Closure of section of ring road

The Eastbound carriageway of the A4174 Ring Road will be closed to all traffic between the Hambrook traffic signal junction and the Bromley Heath Roundabout from Friday 3rd July 2009 at 8pm until Monday 6th July 2009 at 5am. If bad weather stops the work being carried out then, it will be done the following weekend (10th to 13th July).

This section of road is being closed so that a defective bridge movement joint in the carriageway can be replaced. At the same time, the road across the viaduct will be resurfaced and other maintenance work carried out.

A contraflow will be put in place but significant delays should be expected and motorists are advised to find alternative routes if possible.

Gypsy and Traveller consultation event

Don't forget, there is a drop-in session 4pm to 8pm on Monday 29th June in the Courtside Suite at Yate Leisure Centre where you can ask questions about the extra sites suggested during the previous consultation.

Still time to see Wapley Flower Festival

Floral Fantasy - Wapley Flower Festival runs until tomorrow, Sunday 28th June, in St Peter's Church, Wapley. The event, staged by Chipping Sodbury Floral Society, only happens once every three years. The church is open from 9am for viewing and morning coffees, lunches and cream teas are available. There will be a Festival Evensong to end the event at 6.30pm on Sunday.

Brockeridge-Highcroft merger latest

At the end of last year, South Glos Council carried out a consultation on a proposal to merge Brockeridge Infant and Highcroft Junior schools. They have now given parents an update on the plans. The key issues from the consultation were:

• both schools have strong support from parents and the community
• the Brockeridge site is held in affection locally and people are concerned about how it might be used if it was no longer a school
• there was a strong view that if the schools are to merge on the Highcroft site, new buildings should be provided
• there is continuing concern about current and projected pupil numbers, the resulting school budgets and therefore issues of staffing, class organisation and the quality of education for the children
• if the schools merge, there's a clear preference for the Council to sponsor the new school

You can read the report on the consultation online.

What is now proposed is that the amalgamation should go ahead in September 2010 but the school will continue to use both sites until new buildings can be provided on the Highcroft site.

A formal statutory notice of amalgamation will be published in early September 2009. There will then be six weeks for further comments before the Independent Schools Adjudicator makes the final decision.

MP forces Government to u-turn on MP's pensions

Local MP Steve Webb has succeeded in forcing the Government to re-think its plans to increase the amount of money taxpayers put into the MPs' pension scheme. You can read more on Steve's blog.

Waste consultation deadline extended

New information about a site in Bath and North East Somerset has now been included in the Revised Site Assessment Document on the West of England's website. Because of this extra information, they have extended the deadline for commening until 31st July 2009.

Funders Fair

CVS South Gloucestershire are running a Funders Fair on Thursday 9 July 2009, 9.00am - 2.00pm at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex. This is an opportunity for local groups to gain information and advice directly from representatives of key funders, including The Big Lottery, Quartet Community Foundation, Children In Need and South Gloucestershire Council, and to network with other groups who are addressing similar fundraising issues. More information including booking details at:

http://www.cvs-sg.org.uk/south-gloucestershire-funders-fair/

Change of date for Safer Stronger Community Group

In a change from the date and venue advertised in the Westerleigh Focus, the next Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh Safer Stronger Community Group will be on Tuesday 30th June in St Saviour's Hall. This group now covers the Parish of Iron Acton as well as Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh Parishes.

Decision on new homes delayed

Your Focus team has long campaigned against Government plans for thousands of new homes to be built in South Gloucestershire. We had expected a final decision on the numbers from the Secretary of State by the end of June. Now though it has been delayed indefinitely due a legal challenge to a similar plan elsewhere in the country. Until the implications of that can be considered, no new timetable can be set for the decision. We will keep you posted.

Don't forget - Cycle City drop-in event today!

Last year South Glos and Bristol were named England's first "Cycling city". Government funding totalling £11.4 million has been awarded to make cycling attractive to more people. This funding will be matched by Bristol and South Glos councils and their partners.

One route being looked at is the "Yate spur" linking the Bristol-Bath Railway Path and the Avon Cycleway to Yate. Local Councillor Claire Young has arranged for a drop-in session to be held today (Thursday 18th June) from 2pm to 7pm in Westerleigh Village Hall.

Cutting out the junk mail

Cutting out junk mail can save you time and help the environment. To cut down on addressed items, you can sign up with the Mailing Preference Service. For unaddressed items delivered by the Royal Mail, see the information on their website. For other unaddressed items, see the Direct Marketing Association's website.

Waste consultation progress report

Earlier in the year, the four authorities that used to be Avon ran a consultation on the Joint Waste Core Strategy Preferred Options. They have published a progress report, including a summary of the responses to the consultation.

If you have any futher views, you can email wepconsultation@westofengland.org or write to:The West of England Partnership OfficeFloor 1 Wilder HouseWilder StreetBristolBS2 8PH before 17th July.

Highways Agency withdraw objection to composting plant

The Highways Agency have withdrawn their objection to the proposed composting facility near Tormarton. You can read their letter on the South Glos website.

