North Road closure

North Road is expected to be closed from its junction with Armstrong Way to the bridge over the River Frome between 6am and 8am on Monday 12th December so that the road can be cleaned. This is necessary to avoid flooding.

Sixty sheep stolen from field near Bagstone

Police are appealing for information following the theft of sixty sheep from a field near Bagstone. You can read more on the Avon and Somerset police website.

What can be done about the lorries?

 Angry Action Group members representing the residents of Rangeworthy and Cromhall had a meeting with South Gloucestershire’s Cabinet Member responsible for Transport along with the Officer advising him. Although accepting his apology they remain dissatisfied with the explanation of why he decided to respond to the Latteridge Road Action Group’s petition by removing the long standing requirement for lorries associated with the Morrison’s Depot to use Latteridge Road and why no consultation had taken place.

Local Councillor Howard Gawler joined them and has also apologised for not ensuring that consultation was taking place before any decision was made. South Gloucestershire Officers had been carrying out surveys on Wotton Road, Bristol Road and Badminton Road while Latteridge Road was closed. Comparing the routes taken then with those from earlier surveys, the recommendation had been that there would be so few extra lorries choosing to use Wotton Road that it wouldn’t make any difference. Local residents strongly disagree with this. They are now awaiting the outcome of the Cabinet Member’s promised reconsideration of his decision.

The only real way to alleviate the problems caused by these enormous lorries which travel between Yate and the motorways is to locate the distribution warehouses where there are more suitable access roads. Howard along with Pat Hockey, the Councillor representing residents living along Latteridge Road as well as part of Wotton Road and Bristol Road, last week won the backing of other South Gloucestershire Councillors to request officers to investigate the possibilities of preventing further use of premises in Yate as distribution centres when they are vacated. This would help achieve the aim to improve the number and mix of jobs for people living in Yate.

New Road, Rangeworthy to be resurfaced

New Road, Rangeworthy will (weather permitting) be resurfaced from Tuesday 15th to Thursday 17th March. The work will start at around 7am and go on until 5pm each day and traffic will be controlled with Stop/Go signs.

Safer Stronger Community Group on Tuesday

The next meeting of the Frampton Cotterell, Westerleigh, Coalpit Heath and Iron Acton Safer Stronger Community Group is on Tuesday 28th September 2010 between 7.30pm and 9.30pm in Iron Acton Village Hall. There will be reports on previous priorities, including the light switch off trial between Wayleaze and Alexandra Road and the chance to set some new priorities for the coming months.

Buses to be rerouted while Station Rd Yate is closed

Station Road, Yate will be closed in 3 phases between from 1-26 June (see previous story).

This will affect bus services 327, 329, 342, X27 and X42.

According to the First Bus website:
"Throughout the period services 327, 342 and X42 will not be able to serve Station Road adjacent to Yate Shopping Centre and will use Kennedy Way instead."

"During Phase 3 of the closure between 21-26 June, services 329 and X27 will also be diverted. Both will be unable to serve the normal section of route along Station Road, Church Road, Greenways Road and Gravel Hill Road. All buses will use Goose Green Way as an alternative between Peg Hill and Kennedy Way at this time. Temporary bus stops will be sited on Goose Green Way at the currently redundant bus shelters."

"For more information please contact Customer Services 0845 602 0156 or call Traveline 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network charges)."

Obviously it's the 329/X27 diversions that will have the greatest effect on passengers. We do not currently have information about rerouting of other bus companies' services, but we expect that they will make similar arrangements.

Police surgery: Iron Acton Village Hall on 20 May at 6pm

South Gloucestershire police will be holding a police surgery for the residents of Iron Acton on 20 May at 6pm in the Village Hall.

This Surgery has been arranged following the serious incident which took place in Latteridge Road, Iron Acton on Thursday 29 April, where a body of a male was found in suspicious circumstances.

The surgery is for the local community and will provide the opportunity for residents to meet with the police and staff from South Gloucestershire Council’s Safer and Stronger Communities team to discuss any concerns and get community safety and crime prevention advice.

All local residents of Iron Acton are more than welcome.

Roadwork round-up

• There will be traffic lights on Westerleigh Road near the Cooks Lane junction from 9-11 March so the road can be repaired.
• The B4058 Wotton Road will be closed from B4059 Iron Acton Way to Manor Road between 15-28 March to enable the road to be resurfaced.
• The B4058 Wotton Road, from Charfield Road B4059 eastwards for 500 metres (near the Post Office) will have temporary traffic lights and width restrictions 22 March - 6 April for resurfacing work to take place.

Reminder - Frampton Safer Strong Community Group meeting on Tuesday

Don't forget the Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath, Westerleigh and Iron Acton Safer Stronger Community Group meeting, postponed due to snow in January, will now take place on Tuesday 16th February at 7.30pm in Iron Acton Village Hall. Go along and raise any issues you have on building a safer and stronger community.

