An extra election for some parts of Yate

Margaret Marshall and
Steve Webb campaigning
at the weekend

If you live in the Yate South East ward, which stretches from Elswick Park to the Common, and from Yate Shops to just north of Abbotswood, you have an election for a vacancy on Yate Town Council caused by the sad death of Cllr Arthur Adams.

Lib Dem Focus Team candidate Margaret Marshall is a former town councillor - she stood down a while ago to look after her elderly mother, who has since passed away. Margaret is an experienced campaigner and a key member of the Focus Team.

Focus has a record of not only keeping but also improving our local services - look at imaginative projects like the Armadillo youth cafe, for example. Most recently the Common has been declared a Field in Trust so that it can never be built on.

If you live in this ward, please VOTE MARGARET MARSHALL on Thursday.

It's Police and Crime Commissioner election week!

Pete Levy is the Lib Dem candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner role

The whole of our area has an election on Thursday for the new post of Police and Crime Commissioner. The new Commissioner will cover the whole of the Avon and Somerset police area, so it's going to be an important job. A lot of people are asking what the PCC will do, so here are a few key points:

What are the objectives for the new Commissioner?

The PCC is supposed to bring a public voice to policing and hold our police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see. Their aim will be to cut crime and to ensure your police force is effective.

What will the PCC actually do?

• engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans
• ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most
• appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the chief constable.

So this is a key appointment. If we elect the wrong candidate, we could find our local police services cut drastically.

What are our choices?

Lib Dem candidate Pete Levy has served in both the civilian and military police and has been a member of the Police Authority for several years, so he's got lots of relevant experience. He has pledged to keep police services rather than cut them - you can read all about his proposals on his blog.

You get two votes, a first and a second preference, so naturally we suggest that you give Pete Levy your first preference vote.

There are three other choices - Conservative, Labour and Independent. You can read about the various candidates here - but there's one key difference between them. The Conservative candidate has a record of cutting funding for police services - in Somerset he chopped the council funding for PCSOs, the Police Community Support Officers who provide much of our local police front line. So please don't even give the Conservatives your second preference.

KEEP OUR LOCAL POLICE SERVICES - 
VOTE FOR PETE LEVY

Water supply problems in Yate and Chipping Sodbury

Many properties in the area are suffering low water pressure or even have no water at all following a burst major water main near the B&Q roundabout in Yate.

Bristol Water have been switching supplies around to be people's water back on. They worked through the night to get the main repaired, but low pressure and interuptions of water supply may continue for a while until they get the system back to normal.

Could YOU help link Yate to the National Cycle Network?

Work is under way on the section of cycle path from Westerleigh to the M4 bridge (the part from Yate to Westerleigh will follow afterwards). Volunteers are needed to work one day a week to help prepare, lay and construct the dust path, assisting South Gloucestershire council's Streetcare team of contractors.

The work parties are every Sunday, with the next one being held this Sunday 11th November from 9am until 4pm. If you can't attend for the whole day, the volunteers would be very grateful for whatever time you can spare - be it just for a couple of hours or maybe a morning or afternoon shift. You would be made most welcome.

Thanks to those volunteers who have already given their time to the project and helped lay the first 150 yards of path. Phase 1, Pucklechurch Coxgrove Hill to the M4 bridge, was a great success and was enjoyed by all the volunteers who took part, and it's hoped to replicate this success for Phase 2.

Work includes spreading and laying path dust surface prior to rolling. Some rubbish clearance of the path is also needed.

It's moderately hard work, but fun and very rewarding. You will be helping to build a fantastic local community resource for the future.

If you would like to join this cheerful band of volunteers, please call Matt Skidmore on 07553 052183, or email him on laumat@btinternet.com for more details.

The rendezvous point for workers to meet in the morning is the level crossing next to the Network Rail depot off Westerleigh Road, via Murco Oil Depot entrance. For more detailed directions please contact Matt on the number above.

Work will be between the hours of 0900 until 1600hrs. You will be made most welcome and your services would be put to good use to further this exciting local project. Please wear sturdy workwear boots and old clothes/overalls.

Clearing leaf fall

From Monday 5^th November, South Glos Council's Street Care team will be concentrating on clearing leaf fall rather than routine street sweeping. Initially this will be for a period of four weeks, but it depends on the weather. The mechanical footway sweepers will continue to sweep the town centres, but no other routine sweeping will be done. You can report areas with heavy accumulations of leaf fall by:

• phoning 01454 868000
• e-mailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk
• filling in an online form at https://www.southglos.gov.uk/Pages/Form%20Pages/RequestGutterFootpathCyclewaySweeping.aspx

Have your say on council's parking enforcement policy

In 2007 South Gloucestershire Council introduced decriminalised parking enforcement. This means that for certain offences, council officers rather than the police enforce the law. Since then the Department for Transport have introduced a number of new powers, including some which the council can choose whether or not to take up. At the same time, the council has been developing its own "custom and practice". All these are now being brought together in a comprehensive parking enforcement policy.

You can read the proposed policy and make comments on the Council's website. The deadline for comments is 14 December 2012.

Small grants - apply now

If you are a local voluntary or community group in need of a small grant, now is the time to get your applications in. You can apply for up to £3,000 from South Glos's Small Revenue Grants - do it now on the council’s website. The closing date is 26 November 2012 and if you need help you can call the Grants Helpline on 01454-865865 for an informal chat. The decision on how much to award each group will be made by local councillors at the spring Frome Vale Area Forum.