Link Road, Yate to close for 5 weeks from Mon 11th October

Link Road will be closed for five weeks while preparatory works are carried out for the extension to Yate Shopping Centre. 

However, shoppers will still have access to the Shopping Centre and the Total petrol station from the Kennedy Way direction on a temporary access road. Buses will also access the existing bus station along this temporary road. Traffic can then rejoin Link Road by taking a left turn out of the shopping centre car park. 

Traffic wishing to use the overflow car park can access Link Road from the Station Road end and will have to leave by a right turn. All other traffic that normally uses Link Road will be diverted along Kennedy Way and Station Road.

The aim is to get the disruption out of the way before the busy Christmas opening in late November.

The contractors will be widening Link Road on the eastern (ooverflow) side; diverting the cycle and foot paths; infilling the Link Road underpass; and installing traffic management measures. The bus station remains unaffected although work will follow to build the new station ready for opening early in 2011.

This week's Gazette article includes local comments about the closure.

Badminton Road and Station Road, Yate - resurfacing

Claire Young has been given the following dates for the resurfacing work on Badminton Road and Station Road in Yate:

Station Road, Yate: From its junction with Westerleigh Close to North Road
20:00hrs on Friday 29th October - 06:00hrs on Monday 1st November 2010

Station Road, Yate: At its junction with Cranleigh Court Road
20:00hrs on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Thursday 4th November 2010
20:00hrs on Thursday 4th November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Friday 5th November 2010

Badminton Road, Yate: From the new joint at North Road down to the roundabout outside the new offices (inc. remaining area in Stover Road)
20:00hrs on Friday 5th November 2010 - 06:00hrs on Monday 8th November 2010

Badminton Road, Yate: From the new joint at North Road down to the roundabout outside the new offices (inc. remaining area in Stover Road)

Wapley Bushes path works about to start!

The works on site will start next Tuesday, 5th October.

They should last approximately 10 days, weather permitting.

During that time the Ride will be closed and walkers will be asked to use the path through the Woods instead.

Chipping Sodbury split down the middle over Waitrose development

As we previously reported, Sodbury Town Council circulated a voting slip to all their households to gauge opinion on the proposal. The question was:
"Do you approve of the proposals for a Waitrose Store and residential housing on the Barnhill Site in Chipping Sodbury as per Planning Application PK10/1675/O?"

The results were as follows:

• Yes: 393
• No: 435
• Unsure: 57

That's 885 households responding out of 2286 - a 38% response, which is very good for this sort of consultation. So well done Sodbury Town Council, even if the overall town result seems to be "Don't know".

There was then a Town Council meeting at which the councillors voted 5 in favour, and 5 against the development, mirroring public opinion.

The plans now go to South Glos Council's Development Control Committee in December.

More details in the Gazette report here.

Police awards

If you would like to nominate a police officer or member of staff for an award recognising their hard work, now's your chance. The Avon and Somerset Police are looking for nominations for their fourth Community Policing Awards. To find out more and make a nomination visit the Community Policing Awards website.

Celebrating Age Open Day

Living (dlc), the local Disabled Living Centre, is holding a “Celebrating Age” OPEN DAY at the Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2QQ on Wednesday 29th September 2010 10:00 am – 3:00pm. Admission is free, as is the tea/coffee and cake, and all are welcome. For information please phone 0117 9653651.

Stover Road lights

If you've found yourself stuck in long queues at the Stove Road/Badminton Road junction lights, there is hope that the problems may be fixed soon.

When Claire Young passed on complaints from residents, they informed her that all the vehicle detecting loops for the traffic signals are damaged. Although Siemens have made some temporary alterations to alleviate the situation, they have only been partially successful and the traffic signals are not functioning at their optimum. The loops will be repaired in October when Badminton Road is resurfaced.

Engage Community Festival of Culture - Sat Oct 16, 10am - 6pm, WISE campus, Filton

South Gloucestershire Engage Festival is an event for the whole family. A chance for all cultures to come together and have fun!

More than 250 performers participate in a variety of live performances, youth and environmental activities, interactive information stalls, and an impressive feast of Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese and British food.

Come along and join in with the dynamic and colourful celebration of music, dance, drama, food, cookery, crafts and workshops. Witness the exciting live performances, showcasing many talented musicians, singers and dancers in South Gloucestershire.

More details on the Engage Community Festival of Culture online here, or you can ring 01454 868152. There's still time if you would like to register your group to get involved!

Sodbury in Bloom wins regional awards!

Sodbury in Bloom has won two awards at the South West In Bloom Award Ceremony. Not only did they gain a Silver Award, they were also awarded the very prestigious "Best Newcomer Award" - in all they gathered two plaques and a Bristol Blue Glass statuette.