See "The Age of Stupid" this Friday

Sustainable Thornbury, a Town in Transition, are screening the environmental/climate change film “The Age of Stupid” at Cossham Hall in Chapel St, Thornbury this Friday (June 19th). It starts at 7.45pm and admission is £3. Refreshments will be available from 7.15pm when the doors open.

It will be followed by a Q&A with a panel made up of Steve Webb MP, Paul Ashford (member of the International Panel on Climate Change-IPCC), Ian Page (member of International Futures Forum) and Chris Sunderland (Agora).

Extra gypsy and traveller sites suggested

South Gloucestershire Council has published details of seven extra sites that were suggested during the last Gypsy and Traveller consultation.

The extra sites that have been suggested are a mixture of completely new sites and extra pitches on existing sites:

New sites:
1. Little Acre, Dyers Lane, Iron Acton (4 - 6 residential pitches)
2. Land at Tanhouse Lane, Yate (10 residential pitches and 2 transit pitches)

Existing sites:
3. Moor Paddock, Westerleigh Road, Westerleigh (additional 3 residential pitches and 1 transit pitch)
4. 56 Ram Hill, Coalpit Heath (additional 1 residential pitch )
5. Giddy End, High Lane, Winterbourne (additional 1 residential pitch)
6. The Meadows, Parkfield, Pucklechurch (additional 1 residential pitch)
7. 85a Parkfield Road, Pucklechurch (additional 1 - 2 residential pitches)

You only have until Monday 13 July to provide any relevant information you may have on these extra sites. Officers are stressing that this isn't a full consultation, that will come later, and the sites haven't been assessed in as much detail as the original seventeen. You can find more information on the South Glos website:

www.southglos.gov.uk/gypsydpd

There will be a drop-in session in the Courtside Suite at Yate Leisure Centre on Monday 29 June 2009 from 4pm until 8pm.

You can email any information to:

planningLDF@southglos.gov.uk

or write to:

Spatial Planning Team
South Gloucestershire Council
The Council Offices
Castle Street
Thornbury
South Gloucestershire
BS35 1HF

We had expected the report on all your replies to the previous consultation to be published in May. Instead a report covering comments on all 24 sites will be published in the autumn, along with the draft list of sites for submission to the Government. Your Focus Team is unhappy about the delay, which means extra months of uncertainty for residents, but officers say the Council cannot comment on the suitability of the previous sites before they have publicised the extra ones. When the draft list is published in the autumn there will be another full public consultation.

Wapley Woods - a priority

At last week's Yate Safer Stronger Community Group, which covers Dodington Parish, one of the top priorities identified was to tackle groups of youths setting fires in Wapley Woods. The youth service will liase with the youths and follow up work will be done in schools to prepare for the leaving parties next year.

Another priority was engaging young people in the Safer Stronger Community Group meetings. For more about the meetings, see the Avon and Somerset police website.

New bus stops on Badminton Road

As part of the Greater Bristol Bus Network project, ten bus stops on Badminton Road will either have their existing bus shelters replaced or shelters installed for the first time. They are being installed in readiness for "real time information" kit to be added. With buses also fitted with the appropriate kit, this will allow bus users to see when the next bus is expected to arrive at the stop.

The bus stops are:

Outside 160 at Station Road junction
Outside 139 at Station Road junction
Junction with South View Crescent
Outside 197 at Heathcote Drive junction
Outside 236 at Heathcote Drive junction
Opposite 263 at Church Road junction
Outside 263 at Church Road junction
Opposite New Inn
Outside New Inn
Junction with Nibley Lane

If you have any comments on any of these bus stops, please contact Claire Young.

Chipping Sodbury Festival now underway

Leak fixed

The roadworks on Badminton Road in Coalpit Heath were worth the temporary inconvenience. The South Glos team traced the leak to a Bristol Water pipe and the water company has now repaired the leak and reinstated the road.

Social afternoon for carers

Today (Wednesday 10th) and Friday there will be a social afternoon for carers held at Paul's Place (Coalpit Heath Cricket Club). These events have been organised as part of Carers week. For more information or to book a place call 01454 862357 or email
CCHengagement@southglos.gov.uk .

For more information on all the activities being organised across the area, look on the South Glos website.

Finding the leak

In this case, a water leak in Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath. Traffic lights are in place so the road can be dug up to find the source of water which has been pouring down the road for some months now. Inevitably this is causing some delays but it's important the problem is fixed as it is beginning to damage the road.

European election results for the SW

South West seats result: Con 3 seats, UKIP 2 seats, Lib Dem 1 seat, Green 0, Lab 0 in 5th place - Well done Lib Dem Graham Watson!

Full voting figures from BBC here

In need of capital funding? Hurry!

A quick reminder - if you are involved in an organisation that would like to apply for a capital grant from South Glos Council you only have until 15th June to get your application in. More information on the South Glos website.

Find out more on local walks

There are free leaflets to download from the South Glos Council website on The Dramway, The Frome Valley Walkway and other walks throughout the area.

Coming soon - Chipping Sodbury Festival

Chipping Sodbury Festival will be held between 12th June and 21st June. There are more than 50 events - indoors, outdoors, daytime, evening, free and paying.

Check out the Chipping Sodbury Festival website for details of all the events.