Temporary closure of Henfield Road

South Glos have issued a notice to say that Henfield Road will be closed from Station Road to Ram Hill at some point on or after 24th January. The closure will only operate while signs are in place and is expected to take place over one night between 8.30pm and 4am.

History talk next Wednesday

The latest Frampton Cotterell and District Local History Society talk will take place on Wednesday 17 January 2018 at 7.30pm in the Zion Church, Frampton Cotterell. "A Little Kingdom – the Harman family’s Lundy 1925 to 1969" is a talk by Andre Countanche. All are welcome, the entry is £4, including light refreshments, or you can pay an annual subscription of £15.

Time running out to have your say on housing plans

Time is running out to have your say on plans for thousands of new homes in our area - all comments have to be made by the end of 10th January - that's next Wednesday.

How to have your say

You can comment online - you can step through the Joint Spatial Plan section by section and there is a button at the bottom of each section that allows you to add a comment. You'll need to register with the site, if you haven't already done so for a previous consultation, and log in. Do make sure you submit each comment before moving on to the next section.

Policy 2 sets out the Spatial Strategy - this lists the locations where large numbers of houses are proposed and explains why. The five locations in South Gloucestershire are covered by policies 7.8 to 7.12. Don't be misled by the latter being labelled Yate, the land is actually in Iron Acton and Westerleigh Parishes.

If you're short of time, focus on the policy for the area of most interest to you, you don't have to respond to every policy.

Before making your comments, it is well worth reading this page on how to comment and this guide to commenting.

Remember, this is your last chance to have your say so don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes.

Reminder - Westerleigh smell drop-in on Monday

Before Monday's Westerleigh Parish Council meeting in Westerleigh Village Hall, there will be a drop-in from 5.30-7pm where local people can talk to Wessex Water, Tulip (abattoir owners) and the Environment Agency about the smell problem in the village. This follows the good news that Wessex Water plan to start on a Flood Alleviation Scheme in the autumn, which will introduce a new section of sewer that will take the discharge from the abattoir and bypass the village.

Woodlands Farm - Barratt Homes to appeal

As some eagle-eyed residents have spotted, correspondence on the web page for the Woodlands Farm "Blackberry Park" application shows that Barratt Homes are going to appeal against the council's refusal last summer.

What is on the website at the moment is pre-appeal correspondence, where they're sorting out what form the appeal will take. The Planning Inspectorate have agreed with Barratt Homes that there will be a public inquiry but Barratt Homes have not yet submitted the Appeal Start Letter. This is the official notification of the start of the appeal and is key because all the dates (for example, the deadline for comments) will flow from that. When South Glos gets the Appeal Start Letter they will then notify Claire Young as ward member, the Parish Council and so on.

For the hundreds of people who objected to the application, this will not be a welcome start to the new year. When the appeal does start, we will let you know how you can have your say.

Have your say on Climate Change Strategy

Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. South Glos Council is currently consulting on its draft Climate Change Strategy for 2018 - 2023. You can find out more and have your say at www.southglos.gov.uk/climate18 until 12th March.
There are several ways you can respond:

• Take part in the online survey
• Download and print a paper copy of the survey and send to Freepost  RTXL-YJXJ-BXEX, South Gloucestershire Council, Corporate Research & Consultation Team, Climate Change Strategy, Council offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BRISTOL BS37 5AF
• Email: consultation@southglos.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01454868154

Next mining talk

The next South Glos Mines Research Group talk will take place on Wednesday 10th January, 2018 at the Cricket Club, Serridge Lane, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TT (7:30pm for an 8:00pm start). The talk by Jonathan Maisey will be about the history and exploration of Windrush Quarry, one of the underground sources of Cotswold Stone. Non-members pay £2 or you can pay £17.50 to become a member and attend the regular talks for free.