Good news on parking for North Road residents

At last night's Frome Vale Area Forum, we considered objections to the proposed waiting restriction changes on the trading estates close to the council offices. We agreed to implement the proposals as advertised, excluding the section of Waverley Road that extends beyond the adopted highway and the planned removal of the existing waiting restriction on Woodward Avenue. The latter was decided after a member of the public successfully argued that it would make the road less safe for pedestrians and not increase the available parking as people who currently have access to a car park would use it as it is closer to their workplace.

The good news for residents on the small rank of cottages on North Road is that this means they will now have parking permits to use the road outside their houses so that people from the council offices don't stop them parking there.

Bus service changes

Changes are in the pipeline for our local bus services.

Getting to Southmead hospital

Last week we told you there was good news on buses to Southmead hospital from our villages. Starting 13th April, First will be running service 82 hourly to Southmead via Cribbs and Parkway, leaving Yate at 6.20am until 7pm, with the last return from Southmead at 8pm. The 581 will be replaced by the 81, giving the option of a half hourly service to Southmead changing at Parkway or the longer hourly direct service.

First Bus changes

First are also renumbering other services and changing their timetables:

• The 689 becomes the X49 (see more below)
• The 342/X42 becomes the 47/X47.
• First will be running a commercial service, the X46, to replace the subsidised X27 that Wessex currently run. It will only go as far as Bristol bus station, not on to Anchor Road as the current service does, but it will extend beyond Yate to Chipping Sodbury. Wessex are looking to continue to run the X27 as a commercial service, but with reduced frequency.

Consultation on changes to subsidised services

South Glos Council is asking for your views on planned changes to some of the services it subsidises.

• The 689 Yate to Bristol service will be replaced by a new commercial service, X49, run by First, saving the council £40,000 in subsidy. It is good news for passengers as it will run earlier in the morning and later in the evening than the current service and will be extended to run on Sundays.
• The council plans to stop the experimental 222 Longwell Green-Chipping Sodbury service, which goes via Yate, Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath and Kendleshire, to save £150,000.
• The 622 Cribbs Causeway to Chipping Sodbury service, which goes via the Stover Road area, Rangeworthy and Tytherington, would no longer run before 9am.

The council is also proposing to save £110,000 by no longer subsidising supported school services where the services are not readily available to the public and there are no pupils entitled to free transport using the routes. Instead they will support schools and parent groups to arrange their own transport.

Those that affect pupils in our area are:

• 680 – Frampton Cotterell – UWE – SGS Filton College (but the 81 offers an alternative service)
• 967 – South Yate – Chipping Sodbury Secondary School – Brimsham Green School (for which there is currently no alternative – one pupil has been using the service from Westerleigh village)

You can find out more and make comments on the South Glos website before the end of March.

Waiting restriction review

South Glos Council is planning to change the waiting restrictions on the roads on and around the trading estates on the edge of Yate. This includes a residents parking permit scheme outside the rank of cottages on North Road. You can find out more and comment on the South Glos website - the deadline for comments is 20th February.

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.

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.

Resurfacing of the A432 in Yate

From today, Stover Road will be closed and the lights at the junction with the A432 Badminton Road will be replaced with temporary ones so that the road can be resurfaced and the detector-loops cut. The estimated completion date is 17 November.

Similar work is being carried out at the junction of Station Road and Cranleigh Court Road. It's hoped this will finish by Sunday.

Badminton Road resurfacing

Claire Young has been given the following dates for the resurfacing work on Badminton Road and Station Road in Yate:

Station Road, Yate: From its junction with Westerleigh Close to North Road
20:00hrs on Friday 29th October - 06:00hrs on Monday 1st November 2010

Station Road, Yate: At its junction with Cranleigh Court Road
20:00hrs on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Thursday 4th November 2010
20:00hrs on Thursday 4th November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Friday 5th November 2010

Badminton Road, Yate: From the new joint at North Road down to the roundabout outside the new offices (inc. remaining area in Stover Road)
20:00hrs on Friday 5th November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Monday 8th November 2010

Badminton Road, Yate: From the new joint at North Road down to the roundabout outside the new offices (inc. remaining area in Stover Road)
20:00hrs on Friday 12th November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Monday 15th November 2010

Stover Road lights

If you've found yourself stuck in long queues at the Stove Road/Badminton Road junction lights, there is hope that the problems may be fixed soon.

When Claire Young passed on complaints from residents, they informed her that all the vehicle detecting loops for the traffic signals are damaged. Although Siemens have made some temporary alterations to alleviate the situation, they have only been partially successful and the traffic signals are not functioning at their optimum. The loops will be repaired in October when Badminton Road is resurfaced.

Joint Waste Core Strategy - the next stage

The four authorities that used to be Avon have been developing a Joint Waste Core Strategy (JWCS) setting out where new waste processing sites should go. On 30th July 2010 they submitted the JWCS Submission Document to the Secretary of State for independent examination. The Secretary of State will appoint a Planning Inspector to examine the ‘soundness’ of the Core Strategy, considering the representations received.

As part of the examination, the Inspector is likely to hold a public hearing. This is currently expected to take place in November 2010, but will be subject to confirmation from the Planning Inspectorate.

The Joint Waste Core Strategy and other supporting documents are available to view on the West of England Partnership’s website.

Badminton Road pavement resurfacing

On 26th and 27th July there will be disruption for traffic on Badminton Road between the Stover Road and Westerleigh Close junctions due to the pavements being resurfaced. Work will start at about 8am and end at about 5pm each day.

Chance to raise local issues

The latest Safer Stronger Community Group meeting for Frampton Cotterell, Westerleigh, Coalpit Heath, Iron Acton and the edge of Yate will take place at 7.30pm tomorrow, Wednesday 23rd June, in St Saviours Church Hall. This is your chance to have your say on how we can make our communities safer and stronger.

One issue may be the light switch-off trial in the lane between Wayleaze and Alexander Road in Coalpit Heath (left). This was started in response to vandalism and other anti-social behaviour carried out be people hanging around under the light in the lane. In the past when the light has been broken, the issues have stopped because people don't like hanging around in the dark. It appears it may indeed have reduced the problems for people whose properties back on to the middle of the lane, but unfortunately there has been an incident closer to the Wayleaze end, lit by a different street light. This has been a long-running issue and we would very much like your views on tackling it.

There will also be a chance to find out more about the Council's draft Core Strategy, the document setting out where thousands of new homes should go by 2026. There will be a display and officers will be on hand for the hour before the main meeting to help. Turn up at 6.30pm to find out more!

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.

South Avenue parking permit clarification

Following a query from a resident of South Avenue, officers have clarified how the parking permit scheme works. South Gloucestershire Council has agreed to issue up to 2 permits to residents to cover their own and visitors' vehicles. The parking permits are not vehicle specific and therefore could be used for either residents or visitors. If two permits are not sufficient a detailed case would need to be made to request an additional permit and it would need to be considered against the level of demand on the rest of the cul-de-sac.

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.

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.

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.

Joint Waste Core Strategy Preferred Options Consultation

Earlier this year, the West of England partnership carried out the Joint Waste Core Strategy Preferred Options Consultation (we blogged about it here). This was of particular interest to people living near the trading estates on the western edge of Yate as some of the options included a waste treatment plant there.

The partnership are currently considering all the responses and from 5th June you will be able to view a summary of responses and other information on their website www.westofengland.org/waste There will then be a further chance to have your say until 17th July.

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.

Waste consultation deadline today (Thursday)

The waste consultation ends today! You can comment online at http://www.westofengland.org/waste.