COVID-19 local information

COVID-19 local info

Two places to go for authoritative local info - the COVID-19 facebook group and Yate Town Council has set up a website:

We are posting news from official sources. If you pick up info about eg changed shop opening hours, do please let us know and we will post.

http://www.yatetowncouncil.gov.uk/council-news/covid-19/

Help for the vulnerable.

 South Gloucestershire Community Aid hub  has a list of groups working to support the most vulnerable so please pass it on to anyone you think might need help: www.southglos.gov.uk/communityaiddirectory 

And please would community groups  add their name to the directory by signing up here www.southglos.gov.uk/communityaid  

Town Council launches COVID-19 Battle Fund.

Are you involved in a group working in our community to tackle COVID isolation? Yate Town Council has found some money it can divert and set up a Battle Fund. Local groups can apply for emergency cash to help their work. Just go to http://www.yatetowncouncil.gov.uk/council-news/covid-19/ for the form and guidelines. Councillors and staff will turn applications around as quickly as they can. This is on top of the £4000 the Town Council has given to the foodbank so far. Town Councillors and the finance officers are working through every item of spending planned, to see what can be postponed to next year and the money freed up for the fight.

If organisations are looking to use some of their club balances to help the fight, either give it direct to the foodbank, or you could give it to the Town Council Battle Fund.

Help for businesses from South Glos

Some local small businesses have had a letter from Liam Dewsbury at South Glos asking for bank information and linking to a  South Glos web form. A resident asked us to check as they thought it might be a scam, but on Sunday (yes S Glos staff are working Sundays in the crisis) the Director of Finance has confirmed this is from S Glos.  Make sure you are only inputting your details into the web form on a South Glos official site. If you have any doubts, get in touch with us and we can check.

Kingsgate Park Wins Award

The new outdoor gym - closed along with the rest of the Park during COVID 19 shutdown

The Friends of Kingsgate have received confirmation that Kingsgate Park has been awarded 5 stars in the South West in Bloom Pride in Parks Award entry judged back in 2019.

 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.
This is the third year in a row the park has been awarded the highest award. 

So so pleased.  Thanks to all the Estates Team at Yate Town Council and  the Friends of the Park volunteers.

We are all looking forward to getting back to enjoying it and the new outdoor gym equipment.

If you notice people getting into the locked park please ring the police. 

Jubilee way plan to divert it thrown out

In a second victory over developer's plans for Ladden Gardens, Councillors have thrown out plans that would have diverted the Jubilee Way  into the main estate road, rather than retaining its direct link from Brimsham park out to the countryside.

The Jubilee way is a 27 mile national trail from Aust to the Cotswold, created in 1985 for the Ramblers Jubilee.  Through 43 years of development the Trail has never had to be diverted, developers have always accommodated the trail.... until now.

Right from the masterplan for the development, the line of the Jubilee way had been protected. Developers were told they had to come up with plans that preserved this route.

The developers did protect the LINE of it, but came up with a plan where it would have been sandwiched between walls, and be horrid. Yate Town Councillors objected and said it needed to be kept on the historic line, but properly landscaped, so people could see across to Yate Rocks as they left the park.  But some urban design specialists at the council decided it would be far better to divert it to along a hedgerow and then along the main road of the new estate, losing that direct link.

Locals objected. We wanted it properly landscaped on its original path - in line with the master plan. . At a Strategic Planning Committee on 19th, Mike Drew was able to persuade Labour and Lib Dem Councillors there to back the residents.  And with the Tories 2 councillors short, that meant Mike won......

But no sooner had the councillors dared to back local residents over officers than the officers announced they would be taking it to a Spatial Planning Committee, with a bigger Tory majority, designed to overrule  Strategic Planning Committees who dare to reject officer recommendations.

Electric Scooters to be trialled on our roads?

Electric scooters get green light to go on Britain's public roads. The government is consulting on detailed rules.
WECA (us and the Bristol area) are one of the pilot areas.

