Have your say on 30mph limit in Rangeworthy

Rangeworthy Parish Council have asked for the speed limit on Wickwar Road between New Road and Old Wood Lane to be reduced to 30mph. It is a narrow rural lane with no footway for pedestrians and is used by villagers with children and dogs to access Old Wood Lane.

You can find out more and have your say on the consultation page.

Cuts to winter gritting? Have your say!

Conservative-run South Glos Council is proposing to stop gritting some roads in icy weather to save money. It's yet another "saving" they have identified in the face of Government funding cuts.

The cut would reduce their fleet from 11 gritters to 9 and take 30 km of roads off the list that are salted when freezing conditions seem likely.

Affected roads include Park Lane and Perrinpit Road (Frampton Cotterell) and Claypit Hill, part of Dodington Road, Gibbs Lane and Sodbury Lane (Dodington Parish).

A consultation on these cuts is running until 18 June. If you want to find out more, there will be a drop-in event with Street Care staff in the meeting room at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC), Broad Lane, Yate, BS37 7LB from 3pm to 5pm on Wednesday 2nd May.

You can read more and have your say on the consultation website.

Reminder - have your say on Local Plan

Don't forget you only have until 30th April to have your say on South Gloucestershire Council's new Local Plan at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018.

This is your chance to have your say on how up to 1,800 extra homes can be delivered in smaller developments in our rural areas. This is in addition to the thousands of new homes already proposed in large developments at Coalpit Heath, west and north west of Yate in Westerleigh and Iron Acton Parishes, Charfield, Thornbury and Buckover.

Reminder - drop-in event on Local Plan next week

As we reported last month, South Glos is currently consulting on its new Local Plan and there is a drop-in event next Tuesday when you can find out more.

The event is being held 6-8pm on Tuesday 20 March at the Ridgewood Community Centre, Yate, BS37 4AF. Planning officers will be there to answer your questions about any aspects of the Local Plan - including the options for further development in our villages and proposals for making better use of land in Yate and other urban areas.

Full details of the consultation can be viewed at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018 - you can also view a short video about it here.

Have your say on new Local Plan

South Gloucestershire Council has started a consultation on the new Local Plan, which will set out how the development proposed in the Joint Spatial Plan for the West of England will be delivered in South Gloucestershire. The consultation will run until 30th April and documents are available to view on the Council’s website at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018.

A hard copy of the consultation document is available to view from 8.45am - 5pm Mondays to Wednesdays and 8.45am - 4.30pm Thursdays and Fridays, at the Council’s One-Stop Shops, which are located at:

• Patchway One Stop Shop, The Patchway Hub, Rodway Road, Patchway BS34 5PE
• Kingswood One Stop Shop, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood BS15 9TR
• Yate One Stop Shop (access via West Walk), Kennedy Way, Yate BS37 4DQ

There will also be public drop-in events. The nearest to us is 6-8pm on Tuesday 20 March at the Ridgewood Community Centre, Yate (BS37 4AF). Details of all the events are available at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018.

Part 2 of the document introduces the proposed strategy for delivering the development:

• building out the developments already allocated in the council's Core Strategy
• maximising the use of brownfield land within the urban areas
• building the 5 large scale Strategic Development Locations set out in the Joint Spatial Plan for the West of England (Coalpit Heath, North West and West of Yate, Thornbury, Buckover and Charfield)
• smaller scale development in the rural areas. 

Yate is one of the areas being looked at for maximising the use of brownfield land in urban areas and the question about how to approach development in the rural areas affects all our villages. The consultation document also sets out what is happening with the Strategic Development Locations and how the local communities will be involved further but does not ask specific questions around those.

The council would prefer you to use the response form available online to make comments. If you are unable to do so, you can submit comments by email to PlanningPolicy@southglos.gov.uk or by post. There is no need to submit comments in multiple different ways.

Time running out to have your say on housing plans

Time is running out to have your say on plans for thousands of new homes in our area - all comments have to be made by the end of 10th January - that's next Wednesday.

How to have your say

You can comment online - you can step through the Joint Spatial Plan section by section and there is a button at the bottom of each section that allows you to add a comment. You'll need to register with the site, if you haven't already done so for a previous consultation, and log in. Do make sure you submit each comment before moving on to the next section.

Policy 2 sets out the Spatial Strategy - this lists the locations where large numbers of houses are proposed and explains why. The five locations in South Gloucestershire are covered by policies 7.8 to 7.12. Don't be misled by the latter being labelled Yate, the land is actually in Iron Acton and Westerleigh Parishes.

If you're short of time, focus on the policy for the area of most interest to you, you don't have to respond to every policy.

Before making your comments, it is well worth reading this page on how to comment and this guide to commenting.

