Box Hedge Farm application deferred

On Thursday the planning committee deferred a decision on the Box Hedge Farm application to a later committee meeting. They asked for more information on traffic management on Westerleigh Road, the plans for passing places on Box Hedge Lane and the range of the guns used for the clay pigeon shooting.

Managed motorway plans - find out more

The Highways Agency are to hold two exhibitions to explain their plans for the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 and the M5 between junctions 15 and 17.

The Agency will start preparatory work for an £88.6m managed motorway scheme on Monday 7th November. The scheme will involve using variable speed limits and using the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane to ease congestion. The work in full is expected to start between January and March 2012, with completion in 2013-14.

The details of the work will be made public at exhibitions in Bradley Stoke on Friday 4th and Patchway on Saturday 4th November. The prepatory work will include installing traffic management and site clearance. The hard shoulder will be closed in sections, with three lanes open in both directions. A 50mph speed limit, enforced with average speed safety cameras, will also be in place for the safety of road users and the workforce.

The M4 M5 public exhibitions will be held at:

Baileys Court Activity Centre
Baileys Court Road
Bradley Stoke
BS32 8BH
on Friday 4 November, between 2 pm and 8 pm;

and:

Coniston Community Centre
The Parade
Coniston Road
Patchway
BS34 5LP
on Saturday 5 November, between 10 am and 4 pm.

You can find out more on the Highways Agency website.

Nibley Lane closure

Nibley Lane is expected to be closed from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Thursday 3rd November. This is to allow the road to be cleaned.

Nominate your local sporting hero now

You have until Friday 28th October to nominate your local sporting hero for an "Active South Gloucestershire" sports award. There are a range of categories:

• Sportsman of the Year
• Sportswoman of the Year
• Young sportsperson of the Year (awarded to members of a Sport England ‘Accredited’ Sports Club)
• Young sportsman, sportswoman and disability sportsperson category
• Sports coach award
• The Sports Link award (awarded to a Sport England ‘accredited’ sports club which has done the most to promote club/school links. Proposals must be independent of the club)
• School sport award (separate primary and secondary school category, awarded to the school which has done the most to promote school sport and physical activity to young people. Proposals must be independent of the school)
• School sport award individual - primary and secondary category (proposals must be independent of the school)
• Team award (awarded to teams who have excelled i e school, adults, Sport England ‘accredited’ sports clubs)
• Personal Achievement Award - sponsored by the Active Partnership
• James Clifford Memorial Award (awarded to sporting and leisure industry professionals for innovation, creativity and / or provision of excellent customer service) James was the popular marketing manager for Circadian Trust (who run SouthGloucestershire Leisure & Sports centres) who sadly passed away this year.
• Community sport award - sponsored by Airbus UK (awarded for outstanding contribution to a lifetime of sport)

All nominees for the awards, which are sponsored by Airbus and the Active Partnership (a partnership between South Gloucestershire Council, South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust and NHS South Gloucestershire to increase participation in physical activity) must live within South Gloucestershire or be involved with a South Gloucestershire club or school.

You can find out more on the South Glos website.

Planning committee to consider Box Hedge Farm application

The Development Control (West) planning committee will consider the Box Hedge Farm application this Thursday. The meeting will be held in Thornbury and will start at 2.30pm. Box Hedge Farm is the first application on the agenda, although there are a few other items before the applications. You can see the agenda, including the officer’s report recommending approval, online.

Badminton Road closure - update

The nightime one-way closure on Badminton Road will now happen from 17th-20th October inclusive and 25th to 27th inclusive. Cyclists can pass through the closure, as directed by site staff.

Badminton Road closure

From 17th to 24th October, Badminton Road will be closed to northbound traffic except buses at the motorway bridge just north of the ring road between 7pm and 6am. Southbound traffic (coming from Yate) will be controlled by temporary traffic lights. This is to allow the bridge over the M4 to be inspected. Major delays are inevitable.

Planning committee to visit Box Hedge Farm

The Development Control (West) planning committee will visit Box Hedge Farm on Friday to look at the impact of the activities on surrounding homes. They won't be making any decisions on the application on site, that will come later at a meeting of the committee in Thornbury. There will be an opportunity for supporters and objectors to speak, as well as the local member Claire Young. The committee is expected to arrive at around 11.30am, although as it is the last item on the agenda there is the possibility of a delay.