For more information go to:  https://f7td5.app.goo.gl/E1hQY7

cancelled town council events

MOTs to be extended

Coronavirus (COVID-19): MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles due from 30 March 2020 - GOV.UK

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020

Parks and play areas now closed

 

CHANGES TO WASTE AND RECYCLING

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICES

Waste is an essential service and we are doing all we can to continue collections during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak while protecting our staff and residents. This means making some changes to waste services so we can collect everyone's waste and recycling with reduced staff levels.

From today (Tuesday 24 March): - Payments for garden waste renewals and new subscriptions have been suspended. - Collections for garden waste will continue until Friday 27 March. From Monday 30 March they will be stopped so available staff can be redeployed to collect black bin waste and recycling (see below). - All of our Sort It recycling centres have been closed.

From Monday 30 March:
- Black bin, clinical waste and sharps collections will carry on as normal.
- Garden waste bin and sack collections will be suspended until further notice.
- Recycling and food collections will change from weekly to every two weeks and will be on the same day as your black bin.
- Bulky waste collections for large household items will be suspended until further notice.
- Waste and recycling collections from properties with communal bins will carry on as normal (every two weeks).

Collections may take place later than normal as we may be working in the evenings as well as during the day. You may also see recycling collected in different vehicles.

These changes are necessary to keep the main waste and recycling collections going during this difficult time. You can help by parking your car to leave space for collection vehicles to get through and putting waste and recycling containers out by 7:00am on your black bin collection day.

Please support our collection crews by staying at least 2 metres away while they are working.

If you are self-isolating because you or someone in your household has Coronavirus (COVID-19) you should put personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths in disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. Put them aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin.

Other household waste can be disposed of as normal. For further guidance for self-isolating households visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

More details about these changes will be available on www.southglos.gov.uk/servicedisruption later this morning.

New defibrillators in Yate

 Yate Town Council has launched three new defibrillators in our town centre - outside Poole Court, the Armadillo and  Sunnyside Lane sports facilities.

More are coming. You can't miss them, as they are bright yellow.  Thanks to Yate Councillor Ben Nutland who contributed his Member Allocated Funding to make this happen.

But they won't save lives unless we all know how to use them. So we have uploaded the Defibrillator instructions. Why not download them to your phone, so you know you have them with you if you ever need them? 

Brimsham Park street clean

Thanks to everyone who joined the Brimsham Street clean last Sunday 15th (before social distancing). There will be more in April, COVID permitting

Here are just a couple of the photos.

FOODBANK DONATION

Yate Town Councillors have agreed an emergency donation of £4000 to the Yate Foodbank, as a first step in supporting them and  we are working on a Corona Battle Fund to help local groups. Watch out for the process and criteria in the next few days.  If others want to get involved in this do please contact the town council

Their work is going to be more vital than ever as people are laid off or lose jobs, or vital overtime.

concessionary bus times extended

As a result of coronavirus and news that some supermarkets will be opening just for older people or those with a disability for their first hour of the day, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is extending the hours when concessionary bus passes can be used.

Time restriction for use of the Diamond Travelcard (concessionary pass) will be relaxed from Monday 23 March, so people can travel free at any time on journeys starting in the WECA and North Somerset areas. This will be reviewed at the end of June. At the moment holders of a Diamond Travelcard bus pass for eligible older and disabled people can travel on any local bus for free after 9am Mondays to Fridays and all day at weekends.

Lib Dem Focus Team get plans for play are behind Meadow Mead thrown out

After months of controversy which saw residents of Meadow Mead in Brimsham Park pitted against developers, residents have won round  one of their fight to stop a 'pavilion' aerial cableway and spiders web by their houses.

the 'pavilion' developers want to put right behind houses

 

















Developers want to put in a 'pavilion' that has open ends, lovely foothold style footholds and a flat roof, 3.15m high made of wood, within 25m of houses - ideal for climbing into  - and an aerial cableway, spiders web and other big play equipment. As Adrian Rush commented, the  chances are it will get burn down


The local Lib Dem Focus Team Councillors alerted residents, and the Friends of Brimsham Park.
Residents and Friends put in objections. So did the Town Council. But South Glos officials  pushed those objections aside, and said the proposal was okay and would grant consent.