Remember, this is your last chance to have your say so don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes.

Have your say on Climate Change Strategy

Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. South Glos Council is currently consulting on its draft Climate Change Strategy for 2018 - 2023. You can find out more and have your say at www.southglos.gov.uk/climate18 until 12th March.
There are several ways you can respond:

• Take part in the online survey
• Download and print a paper copy of the survey and send to Freepost  RTXL-YJXJ-BXEX, South Gloucestershire Council, Corporate Research & Consultation Team, Climate Change Strategy, Council offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BRISTOL BS37 5AF
• Email: consultation@southglos.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01454868154

Parish Councils respond to housing plans

There was standing room only in Iron Acton Village Hall on Monday evening. Iron Acton Parish Council had sprung into action after Pat Hockey  had alerted them to the significance of the Draft Joint Spatial currently out for consultation. Quite understandably they had not thought of the proposed Yate strategic development area of 2,000 homes as being mostly in their Parish.

The Parishioners made it very clear that developing the rural area between the village and Yate is not acceptable. They fully endorsed the Parish Council’s proposed response to the consultation.

Iron Acton have published their response online, as have Charfield Parish Council. Westerleigh Parish Council will be considering their response at their meeting on 8th January. Don't forget to have your say before 10th January.

Don't forget to have your say on housing plans

In the festive rush, don't forget that you only have until 10th January to have your say on plans for thousands of new homes in our area.

How to have your say

You can comment online - you can step through the Joint Spatial Plan section by section and there is a button at the bottom of each section that allows you to add a comment. You'll need to register with the site, if you haven't already done so for a previous consultation, and log in. Do make sure you submit each comment before moving on to the next section.

Policy 2 sets out the Spatial Strategy - this lists the locations where large numbers of houses are proposed and explains why. The five locations in South Gloucestershire are covered by policies 7.8 to 7.12. Don't be misled by the latter being labelled Yate, the land is actually in Iron Acton and Westerleigh Parishes.

Before making your comments, it is well worth reading this page on how to comment and this guide to commenting.

How to help people who are not online

If someone cannot comment online, you can download a form for them. You can email the completed form to comment@jointplanningwofe.org.uk or post it to West of England Joint Spatial Plan C/o South Gloucestershire Council, Planning PO Box 1954 Bristol BS37 0DD.

Copies of the plan and response forms should be available in libraries and the council's One Stop Shops. This week Claire Young challenged the Cabinet Member responsible for planning after a resident reported difficulties accessing the information at Yate library. Hopefully this will now be resolved.

Join an action group

Last Saturday Claire Young and John O'Neill both attended a drop-in organised by Fighting for Charfield. In Coalpit Heath, VALID are hoping to put another leaflet out after Christmas with more advice on how to respond and would welcome help with delivery. The Falfield Action Group and TRAPP'D are both concerned about the plans for Buckover.

Remember, this is your last chance to have your say so don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes.

Get involved

If you believe the West of England and South Gloucestershire Council have got it wrong with their development plans, why not join one of the action groups? You can find them online:

• Fighting for Charfield
• Falfield Action Group
• TRAPP'D in Thornbury
• VALID in Coalpit Heath

VALID have been working hard to get leaflets out informing people of the consultation. If you could help them spread the word further, please email them.

Your Focus Team is also making sure people know how to have their say, as well as keeping people up to date on other local issues. If you can help us by delivering a few leaflets, please email Claire.

Have your say on food plan

You have until 5th January to have your say on the South Glos Food Plan.

The purpose of the Food Plan for South Gloucestershire is to create a more healthy, sustainable and just food system for our area. It will do this by identifying the key needs and challenges, and by providing a framework for coordinated action. It covers three key themes:

• Health and wellbeing 
• Environment and sustainability 
• Jobs and local food economy

For more information, go to the consultation website.

How to have your say on new homes plan

The consultation on thousands of new homes in our area is now underway.

You can comment online - you can step through the Joint Spatial Plan section by section and there is a button at the bottom of each section that allows you to add a comment. You'll need to register with the site, if you haven't already done so for a previous consultation, and log in. Do make sure you submit each comment before moving on to the next section.

Particular sections of interest include:

• Policy 2: The Spatial Strategy - this lists the locations where large numbers of houses are proposed and explains why they have been proposed
• Policy 7.8: Buckover
• Policy 7.9: Charfield
• Policy 7.10: Coalpit Heath
• Policy 7.11: Thornbury
• Policy 7.12: Yate

Don't be misled by policy 7.12 being labelled Yate - the land involved is actually in Iron Acton and Westerleigh Parishes. These proposals will affect Engine Common, Nibley and Westerleigh and development will come close to Iron Acton and the development proposed at Coalpit Heath.

