Henfield Paddock site visit details

The site visit for the Henfield Paddock application will take place on Friday 20th June, with the committee members being expected to arrive at the site at approximately 10.55am. You can view the agenda and the officer's report online.

Your views on lighting on Bristol-Bath Railway Path

South Glos is consulting on proposals to install lighting on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path in South Gloucestershire.

The path is well used by walkers and cyclists from our area, both to commute to work and for leisure. The lighting will be installed from Siston Hill roundabout to Mangotsfield Station, Mangotsfield Station to Station Road and from Station Road to the Bristol boundary. The aim of this scheme is to improve visibility, encourage greater use of the path by cyclists and walkers, and to provide a greater sense of personal security for all users.

The council proposes using energy efficient LED lights positioned on 6 metre high columns that minimise any light spillage towards nearby land and properties. These lights would be switched off between 1am and 5am in accordance with the council’s part night lighting policy. They are not proposing to make any changes to the current lighting arrangements in the Staple Hill tunnel.

These proposals are estimated to cost £125,000 and will be funded through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) and the council’s capital programme. If it is agreed that the proposals should go ahead, works are likely to start later this summer.

A copy of the plans are available to view or download online at: www.southglos.gov.uk/consultation . The consultation runs until 30 June 2014.

Have your say on the future of youth club

The controversial closure of the Brockeridge Youth Club by Frampton Cotterell Parish Council has hit the front page of the Gazette.

The youth club has a successful track record of providing for young people who have rejected the alternative organisations in the village, many of whom need the support, guidance and understanding of a professional youth worker. The Parish Council provided the club in the first place to tackle the anti-social behaviour associated with young people hanging around with nowhere to go.

Figures provided by the Parish Clerk show the average weekly attendance over the last 14 months is 25.  At the meeting, volunteer youth worker Chris Harris, manager of the Nisa Martin Harris, Jen Dunford from Village Action and local beat manager PC Finbar Simmons all spoke in support of the youth club.

Cllr Pat Hockey said, “We should always evaluate what we do but not close down what we have got and what is working well until we have consulted on it and found, without a shadow of a doubt, what is proposed is better than what we have.” She successfully proposed an amendment to the closure vote requiring a consultation to take place over the next few weeks. If you believe the Brockeridge Centre should re-open in September with the available money, it’s vital you write in to the Clerk to Frampton Cotterell Parish Council to have your say. Let Pat and Dave Hockey know your views too.

Cllr Dave Hockey, who has previously worked at the youth club and wanted to see it saved, said: “I am disgusted by the way this has been handled and I will make sure the whole village knows it. The club has helped many young people facing troubling circumstances.”

Views wanted on Chipping Sodbury highways plans

South Glos Council is consulting on proposals for a new traffic management scheme in Chipping Sodbury. The plans include introducing a new 20mph speed limit around the centre of Chipping Sodbury and enhancing the existing pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction of High Street and Wickwar Road, High Street and Broad Street. There would also be a new traffic calming feature on Hounds road near St John's School and there are plans to introduce waiting restrictions around Chipping Sodbury and Station Road.

For further information please visit www.southglos.gov.uk/chippingsodburytraffic  -  the deadline for comments is Friday 27th June.

A public exhibition will also be held upstairs in the Town Hall in Chipping Sodbury on Monday 9 June between 2pm and 8pm. You will be able to talk directly to the scheme’s designers and provide feedback.

Have your say on pharmacy services

South Gloucestershire Council, on behalf of South Gloucestershire’s Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB), wants to hear what you think of the current pharmacy services in our area. These include local pharmacy or chemist shops, pharmacy services in supermarkets, GP practices that dispense medicines for their patients and online pharmacies.

The results will help develop the Pharmacy Needs Assessment (PNA), which will look at the need for pharmacy services in South Gloucestershire, the level and accessibility of pharmacy services and how these will be maintained and developed in the future.

You can find further information and respond on the South Glos consultation site. The consultation runs until 5 July 2014.

Howard Gawler elected Chair of Council

Ladden Brook Councillor Howard Gawler has been elected chair of Council for 2014/15, having served as Vice-Chair for the last year.

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the council are elected each year at the council’s annual meeting and represent the council at civic functions, as well as chairing full meetings of Council.

Cllr Gawler said: “I am very much looking forward to the year ahead. I will be supporting two South Gloucestershire-based charities during my year in office; the Great Western Air Ambulance which provides such a lifeline to people in need and the Hosanna Primary School Support Group. The group is based in Yate, in association with Brimsham Green School, and helps primary school children at Hosanna Primary in Kampala, Uganda.”

Another phone mast upgrade planned

Vodafone are planning to upgrade the phone mast on Park Lane, at the junction with Clyde Road. As with the Badminton Road upgrade we reported last week, this is not a full planning application. The council cannot stop them installing the new mast but can comment on its position and design. Pat Hockey has talked to the immediate neighbours about the plans. You can comment on the South Glos website by going to the Simple Search page and searching for PT14/1851/PN1. The deadline for comments is Monday 9th June.