Frampton Cotterell SSCG meeting re-arranged

The meeting of the Frampton Cotterell, Westerleigh, Coalpit Heath and Iron Acton Safer Stronger Community Group that was called off due to snow on 5th January will now take place on Tuesday 16th February at 7.30pm in Iron Acton Village Hall.

Temporary changes to 622 bus service

Because Manor Road in Engine Common is temporarily closed to traffic to enable a pavement to be installed, bus service 622 cannot follow its normal route. You can find details of the changes on the South Glos website.

New footway on Manor Road

Construction of the new footway on Manor Road, between Chaingate Lane and Tanhouse Lane, is due to start on 4th January (weather permitting) and is expected to take 4 weeks to complete.

Unfortunately, due to the narrow width of the road, Manor Road will need to be closed to motorised vehicles for the duration of the works, although a pedestrian and cyclist route will be maintained. An alternative route using the B4058 and B4059 will be signed for diverted vehicles. The existing bus service will continue, but will take the following diversion route:-

Manor Road (North) – Chaingate Lane – B4058 – B 4059 – North road (including a U turn south of Tanhouse Lane) – Yate town centre.

The island at the junction of the B4058 and Chaingate Lane will be removed to enable buses to make the necessary movements.

Crime "average" locally

There's a new website showing crime statistics by area. You just put in your postcode and it reports the statistics for different types of crime.The information on the map is at beat area level. The Frampton Cotterell beat (which includes Coalpit Heath, Westerleigh and Iron Acton as well as Frampton Cotterell), Yate beat (which includes Dodington South) and the Charfield and Ladden Brook beat are all average for the Avon and Somerset constabulary.

Safer Stronger Community Group - latest priorities

The three priorities chosen at this week's meeting of the Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath, Westerleigh and Iron Acton Safer Stronger Community Group were:

1. Continued push vs ASB at The Park.
2. Speeding on Park Lane.
3. Parking on pavement at School Road - Mount Close junction.

Safer Stronger Community Group on Tuesday

The next meeting of the Frampton Cotterell, Westerleigh, Iron Acton and Coalpit Heath Safer & Stronger Community Group (SSCG) is on Tuesday 29th September at the Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath at 7.30pm. The meeting is open to the public and everyone is welcome.

Waste plan - more detail on Yate

The West of England Partnership, made up of the four unitary authorities covering the old Avon area, is currently developing a plan setting out where waste facilities should be sited. Earlier in the year, we expressed concern that no specific site was stated for Yate, making it hard for local people to comment. They have now published a document that identifies a "Strategic Area" within Yate and they would like your views on it by 1st October. Contact details can be found on this page.

Heritage Open Days coming up

This year's Heritage Open Days run from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th September. They include a chance to go on a guided tour of the remains of Ram Hill Colliery near Coalpit Heath on the Sunday. The information leaflet is available to download from the South Glos website.

Coal mining buffs might also like to attend the free Open Day at Oldwood Pit between Yate and Rangeworth. There will be guided tours approximately every half an hour 2-6pm on Saturday and 11-5pm on Sunday, so it will be possible to visit both Ram Hill and Oldwood in the same weekend. More information can be found on the South Glos Mines Research Group website.

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.

Campaigners celebrate funding for Post Office

Tytherington residents were celebrating after last week's Area Forum where local councillors awarded a grant which will enable the post office to reopen. The £3,000grant will complement money raised on the Tytherington council tax and from central council funds to cover the annual running costs for a re-opened post office. The post office closed in Autumn 2008 when it was included on a national list of closures but following a concerted campaign led by local MP Steve Webb, Tytherington parish leaders, the village shop and local councillors, a funding package has been put in place which should enable the post office to reopen later in the Spring.


Commenting on the decision, Steve Webb said, "This is excellent news. Over a period of several months we have been meeting government ministers, post office officials and the local council to put together a funding package to rescue Tytherington post office. I am delighted that local councillors have allocated this grant to Tytherington post office and will continue to work with local residents to see this project through to completion".

Cllr Howard Gawler, whose ward includes Tytherington, said, "The village shop is at the heart of the community in Tytherington and the post office was a hugely valued service. I am grateful to my fellow councillors for awarding this grant as I know that they understand how village shops and post offices help to keep a community together".

Final financial details are now being agreed with the post office and then work will be needed to reinstate computer and other equipment at Tytherington post office before the service can finally be restored.

Other organisations in the Ladden-Frome area also won grants:

Frampton Cotterell Over 50s Computer Group - £910
South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (Frog Lane 2009) - £900
Wickwar Playing Fields Association - £700
Friends of Ram Hill Colliery - £1000
Brockeridge Youth Club - £899

Nibley Lane roadworks

It's a busy time for roadworks on Nibley Lane. From the 18th to 24th February there will be temporary traffic lights outside the Old Mill for cable pulling and on Wednesday 25th February the section between Badminton Road (A432) and Westerleigh Road will be closed from 9.30 to 2.30 for street cleansing and drainage maintenance work.