Badminton Road overnight closure

The A432 Badminton Road will be closed at the railway viaduct from midnight to 6am on 26th October 2012. Pedestrians will be escorted through the site when it is safe to do so.

Have your say on council's parking enforcement policy

In 2007 South Gloucestershire Council introduced decriminalised parking enforcement. This means that for certain offences, council officers rather than the police enforce the law. Since then the Department for Transport have introduced a number of new powers, including some which the council can choose whether or not to take up. At the same time, the council has been developing its own "custom and practice". All these are now being brought together in a comprehensive parking enforcement policy.

You can read the proposed policy and make comments on the Council's website. The deadline for comments is 14 December 2012.

Saturday operating at abattoir

During the run up to Christmas, Tulip will be operating full abattoir and butchery operation on the following Saturdays:

• 20th October
• 3rd November
• 17th November
• 1st December
• 15th December 

Livestock will arrive during the mornings, starting from 6.30 and ending between 10.30 and 11.00am. It is expected that all operations will be completed by around 1pm and the blood and animal by-products produced will be collected and removed from the site by 3pm. All the normal management systems will be running to make sure the site complies with Environmental and Food Standards requirements.

Day care services - give your views

You have until Sunday 28th October to tell South Glos Council what you think day services in South Gloucestershire should look like in the future. You can fill in the survey online.

Yate Fire Station Open Day

This Saturday (20th October) Yate Fire Station are holding an open day in aid of Corin's First Steps and The Fire Fighters Charity. There will be a mixture of displays (car extrication, fire rescue, water tower) and fundraiser stalls. A hog roast and refreshments will be available.

Core Strategy - Woodlands Farm and Engine Common

In June and July a Planning Inspector held the public inquiry for South Gloucestershire’s Core Strategy, its planning blueprint for development up to 2027. 

Representatives of the developers tried very hard to convince the Inspector that Woodlands Farm and Engine Common should be earmarked for development. As those of you who have already read the Inspector’s “Preliminary Findings and Main Modifications” will know, he has not accepted their proposals. He agrees with South Gloucestershire Council that rural communities should shape their own areas through Neighbourhood Planning. Sites in these areas would be small scale, up to 30 dwellings.

This is not the end of the story. It is not celebration time for those seeking to protect Woodlands Farm or Engine Common from development.

Although the Inspector endorsed the total number of homes planned for up to 2027, he did not agree with the council that more of the development should happen in the later years. He stated that 1,588 dwellings must be built each year in South Gloucestershire, with an additional “buffer” of 20%. The council has to show through an “Interim Housing Statement” that some of the sites already proposed could be developed sooner than currently planned or identify new strategic sites to cover the shortfall.

The Inspector’s “Preliminary Findings and Main Modifications” is a consultation document and it could be changed.

 A very impressive number of letters were written to point out why Woodlands Farm and Engine Common should not be allocated for development in the Core Strategy. There is the opportunity until November 16th to:

• welcome the fact that Woodlands Farm or Engine Common has not been identified in the Inspector’s proposals;
• welcome his support for local communities involvement in planning the future of their areas;
• state why you believe that Woodlands Farm or Engine Common should not be identified in the Interim Housing Statement as a possible strategic development site. 

Responses can be sent to: planningLDF@southglos.gov.uk

All information about the Core Strategy including the “Preliminary Findings and Main Modifications” is at www.southglos.gov.uk/corestrategy

If you have any queries, please contact Pat Hockey (pat.hockey@southglos.gov.uk).

Could you help combat speeding?

Are you worried about speeding in your road? Would you like to get involved in tackling the problem?

Community Speed Watch groups are made up of volunteers who get together to carry out speed checks in their area. Those caught get a warning letter and if caught repeatedly will get a visit from the police. These groups have proved effective elsewhere in tackling speeding.

There are already well established groups in some of our communities, such as Westerleigh and Frampton Cotterell and new ones are in the process of being set up in others, like Coalpit Heath and Codrington.

South Gloucestershire Council has been working to improve support for the groups. They have agreed new kit with the police, which includes a new, lighter speed gun, dictaphones to make it easier to record the details of vehicles, reflective jackets and other useful items. Not only is it hoped that this package will be more effective than the existing ones, it is also considerably cheaper, enabling new groups to be kitted out for under £500 rather than £2000.

Each group has a volunteer co-ordinator. The co-ordinators across South Gloucestershire have got together in a network, with a small steering group. They are happy to support new groups by sending out experienced volunteers to help with the early sessions and are co-ordinating the training, which in the past has been an issue.

New, free software is being used to co-ordinate the data across South Gloucestershire, so that if drivers get caught in different parts of the area they will be recognised as repeat offenders rather than getting multiple first-time letters.

South Gloucestershire Council and the police are working together to support the volunteers more effectively. The groups are to be given better feedback, so they can see the effect they are having. The council will install interactive speed signs twice a year at all speed watch locations and the police will attend some of the speed watch sessions and visit sites where there is a clear pattern of speeding.

If you would like to get involved, please contact your Focus Team for more information.