As the only way to try to stop this Mike Drew as local ward councillor got the application referred to a special Committee of Councillors - the Strategic Sites Committee.

But then COVID-19 hit.

Residents had planned to turn up in force - but with COVID-19 and the fact a great many were in vulnerable categories or priority jobs, they couldn't. They wrote to the Chief Exec and Leader of the Council pleading for them to delay the meeting of the committee. Mike backed residents. The Focus Team wrote to the directors of Barretts' (the applicants) asking for them to get it deferred.  Residents rightly felt they were being denied their right to be heard. All to no avail.

South Glos insisted on going ahead.

But when it came to it, although all the Labour and Lib Dem members of the committee turned up to do their duty (or sent a substitute), only 3 of the 5 Tories turned up.  So, they were willing to force residents to go to speak up for their street but not turn up themselves!

So Chris Willmore went on behalf of the residents and explained why residents were so upset.

 The Officers were still insisting the scheme should go ahead, despite its impact on residents, despite the fact it was contrary to the development master plan.  Mike Drew commented "When we as a community want to improve things in the new development we are told we can't as the master plan is sacrosanct. But when developers want to depart from the master plan that seems ok to officers."

BUT THEN A MIRACLE HAPPENED .Residents had resigned themselves to losing.  Tory members of the Committee always back the officers and they have a majority. Normally. But they were two down. Labour and Lib Dem Councillors on the Committee voted to back the residents. The plan was thrown out.

Chris commented "It was utterly unacceptable to force people like me to choose between our health and our democratic duty to residents. As their local councillor I felt I had to take the risk and go. I am just incredibly grateful to the Lib Dem and Labour Councillors on the committee, who also put the democratic process first, turned up  and listened to local residents.  Sharing the news with them last night was the first piece of goodnews they'd had for a while"

The victory might be short lived though - as the officers, as soon as the votes were counted, announced they will be taking it to a body called the Spatial Planning Committee, which has a bigger Tory majority and is designed to overturn decisions where members have dared to go against officer recommendations. So we have won round one, but may still lose.  Unless officers and developers see sense in the meantime.

First Bus announce SATURDAY Timetable from Monday 23rd

First Bus are switching to Saturday timetables from Monday


https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/coronavirus-first-bus-timetable-saturday-3958007

Yate Town Council and COVID19

A network of local groups including churches, voluntary groups and the town council are trying to provide support to the vulnerable. Please, being careful about social distancing, check on your elderly or vulnerable neighbours, Contact the town council if you need help. 

volunteers wanted

If anyone has time or knows of others with the capacity to help, Facebook group Yate and Sodbury Covid-19 Help & Support are looking for neighbourhood volunteers, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/650869675671695/

Fresh air and mental wellbeing.

The government's web page on "social distancing" contains some useful hints about mental wellbeing.

It suggests for example "Keep your windows open to let in fresh air, get some natural sunlight if you can, or get outside into the garden. You can also go for a walk outdoors if you stay more than 2 metres from others" And wash your hands as soon as you get home.

If you're feeling well, this could be an ideal time to explore one of our larger local open spaces like Yate Common or Wapley Bushes.  

For more information about going out - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

POWER FROM THE PEOPLE - the first Yate poo bus

Here they are - photos of our first Yate poo bus!!

Coronavirus and door handles

Today's Coronavirus tip - blindingly obvious, but worth restating.

Apart from using soap and HOT water to wash your hands frequently,  the virus can live on metal surfaces like door handles for a while (expert views differ about the exact time, but long enough for you to pick it up. 

Do you need to use your hand to open the door?

