Airbus Community Awards

Do you know of a community group that is making a difference locally and could do with some extra funding? If you do, you might like to nominate them for the Airbus Community Awards. To find out more, visit www.bristolpost.co.uk/airbus

Dog owners beware - meat being dumped on Yate Common

If you're visiting Yate Common with your dog, please keep a close eye on them. Several batches of meat and other food have been dumped there lately - raw meat, cooked chicken bones, even Baby Bel cheeses.

We don't know whether someone thinks they're "feeding the wildlife" but the foxes and birds aren't touching it.

This will obviously become potential danger to pets as it decays. Several people are dumping it and it's sometimes appearing daily.

Please warn other dog owners.

New South Glos wards confirmed

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has published its final recommendations for the new wards for South Gloucestershire Council, to take effect from the elections in May next year. In the area covered by this blog:

• There will be two wards covering most of Yate - Yate North (3 councillors) and Yate Central (2 councillors)
• The Dodington ward (2 councillors) will cover Shire Way/Rodford Way, the Birds and the yate area around Abbotswood.
• Chipping Sodbury, Cotswold Edge and Wickwar Parish will be combined as a 2 councillor ward.
• Westerleigh and Ladden Brook wards will disappear. 
•  The Westerleigh ward of Westerleigh Parish and Dodington South ward of Dodington Parish, which are both currently in Westerleigh ward, will move into an enlarged Boyd Valley ward (2 councillors)
• Frampton Cotterell ward will be enlarged to become a 3 councillor ward, covering the parishes of Frampton Cotterell, Iron Acton, Rangeworthy and Tytherington and the Coalpit Heath ward of Westerleigh Parish. 

The external boundaries of the Parish Councils are unchanged. For example Westerleigh Parish will still cover Westerleigh village, most of Coalpit Heath, Henfield, Ram Hill, Kendleshire, Mayshill, Nibley (south of the River Frome) and the Stover Road area of Yate. However, instead of being in the one member Westerleigh ward, the Parish will now be covered partly by the 3 member Frampton Cotterell ward and partly by the 2 member Boyd Valley ward.

Houses proposed on land set aside for health facility at Frenchay

Your Focus Team was shocked to learn that North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) have given the nod to developer Redrow to put in a planning application on land previously set aside for new health facilities at the former Frenchay Hospital site.

Back in November we were told that the future requirements for community health and care facilities at Frenchay and Thornbury were going back to the drawing board. We know now that, by that time, NBT were already in talks with Redrow about developing housing across much of the Frenchay site.

We think it is outrageous that the NBT are considering allowing houses to be built on land that was supposed to be used for community health facilities before they’ve worked out how they are going to provide those facilities. It's a sad reflection on Government underfunding of our local NHS that they feel under pressure to do this.

Carillion collapse has effects close to home

The Carillion site at Westerleigh Road near Chedworth

The collapse of the massive company Carillion is having an effect on a wide range of local facilities and projects. These range from services they run at Southmead Hospital for North Bristol NHS Trust to local construction projects like the Carillion site at Westerleigh Road, Yate near Chedworth - the project to stabilise the bankment on the railway line that runs from Bristol Parkway north towards Yate and Gloucester.

All of the hospital facilities are open as normal and patient appointments are not affected, but the effect on the target date for the rail embankment works is not yet known.

As far as we know the electrification of the main GWR line is not affected, as this is being run by another main contractor.

Update 19/01/2018 - Regarding Westerleigh Rd, Network Rail say: "As far as we’ve been told, Carillion’s work for Network Rail continues for the time being as we work with the official receiver to ensure the continuity of its project work. Our aim is to ensure, as far as possible, that this news won’t impact our projects"

Defective tumble dryers - is yours one of them?

There's a lot of publicity at the moment saying that a million people may still have tumble dryers that are fire risks. More than 100 Creda, Hotpoint, Indesit, Proline and Swan tumble dryer models (all brands owned by Whirlpool) made between April 2004 and October 2015 could pose a fire risk.

But how do you tell whether yours is one of them? There's an easy way:

• Which? magazine has a web page that lists the models affected
• The web pages safety.hotpoint.eu and safety.indesit.eu allow you to check both model and serial number

If you are affected, the Which? page tells you what you need to do.

Roll out of smaller black bins starts

Back in July 2016, we reported that the Conservative council would be cutting the black bin sizes from 240 litres to 140 litres. The roll out of the new smaller bins starts next Monday and will take around three months to complete.

 This is what will happen on the day yours changes:

• Your black bin will be emptied into the usual lorry.
• A crew following behind will remove the wheels and stack the old bins at the roadside in groups of ten. The stacks will be placed on their sides without blocking pavements, driveways or footpaths. 
• Later the same day, another vehicle will remove the old bins - most parts of the bin will be recycled. 
• Another crew will follow the round in the other direction, delivering new bins, so depending on where you are in the round you may get your new bin delivered before the old one is taken away.

Throughout this process your collection day will stay the same. You can find out more about recycling on the South Glos website. If you can't find the help you need online, call 01454 868000.

You may also find our recent blog post on nappy and incontinence waste useful.

Have your say on Climate Change Strategy

Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. South Glos Council is currently consulting on its draft Climate Change Strategy for 2018 - 2023. You can find out more and have your say at www.southglos.gov.uk/climate18 until 12th March.
There are several ways you can respond:

• Take part in the online survey
• Download and print a paper copy of the survey and send to Freepost  RTXL-YJXJ-BXEX, South Gloucestershire Council, Corporate Research & Consultation Team, Climate Change Strategy, Council offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BRISTOL BS37 5AF
• Email: consultation@southglos.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01454868154

New Year's resolution - walk more? Local routes and useful resources

We're told that even a 10 minute brisk walk each day can improve health - there are physical, mental and health benefits. South Glos Council has compiled a useful page of walking links, including short local walks, longer walks and group walks you can join.