Orchard View work underway

In January work started on  the access track and five parking spaces at Orchard View, Falfield which will allow residents to access their properties rather than drive across the grassed area.

This project has been beset with problems and unfortunately a further hold up has occurred due to an error on the plans requiring a new planning application to be drawn up. John O'Neill hopes the track will be completed as soon as possible for the use of residents. An assurance has been given that the development of the two affordable homes on the garage site will not commence until the access track has been completed.

Charfield Station and Falfield Park and Share?

South Gloucestershire Council has now submitted to the Secretary of State its proposals for how and where development will take place up until 2026 - the "Core Strategy". These proposals will be considered by a Government Inspector at a public inquiry expected in June or July.

The Core Strategy includes proposals for investigation into a rail station at Charfield and a Park and Share site at Falfield. Last year your FOCUS TEAM carried out a survey to find out local views about a station. Local Councillor Sandra O'Neil, along with her husband, John, are considering the responses, both written and on-line along with discussions they have had with local residents and will report the general views in FOCUS.

Sandra is hoping that the proposals for a Park and Share site will come forward as soon as possible. "The informal lay-by at the bottom of Tortworth Hill is an eyesore and is clearly nowhere big enough to meet the need. Drivers are parking their cars in various parts of Falfield and leaving them there all day. It is great that so many people are car sharing but they need somewhere safe that doesn't cause problems for local residents," she points out.

A new village hall and shop in Cromhall and new homes in Falfield

Sandra O'Neill discusses new Post Office plans with Gill White

South Gloucestershire Council has agreed to transfer the land it owns in Townwell to Western Challenge Housing Association. This will enable them to build a one bedroom flat and 2 two bedroom houses for rent along with a replacement community shop and post office. Western Challenge has agreed to relocate the portacabin so that the shop and Post Office can remain open until it is replaced by the new, larger permanent building which will be built along with the houses and flats.

Meanwhile in Falfield, South Glos Council has agreed to transfer the Orchard Garage site to Knightstone Housing Association. This will enable them to provide 2 new 2 bed houses for rent in the village. After hearing local residents’ concerns about parking the Council is proposing to provide 5 on street parking spaces for Orchard view residents as well as access to enable them to park in their gardens.

Deadline looming for phone box comments

BT have asked South Gloucestershire Council to co-ordinate the local response to the proposed phone box closures. Comments must be sent to the Council not BT directly by 31st August 2008. For more information, see the South Glos website.

Phone boxes under threat

Many of our local phone boxes are threatened by a BT plan to remove all "uneconomic" phone boxes from our streets, whether they are needed for emergency purposes or not.

The following phone boxes are under threat in the Ladden-Frome area:

Henfield Road, Coalpit Heath
North Road, Yate
Sundays Hill Lane, Falfield
Charfield Hill, Charfield
Little Bristol Lane, Charfield
Court Road, Leyhill
Longcross, Cromhall
Heathend, Cromhall
outside the old Post Office, Westerleigh
At the layby, Stover Road, Yate
Codrington

Since 2002 BT has removed 31,000 kiosks around the UK.

The Evening Posts reports the phone box story here.