Wash your hands frequently (and wash door knobs frequently in public places)

Welcome Yate's first POO bus: POWER FROM PEOPLE

POWER FROM PEOPLE

Our first local poo bus is being launched here 3pm, Yate Bus Station today Monday 16th. All welcome.

The biomethane fuel is being produced at the Avonmouth Sewage Works - so your poo could be fuelling the bus!!

(The title power from people was first used about Avonmouth back in the 1980s, when  our very own Paul Hulbert was involved in connecting an electricity generating plant at the sewage works using methane to the mains. The evening post headline at the time was Power FROM the people. )

In technical terms,  the fuel is no better for the climate than a modern high standard diesel bus - BUT it is miles better for the environment overall, because it cuts out delivery tankers and all the CO2 emissions in getting the diesel frm the well through processing to the bus. This is simply captured and pumped locally. 

Corona 3: pedestrian crossings

Remember - a new cough or a fever - stay home and self isolate for 7 days.
Think about elderly neighbours
Here is an NHS advice video this time on using pedestrian crossings! 

But don't forget proper hand washing is key.
Every small thing we do can help.

Sunday 3pm help clean up Brimsham Park area: Reminder

A reminder, that Sunday 3pm residents are going out to clear footpaths around the Brimsham Park estate - meet at the play area in the park. Bring your gloves, but  bags and litter pickers will be provided.

Zero Tolerance - Graffiti Busting

There are more reports to follow from the packed public meeting last night in Yate with the police - who spent over 2 hours listening to residents and councillors from the Focus Team  - and working with us to tackle some of our current local problems.
Amongst other issues, Alan Monaghan reported back on the new FREE graffiti service in Yate. Thanks to Alan and the Focus Team's initiative, the Town Council now provide a FREE graffiiti removal service to households living in Yate. To register to get graffiti removed call the town council on 01454 866506.

Cash and coronavirus spread.

Can you avoid using cash? This NHS video gives advice on using cash machines to get money out - think how many people have touched those keys in the past few hours.

Official agencies  are asking people to think about using contactless cards rather than cash. Cash is a really good way of spreading germs. Contactless card's aren't perfect, but official advice is to think about using contactless rather than cash. You will see places like the Leisure Centre now have signs up saying -  please use contactless rather than cash.

Every little helps in containing the spread.

A38 road closures

A little further afield than usual, but a number of readers use the A38 - so here's a warning of closures overnight on a section between where the B4427 (Latteridge Road) joins the A38 and the turning into Thornbury.
Here is the Council statement:

Overnight road closure – A38 Gloucester Road, Alveston

From 18 – 31 March the A38 will be closed overnight from north of the Thornbury Road junction to just past the junction with New Lane. The closure will be in place from 8pm until 6am every night. 

This is necessary while we carry out major resurfacing work. Access to properties will be maintained although residents may not always be able to reach their property by vehicle. We will do everything we can to minimise disruption for people living in the affected area. 

A signed diversion will be in place. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Church Road Pothole update

Now the work on Goose Green Way has finished some residents have been asking - what about Church Rd. We thought it worth reminding everyone of our posting on 21 Jan which updated residents. It is going to get a complete resurfacing and some works to the lights - during the school holidays. Here is what we posted back on 21 Jan:

"Some good(ish) news. Drivers will have noticed the patch repairs done a year so ago now have their own potholes. South Glos hoped the patches would last until they could afford a complete resurface. No such luck. Officials have now promised the Lib Dem Focus Team they will do some more temporary patching - but have also found the money to do the full resurfacing it so desperately needs in 2020-21 financial year. They're trying to schedule it for the school holidays, as closing Church Rd in term time would be (even more than usually) chaotic! "

Photo Lib Dem Focus Team councillor Chris Willmore who has been chasing to get repairs done. 

SUCCESS - Come and launch our first local Biomethane bus

As requested by school pupils in Yate. They asked Ruth Davis  to get them a 'poo bus' a biomethane bus. Ruth took it up with First Bus, who said they would investigate and hoped to get something live by April 2020. True to their word...... they are actually launching a whole fleet of them.

