You may remember we were promised that the new bus shelter would be done by the end of October? No sign of work on the ground, so as councillors we chased. We've now been told that the South Glos officer who was dealing with it has left.
We've spoken to another officer who has a record of being able to fix problem projects. He told us that the officer who left had passed on some notes, but as far as we can establish no firm date was agreed for installation, though it's thought that "this is likely to be before the end of November"
We've gone back and said this isn't good enough. The specification was agreed in July, we were told the end of October, and this sort of delay just isn't acceptable.
In the meantime, as some local people have remarked, it's ironic that Tesco's trolleys are now under shelter but bus passengers aren't.
We're continuing to chase, but it's like banging your head against a brick wall, it'll be lovely when we can stop...
Nibley Lane is expected to be closed from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Thursday 3rd November. This is to allow the road to be cleaned.
North Bristol NHS Trust plan to become a Foundation Trust from December 2012. They want to know your views on the plans and are holding a meeting at Frenchay Hospital tonight, Wednesday 28 September. The meeting runs from 7pm to 8.30pm in the Monica Britton Museum. More information is available on the Trust's website.
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| Committee members received the cup and five certificates from award winning TV broadcaster, author and horticulturalist Toby Buckland |
We reported recently that the X-ray facility in the new West Gate Centre at Yate has started closing at 5pm due to lack of patients in the early evening. Focus councillors persuaded health chiefs to run a survey that asks you, the residents of the area about the hours and services you want at the Minor Injuries Unit, the X-ray facilities, and the outpatient clinics.
You can click here to complete the survey online, or download a copy to print out and send to a Freepost address or drop in to the NHS reception desk at the Yate West Gate Centre.
This letter from the NHS to residents explains more about the background to the survey.
Please take part in this survey to make sure that we get the local health service we want and need. The survey will run until Friday 30 September.
The Payments Council, representing the banks, has announced that it will not be scrapping cheques in 2018 after all. They now say that cheques will be will be kept "as long as customers need them".
This follows major campaigns by Liberal Democrat MPs, charities and organisations representing older people and voluntary groups. We have reported the campaigns here before, and many of our readers will hopefully have signed the petition by Lib Dem MP David Ward.
The BBC has more details here.
The police would like to know what you feel should be their key priorities and what services you would like them to provide. You can share your views online until 19 August.
If you want to get out and about in our area this summer, get your hands on a free walking booklet from South Glos Council. Each booklet contains easy-to-follow maps, photographs and historical information. They include a set of six walks around Chipping Sodbury, two books of Easy Access Trails, and of course the Frome Valley Walkway. You can order a free copy of any of the guides by ringing 01454 863592 or download them from the Council's website.
Back for the fifth year, Yate International Festival offers a wide range of music and dance from around the world - Irish, Egyptian, Chinese,cto name just a few - plus performances by Ridge School Gymnastics, Raysfield Dancing Group and Sodbury Community Choir. Mix in drumming and salsa, and it promises to be a good day.
The events take place on St Mary's Green, running continuously from 10.30 until 4.30.
There will also be Hindu Puppet Theatre performances in the Heritage Centre at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm.
At their meeting last week, South Glos Council's Development Control (East) Committee agreed to give outline planning permission to the controversial application for a Waitrose supermarket and 170 houses on the Barnhill Quarry site.
Chipping Sodbury appears split down the middle on the issue. A poll carried out by Sodbury Town Council showed a narrow majority of residents against the development. Some traders have come out against the scheme, but the Chipping Sodbury Chamber of Commerce has commented in favour of it.
More detailed plans will now be submitted to South Glos by the autumn, and Waitrose hope that the new store will be open in time for Christmas 2012.
Click the links for more coverage from the Gazette and the BBC
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| Appreciative crowds at Yate Music Festival in Kingsgate Park today |
If you are interested in the Planning Blueprint for South Glos, the Core Strategy, there is now an extra publication you may like to look at and perhaps comment on.
The decision by BAE Systems to close Filton Airfield means there is a large area of land that will be left vacant. Should this be a higher priority for housing than the North Yate area?
The Government Inspector who will be holding the Examination in Public has asked South Glos Council to put forward their views for discussion on what should happen about this.
You can find the Council's Filton Airfield Position Statement online, as well as in libraries and at One Stop Shops.
Any comments on the suggestions have to be made by July 29th to planningLDF@southglos.gov.uk or by post to South Gloucestershire Council, Spatial Planning Team, PO Box 2081, South Gloucestershire, BS35 9BP
Yate Town Council's free 2-day Community Music Festival will take place in Kingsgate Park this Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday
The next meeting of the Yate Safer Stronger Community Group (which covers Yate Town Council's area and Dodington Parish) will be on Thursday 23rd June at 7pm in South Glos Council's Badminton Road offices.
As well as the opportunity to raise issues, there will also be an update on the Armadillo Youth Cafe and Venue and a presentation from the Community Lead Group for the Priority Neighbourhood in Yate and Dodington.
The Payments Council, representing the banks, had a pretty rough ride when they appeared before Parliament's Treasury Select Committee. The Treasury has written to MPs on the Committee saying that they might consider blocking plans to abolish cheques in 2018 if suitable alternatives are not found.
David Ward MP however suspects that the banks may just reduce the level of service - like they've scrapped cheque guarantee cards - until they can quietly stop cheques completely by 2018.
More on this story here
Sign the Save Our Cheque petition here
Heron is putting on an exhibition of their latest proposals for North Yate over the next couple of days. The exhibition will display a masterplan as well as further details on key issues raised during the first consultation. The sessions are as follows:
Friday 17 June 2011 2pm - 8pm
Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC), Broad Lane, Yate
Saturday 18 June 2011 10am - 4pm
Yate Library, 44 West Walk, Yate
If you are unable to visit the exhibition, you will be able to view the exhibition material in full on Heron's project website from 20 June 2011. An online comments form will also be available.