If you cannot comment online, you can download a form. You can email the completed form to comment@jointplanningwofe.org.uk or post it to West of England Joint Spatial Plan C/o South Gloucestershire Council, Planning PO Box 1954 Bristol BS37 0DD.

Before making your comments, it is well worth reading this page on how to comment and this guide to commenting.

You only have until 10th January 2018 to comment - don't forget in the Christmas rush!

A Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry next year to decide if the plan is sound and whether any changes are needed to make it sound. They will see any comments you make in the consultation. When commenting, you can say whether or not you would like to be called to give evidence at the public inquiry.

Remember, this is your last chance to have your say so don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes.

Tell the council your priorities

Over the last 6 years South Glos Council has already cut £63.6m from its annual budget and they're intending to cut another £10.5m per annum across 2018/19 and 2019/20. Even that leaves the council with a predicted hole of £15.7m by 2021/22 so watch out for more cuts being announced.

What do you think the council's priorities should be? Fill in the budget survey to let them know. Your Liberal Democrat Focus Team will be fighting to protect services for the most vulnerable.

Consultation on new homes starts next week

All four West of England councils have now agreed that the consultation on the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) should go ahead so it will start on 22nd November. The JSP proposes:

• 1,800 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 2,000 homes plus employment land on the edge of Yate, between Engine Common and Nibley and down to Westerleigh, with at least 1,000 being built by 2036 
• 1,200 at Charfield 
• 3,000 at a new garden village at Buckover, with at least 1,500 of them being built by 2036 
• 500 at Thornbury 

Some headlines have given the impression that the plan has already been approved - it has not. A Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry next year to decide if the plan is sound and whether any changes are needed to make it sound. They will see any comments you make in the consultation, which runs until 10^th January 2018.

This will be your last chance to have your say - don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes. 

The new South Glos Local Plan will just be adding in the details and possibly allocating smaller sites. It can't put the homes in a different place entirely from that allocated in the JSP.

The JSP document, supporting evidence and details of how to make a submission will be published online at www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk on 22nd November. If you would like to help spread the word to those who aren't online, please contact us.

Public consultation on new school building

There will be a public consultation session on the new school building at Watermore Primary School. The drop-in will be held from 2.45 to 7pm on Tuesday 28th November at the Meadow site (the old Highcroft Junior School site).

South Glos approves consultation on plan for thousands of homes

On Wednesday the ruling Conservatives on South Glos Council voted through the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP), which includes proposals for:

• 1,800 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 2,000 homes plus employment land on the edge of Yate, between Engine Common and Nibley and down to Westerleigh, with 1,000 being built by 2036
• 1,200 at Charfield
• 3,000 at a new garden village at Buckover, with at least 1,500 of them being built by 2036
• 500 at Thornbury

Representatives of VALID, TRAPP'D and Falfield Action Group all spoke about their concerns, as did Cllrs Claire Young, Pat and Dave Hockey, John O'Neill and other Lib Dem Focus Team members. There was controversy when a TRAPP'D representative revealed an email they'd received via a Freedom of Information request - you can read more about that on the Gazette website.

If the other three councils vote the plans through, they will go out to consultation on 22nd November. This will be your last chance to write in with your comments so it's important you have your say. 

Next spring the plan along with all the comments will be submitted to the Secretary of State and a planning inspector will then hold a public inquiry. They can find the plan "sound", decide it needs some changes to make it sound or throw the plan out and tell the councils to start again.

Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes. The new South Glos Local Plan will just be adding in the details and possibly allocating smaller sites, it can't put the homes in a different place entirely from that allocated in the JSP. That is why it is so important to have your say in this consultation.

Consultation on 30mph speed limit on Bristol Road

South Gloucestershire Council is consulting on reducing the speed limit to 30mph on Bristol Road between the junction with Church Road and the Winterbourne boundary. This is being proposed by Highways Officers because of the number of accidents there has been. You can make comments here until the 17th November.

Because of the difficulty crossing the road between the bus stop and the Health Centre Pat Hockey had asked officers to investigate the possibility of a pedestrian refuge. Unfortunately the road is too narrow to accommodate one safely.

Speaking out on housing plans

On Monday plans for 1,800 homes at Coalpit Heath and hundreds more just up the road to the north west and west of Yate were discussed by the West of England Joint Committee in Bath. Local councillors Claire Young and Pat Hockey and VALID representative Peter Connors attended, with Claire and Peter both speaking out on the plans. Despite the concerns they raised, and despite both the Leader of North Somerset and the Mayor of Bristol saying they hadn't had time to read the document, the West of England leaders voted to recommend the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) to the four councils.