Although the group was only formed a few months before the judges arrived, they put in so much hard work and enthusiasm that the judges said that all the other groups should watch out for them in future. They certainly impressed the judges with their efforts and enthusiasm.

Congratulations to all involved!

Have your say on Council budget

Back in July, Lib Dem group leader Cllr Ruth Davis won the Council's backing for a full public consultation on the Council's budget, similar to the Bristol City Council Big Budget Conversation. With the current serious economic situation the Council faces some tough decisions and the Lib Dems felt it was important that local people should have a say on how those decisions might affect the services they use. You can take part in the discussion here.

Local transport campaigners win fight for better consultation

The Joint Transport Plan is the most important road, rail and bus plan for the next few years. Campaigners fighting for better road and public transport links from Yate were horrified when South Gloucestershire Council's only local effort at public consultation was three hours at Yate Shopping Centre on a Tuesday lunchtime.

Cllr Chris Willmore complained "Yate shopping centre may be the centre of the universe to some people, but thinking you can get a proper understanding of public views by standing there one Tuesday lunchtime is mad. Our biggest problem is commuter traffic and by definition anyone who commutes out of town to work won't be on Yate Shopping centre on a Tuesday lunchtime - and even those who work around the industrial estates of Yate aren't there"

When campaigners complained, they were told that the policy was only having one Saturday public consultation event, and that had been scheduled for Bradley Stoke!

Again campaigners replied "But Bradley Stoke already has lots allocated to it in the scheme. They have virtually no transport proposals for Yate, yet they plan to add 3000 extra houses at Yate - we need to be talking with officials for them to hear our problems and find solutions"

Eventually, after a struggle, officials have agreed to do another consultation - on Yate Shopping Centre next Saturday, 25th Sept from 10 to 12 am.

Campaigner Chris Willmore is now calling on local people who have any travel worries - commuting, getting to hospital, shops, the cinema - and whether it is about cars, roads, buses or trains to come along and tell officials.

Chris added "Officials have told us that the public are not interested, which is why they were not bothered - let's show them they are wrong!"

Getting into public life

If you are interested in representing your local community, whether as a local councillor, school governor or magistrate, but don't know where to start, there is a free community learning programme to support you.

The 10 week course starts at 7pm on Monday 27 September in Yate Library. For more information, see the leaflet online.

If you are interested in standing as a Liberal Democrat Councillor in next year's elections, for South Gloucestershire Council or your local Town or Parish, please contact a member of your Focus team.

Appeal to trace cyclist who helped victim of attempted robbery in Yate

From the Avon and Somerset Police Website:

Police are trying to trace a cyclist who helped a woman after she was punched by a man who tried to take her handbag.

It happened as the 28-year-old woman was walking along Goose Green Way to catch the bus to work at about 6am on Wednesday September 08 2010.

A man came out of bushes as she neared Lye Field Park at the junction with Station Road, Yate,

He tried to grab her bag and as she struggled with him he punched her in the face before making off empty-handed.

The would-be robber was described as white, about 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall, clean shaven with a square jaw and wore a black hooded top and black trousers.

DC Mark Gilbert said: "A male cyclist stopped to help the woman while she was still lying on the floor and I am very keen to hear from him as he may have valuable information which could help our enquiry.

"This lady has been left shaken and bruised by the attack. We very seldom see incidents like this in the town and we need people to help us catch this man.

"Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact South Gloucestershire CID on 0845 467 7000. Alternatively contact the independent Crimestoppers charity by calling 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org. They never ask your name or trace your call."

£10k funding boost for Wapley Bushes project from SITA Trust

Dodington Parish Council has received a £10,495 funding boost from SITA Trust to fund a project called ‘Track to the Top’. The money will be used to rebuild a well-used public path in the Local Nature Reserve. Until now the path to the upper meadow has had no drainage, resulting in water flowing across the path and, in the winter, making walking extremely slippery and dangerous.

Wapley Common is a beautiful area of open and wooded land which lies between the Shire Way estate in Yate and the hamlet of Wapley in the rural southern edge of Dodington Parish.

"The Ride is an important route for walkers and for vehicles used to maintain the Reserve" explained Cllr Paul Hulbert. "Without it we would have to take heavy machinery across flower-rich meadows, which would damage them".

For several winters the Ride has been closed for safety because of mud

SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for community and environmental groups to carry out a range of improvement projects.

The scheme is also being supported by a community contribution of £1,200 from Wapley Bushes Conservation Group, who manage the Local Nature Reserve on behalf of the Parish Council.