Please note that this is a developer's exhibition rather than an official council consultation, but please take a look even if you think the development isn't desirable - it'll give you an idea of Heron's current thinking.
The Armadillo (Yate Youth Cafe and Venue, next to the Sports Centre) hosts its first live gig this Friday (17 June) 7 to 11pm, featuring
We've just received the outline plans, so that you can see where the new shelter might go. Click on the links for the seven-bay version http://www.paulhulbert.org/focus/gullwing7bay.pdf and the six-bay version http://www.paulhulbert.org/focus/gullwing6bay.pdf.
Unfortunately there's nowhere near here with this particular model, but here's a photo of one of these shelters at Treliske Hospital in Truro http://www.flickr.com/photos/74784995@N00/2297231948/ - there are others at Heathrow, Manchester and Leeds.
It has been confirmed that the design has been developed to provide a level of vandal-proof protection, and it should be covered by the Yate Centre CCTV system.
We are awaiting some details on seats and have requested these along with quotes for the shelter and the signage.
Update: Chris Willmore tells me that Yate Town Council discussed the outline plans this evening, and they've asked for lighting proposals and details about the CCTV coverage.
Please join us on Sunday 19 June for the annual Chipping Sodbury Festival Duck Race on the River Frome, in aid of the Wildlife Trust.
Why not come along, have a flutter, and join us for an afternoon of races, a cup of tea and a doughnut? Great fun for all the family!
You are very welcome to come along and bring a picnic to enjoy in the park.
The races start from 2.00pm in Jubilee Park, Quarry Road, Chipping Sodbury.
Chris Willmore reports:
Well flatten me with the feather! S Glos officers asked for a meeting urgently this week to discuss the survey. Dave Buckland (the officer who had the guts to come to meet us back in Feb) met Ruth Davis, Paul Hulbert, Ian Blair, Martin Monk and me - and came with draft plans!!! AND THEY HAVE LISTENED!!!! The plans reflect what you said in the survey.
We made some practical comments and suggestions and he has gone off to refine the drawings and then get quotes.
£15-20k has been found from the source we suggested (traffic management "Section 106" monies). He is proposing a proper shelter, under the canopy, running most of the distance from one end pillar to the other, and pretty deep, so it will be much bigger than the old ones combined; has two exits out to the buses, and one entry point at the back.
The existing benches will be moved to the two ends of the canopy, and new seats in the shelter will be a mix of perch, bench and property seats with arms. He has promised to ensure the floor comes to the ground so our ankles do not freeze. He had even checked the wind directions to work out where we needed the doors to minimise impact.
It's still not perfect, and we have yet to see the final version following this meeting, but, it is a mile better than the current position.
I am really sorry everyone is drowning there at present. Dave Buckland says they can use an existing contractor so do not have to go out to new tender, but that the lead time on installation is about 6 weeks - so, it looks to me as if the work will be done during the school holidays......
 | We did not have electronic copies of the papers at the meeting, so we cannot post them, but you can see the type, called Gullwing at http://www.trueform.co.uk/trueform-products.asp?productTypeID=27. As soon as we get electronic copies of the final plans, we will post a link here on the blog. |
This week the South Glos Development Control (West) planning committee considered the Beech Hill Farm tipping and Mayshill in-vessel composting facility applications. Local councillor Claire Young spoke on residents' concerns on both applications.
After some discussion of the highways issues and how rejected loads should be dealt with, the committee granted a 2 year temporary permission for the Mayshill composting facility. They added a condition requiring a travel plan and, if there isn't more specific legislation covering it, a requirement that rejected loads are taken away immediately in the van that delivered them.
Highways issues were also the main concern with the Beech Hill Farm tipping application, but the committee decided to approve the application in line with the officer's recommendation.
On Thursday 9th June, South Glos's Development Control (West) planning committee will consider the Beech Hill Farm tipping and Mayshill in-vessel composting facility applications.
The case officer has recommended approval for the tipping and a 2 year temporary approval for the composting application.
You can view the agenda for the meeting, with links to the officer's reports, online.
Here are the results of our Yate Bus Station online survey - thank you to everyone who took part.
The majority of people (58%) preferred the "green" position for the shelter, followed by the "red" position at 39%. Blue came last at 3%.
The KEY ISSUE is that shelters should shelter people from wind and rain. Most people wanted shelters to be 4 sided, see-through, with several entrances, going down to the ground or very close, and they should be vandal-resistant.
Seats are wanted inside the shelters, 5 or 6 seats PER BUS BAY - quite a lot - with extra room for wheelchairs under the shelters as well (that's a new point). Some people suggested seats outside the shelters as well.
70% want backs to the seats. Some people wanted arms, but others feel this might restrict the number of people that can be accomodated (Maybe a mixture?). Others don't mind benches, but people in general HATE perch seats. Several people said "like the seats at Bristol Bus station".
There were various suggestions about where the Real Time Information sign should go, but general agreement that it needs to be visible from the shelter.
Static timetable positions (i.e. notice boards) are not as critical, but they should be grouped together. One person also suggested having static timetables in the middle of the shopping centre and outside the new Tesco, which makes sense.
We had 33 online responses, which appear to be a good cross-section of bus station users. All are from BS37 postcodes, and ages range from 20s to 80 and over. There is a spread of daily, weekly and monthly users. 4 of them have mobility disabilities. 12 usually carry shopping etc, 21 sometimes. 3 use a pushchair or wheelchair.
Yate Town Council has sent the results to South Glos, and we're now waiting to hear back. We'll keep you updated, but South Glos hasn't given us a timescale for a decision. In the meantime our petition is still open - please click on the link in the right hand column.
