Steve Webb MP welcomes withdrawal of composting application

Local MP Steve Webb has welcomed the decision by SITA to withdraw their application for a giant composting plant in the Green Belt between Pucklechurch and Westerleigh. You can read more on his website.

Mayshill roadworks

There will be temporary traffic lights on the A432 Badminton Road, A432 at Mayshill on March 9th for a water supply pipe.

Westerleigh roadworks

Work is due to start on 10 March on installing the traffic lights at the crossroads of the B4465 with Westerleigh Road and Shorthill Road. There will be temporary traffic lights in place, mainly during off-peak times, and the work is expected to finish in mid-May.

There will also be temporary traffic signals from 7th to the 14th March on Westerleigh Road in Westerleigh village for the installation of bus boarder kerbs.

Composting - new site?

SITA have not yet revealed the new site they are considering. However, in their letter formally withdrawing the application to build a composting facility off Batchfield Lane they say it is a brown field site but still in the green belt. Clearly they are not looking at an industrial area such as Avonmouth, which would be more like the site of the facility that Claire Young and other local councillors visited in London.

LATEST - Composting application withdrawn

SITA have withdrawn their application to build an in-vessel composting facility in the Green Belt near Westerleigh.

They now say that they are pursuing an alternative brownfield site in the area, which has only become available in the last two weeks.

This is excellent news for residents, who opposed the application in unprecedented numbers. More news as it becomes available.

Frome Vale area Forum on Thursday

The Frome Vale Area Forum starts at 7pm on Thursday 6 March in the Ridgewood Centre, Yate. Topics this time include anti-social behaviour in Chipping Sodbury High Street and the new Council offices on Badminton Road. The panel will be considering community grants and there will be the usual open forum for residents to raise issues affecting them.

Phone mast appeal

Many people are asking what is happening with the phone mast appeal. Claire Young has discussed it with the Case Officer, who assures her that when the Planning Inspectorate notifies the Council of the appeal, the Council will write to all objectors for whom they have addresses.

The appeal will be decided by written representations. That means that rather than holding a public inquiry, the Planning Inspector will consider written submissions from the applicant, the Council and objectors. All the original comments will be forwarded on but you can send the Inspector further comments if you wish. Details of where to send them will be on the letters that go out.

On a related subject, those who attended the public meeting may recall that the meeting called on South Gloucestershire Council to take a co-ordinated approach to mobile phone mast applications. Claire Young raised this issue in a question to the Cabinet Member responsible for planning at January's meeting of full Council. You can read the question, supplementary question and responses starting on page 10 of the minutes.