A brand new fleet of 13 biomethane buses is being launched. Come along if you can on Monday 16th March  at 3pm at Yate Bus Station or 4pm a Chipping Sodbury High Street to see one and take a first ride. It will be used on the Y1 service from Chipping Sodbury to Bristol.

A bus does c250 miles to a tank and its emissions are reduced by 85%.  They are also more comfortable, have USB charging points and much better disabled access.

Now we need to get the Wellington Rd service back.

(Photo from Focus Sept 2019 reporting the story! and below the Focus Team with First Bus managers at Yate Bus station)

TONIGHT - meet the police

With serious assaults, late night high speed car racing, vandalism a lot of residents have been raising issues about policing. YOU can raise your concerns directly with the police at the Yate Dodington Community Engagement Forum . TONIGHT

on 11 March from 7 - 9pm at Yate Parish Hall on Station Road Yate.

ANYONE can attend, no need to register in advance.

Your Councillors will be there as well as the police, so it is a good place to sort out what can be done to tackle the problems we are facing locally.  You can also find out more about the Town Council Free Graffiti Removal service there.

(It's the middle one of the three community buildings on the south side of Station Road just before Eggshill Lane/ the small Tesco).

You can find out what the police think the local crimes are by looking at their crime map at:
https://www.police.uk/avon-and-somerset/CN207/
If it's not there, then someone has not reported it.
And the same site tells you what their current priorities are for Yate and Dodington - these change as a  direct result of the Community Engagement Forum.

Coronavirus advice 1: handwashing

Coronavirus may dominate our next few months. As councillors we have been advised to: 1.Alert local residents to this list of key resources: NHS main Coronavirus page NHS common questions answered Best practice to discourage disinformation is to say 'Don't believe what you read UNLESS it's from the NHS'. Then direct people to NHS pages*. However if you are determined to check out a rumour, and can't find it on the NHS pages, go to the Full Fact pages on Coronavirus. Public Health England's Coronavirus hub - more in depth and even allows you to download posters that you can print yourself. Today we have uploaded the handwashing video from NHS England, and will be uploading others in coming days.  2. Update people on any changes to local services. It's likely that councils and many organisations will need to change services. If we hear of anything being changed we will let you know via this page - but don't assume we will hear so let us know if you spot something. 3. Suggest that people check in on an elderly or vulnerable person before the government recommends social distancing. This will mean that there's a plan to help them with the shopping (etc) if they need it while isolated.  (We'd add, make sure you do a good handwash before you go round so you minimise the risk of taking the virus in to them). 4. We are looking at switching from public meetings to on line meetings - and carefully following government advice about this. HELP STOP THE FALSE INFO - DON'T REPEAT IT * Best practice is to not repeat false information, even to debunk it. This is because our brains confuse familiarity with truth. So even hearing a lie debunked, can make us believe that the lie is true.  If you are interested in reading more about this then Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking Fast & Slow provides many academic studies that explain this.

Go wild at Abbotswood

Have you tried out the new play area at Abbotswood?

Climb spiderwebs, check into the bug hotel, share stories of great adventures a the stone compass and take a ride on larger than life creatures.

Focus Team members of Yate Town Council  and the Town Council officers raised the funds (from s.106 monies) and designed the scheme working with residents and Abbotswood Action Group. The photo shows  the Mayor of Yate, local councillors for Abbotswood Tony Davis and Cheryl Kirby and other Councillors who ran the project.

Phase 2 starts this week, to lay new paving and seating.

Join other residents to Spring Clean 15th March

The first of a number of posts advertising spring clean events around town - helping clean up our town.
Timewise the first one is Brimsham Park / Ladden Gardens, Sun15th March  Meet 3pm by the gate to the play area in the park. Yate Pilgrim Group is organising it. The town council are lending pickers and recycling bags. Come along and lend a hand or two. 

