Planning and tipping applications approved

Yesterday the Development Control (West) planning committee considered the Beech Hill Farm tipping and Mayshill in-vessel composting facility applications. Local councillor Claire Young spoke on residents' concerns on both applications.

After some discussion of the highways issues and how rejected loads should be dealt with, the committee granted a 2 year temporary permission for the Mayshill composting facility. They added a condition requiring a travel plan and, if there isn't more specific legislation covering it, a requirement that rejected loads are taken away immediately in the van that delivered them.

Highways issues were also the main concern with the Beech Hill Farm tipping application, but the committee decided to approve the application in line with the officer's recommendation.

The First Year as a New MP - meet Duncan Hames MP in Chipping Sodbury 24 June

Ever wondered what happens behind closed doors in Westminster? Come and listen to a new MP talk about his first year in Parliament.

Duncan has had an extraordinary first year in Parliament since being elected as MP for Chippenham in 2010. He has become a Parliamentary Private Secretary to a Lib Dem Minister, and has seen more about how Government works in one year than most people do in ten.

This lecture is in memory of Heather Larkins, a former Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Northavon who sadly passed away. All proceeds go towards sending a young person to experience Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in September.

Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, Friday 24 June, 7.30 pm.

Tickets £5 each (£1 if under 21) from Joanna Wallis on 0117 9574119 or email joanna@wallisfamily.plus.com    Alternatively, pay on the door.

Box Hedge Farm Events application - have your say

A planning application has been submitted by Box Hedge Farm Events. You can view the application on the South Glos website - the deadline for comments is 8th July. Following a meeting with Claire Young and the applicant, the Parish Council has arranged an open meeting to discuss the application at 7pm on Monday 13th June in Westerleigh Village Hall.Your Focus Team has been delivering letters with the latest Focus to alert local people to this meeting.

Update on Tafarn Bach

John and Howard discuss the problems these difficult road works are causing

The good news is that the Tafarn Bach roadworks should be finished by the end of June.
Before then the road will have to be closed, probably on June 12th,19th and 26th. Diversions will be signed but if you want further information, call in at Charfield Post Office.

Planning committee to consider tipping and composting applications

On Thursday 9th June, the Development Control (West) planning committee will consider the Beech Hill Farm tipping and Mayshill in-vessel composting facility applications. The case officer has recommended approval for the tipping and a 2 year temporary approval for the composting application.

You can view the agenda for the meeting, with links to the officer's reports, online.

New pedestrian refuge for Church Road

Church Road will be closed off-peak between 6th and 9th June so that the new pedestrian refuge can be installed. Pat and Dave Hockey secured funding for this much-needed facility to improve safety for all pedestrians, especially children walking to school.

"Cautious optimism" on the Westerleigh smell

At the latest meeting of the working group last Thursday:

• The Environment Agency representative expressed cautious optimism, as there have been no complaints since 12th May and monitoring in the sewers showed only very low levels of potentially odorous gases. There has been a very significant improvement since last autumn.

• Tulip have continued to fine tune their processes and have now found a filter set-up that works well with the chemical dosing system they recently started using. They continue to carry out daily filter checks and to replace filters as necessary.

• The changes Tulip have made will be included in a variation of their permit that is being agreed with the Environment Agency in the next couple of months.

• Wessex Water has been investigating the issues previously noted on the east of the village. Since early May there have only been small, short-lived peaks of odorous gases in the sewers there and no complaints.

• Wessex do not yet have a date for installing the permanent dosing system at the Kidney Hill pumping station but they will continue with the temporary dosing system until the permanent one is in place.

It was agreed that the working group would continue to communicate by email but only hold further meetings if there were more complaints. If you do experience a bad odour in the village, you can contact the Environment Agency 24 hours a day 365 days a year on their freephone number 0800 80 70 60. You can also contact Claire at claire.young@southglos.gov.uk or the Parish Clerk at westerleighpc@btinternet.com