westerleigh Parish Clerk  Fiona Thornton on 01454 864433 or email westerleighpc@btinternet.com

District Councillor Claire Young on 01454 864086 or email claire.young@southglos.gov.uk