You can view the application and the agenda for Friday online. Please contact Claire if you have any queries.

School bus re-routed due to weak bridge

An emergency 13T weight limit has been imposed on the bridge that takes Church Road over the River Frome. As a result, the 960 Yate - Winterbourne International Academy School bus has had to be re-routed.

School days only
North Corner, Western Coach House    07:50    
Iron Acton, White Hart    07:54    
Iron Acton school     07:55    
Frampton Cotterell, Post Office    08:04    
Frampton Cotterell, Rising Sun    08:05    
Frampton Cotterell, Heather Avenue    08:09
Coalpit Heath, Church    08:15    
Lower Stone Close    08:20    
Winterbourne International Academy    08:30

Winterbourne International Academy    15:25
Coalpit Heath, Church    15:35
Lower Stone Close    15:39
Frampton Cotterell, Post Office    15:40
Frampton Cotterell, Rising Sun    15:42
Frampton Cotterell, Heather Avenue    15:45
Iron Acton school    16:00
Iron Acton, Rose & Crown    16:01
Then non stop to W.I.A. North Corner, Western Coach House    16:05

Get your electric blanket tested

Book now to get your electric blanket tested for free next Friday, 14th October, at Yate Fire Station. To make a booking, call South Glos on 01454 863632.

Nationally, around 1,000 fires are caused by faulty electric blankets each year. Before you buy a blanket make sure it carries a recognised approval mark, such as the British Electrotechnical Approvals Board (BEAB) mark, or the International Standard number EN 60967.Don’t buy second hand and have your blanket inspected by the manufacturer or a qualified electrician in accordance with their instructions, usually every three years.

Yate Safer Stronger Community Group tonight

If you've got a concern in the Yate police beat area (which includes the rural part of Dodington Parish) come along to the latest Safer Stronger Community Group meeting tonight. It starts at 7pm at Shire Way Community Centre.

Victory on Yate train overcrowding

We're happy to announce the end of the long fight to get extra train carriages from Yate. From December the 7.40 and 8.09, and the return journeys from Temple Meads at 14.41, 15.41, 16.41 and 17.10 will each have an extra carriage. First Great Western told us this good news at the Friends of Yate Station meeting on Monday.

Also for those affected by the complete failure of the commuter train service to Bristol on the morning of Monday 26th, Nigel at the station has forms for users to obtain refunds, or you can claim via the passenger charter.

Ruffet Road and Coalsack Lane cleaning

Ruffet Road (from Badminton Road to Coalsack Lane junction) and Coalsack Lane is expected to be closed from 9.30am until 2.30pm on 10th October to allow the road to be deep cleaned. The road closure notice allows the Council to close the road at any time in the five days from 10th October.

Bus service changes

• The London Bus X2C service into Bristol, which only started in June, has been withdrawn from service as there have been fewer passengers than expected.
• From 30th October, there will be an additional 327 journey at 1940 (1935 Saturdays) from Yate to Bristol.
• Also from 30th October, there will be minor changes to early morning and evening times and on Mondays to Fridays the 0833 X42 journey from Chipping Sodbury will be withdrawn.

Recyling banks to be removed

This week recycling banks will be removed from a number of places across South Glos including:

• Charfield - Railway Tavern
• Coalpit Heath - Badminton Arms
• Cromhall - Royal Oak Inn
• Falfield - Park Hotel
• Frampton Cotterell - The Rising Sun and the Royal British Legion
• Leyhill - HM Prison
• Westerleigh - Ye Olde Inne
• Yate - shopping centre overflow car park, Broad Lane Council offices, and YOSC

Resources are being re-allocated to providing recycling facilities for blocks of flats that don't currently have them. Please let your Focus Team know if you have concerns.

Filton Airfield consultation

A few weeks ago we posted about our concerns that the delay in the Public Inquiry for the Core Strategy may leave our countryside at risk of unwanted development.

Officers at South Glos have been working hard to provide the extra information the Inspector has requested. One area of extra work is on the closure of Filton Airfield. The Council will be holding some drop in exhibitions, some staffed, others unstaffed. You can find details of all the exhibitions and view the exhibition material online. The deadline for comments is Monday 24 October 2011.

Your Focus Team is also very interested to hear your views. You can find all our contact details here.