Planning committee visits Woodlands Farm

Today members of the DC (East) planning committee visited Woodlands Farm to view the site and hear the concerns of local people and councillors. As yet, we don't know which committee meeting the decision is likely to be taken at - we'll keep you updated.

Latest on Westerleigh smell

Following recent odour complaints, the Environment Agency have visited Westerleigh abattoir to carry out a compliance assessment. They have asked the owners, Tulip, to make a number of improvements and will take further steps if these are not completed by the deadline given.

If you experience an odour that you think may be caused by the abattoir, please call them on 0117 9571919. If the odour persists, please also contact the Environment Agency’s hotline (0800 807060).

20mph limit for Frampton Cotterell C of E School

As part of their programme to introduce 20mph speed limits around schools, South Glos Council is consulting on introducing one on the following roads in Frampton Cotterell:

Beaufort Road, Brookside Drive, Foxe Road, Meadow Mead, Mount Close, Park Row, Prospect Close, Rectory Road, Robel Avenue, School Road, Thornhayes Close, Western Avenue, Winchcombe Road and Witney Mead

You can find out more and have your say on the council's website - you have until 20th July to have your say.

Planning committee to visit Woodlands Farm

Next Friday, 30th June, the DC (East) planning committee will be visiting Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath. Barratt Homes are hoping to build up to 215 houses on the site, which they call "Blackberry Park".

The committee members are expected to arrive at the site at about 10.50am. Members of the public are very welcome to attend - last time there was an application for Woodlands Farm large numbers turned up to show their opposition. There will be 10 minutes for someone from the objectors to speak, as well as 3 minute slots for South Glos and Parish Councillors. We will be meeting by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - as shown by the green star on this map.

You can view the agenda for the site visit here - it includes a link to the case officer's report.

Many people will be at work or school next Friday morning but there is another way to show local opposition. This Saturday, 24th June, a photographer from the Gazette is coming to the fields at 11am. Please meet by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - and encourage your friends and family to be there too.

Rail electrification - more noisy work ahead

Major electrification work will be taking place in our area from 19 August to 15 September, night and day. Some of the work will be noisy and deliveries to Network Rail compounds along the route (e.g. Shire Way access point) will be made by road, so nearby roads will experience an increase in traffic.

The work will be on the main line from Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, to Patchway/Filton junctions, via Old Sodbury, Chipping Sodbury and Yate to Westerleigh Junction.

In addition, from 2 September to 15 September 2017, the work area will extend to include Westerleigh Junction towards Yate station, Coalpit Heath, Winterbourne, Stoke Gifford and Bristol Parkway station, up to Patchway/Filton junctions.

Network Rail say "We are electrifying the line to bring passengers quieter, more frequent and more reliable services between London Paddington and Cardiff"

The work includes:

• Carrying out the piling required to install the foundations which will support the electrification equipment. That's the really noisy part. 
• Installing the equipment, including trackside masts and overhead wires at some locations. 
• Installing electrification equipment in Chipping Sodbury tunnel. 
• Improving flood resilience at Chipping Sodbury sidings. 
• Preparing Bristol Parkway station for the arrival of new InterCity Express trains, including the construction of a fourth platform. 

How can you find out more?

Network Rail are setting up a dedicated web page at www.networkrail.co.uk/westernupgrade - it contains more detailed information about the work they will be carrying out and will be updated regularly as the project progresses. It also has a useful introductory video.

Network Rail will also be running drop-in sessions, when members of the project team will be on hand to explain the work and answer your questions. The sessions nearest to us are:

• Thursday 29 June, Coalpit Heath Village Hall, 4.30pm to 7pm
• Tuesday 4 July, Ridgewood Community Centre, Yate, 4.30pm to 7pm
• Tuesday 11 July, The Old School Rooms, St Michael’s Centre, Stoke Gifford, 4.30pm to 7pm
• Wednesday 12 July, Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, 4.30pm to 7pm
• Tuesday 25 July, All Saints Church Hall, Winterbourne Down, 4.30pm to 7pm

If you have any questions about the work, you can email Network Rail at crwest@networkrail.co.uk or call the 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41. For updates, you can follow them on Twitter @networkrailwest

Have your say on Health and Wellbeing Strategy

A consultation is underway on a new strategy to guide the work of the South Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing Board to improve the health of everyone living and working in South Gloucestershire. It will be adopted by the organisations that make up the Health and Wellbeing Board and sets out four key areas for action:

1. Improve educational attainment and raise aspirations through promotion of health and wellbeing in schools and colleges
2. Promote and enable positive mental health and wellbeing throughout life
3. Promote and enable good nutrition, physical activity and a healthy weight at all ages
4. Maximise the potential of our built and natural environment to enable healthy lifestyles and prevent disease 

The consultation runs until Monday 21 August. More information about the Strategy and details of how to give your feedback is available online at www.southglos.gov.uk/hws. Copies of the consultation materials are also available at Libraries and One Stop Shops.

More roadworks on B4465 Codrington Road

South Glos Council will be undertaking essential works on the B4465 between 3 and 14 July. For quite a bit of the time the road will be closed at two locations:

Site ‘A’ is at Watts Barn, where works involve the installation of road gullies and a new drainage system.

Site ‘B’ is located in Codrington village itself. The works comprise of carriageway reconstruction / resurfacing. The limits of the surfacing are from the Wishing Well Public house westwards for 500m through the village.

The closure times and plans for temporary traffic signals are as follows:

Temporary closure of Yate Road

Yate Road will be closed for up to 5 days from 26th June from the junction with Armstrong Way to approximately 50m south of the road over rail bridge. This is to allow urgent repair works to be carried out on the bridge. The 7.5t Weight Restriction on the A432 Station Road between its junctions with Longs Drive and Westerleigh Road will be temporarily suspended. The diversion route will be B4059 Iron Acton Way, B4059 Goose Green Way, B4059 Link Road, A432 Kennedy Way, A432 Station Road, A432 Badminton Road, B4059 Stover Road and vice versa.

