Over 50? Actively looking for a job or considering self employment? Free workshop Tuesday 17 July

Red Door Coaching and Training is holding another @50 Careers Workshop in association with South Gloucestershire Council.

It's open to anyone over 50 who lives in South Gloucestershire and has been actively looking for a job or considering self-employment.

The workshop is on on Tuesday 17 July 10.00 am to 2.00 pm in the Salvation Army Hall, Staple Hill.
Free Lunch will be provided, and coffee will be available from 9.30 am.There will be a guest speaker.

For more information, please phone 01454 881954 (or leave a message out of office hours)


To attend, please request an application form by email from info@reddoorcoachingandtraining.co.uk

Free Fruit Tree Care Workshop Sunday July 1

First fruit at the
Orchard for the Future!

As part of the Orchard for the Future project, Dodington Parish Council and Wapley Bushes Conservation Group are running a free Fruit Tree Care Workshop on Sunday from 10am to 1pm.

We will be learning about pruning and about how to care for the young trees we planted last year, and starting to rehabilitate some very old fruit trees.

This is an open event, so it could be useful to people who perhaps have a tree or two in their gardens. If you're interested, just turn up!

The meeting point is the Wapley Rank cottages that are opposite the southern entrance to the Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve, Besom Lane, Westerleigh, South Gloucestershire (satnav postcode: BS37 8RW, OS Grid ref: ST708803). Limited parking is available at the southern entrance to the Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve at Besom Lane.

Chipping Sodbury Festival Carnival 2012

Congratulations to all involved in the various Chipping Sodbury Festival events. Here are a few photos from the Carnival this afternoon (click arrows for the two slideshows):

Dodington Parish Band were playing Land of Hope and Glory...

... as the Spitfire flew over...

... and then the Carnival Procession came past

Nibley Lane to be closed for cleaning Wed 4 July

Nibley Lane will be closed between Badminton Rd and Westerleigh Rd on Wednesday 4 July for cleaning. No doubt signs will go up saying the times involved.

Update: The road is expected to be closed from 9.30 am until 3.00 pm.

New public rights of way needed?

Natural England are running a 2 year funding scheme called Paths for Communities (P4C). From their website:

The aim of P4C is to encourage and support local communities to work with land owners to make improvements to the network of Public Rights of Way. In all cases P4C projects must include some element of new Public Right of Way creation. In most cases projects will include an element of new Bridleway creation but projects that include Footpath creation alone will also be considered where community and economic benefit can be demonstrated.

You can find out more on the Natural England website.

Planning application submitted for 2450 houses at Brimsham Park

Letters have been dropping on doormats in Brimsham Park telling people that Heron Land Developments have applied for outline planning permission for up to 2,450 new dwellings, extra care housing, 5 hectares of employment land, a local centre and two primary schools.

Two steps to making your voice heard:

Step 1 -Tell the government inquiry into the South Glos Core Strategy about your views by signing our petition and adding your comments - just click this link: Stop Brimsham Park Housing by Monday 25 June, to give us time to convert the petition and your comments into a document that we can present to the enquiry.

Step 2 - Submit your comments on Heron's planning application to South Glos Council by Thursday 5 July. You can see the Heron planning application details and submit comments by going to South Glos's Planning Application Search Page and searching for planning application no. PK12/1913/O. That's a letter O on the end, not a zero.

You may find the YBuild 3000 campaign website useful to give you some ideas.

Poor state of Westerleigh Road

Road users, particularly cyclists, are increasingly unhappy about the state of Westerleigh Road between Shire Way and Westerleigh village. Back in March officers told local councillor Claire Young that they were aware of the problem and although it had not been considered a high enough priority to be resurfaced this year, as an interim measure patching would be carried out in 2012/13 to deal with some of the worst areas.

Claire contacted officers again recently as the road is deteriorating fast. It will be inspected early this week to identify any immediate safety repairs and an engineer will reassess the road to see if the rate of deterioration has changed its priority.

Yate Safer Stronger Community group tonight

Yate Safer Stronger Community Group, which covers an area including Dodington Parish, is tonight at 7pm in Yate Library. This is a chance for you to raise issues that matter to you.

Chipping Sodbury Festival in full swing!

Chipping Sodbury Festival 2012 is now well under way with events for all ages - indoors, outdoors, daytime and evening. We've already been treated to a hilarious evening with Chris Harris (Bath Theatre Royal's Pantomime Dame) performing one of his world famous one man shows ‘Arris Music ‘All.

Still to come during the festival are BAFTA-nominated singer guitarist Richard Digance, Tesitoura's Marriage of Figaro, Music in the Street and the Street Fayre and Carnival, all rounded off by the ever-popular prizewinning Flowers Band performing Last Night at the Proms.

Visit the Chipping Sodbury Festival Website for details of all the events.Tickets are available from Farrago in Horse Street or from the Tourist Information Centre at the Clock Tower.

Link Road roundabout night resurfacing 2 - 4 July

Between 2nd and 4th  July, Link Road roundabout (the one between Kennedy Way, Link Road and Scott Way) will be subject to major resurfacing works. The works will  involve planing off of the existing road and laying a new surface.

The work will start at approximately 8.00 pm each evening and carry on until approximately 6.00 am. For the duration of the works, the roundabout and connecting roads will be closed from the junctions with Sundridge Park, Station Road, Heron Way and Scott Way to  the roundabout. Diversion routes will be signed while the works are in progress. 

Genieri Open Garden days 23rd/ 24th June

Charity Garden Open Days Sat 23rd June and Sun 24th June at Nutridge, Ram Hill, Coalpit Heath BS36 2UF.

