Progress continues on the Yate Cycle Link!

An update from the Joint Cycleway Group meeting this week - South Glos told us that all the necessary Network Rail permissions have now been granted, so that's a major step forward.

Phase 1 - Railway Path Spur to Westerleigh

A digger has already started on the route from the Railway Path Spur. By June it should be passable on foot or by mountain bike to Westerleigh. A compacted surface will be in by August, with completion to the final standard next year.

Most of the fencing is up, except under the motorway bridge, where palisade fencing will be put in - work will start on it this month.

Several big level differences are being sorted out. The route should reach the Westerleigh Road crossing by August, and it will be connected by an interim route to the Broad Lane cycle path that was signed a few years ago.

A large refuge will go in on the Westerleigh Rd crossing, similar to the Henfield one.

The "Lakes Route" (see our previous report) will go in AS WELL AS the main route, to give a range of different routes to the Railway Path Spur. The timing will be the same as Phase 1.

Phase 2 - Westerleigh to Shire Way roundabout

Serious negotiations have started with the farmers involved (they had already been approached previously)

Phase 2 will be installed next financial year.

Parkfield Rank Link - negotiations are also proceeding on a link from Parkfield Rank, so that will give another access point onto the new cycleway.

The next Joint Cycleway Group meeting will be in July, on a date to be agreed.

We're getting there...

Battle of the Bands - "By the Second" comes first!

Local band 'By The Second' were crowned winners of The Battle Of The Bands competition on Wednesday evening at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall.

'By The Second' will now open at the Chipping Sodbury Festival FREE ‘Music In The Street’ event on Tuesday 19th June with headline act ‘Vegas’.

Local street dance group 'Pure Dance Crew' will also be appearing at the event. Chipping Sodbury Festival runs from 15th to 24th June with a range of events for all ages. Full details at www.chippingsodburyfestival.co.uk

More details about Vegas and other events during Chipping Sodbury festival can be found on www.chippingsodburyfestival.co.uk or you can contact the festival committee via info@chippingsodburyfestival.co.uk

Capital grants available for voluntary and community groups

South Glos Council's capital grants scheme will be open for bids from 30 April, with a deadline of 11 June for applications to be submitted.

Voluntary and community groups in South Gloucestershire can apply for help with the cost of capital projects such as buying or enhancing buildings or purchasing new equipment, machinery or vehicles.

£125,000 is available to projects that benefit South Gloucestershire residents, with funding mainly available to smaller projects costing no more than £3,000.

Successful applicants will be notified of decisions in October 2012.

Further information on the scheme is available at www.southglos.gov.uk/communitygrants

Developer to reveal plans for Engine Common and Yate Town FC

Developers will be holding a public exhibition of plans for 200 new houses and offices between Lodge Road, Dyers Lane and North Road and for redeveloping the football club building as a community facility.

The exhibition will be next Wednesday, April 25 at Yate Town FC's clubhouse from 2 pm to 8 pm.

Get onto the airwaves with a NEW community radio station

Yate.FM is a new community, semi-automated internet radio station, for Yate and Chipping Sodbury, which will be online 24 hours a day. The station plays a mixture of music with live and pre-recorded shows.

The station is looking for local people, community and voluntary groups and those who work in the area to come forward with ideas for programmes, news, views, issues, events, music, poetry etc.

The next meeting will be next Thursday 27 April at 7.00 pm at Waves night club in Yate Shopping Centre . It will last about an hour and will be your chance to meet the team and find out more about community radio and Yate.FM in particular. You will also find out about the training courses that they will be running.

Yate.FM relies on the work of volunteers, not just on broadcasting but with the many essential behind the scenes tasks. Whilst they won't start broadcasting until later on in 2012, they are now recruiting volunteers to help in the planning and preparation prior to the launch.

If you would like to get involved in any way just come along to the meeting or email yatefm@uwclub.net. Yate FM is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Yate.fm

Busy skies this Saturday!

Filton Airfield is holding a "Fly-In" event tomorrow (Saturday 21 April) from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm. Around 70 planes are expected to fly in and out. During busy periods some aircraft may be seen circling over the M4 Junction 18 while they are waiting to land.

Update: There's a report on the Fly-In in the Post.

Localfocus blog - 1000 not out!

This is article number 1000 on the Localfocus blog, which has been running for a bit over five years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our regular visitors, and to welcome those who only drop in occasionally.

Our most popular pages over the last year have been about local elections, the new Tesco, bus services, the Armadillo youth cafe, recycling and local events.

Don't forget that you can use "Search this Blog" in the right hand column to look at past articles, or you can click on a link in the "Find articles for your area here" section.

If you think there's an issue we should be covering, please email paul.hulbert@gmail.com and let us know what you think about it.