Police urge residents to secure their properties

Following a rise in rural burglaries in the Badminton and Chipping Sodbury area, the police have urged residents to leave valuables out of sight and make sure doors and windows are locked when they are not in the room. Read more in the Gazette.

Don't forget - another chance to have your say on health

Tomorrow (Tuesday 26 May) there will be a chance to share your views on local health and social care needs as part of an event in Yate Shopping Centre to celebrate Family Week. For more information, take a look at the consultation website.

Joint Parishes Garden Competition 2009

The 2009 Garden Competition is a joint competition between Yate, Sodbury, Dodington and Westerleigh and is open to all residents and schools within the Parishes. The closing date for schools has gone by, but you can enter your own garden up until 15 June.Application forms for the 2009 Joint Parishes Garden Competition are now available to download from this page on the Yate Town Council website.

Joint Waste Core Strategy Preferred Options Consultation

Earlier this year, the West of England partnership carried out the Joint Waste Core Strategy Preferred Options Consultation (we blogged about it here). This was of particular interest to people living near the trading estates on the western edge of Yate as some of the options included a waste treatment plant there.

The partnership are currently considering all the responses and from 5th June you will be able to view a summary of responses and other information on their website www.westofengland.org/waste There will then be a further chance to have your say until 17th July.

Don't forget - have your say on health tomorrow

Tomorrow (Saturday 16 May) there will be a chance to share your views on local health and social care needs at a Meet and Greet event in Yate Shopping Centre. For more information, take a look at the consultation website.

Tormarton composting facility - Environment Agency withdraw their objection

The Environment Agency have written to South Gloucestershire Council to say that they are now prepared to conditionally withdraw their objection to the planning application for a composting facility near Tormarton. This follows the submission of further technical information by the applicants to the Environment Agency regarding odour management as part of the Environmental Permitting process.

However, there is still the holding objection to the application by the Highways Agency which needs to be resolved before the application could be reported to Committee. There is no indication at this stage of the timescale for the Highways Agency to lift their holding objection.

You can read the letter on the South Glos website.

Apply now for capital grants

Voluntary and community groups in our area have five weeks from today to apply for grants for capital projects. More information on the Community Grants page of the South Glos website.