We've got more to advertise in the next couple of weeks. If you're holding one and want more publicity, then please tell us chriswillmore@blueyonder.co.uk.

Job Vacancy cleaning up Yate

Want to be paid to help clean up Yate?

Applications close Tuesday 10th for a job in the estates team at Yate Town Council 📱 01454 866506 📧 vacancies@yatetowncouncil.gov.uk 💻http://www.yatetowncouncil.gov.uk/your-council/vacancies/ 📍 Poole Court, Poole Court Drive, BS37 5PP 📆🕛 DEADLINE: Tuesday 10th March 2020 - midday Paper copies are available at Poole Court

Reminder A432 closed through Old Sodbury 16 March - 4 April 8pm - 6 am

The whole section of the A432 from the bend at the eastern end of Old Sodbury up to the Cross Hands lights is going to be closed from 16 March - 4 April  each evening from 8pm until 6am. There will be a lot of noise.  There will be diversions, but best to steer well clear!

Come and tell the police about current problems 11 March 7pm

With serious assaults, late night high speed car racing, vandalism a lot of residents have been raising issues about policing. YOU can raise your concerns directly with the police at the Yate Dodington Community Engagement Forum

on 11 March from 7 - 9pm at Yate Parish Hall on Station Road Yate.

ANYONE can attend, no need to register in advance.

Your Councillors will be there as well as the police, so it is a good place to sort out what can be done to tackle the problems we are facing locally.  You can also find out more about the Town Council Free Graffiti Removal service there.

(It's the middle one of the three community buildings on the south side of Station Road just before Eggshill Lane/ the small Tesco).

You can find out what the police think the local crimes are by looking at their crime map at:
https://www.police.uk/avon-and-somerset/CN207/
If it's not there, then someone has not reported it.
And the same site tells you what their current priorities are for Yate and Dodington - these change as a  direct result of the Community Engagement Forum.

About to retire or retired? Come to coffee on 31st at 11am

Miss Millie's gets go ahead to open in Yate

Miss Millie's today got the green light from South Gloucestershire Licensing Committee to open in Yate until 1.30am 7 nights a week.

The Town Council  supported the principle, Chris Willmore on behalf of the Town Council told the Licensing Committee - we know residents have been looking forward to this.

But there is always a but - residents and the Town Council argued strongly against Miss Millie's proposed 1.30 am closing time. Everywhere else in town is shut by 12 on weekdays - even if they open later at weekends. So this extends the time people will finally disperse and go home by 1.5 hours.  It is likely to lead to other places deciding to open until 1.30am seven days a week. The Town Council and residents argued Miss Millie's should have the same closing times as other places in town.

Miss Millies will be in what was Hotcha on the corner of North Walk and North Parade.

Council agrees to investigate flooding at Morrisons to Armadillo crossing

Some news. Earlier this week we blogged about flooding in the MIU car park. One resident asked Focus for an update on the terrible problems with flooding at the pedestrian lights from Morrisons to the Armadillo.

Waiting at Morrisons to cross when it has been raining you get soaked by passing cars and then often the pool of water is so deep it gets into people's shoes as they try to cross.

This has been going on for years -and the Focus Team have raised it any number of times with officials. South Glos has had various attempts to find the cause (it is not anything obvious and seems to date back to when Morrisons was part of Newman's factory and where the water went then - as one effort to solve it concluded all the water just goes into a soak away under Morrison's car park so when the water table is high it just sits there with nowhere to go!!)

But today we got a response from South Glos, which for the first time recognised how serious the problem is. They've run out of simple solutions - the next investigation will involve closing the road for two days whilst they dig up quite a big area and try to track what is going on.

S Glos say:
"As you have said it’s an issue that has been on-going on for some time now. We have tried to resolve this issue in the past and have recently utilised a lane closure in an attempt to determine the issue without much success. 

