Down Road closed on Monday

Down Road, Winterbourne Down will be closed between the A432 Badminton Road and the Harcombe Hill junction on Monday 21st May.

Good and bad news on the buses

There is both good and bad news for users of the 342 and X42 bus services, which serve Coalpit Heath and Nibley among other places.

The bad news is that the 18:05 X42service from Bristol to Chipping Sodbury is being withdrawn from 1st April. First have told officers that due to the delays on the 342 services in the evening peak period they often have two vehicles operating the corridor at the same time. They argue that the 342 gives a greater degree of consistency and will meet the greatest passenger demand.

The good news is that the Sunday/Bank Holiday service is improving from 2 hourly to hourly, also from the start of April.

There are other changes to times and timetables should be available shortly on the Council's website.

Have your say on Ruffet Road plans

Earlier this year we reported the good news that South Glos had finally given the go ahead for the third phase of the Quiet Lanes Scheme in Kendleshire. This will involve installing a gateway treatment at the Badminton Road/Ruffet Road junction, to highlight to drivers that they are entering a more rural area where they should expect to find walkers, cyclists and horse riders sharing the lanes.

At a meeting in the summer, one option discussed was closing the slip road. This hasn't proved possible due to the utilities buried there. Residents and Claire Young held a further meeting with officers in November to look at revised plans.

Now officers want your views on their proposals. You can view and comment on the plans on the South Glos website until 27th January.

Light switch-off for Badminton Road

Following the success of switching off some street lights for part of the night along the ring road and in a number of towns and villages, South Glos Council is planning to do the same for Badminton Road. The Council wanted to push ahead without consultation but your Focus team has persuaded them to take a little more time so we can get your feedback. A bit of local knowledge now could save much time and money later!

From the centre of Yate to just past the new Council offices, the lights would stay on all night. Between there and the Wick Wick roundabout (where the A432 meets the A4174 Ring Road), the lights would be switched off in the early hours except around the following:

• Church Road junction
• Woodend Road junction
• Beesmoor Road junction
• railway viaduct as you leave Coalpit Heath
• Park Lane
• Kendleshire Crossroads
• Cuckoo lane junction, just before Wick Wick roundabout

If you have any queries or comments, please contact Claire Young.

Ruffet Road emergency drainage work underway

The emergency drainage works that have forced the closure of Ruffet Road are underway. Fingers crossed this stops the flooding that has blighted this junction for a number of years. The road closure notice covers the whole of this week but it's hoped the work won't take that long.

Meanwhile Stidcot Lane in Tytherington is closed all this week for resurfacing work.

Construction lorries in the Quiet Lanes Scheme

If you see any construction lorries in the Quiet Lanes Scheme covering Henfield, Ram Hill and Kendleshire, please make a note of as many details as you can and pass them on to Claire Young (claire.young@southglos.gov.uk).

More local roads being resurfaced

Down Road, Winterbourne Down will be closed from 29th March to 1st April so that it can be resurfaced. This will involve planing off the old surface and laying a new one between Kendleshire Farm and the western side of the bridge over the river.

There is also a great deal of work going on around the new Council offices, with both resurfacing and pedestrian/cycle path works on Badminton and Stover Roads.

On Westerleigh Road in Westerleigh there will be temporary traffic lights on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st March so that the road can be repaired.

Traffic lights at Kendleshire crossroads

In the next week there will be four-way temporary traffic lights at Kendleshire crossroads so that kerb buildouts can be created.

Coalsack Lane to close on Wednesday

Coalsack Lane will be closed on 26 August between 9.30am and 2.30pm so that the road can be cleaned and maintenance work carried out on the drainage system. People will still be able to access properties along the road during the works.

Safer Stronger Community Group priorities

The priorities agreed at Wednesday's meeting were:

1. Rural burglaries.
2. CCTV, Lower Stone Close.
3. Speeding and parking in locality of schools.

There was also a discussion about how the meetings are run and how we might bring in the "Stronger" element as well as the "Safer".

More information about the local beat neighbourhood can be found on the Avon and Somerset website.

Safer Stronger Community Group on Wednesday

The latest Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh Safer Stronger Community Group is on Wednesday 1st April at 7.30pm in Westerleigh Village Hall. Come along and raise issues that are affecting you and your community.

Weekend flooding

Saturday's downpours left many parts of our area flooded. Newman's Close and Old Mill Close in Westerleigh suffered and the A432 Badminton Road was affected opposite St Saviours Church in Coalpit Heath. There was flooding once again at the junctions of Ram Hill and Henfield Road and Ruffet Road and Coalsack Lane. The latter three sites had only been looked at recently. On Monday Claire Young spoke to the Council's drainage engineer about the problems, which will be investigated.

One small piece of good news was that The Quadrangle, which has been affected by flooding in the past, was clear this time.

Roadworks in Kendleshire

It's a busy time for roadworks in the Kendleshire area. Firstly, there are two way temporary traffic signals outside the Golden Hart on Down Road to enable cables to be laid. This should be done by 21 November. Secondly, emergency road repairs are being carried out on the A432 Badminton Road between the Viaduct and Cuckoo Lane. These roadworks are due to be completed by 27 November.

Safer Stronger Community Group - latest priorities

At tonight's meeting, the following priorities were agreed:

1. Upgrading youth facilities in both Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh parishes.
2. Continuing to work on the motorbike problems at Dodmore Farm.
3. Tackling speeding in the Quiet Lanes Scheme, Perrinpit Lane and Westerleigh.

Next Safer Stronger Community Group meeting on Tuesday

The next Safer Stronger Community Group meeting for Frampton Cotterell/Westerleigh is at 7.30pm on Tuesday 1st July 2008 at Frampton Cotterell C of E School. This is your chance to raise issues with the police and local Councillors.

Safer Stronger Community Group - latest priorities

At tonight's meeting of the Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh Safer Stronger Community Group, the following top three priorities were identified:

1. Speeding motorbikes and vandalism along Broad Lane and in a neighbouring field


2. Drug problem in Frampton Cotterell


3. Request for traffic calming in Westerleigh village

Other issues discussed included the takeaway application (more in a separate post), vandalism at Westerleigh Village Hall and speeding on Park Lane.

Safer Stronger Community Group on Wednesday

The next meeting of the Frampton Cotterell and Westerleigh Safer Stronger Community Group is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 2nd April 2008 at Westerleigh Village Hall. You can read more on the Avon and Somerset police site.

Ruffet Road flooding - a solution?

Last week South Glos Council's drainage engineer visited the Ruffet Road/Coalsack Lane junction to investigate the recurrent flooding problems. He and his team probed the highway culvert and located a blockage/collapse half way across the road.

Next week (week beginning Monday 31 January) Ruffet Road will be closed between the Coalsack Lane and Henfield Road junctions so that the repair gang can dig down and either repair the culvert or lay a new one.

SSCG - latest priorities

Tuesday's meeting of the Safer Stronger Community Group identified the following top three priorities:

1. Anti-social behaviour and drug abuse in Frampton Cotterell


2. Mud on roads/pavements following football matches


3. Speeding on Frampton End Road

Don't forget

• Phone mast public meeting, 7.15pm tonight (7th) in the Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath


• Safer Stronger Community Group, 7.30pm tomorrow (8th) at the Manor School, Coalpit Heath


• Phone mast drop-in session run by Vodafone and their agents, 2pm-7pm Wednesday (9th) in the Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath

Thanks to all those who helped deliver flyers for the two phone mast meetings over the weekend.