Autumn events

If you'd like to get out and about this autumn, there is a range of fun and often free events being run by South Gloucestershire Council with local organisations and community groups. Whether you fancy bat detecting, making apply juice or foraging for fungi, you can find out more in this online leaflet.

Local food and drink festival

The fifth year of South Gloucestershire's "Taste" local food and drink festival runs from Saturday 12 September to Sunday 11 October. Events include the chance to visit Shipton Flour Mill, a tour of Thornbury Castle and vineyard and a butter making demonstration. For more information visit the South Gloucestershire Local Food website.

While we're on the subject of food, today sees the launch of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which aims to get all of us to waste less food. A food waste diary competition is being run, more details on the South Glos website.

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.

Composting application to be resubmitted

SITA have withdrawn their application for a composting facility near Tormarton but intend to re-submit a revised application later in the autumn. They say that this will include additional supporting information that has been collected following consultation with the Highways Agency and Environment Agency.

Your local Focus team has welcomed the withdrawal, for which they have been campaigning, but now awaits the new application. We will of course keep local people informed.

Yate Safer Stronger Community Group tonight

The Yate Safer Stronger Community Group will meet tonight (Thursday 3rd September) at 7pm in the Courtside Suite at Yate Leisure Centre. Come along to air your views on issues in the Yate beat, which includes the rural part of Dodington Parish.

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.

MP urges action on spiralling unemployment

Local MP Steve Webb has called for urgent Government action to tackle the spiralling level of unemployment in this area. Although it remains well below the national average, the number of people out of work and claiming benefit has more than trebled in the last year.

Steve said, "It is a source of great concern that unemployment levels are rising rapidly in our area. There is a danger that the Government concentrates all of its attention on traditional unemployment 'blackspots' and neglects areas such as ours which have had low unemployment in the past but are now being hard hit by the Recession."

"I am urging the Government to ensure that local JobCentres have more resources to assist those who are unemployed. We also need to make sure that the banks lend money to the many viable local businesses who are struggling to raise finance".

If you are a local employer being hit by the recession, Steve would like to hear from you. You can find all his contact details on the front page of his website.