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THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset

17th March 2021

Issue 670

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Why are bin lorries allowed to flout weight restrictions? Officials from South Gloucestershire Council and its contractor Suez are being called to explain why waste lorries are allowed to regularly flout weight restrictions by taking short cuts when they leave the Mangotsfield Sort It Centre, despite repeated complaints over the last 10 years.

Instead of using the nearby A4174 ring road when they leave the Carsons Road site, many bin lorries are said to regularly take a short cut - including to get back to the Cowhorn Hill vehicle depot at Warmley. It is understood they want to avoid being held up at the Siston Hill Roundabout where the signals give priority to

A waste lorry taking a short cut on its way back to the Cowhorn Hill depot

ring road traffic. The matter was raised at last Wednesday’s meeting of the Boyd Valley Community Engagement Forum (CEF) when a resident said: “This fight has been going on for 10 years or so and it concerns the 7.5 tonne weight limit which was imposed from Goose Green through Webbs Heath, through Siston, back through to Siston Common, and then it finishes at the traffic lights at the bottom of Carsons Road.” He said most of the lorries flouting the limit are Suez lorries: “They come from the rubbish tip up over the common. They go out to Cadbury Heath and Bitton via Goose Green and Webbs Heath, breaking the 7.5 tonne limit.” He said they use it as a short cut, rather than collecting, and is particularly concerned about the lorries going across Siston Common, round the sharp bend and through a narrow stretch of Warmley: “Someone’s going to have an accident one day. For years I and residents have tried to sort this out but get nowhere.” He says he raises the problem every year, usually via Siston Parish Council. On 12th February this year he reported it directly to South Gloucestershire Council and a week later had a reply to say that lorries were allowed to use the weight restricted roads but only for collections. Continued on page 3

A sign advising drivers of the weight restriction in Stanley Road

Also in this week’s issue

Keynsham Music Festival goes on the road . . . page 8

Reaction to waste-toenergy plans . . . page 9

Urgent track work at Bitton Station . . . page 11

The end for another Kingswood pub . . . page 13

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Why are bin lorries allowed to flout weight restrictions? Continued from page 1 He was told that the vehicles are tracked and have CCTV fitted, so Suez would be investigating and would act to stop the flouting of the regulations. However, the week after getting that response, the resident said he saw four or five Suez lorries continuing to break the weight limit every day. “On Monday 1st March, a fortnight later, I saw eight Suez lorries going from Carsons Road out to The Griffin (pub) so the manager has actually done nothing in two weeks. Now if I was manager of Suez and my blokes were doing this, surely I would jump on them and say ‘Look guys, you’re breaking the law and you shouldn’t be going there, upsetting the residents and you are causing chaos because of the size of the vehicles’. “Why does it take residents to keep pestering, complaining about this? Something seems to happen for a couple of weeks and then it goes back to normal again.” He said there had been an attempt to tackle the problem about 10 years ago, involving the police and Trading Standards, who can enforce weight restriction orders: “Of course as soon as you stop one lorry, they say, ‘Oh we’re collecting here’, and then they are on the phone to everybody, saying, ‘Don’t bother coming up this way’.” Simon Stevens, who chairs the Boyd Valley forum, said: “This is exactly the type of thing that the CEF was formed

to deal with and put pressure on South Gloucestershire to act. Bring in the officers that are responsible for managing this, that’s the only way it’s going to get dealt with.” Boyd Valley councillor Ben Stokes said the council’s waste manager would be “well-placed” to come to the forum and speak about the issue: “I would say we could also ask her to invite someone from Suez to say definitively what they are going to do that’s different, that hasn’t happened over the previous years.” The forum agreed to invite them and Mr Stevens said that a coordinated approach was needed with forums from the other areas affected “so it is coming at the officers from all angles. Maybe they’ll be a little keener to deal with it.” The matter of Suez vehicles using Siston Common and Stanley Road instead of the ring road was also raised at the last Siston Parish Council meeting and will back on the agenda when councillors meet tomorrow (Thursday). The minutes from last month’s meeting show “that South Gloucestershire Council have been contacted and they in turn have spoken with Suez who are going to deal with their drivers”. A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council told us this week: “We have raised the matter with Suez who have spoken with their drivers to remind them about the weight restrictions along these roads. They will also be carrying out monitoring to prevent it happening again.”

