New bus service for Tytherington and Rangeworth

Stagecoach West has introduced a useful new service from Chipping Sodbury to Cribbs Causeway via Yate, Rangeworthy, Tytherington and Thornbury - full timetable here.

Resurfacing works around the area

Last week we reported that Badminton Road would be closed overnight for resurfacing work. Other roads around our area will also be resurfaced in the coming weeks:

• 20-23 June - Tytherington Road, Tytherington
• 21-29 June - Westerleigh Road, Pucklechurch
• 24 June - 2 July - Latteridge Road, Iron Acton, between the traffic lights and the railway line.

The roads will be closed 8pm to 6am each night.These works will inevitably create a significant amount of noise. Access to properties and amenities fronting the site and whose only access is from the closed road, will be available at all times and every effort will be made to keep the disruption to local residents to a minimum. Adverse weather or other problems could change the times and dates. Throughout the work, the road must be kept clear of vehicles.

Action on road safety

Last week's Frome Vale Area Forum saw local councillors winning support for a number of highway safety schemes in our area:

• In Tytherington, an existing school bus stop point will be moved, dropped kerbs south of the lay-by improved and a coloured road surface introduced to highlight the crossing point. The scheme will also provide a new crossing point at the Stowell Hill/New Rd junction and a small area of coloured
  road surfacing and the existing pavement will be extended from its current end in New Rd to Stowell Hill. Contact Howard Gawler if you have any questions.
• The first phase of the Church Road proposals will be implemented. There will first be further consultation, taking into account suggestions from residents during the previous informal consultation period. Contact Pat and Dave Hockey for more information.
• The second phase of traffic calming proposals for the rural part of Henfield Road, around the sharp bend at the junction with Ram Hill, will go ahead. Monitoring last year showed a significant number of vehicles were travelling well in excess of the 30mph speed limit, despite it being a blind bend with a junction on it. There will be further consultation on the proposals before implementation. Contact Claire Young to find out more.
• Further traffic calming measures will be investigated on Westerleigh Road between the railway bridge and Broad Lane and on Shorthill Road after complaints from residents about some of the measures implemented so far. The outcome of the investigation will be a set of proposals for consideration for funding next year. Again, contact Claire Young for more info.

Claire also highlighted the results of her survey on a 20mph limit around the Manor School, in an effort to get it prioritised in the roll-out of 20mph limits to schools that don’t currently have them.

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.

Tytherington Post Office and Shop

The community shop continues to run successfully with the help of many willing volunteers. The committee under the guidance of Chair, Daphne Brown, is looking to expand the building to give the staff more office and work space and to enable them to offer some takeaway food for the first time.

The Post Office staff have been working extra hard in order to help out with Cromhall during the illness of the Postmistress, Mrs Sue Baines. They have done this successfully and residents of both villages are extremely grateful for their efforts. Looking to the future, they would like to increase their hours to something nearer the 21 hours offered by Cromhall, as business is being lost due to restricted opening hours. Your local councillor, Howard Gawler, has allocated just over £3000 from his Merlin Transfer funding allocation to help out with this project.

Stidcot Lane resurfaced

 Users of Stidcot Lane, between Tytherington and the Wotton Road had been aware for many months that the road was in an appalling condition.

When Streetcare had to close the road for the resurfacing of the Rectory Lane bend due to frost damage, they took the opportunity to survey the whole 900m stretch back to
Duck St. They agreed with local councillor, Howard Gawler, that the road needed to be resurfaced as an emergency job. This was quickly done over a 5 day period.

Streetcare apologised for closing the road unexpectedly and at short notice, but to do it between peak hours would have taken two weeks and been considerably more expensive.

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.

Stidcot Lane resurfacing

Stidcot Lane, between the Rectory Lane and Duck Street junctions, is due for resurfacing during 2011. Prior to that work being done, the edges will have to be patched, before the new surface can be laid. However due to the number of potholes which now affect this lane, some temporary remedial work will have to be done. It is due to be inspected shortly and Howard Gawler has already made sure it is on the Streetcare Task Register for the work to be done as soon as possible.

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