Admission £3.00 (children under 16 free) in aid of Genieri, the village in the Republic of The Gambia linked with Yate.
 

Musicians will perform on both days.

A three acre garden with perennial beds, trees, shrubs and open areas. Refreshments and plants for sale.

Click here to find out more about the Yate Genieri Link, the charity that runs the the Friendship Link between the communities of Yate and the village of Genieri.

Independent living open day

Living, a not for profit community interest company, is holding an open day where people with disabilities can try out the very latest independent living aids and equipment. The event will run from 10am to 3.30pm on Thursday 21st June at The Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 2QQ. Admission is free and there will be free tea, coffee and cake. For more information please phone 0117 965 3651 or visit www.thisisliving.org.uk.

Our last chance to stop 3000 more houses for Yate!

At a public hearing on 29 June a government appointed inspector will hear the last evidence about the proposed development at Brimsham. If the inspector gives the green light that will mean 3000 more houses on the fields near Brimsham, and put yet more strain on our already stretched roads and community facilities.

Make no mistake, there would be no new main roads, nothing to deal with town centre congestion, and only 9 hectares of employment - not enough for the new residents. South Glos says vaguely that the shortfall will be made up by things like "encouraging home working".

Chris Willmore will be representing local people at the enquiry. She'll be presenting all the letters and the comments we've received throughout this campaign.

If you haven't signed our petition or put your comments in yet, there's still time - just click this link:

Stop Brimsham Park Housing by Monday 25 June, to give us time to convert the petition and your comments into a document that Chris can present.

Fanatical about footpaths? (or indeed bridle paths)

The Joint Local Access Forum for Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucestershire (the JLAF) is looking for new recruits. The JLAF is a statutory body established by the three councils, to provide advice on improving public access to land in the area for the purposes of open-air recreation and enjoyment.

They are seeking applications for membership of the JLAF from people of all ages who are enthusiastic about the rights of way network and access to the outdoors. This is an opportunity to contribute views and positive ideas on the potential of the network of paths in the area and on how to make it more accessible and enjoyable for all. For more information go to www.jlaf.org.uk - the deadline for applications is 9am on Friday 22nd June.

Winterbourne Medieval Fayre cancelled

The Medieval Fayre due to be held at Winterbourne Medieval Barn this coming Saturday (16 June) has been cancelled because of the recent bad weather.

You can read more about Winterbourne Medieval Barn and other events here.

LGB patient experience

The Lesbian and Gay Foundation are running a survey to find out the experience of lesbian, gay and bisexual patients accessing healthcare at their local GP surgery. You can complete the survey online.

Core Strategy Latest

The statements submitted by objectors for the first two weeks of the Core Strategy's Examination in Public have all been published in the online Hearing Statement Library. South Glos Council's responses on matters to be discussed in later weeks are also available, with statements received from respondents on those matters to be added in the early part of this week. The library has also been updated with a number of new documents including community led statements of support, such as those on Woodlands Farm and Engine Common. The library, together with other up to date information, is available on the Examination webpage at www.southglos.gov.uk/corestrategyexamination.

Paralympic Come and Try

On Thursday 14th June, South Gloucestershire Council and Airbus UK are hosting a Paralympic "Come and Try" event for people of all ages and abilities with physical and sensory impairments. The event is being held at WISE Campus Stoke Gifford and you can find out more on the South Glos website.

Police warning to motorists after catalytic converter thefts

Police are urging residents to call them immediately if they spot anyone acting suspiciously around vehicles after recent thefts.

Since Thursday May 31 2012 six catalytic converters have been reported stolen from cars in the Yate, Chipping Sodbury and Old Sodbury areas. The vehicles have mainly been parked on driveways or streets in residential areas overnight. Officers are carrying out extensive enquiries, visiting scrap merchants and making targeted patrols of the affected areas.

Police say thieves can steal a 'cat' within five minutes. Drivers are advised to garage their cars overnight if possible. If parking on a driveway install low energy, motion-sensing security lighting and if parking on-street to try to park in a well-lit area.

Other advice includes etching or painting the 'cat' with your postcode and fitting a catalytic converter clamp. For more vehicle security information visit the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk.

Anyone with any information which could help police enquiries into the thefts is urged to ring police on 101. Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call.

Jubilee beacon!

The beacon at Shire Way Community Centre was lit again for the Jubilee. The beacon, which was created for one of the previous jubilees, was renovated for the occasion by the Community Centre. Local artist Val Robinson, who designed and made the Shire Horse motif for the beacon many years ago, was present to see it in use once more.

Jubilee celebrations

A big "Thank You" to everyone who has been organising the many street parties and local events this weekend.

Here's just one event - the Jubilee Big Lunch at Abbotswood, Yate, organised by Jacobs Well Church, Abbotswood Action and volunteers from St Nick's.

Having a Field Day!

Dodington Parish Council "had a field day" on Friday when they officially declared Kelston Close as a Queen Elizabeth II "Field in Trust" so that it will remain Playing Fields permanently. They ran a sports-themed event with children from Abbotswood Junior School, Culverhill School, and Phase Five Pre-SChool Playgroup. 

The field was officially "opened" by Dame Janet Trotter, the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Two volunteers from Asda brought lots of freebies - thank you! Dodington Football Club provided very popular football activities, and Sports 1st ran lots of different sporting games.

Paul Hulbert with the Diamond Jubilee Fields in Trust plaque. The lovely oak carving will be on display in a while - it was only in a temporary position for the event.