The next step would be to close the road and spend a good couple of days locating where the fault/faults are. A road closure will cause some disturbance but we believe it needs to be done. At present this is not a high priority, we have had some major floods over the last few weeks and we must tackle these first.

Its on the to do list and we will have to find a slot to do the work."

We have gone back to South Glos to suggest that it whilst nobody like road closures, we all want this sorted as soon as possible - doing it at the same time as they close Church Rd for resurfacing this summer would make sense (although if we have a dry summer that would be useless - it needs to be when there is water around......)

Our thanks to S Glos officers for replying so quickly - now to find a slot to do the investigations. 

URGENT INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE? Our local youth club needs you.

URGENT *Vacancy* YOUTH WORKERS NEEDED

Sessional Engagement Worker 18hpw

To deliver play opportunities, education, training and routes into work to children and young people to make communities safe and inclusive, with quality opportunities and choices for all. LPW are looking for more youth workers to run our much valued facilities at St Nix and Brimsham Green - so please share this with anyone local who you think might be interest. Closing 24th March, for more information visit the vacancy page at Learning Partnership West or click here

M4 closures from M32 to M5 2 March - 25 April

If only Highways England and the Council could co-ordinate what they are doing. Just when Gypsy Patch Bridge works have closed the Beacon Lane / Gypsy Patch east west route, the M4 is going to be closed too from the M32 to M5 - so the A4174 will be the key route..... Thankfully the motorway closure is only night time. 

Here is the Highways England M4 resurfacing scheme announcement. 

We have been advised of disruption on the M4 in our area from Monday 2 March to Saturday 25 April. Highways England will be carrying out resurfacing of the eastbound carriageway between Junction 19 (M32) and 20 (M5) and overnight road closures and lane closures will be in place throughout the works. 

The details below have been provided by Highways England, which is responsible for the motorways, and further inquiries will need to be directed to them. 

Works will be carried out in a series of five phases. Please note all road works will be undertaken Monday to Friday overnight between 8pm and 6am. During the day the carriageway will be open as usual. There will be no works on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Phase 1: 2 March to 2 April 2020

M4 westbound mainline carriageway will be closed prior to J19 offslip through to J20

Diversion in place via M32, A4174, A38 and M5 J16. Please note lane closures will be in place on the M32.

Phase 2: 2 to 7 April 2020

M4 westbound lane closures only

Phase 3: 7 to 10 April 2020

M4 westbound J20 off-slip will be closed, there will be no access to the M5 southbound and northbound link roads. 

Diversion in place via M4 westbound, circulate at J22 to rejoin M4 eastbound and exit at J20 off-slip.

Phase 4: 14 to 19 April 2020

M4 westbound mainline carriageway closed after J20 off-slip.

Diversion in place via M5 southbound, circulate at J16 to join M5 northbound, exit at J15 to rejoin M4 westbound.

Phase 5: 20 to 25 April 2020

M4 westbound mainline closure after J20 off-slip. There will be no access to link roads to M5 north and southbound or M4 westbound. 

flooded MIU car park

Everywhere locally is waterlogged, drains and ground drainage is not coping.  But when four bays at the MIU are effectively out of action because the surface water sitting there is too deep to get from the car to the MIU without getting very wet feet over you shoes, something needs to be done. By definition those using the car park are NHS patients and the last thing they need on top of the thing they've gone to the MIU or doctor with is soaking feet or trying to get through water when you have a mobility problem. We have asked the authorities to identify the underlying problem and solve it as soon as possible.  (Of course it is nothing compared to the terribly flooding people in so many places are enduring, but it still needs tackling.

We are lucky that so far the flood detention measures on the Frome through Sodbury and Yate have done just enough to keep it out of homes here. Back in November the Environment Agency was planning to demonstrate their plans for holding back the flood water to the East of St John's way to give our town more protection. They had to cancel it on the day as staff had travelled north to help with the November floods. And since then it has been non stop for them tackling problems. They will demonstrate their plans for our area as soon as they get a moment. Meanwhile, thanks to all of them for all their work.