Yate Bus Station - we're still on the case!

There have been a few improvements recently at Yate Bus Station. The lighting is now working, and the digital timetable display is now operational. Some of the arrival times are predicted based on actual bus locations, but other times are just taken from the timetable - not all buses have been fitted with the equipment yet.

However many problems remain - the "wind tunnel effect", inadequate seating and so forth. Most of these points were raised by local councillors back in the summer, but what was installed wasn't what we were promised.

A group of councillors met representatives from South Glos on site today and presented them with a long list of defects and shortcomings. South Glos have promised to get back to us within a couple of weeks with answers and some ideas about what would actually be possible.

Watch this space...

Parish Review - South Glos call for suggestions

South Glos is carrying out a Community Governance Review, also known as a Parish Review. This is a legal process where the Council consults electors and other interested parties on the most suitable ways of representing local communities. It is an opportunity to review parish boundaries and the electoral arrangements within parishes and to consider whether Parish Councils should be created in the currently unparished areas.

At this stage, they are asking for suggestions of which areas should be reviewed. The deadline is 12th March. You can find out more on the South Glos website.

Have your say on parking in new developments

South Glos Council is looking for your views on the number of parking spaces that should be provided with new homes. There have been widespread concerns that in recent years too few have been provided, causing problems on nearby streets. To have your say, complete the questionnaire online by the 2nd March 2012. Responses will be used to inform the drafting of a Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document, which will be subject to further public consultation before being adopted by the Council.

Do it online!

South Glos Council has a number of online forms to make it quicker and easier for you to contact them about waste collection and Street Care issues. There are even interactive maps so you can pinpoint an exact location. To use the forms, go to the South Glos website and click on "Report it", "Request it" or "Apply for it" as appropriate. Revenue and benefits forms should go live later this year.

The new system should save money and time, but there is one quirk. In December Claire Young asked the Cabinet Member responsible why you have to provide a postal address when reporting an issue like a pot hole if you want officers to be able to feedback or ask you for clarification. It would surely make more sense to record your email address or phone number. The Cabinet Member says that the priority is to sort out serious delays in the development of IT to support Street Care but he will ask the team to look at this issue when they are developing the service further later in the year.

Nibley Lane closed 6.30pm Sat 4 Feb, accident on M4, Yate local roads treacherous

We've just seen that the police have closed Nibley Lane between Westerleigh Rd and Badminton Rd. Don't know why - accident or ice?

The police website is showing an accident a few minutes ago on the M4 westbound between Tormarton and Hambrook, but from the map location it's near the Tormarton junction. (Update 6.55pm - police say accident now cleared)

And from our own experience the local roads in Yate are very treacherous. Yate is a LOT colder than the Bristol fringe - the temperature fell 5 deg C in the first mile coming away from Emerson's Green.