The BBC asked if anyone would be available for filming the next day in Coalpit Heath. They were expecting one or two people and were astonished by the crowd that turned out at such short notice. They were left in no doubt about the level of concern and while they were there also filmed the danger signs around the old mine shaft that has been fenced off in the corner of the field.

The Joint Spatial Plan will be considered by the South Glos Cabinet at 2pm on Monday (not 10am like we previously reported) and then by all councillors at a meeting at 7pm on Wednesday 8th November in Kingswood Civic Centre. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

If South Glos and the other three councils all approve the JSP for consultation, you will be able to have your say from 22nd November to 10th January. We'll give you more information on how to do this when the consultation starts.

Housing plans - Coalpit Heath and Yate area

The housing plans for our area made it into the Bristol Post earlier this week - but what they didn't make clear is that this is not a done deal. There is still a chance to have your say.

What the draft Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) says

You can read the full draft JSP here. The key points for Coalpit Heath are:

• Around 1,800 new homes by 2036
• Up to 5ha of employment land
• Vehicular access off Badminton Road/Frog Lane, Roundways and Woodside Road
• New local centre including one, possibly two, primary schools, a local retail outlet and community facility
• Contributions to a new or expanded secondary school in the wider area

In the Yate area it proposes:

• A minimum of 2,000 homes, with at least 1,000 to be built by 2036, to the north west of Yate, stretching round from Engine Common to Nibley.
• New employment land west of Yate, stretching from the Badminton Road down to the double railway arches on the edge of Westerleigh.

The site to the south of Chipping Sodbury is now being held as "contingency" - so if homes aren't being built quickly enough elsewhere, it could be released at one of the 5-yearly reviews of the plan. Planners say around 1,500 homes could be built here, up to 775 before 2036. The site to the north of St John's Way is now considered to be too small to be a strategic development location, but developers have already put forward plans for part of it.

Transport

The developments at Coalpit Heath and north west and west of Yate would be expected to provide or contribute to a strategic transport package including:

• Metrobus extension to Yate and Chipping Sodbury
• A432 Park and Ride
• Yate Rail Station enhancement
• Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell Bypass
• strategic cycle route
• local bus services. 

The Yate development would also be likely to require an on-site rail crossing and a new rail bridge across Nibley Lane. There is no mention of a Yate link road to any new motorway junction.

Chances to speak up

The JSP is currently going through a process of being approved for consultation. Members of the action group VALID and your local Focus Team attended the Infrastructure Board meeting on Monday to speak and will be in action again at the West of England Joint Committee meeting in Bath this coming Monday.

There will also be chances to speak at both the South Gloucestershire Cabinet meeting at 2pm on 6th November and the Council meeting at 7pm on 8th November (both at Kingswood Civic Centre).

Have your say in the consultation

If the consultation goes ahead, it's expected to run from 22nd November to 10th January. When it starts, we'll let you know how to have your say.

Housing plans - Buckover, Charfield and Thornbury

The housing plans for our area made it into the Bristol Post earlier this week - but what they didn't make clear is that this is not a done deal. There is still a chance to have your say.

What the draft Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) says

You can read the full draft JSP here. The key points are:

• Around 3,000 homes would be provided in a new garden village at Buckover, with at least 1,500 of them being delivered by 2036.
• Around 1,200 homes in a number of developments at Charfield
• Another 500 homes at Thornbury before 2036 plus around 5ha of additional employment land on land at Crossways east of Morton Way

Transport

All of these developments would make financial contributions towards local and strategic transportation schemes, including potentially:

• M5 J14 improvements
• Charfield rail station re-opening
• local bus service improvements
• local highway, foot and cycle improvements.

Buckover and Thornbury developments would also contribute towards:

• Metrobus Extension to Thornbury & Buckover Garden Village
• A38(N) Park & Ride

It says in the policy for Buckover that "Consideration will also be required to ensure the A38 can continue to act as an effective relief road to the M5 without detriment to the new resident’s health & wellbeing."

The Charfield developments would also contribute towards "a comprehensive Wotton Road environmental enhancement scheme, new and improved foot and cycle connections through the village and to key local destinations such as Renishaws, KLB school and Wotton-under-Edge, and including a new Charfield circular public right of way route".

Chances to speak up

The JSP is currently going through a process of being approved for consultation. Members of the action group TRAPP'D and your local Focus Team attended the Infrastructure Board meeting on Monday to speak and will be in action again at the West of England Joint Committee meeting in Bath this coming Monday.

There will also be chances to speak at both the South Gloucestershire Cabinet meeting at 2pm on 6th November and the Council meeting at 7pm on 8th November (both at Kingswood Civic Centre).

Have your say in the consultation

If the consultation goes ahead, it's expected to run from 22nd November to 10th January. When it starts, we'll let you know how to have your say.