Housing plans - dates for your diary

Last year, the West of England consulted on a Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) proposing:

• 1,500 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 2,600 around Yate and Chipping Sodbury
• 1,000 homes at Charfield
• 600 homes at Thornbury
• 2,200 homes at a new garden village at Buckover near Thornbury

The next round of consultation will take place in the autumn and judging from where they're holding the drop-in events, they are pressing ahead with these locations. The full list of drop-in events is:

• Charfield Event – Charfield Memorial Hall - Wednesday 20th Sept 2 – 8pm
• Coalpit Heath Event – Coalpit Heath Village Hall/Miners InstituteFriday 22nd Sept – 2 – 8pm
• Thornbury Event – Armstrong Hall –Friday 29th Sept – 2 – 8pm
• Yate Event – Sodbury Town Hall – Wednesday 4th October - 2 – 8pm
• Buckover Event – Falfield Village Hall – Friday 6th Oct – 2 – 8pm

Blackberry Park application refused

After a lengthy debate, the DC (East) Planning Committee refused on a split vote the Barratt Homes "Blackberry Park" outline application for up to 215 homes on land at Woodlands Farm. Local campaigners were there to have their say and show their support for protecting the site.

Barratt Homes now have the option to appeal against the decision. We will let you know if this happens.

Reminder - railway electrification work

As we've previously reported, for 4 weeks from 19th August Network Rail will be carrying out electrification work between Royal Wootton Bassett and Westerleigh junction. Some of the work will be noisy.

From 2nd to 15th September, the work will be extended to include Westerleigh Junction, Coalpit Heath, Winterbourne, Stoke Gifford and Bristol Parkway station, up to Patchway/Filton junctions and Bristol Parkway station will be closed. Trains will still be running using diversionary routes, with rail replacement bus and coach services in place for some journeys.

For the latest on the railway upgrade works go to www.networkrail.co.uk/westernupgrade and for more about rail services during the Bristol Parkway closure go to gwr.com/bristolparkway2017 or crosscountrytrains.co.uk/bristol2017

If you have any questions about the work and missed the earlier drop-ins, there is another one planned at The Old School Rooms, St Michael’s Centre, Stoke Gifford on Thursday, August 17 from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.

Have your say on Adult Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Strategy

South Gloucestershire Council is consulting on the Adult Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Strategy for 2017-2022. The strategy will guide local work to improve mental health for all adults living and working in South Gloucestershire over the next 5 years. You have until Friday 6th October to comment - find out more here.

Woodlands Farm - decision next week

The "Blackberry Park" application for up to 215 homes at Woodlands Farm will be decided at the DC (East) planning committee meeting next Thursday. The meeting starts at 3pm in Kingswood Civic Centre and the public are very welcome to attend. There will be up to 5 minutes for objectors to speak. The case officer has recommended that the application be approved. You can read their 66 page report online.

Cuts to local health services

Faced with a growing deficit, NHS chiefs have proposed a series of changes to local health services to cut costs. You can find out more about their plans and how to have your say on their website.

Most controversially, they are proposing to limit fertility treatment to women between 30 and 35 years of age. They already only fund one treatment, rather than the NICE recommendation of up to 3. This would mean that access to fertility treatment was even more limited. Your have until 15th September to have your say on this - some of the other consultations finish as early as next week.

During the recent election, the Liberal Democrats proposed putting an extra 1p in the pound on income tax to increase NHS funding. Across the country, we are seeing the consequences of under funding.

Campaigners lobby for climate change action

Last Saturday campaigners, including local councillor Claire Young, attended The Climate Coalition's Week of Action coffee morning in the Ridgeway Cafe in Yate. They discussed ways to tackle climate change at a local level then afterwards went to lobby the local MP to demand action from the government on the national changes necessary to support local action.

Issues covered included giving certainty about feed-in tariffs to volunteers trying to get community energy projects off the ground, requiring new homes being built in our area to be 'zero carbon' and improvements to public transport. Sadly, from scrapping energy regulations for new homes to cutting feed-in tariffs for renewables, the Conservatives have a poor record on supporting low carbon policies.