Bench by the Post Office

Visitors to the Post Office may have noticed that the bench that has been out of bounds behind the fence to the building site can now be used again.

Claire Young approached the builder after residents complained and he quickly resolved the problem. They have a pavement licence for their scaffolding, so it will be unusable while that is in place, but afterwards it will be open to all again.

Energy savers wanted!

South Gloucestershire residents are being asked to take part in anew energy saving competition.

Communities will go head to head in the competition to see who can reduce their energy consumption the most over a 6 month period. Winners will be awarded an Eco Hamper for each household as well as tickets to travel to an International Awards Ceremony in Brussels.

All participants will receive a variety of energy saving gadgets and eco goodies throughout the competition, including energy saving lightbulbs, eco kettles and hot water tank jackets, and will have the chance to win spot prizes of standby saver gadgets, water powered clocks, fridgesaver plugs and wind up radios and torches.

Competition organisers are looking for 10-15 households in South Gloucestershire

To take part or find out more contact the Severn Wye Energy Agency (www.swea.co.uk) on 0800 512 012.

Concerned about local ambulance services?

The South Gloucestershire LINk, set up to enable the whole community to have a say in local health and social care issues, is currently gathering views on local ambulance services for the Great Western Ambulance Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.

You can send comments to epowell@swindon.gov.uk by the 10 October on how
satisfied you are with ambulance services in your area, anything you would
like to change about the ambulance services in your area and any issues that
you think the committee should consider in more detail.

Local MP Steve Webb challenged the Great Western Ambulance Service earlier in the year about the impact on journey times of Frenchay being downgraded.

Time to apply for local grants

The next round of Revenue Grants will run from Monday 29th September with a closing date of 3rd November. You can read more information on the South Glos website. Select G from the A-Z then Grants, Communtiy Grants.

King Edmund-The Ridings consultation

South Gloucestershire Council are now counsulting on plans for King Edmund School and The Ridings to become academies within the Federated Academy Pathfinder Programme (which will include the technical legal closure of the existing schools).

You can read more about the consultation on the South Glos website.

Yellow Woods Challenge 2008

Once again, some of our local schools are collecting old Yellow Pages directories, to be recycled into notice boards in Gloucestershire. You can't put the Yellow Pages in your usual recycling, so if you know a school that's running the challenge why not donate your old copy and possibly help the school to win a prize.

If you can't donate to a school, you can take your Yellow Pages to the SORT IT! centre in Yate.

You can read more on the South Glos website.

Art walks

South Gloucestershire Council is running a series of Art Walks in conjunction with the Walking to Health Scheme. You can view the leaflet on the South Glos website.

Brockeridge-Highcroft consultation online

You can now view the consultation document online for the proposed amalgamation of Brockeridge and Highcroft.

Planning committee to visit proposed composting site

The planning committee that will decide whether to grant planning permission for a proposed in-vessel composting facility near Tormarton will visit the site on Friday. Their estimated time of arrival is 10am. You can read the officer's report online.

Grants for local organisations

Congratulations to the following groups who won funding for their projects at the Frome Vale Area Forum held at the C of E School on 11 Sept.
• Village Action - £1,324 for developing a local heritage walks trail booklet with help from the Local History Group. The 5 walks included will cover Coalpit Heath, Frampton Cotterell, Mining, a children’s walk and a wheelchair users route.
• Friends of Ram Hill Colliery - £1,000 to help to remove contaminated soil that blocks the dramway and the remains of the mine’s steam raising plant.
• Coalpit Heath Community Garden - £1,000 towards themed planting, a raised flower bed and a heritage information board.
• The Manor Hall - £2,870 to replace ‘disgusting looking’ lino and floor.
• Crossbow House Community Centre - £1,000 to provide some much needed new tables and chairs.

South Glos food festival

The fourth South Gloucestershire Local Food and Drink Festival runs from Saturday 13 September to Sunday 12 October. For more information go to the South Gloucestershire Local Food website.

32,800 new homes - have your say

Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, is proposing that there should be 32,800 new homes built in South Gloucestershire by 2026, most of them in the Green Belt, land that is supposed to stop our villages being swamped by development.

We need more affordable homes, but this figure is unrealistic. If local targets are not met, which is likely with the current downturn in the housing market, it's been made clear that Councils will find it difficult to stop houses being built on land not earmarked for development.

They're planning to shut our major hospital, Frenchay. They're planning to cut the number of hospital beds. The roads are beginning to seize up already. And the Government has deleted public transport proposals like the Yate rail turnback from their consultation (this is vital to get more trains to stop at Yate Station)

What you can do:

(1) Tell the Government what you think by responding to their consultation:
The Government has not made this easy! However, a big response is ESSENTIAL. If you want to reply by post you can obtain a response form by ringing 0117 900 1743.

Replies must be sent to: Regional Planning Team, Government
Office for the South West, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, BRISTOL, BS1 6ED

The easiest way to respond is by going to http://tinyurl.com/6z6pdz. Please use the form to say what 32,800 houses in South Glos would mean for your local area, in terms of impact on:

Green Belt
Traffic and transport
Local services

Copies of the proposal documents are available on-line
or at libraries or by appointment at GOSW by ringing 0117 900 1743.

The deadline is 5pm on Friday 24 October.

(2) Sign our petition (by 3 Oct) so that Steve Webb can present the petition in the special debate in Parliament - online at http://www.stevewebb.org.uk or by filling in the form on the special Focus leaflet that's being delivered at the moment. Watch for it dropping on your doormat!

Change of venue for Area Forum

In a break from recent practice, this Thursday's Frome Vale Area Forum will be held in the Main Hall at Frampton Cotterell Primary School (rather than the Ridgewood Centre, Yate). Doors open at 6.15pm for a 7pm start and the agenda includes a chance to give your views on the Government proposals to impose 33000 new homes on South Gloucestershire, decision making on grants and an open forum for your to have your say on whatever is concerning you.

Anti-skid surfacing at Shorthill crossroads

Anti-skid surfacing is going to be laid on Westerleigh Road, Shorthill Road and at Shorthill Crossroads. This will mean temporary traffic lights replacing the new permanent signals while the work is carried out.

Drainage problems by Coalpit Heath Post Office

The entrance to Church Lane, between the Post Office and the building site where Brookmans used to be, is covered in water (see left). Your Focus team have reported it and someone from Streetcare should be visiting the site today.

Don't lose your vote!

It's that time of year again when the Register of Electors forms start arriving on our doormats. This is the form that makes sure that you can vote at elections. The electoral register also gets checked if you apply for credit.

It doesn't take long to fill out the form or if there are no changes you can simply do it by telephone. Remember to tick the right-hand column if you don't want your details used for marketing (if you do it over the telephone they will confirm if you have that box ticked).

Consultation on merger of Brockeridge and Highcroft

South Glos Council are going to hold a public consultation on whether Brockeridge Infant School and Highcroft Junior School should merge to form an all-through primary school. It is the Council's policy to review paired infant and junior schools if there is a headship vacancy on one of the schools and the projected pupil numbers are falling.

There will be a consultation event for parents and other members of the public on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 at 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm in Highcroft Junior School. Local people will then have until Friday 5th December to make their views known formally.

For the full details, you can read the report that accompanied the decision online.

Nibley Lane to close on Thursday

Nibley Lane, Yate (from its junction with Badminton Road to its junction with Westerleigh Road) will be closed on Thursday 4 September 2008 between 9.30am - 2.30pm to enable street cleansing works to be undertaken.