Do you have a road safety concern?

Since the Area Forums were scrapped, the council needed a new way to handle the local road safety schemes. If you have a road safety concern, you can now ask the council to investigate it by submitting the Highways Investigation Request Form. You will need the support of at least one local ward member and parish councillor on behalf of the parish council.

Highways officers will assess your request to see if a viable scheme is likely. If it is, it will be added to the Local Transport Investigation List and once a year will be scored and prioritised along with all the other schemes on the list. The 15 highest scoring will be investigated.

Once investigated, three things can happen:

1. If there is a simple, low cost solution, that will be programmed to be implemented immediately.
2. If a more involved scheme is needed, it will be entered on the Local Transport Priority List.
3. If no scheme is recommended, you will be told no further action will be taken.

Once a year all the schemes on the Local Transport Priority List will be scored and prioritised and given an estimated cost. The top scoring schemes will go on the council's Capital Programme for the following financial year.

You can see the lists of possible future Investigation and Implementation schemes online. You can also see the Capital Programme for 2017-18.

You can find out more about the process here.

Your views on bus services

South Glos Council currently subsidises a number of bus services in our area. They are now asking for your views on these in an online survey.

Printed copies will be available at all South Gloucestershire libraries and One Stop Shops and there will also be roadshow events:

Saturday 24th June, 11.00-14.00, Yate Shopping Centre
Tuesday 27th June, 10.00-14.00, Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke
Friday 30th June, 10.00-14.00 The Mall, Cribbs Causeway
Thursday 6th July, 11.00-14.00 St Mary’s Shopping Centre, Thornbury
Wednesday 12th July, 08.00-10.00, Bristol Parkway Station

The consultation runs until 3rd September.

Have your say on changes to Policies, Sites and Places Plan

Following the hearing sessions on the Policies Sites and Places Plan (PSP Plan), a number of Main Modifications to the plan are now being released for public consultation. You have until 24th July 2017 to have your say using the official response form. You can only make comments on the Main Modifications, not on any other part of the PSP Plan.

The Schedule of Main Modifications, a response form, along with supporting information are available to view online here.

 The Planning Inspector for the examination will consider comments received on the Main Modifications, before publishing her Report on the overall soundness and suitability for adoption of the PSP Plan.

Cream tea for carers

On Wednesday 21 June, from 10am to 12 noon, Time 4 Carers are hosting a cream tea in the Jubilee Room at Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath. Time 4 Carers offer social events for carers throughout the year.

For more information contact Time 4 Carers on 07597 278204 or email time4carers@gmail.com

Weekly recycling starts next week

Don't forget that from the week beginning 19th June 2017 your recycling will be collected every week. You can find out more at www.southglos.gov.uk/wastestrategy

Friends of Ram Hill Colliery AGM

The Friends of Ram Hill Colliery are holding their Annual General Meeting at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 21st June in Coalpit Heath Village Hall (Miners’ Institute).

Rural funding surgeries

The West of England Rural Network is holding funding surgeries for farmers, rural businesses, startups and community organisations based in rural South Gloucestershire. This will be an opportunity for businesses and organisations to find out about the current funding and support available (including European funding) to help develop businesses, community services and cultural offer of the West of England.

The surgeries are being held at 4pm on Tuesday 20th and Thursday 29th June in the King George V Memorial Hall, Rangeworthy. For more information see https://www.facebook.com/westofenglandrdp

Yate Spur cycle path - Westerleigh Road to Broad Lane

Work on the Westerleigh Road to Broad Lane section of the Yate Spur cycle path has now been scheduled to start on 3 July 2017. It's expected to last for four months.

Crowd funding for Winterbourne Medieval Barn

Last September Winterbourne Medieval Barn won Heritage Lottery Funding and they are now working hard to raise the required matched funding.

They've been chosen to take part in a "double your donation" project, which means that for every £1 you give, NESTA and HLF will match it. The fund is only available until 24th July. So take at look at  www.crowdfunder.co.uk/winterbourne - and share the link with your friends.

Reminder - Bromley Heath Viaduct Meeting tomorrow

We have previously reported on the major works being undertaken on the Bromley Heath Viaduct on the A4174 ring road, which could take up to a year and will have a massive impact on the road network in our area.

Previously the council was proposing to close a number of roads off Badminton Road in Coalpit Heath. Local residents were concerned about how this would affect their own daily lives and also the trade for local shops. I have spoken to the relevant highways officer, who has told me that they have listened to people's concerns and are not now proposing to close the roads.

You can find out the latest plans at a drop-in event at Frampton Cotterell C of E Primary School, Rectory Road BS36 2BT tomorrow (Tuesday 13 June) from 6pm to 8pm.

For the next 3 weeks the council will be installing temporary traffic lights at the junction of the B4465 Westerleigh Road and the A46 Bath Road. Works will be carried out between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

For more information please visit www.southglos.gov.uk/bhviaduct - if you cannot make the Frampton Cotterell drop-in event, you might like to attend one of the others planned around the area.

Thornbury and Yate General Election result 2017

The results of the 2017 General Election in the Thornbury and Yate constituency are as follows:

• Luke Hall (Conservative) 28,008 ELECTED
• Claire Young (Liberal Democrats) 15,937
• Brian Mead (Labour) 6,112
• Iain Hamilton (Green) 633

Congratulations to Luke. Many thanks to everyone who supported us, and to all those who worked so hard on our campaign.