"We are very grateful for SITA Trust’s support – this is one of our largest projects, and we couldn’t do it without them" said Tim Fairhead of the Conservation Group. "As well as improving access, upgrading the Ride will preserve the vegetation of the woodland edge and maintain it as one of our best areas for butterflies and other insects"

Technical support and advice is being provided by South Gloucestershire Council, the other partner in managing the Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve.

Yate Tesco - movement at last!

Yate Shopping Centre management has issued a leaflet detailing the timescales for the initial steps in the Tesco development.

September:

• Creating works compound in car park
• Demolishing the Swan and creating extra parking spaces
• Closing underpass
• Creating temporary access to current bus station
• Relocating footpath/cycleway from Kennedy Way towards underpass

October:

• Start of work on new bus station (12 weeks)
• Widening Link Road carriageway from Kennedy Way towards Station road (4 weeks)

Work will start on the main Tesco Extra store in February next year.

Have you seen pensioner's stolen scooter?

The Gazette reports a very mean theft - a Yate pensioner's red sapphire mobility scooter was taken at around 5.50pm on Sunday after youths were seen around the scooter in Stanshaws Drive.

The owner is 83, and the scooter is her only means of getting around.

Have you seen it, or been offered it? Please call the police on 0845 456 7000.

Consultation - should Yate Town Council take over Brinsham Fields?

Brinsham Fields, with its lake and the new play area, are currently run by South Gloucestershire Council. Yate Town Council has suggested that they could run it more effectively, and they are consulting Yate residents about it. Households in Yate should have a leaflet through their door shortly.

If the takeover goes ahead, responsibility will be handed over in 2011. By that time South Glos will have finished the play area improvements, upgraded the paths, put in three notice boards, and installed a kissing gate in the north west corner.

Your comments are welcomed until 30 September. The consultation page on Yate Town Council's website includes a link to an electronic version of the leaflet.

Discover the unexpected - South Glos Heritage Open Days, Thu 9 to Sun 12th September

Over the next few days there's a chance to visit some places that are normally closed to the public, and to take a behind-the-scenes look at some more familiar buildings.

Local buildings open include the Moda Hotel (originally the Bank of Chipping Sodbury), Rounceval House and Tudor House in Chipping Sodbury. A special treat is the chance to look inside Chipping Sodbury Police Station (they've promised to let you out again afterwards)

In Yate you can visit St Mary's Church, and subject to weather conditions you will be able to climb the 92 ft high tower. The nearby Yate Heritage Centre will be celebrating its tenth anniversary with a special event.

Further afield, in Coalpit Heath there's Ram Hill Colliery and St Saviour's Church. Winterbourne Medieval Barn, dating from 1342, is worth a visit. On Saturday 11th only there is free admission to the National Trust's mansion, garden and deer park at Dyrham Park.

For details of opening hours and any requirements for pre-booking, and for other locations open in South Glos, you can download the Heritage Open Days leaflet here.

If you're interested in places further afield, look at the national Heritage Open Days website. For example there's Bristol Blue Glass or the Clifton Rocks Railway. There's even a local building that seems to have been left out of the South Glos leaflet - the Masonic Hall in Chipping Sodbury - look in the Events Directory section under "Bristol" (!)

Chipping Sodbury Waitrose - for or against?

The controversial Barnhill Quarry development proposal provoked a lot of discussion at a recent public meeting in the Town Hall. It appears that local opinion is split for and against the Waitrose store and the housing development.

To gauge public opinion, Sodbury Town Council has circulated a voting slip to all households in the parish. they are asking for the papers to be returned to the Town Council by midday on Monday next week, 13 September.

The question is "Do you approve of the proposals for a Waitrose Store and residential housing on the Barnhill Site in Chipping Sodbury as per Planning Application PK10/1675/O?"

There are three options - yes, no and unsure. Please return the voting slip even if you're unsure, so that the Town Council knows whether the matter is of considerablepublic concern or not.

The details of the planning application are on the South Glos website here.

Have your say on transport - this Tuesday

South Gloucestershire Council and the other three councils that make up the West of England Partnership are currently putting together the Joint Local Transport Plan for the next 15 years. There will be a consultation event in Yate Shopping Centre on Tuesday 7 September from 11am to 3pm. Residents can complete a questionnaire at www.transportmatters.org or pick up a paper copy at the library, where you can also read the draft plan. The consultation deadline is Monday 4th October.

Update - All completed questionnaires will be entered into a free prize draw to win a day out at one of the region’s best local attractions, including the Avon Valley Railway, the SS Great Britain in Bristol, the Helicopter Museum in Weston-Super-Mare or the Boating Station in Bath.

You can read a printed version of the draft plan at your local library or council office. The South Glos press release says that you can also read the draft plan and all the supplementary documents online, but it doesn't tell you where it is on the South Glos website - it's not immediately obvious.