Six neighbours put forward their gardens for housing Plans have been submitted to South Gloucestershire Council to demolish a house on the A431 at Longwell Green and create an access to nine new homes that would be built in six rear gardens. Plans have been prepared by architects on behalf of the owner of No 40 Stonehill, which would be knocked down, and property owners at Nos 38, 42, 44, 46 and 48. The report from JIA Architects says: “Currently each house has an extensive rear garden that stretches back by an average distance of around 82 metres… the maintenance of such an extensive garden is both expensive and impractical for many 21st century lifestyles. Therefore the owners of the sites have instructed JIA to produce a residential scheme that utilises around 40% of each of their existing plots for muchneeded housing, whilst retaining a generous garden for The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

each.” One detached and eight semi-detached houses are proposed with parking for a total of 20 vehicles plus 22 cycle spaces. The report says that following pre-application discussions, the council says that development of the land is acceptable in principle. A transport statement with the planning application outlines that over a typical day 19,928 vehicles travel along Stonehill. It says the proposed development will not have a harmful effect on the road, which has a good safety record. The statement also says that the site is very well located for access to an extensive range of local facilities by sustainable modes of travel. The planning reference is P21/00995/F.

Calls for action to tackle tip queues South Gloucestershire Council is being urged to implement immediate measures to sort out the problem of queues at Mangotsfield Sort It Centre, not wait for the proposed slip road which is currently going through the planning process. Former councillor for the area Ian Adams, who campaigned for years for a slip road, is putting pressure on the council. He said: “I realise planning for the new slip road is under way, but us residents living near this site have to endure horrendous queuing in the meantime.” He said that last Easter traffic management measures were put in place, which massively helped to control traffic flow. There is a webcam facility at the centre which allows residents to check via the council’s website how busy it is before they leave home, but it has not been working. Writing on Facebook, local councillor Kim Scudamore advised residents that he has asked the council’s head of waste to see what can be done now to relieve the traffic problems around the site, “possibly by reintroducing some traffic control like, but better than, that which was used back in the summer”. He added: “Obviously the council are planning for the longer-term slip road solution but I’ve stressed that frustrated residents can’t wait for that to happen.”

Witness appeal after collision at ring road junction Police have asking anyone who witnessed a serious road traffic collision on the A4174 ring road at the Hambrook lights junction last Tuesday to come forward. At approximately 2.35pm, emergency services received a call to say there had been a collision involving a bike and a grey Volkswagen Golf. Paramedics and police attended the scene. The cyclist, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital, where he was said to be in a critical, but stable condition. The road was closed for a number of hours, with miles of tailbacks around the area, before reopening that evening. CCTV inquiries have been taking place but any witnesses or anyone with dash cam footage is asked to contact the police on 101, quoting reference number 5221050612.

Confirmation that Starbucks is to open in Longwell Green When Caffè Nero at the Gallagher Shopping Park in Longwell Green closed its doors last month, there were rumours that Starbucks would be taking over the premises. At the time Starbucks told us it was always looking for new locations and opportunities but had no updates to share about plans at Longwell Green. However, now South Gloucestershire Council has received a planning application from Cobra Coffee Ltd, which is a licensed Starbucks UK franchise, seeking consent to put up five internally illuminated Starbucks signs at the unit.

Nero’s had traded at the retail park for five years and staff put up a sign announcing the closure to customers saying it was “due to circumstances beyond our control”.

THE WEEK IN Barrs Court, Bitton, Brislington, Cadbury Heath, Compton Dando, Corston, Downend, Emersons Green, Fishponds, Hanham, Hillfields, Keynsham, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Mangotsfield, Marksbury, North Common, Oldland Common, Pucklechurch, Saltford, Staple Hill, Stockwood, St George, Warmley, Whitchurch, Wick, Willsbridge. 16,000 copies are distributed through retail outlets, libraries, pubs, community centres each week. Verified pick-up rate of 97%. Publisher The Week In Community Ltd, 8 Temple Court, Keynsham. BS31 1HA 0117 986 0381 www.theweekin.co.uk ISSN: 2052-9767 Managing Editor News Editor Contributors

Stephen Rodgers admin@theweekin.co.uk Becky Feather 07403 273967 Christine Rogers

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Tracy Broderick 0117 986 0381 sales.theweekin@gmail.com @theweekineditor

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Keep in touch, let us know what you think, send us your news www.facebook.com/theweekin The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Councillor tells of his shock at murder of young mum and daughter South Gloucestershire councillor Ian Boulton, who knew murder victim Bennylyn Burke, says that news of the killing of her and her youngest daughter has left him in shock. He has been in touch with police to let them know everything he knew about the mother-oftwo, who lived in Staple Hill before moving to Kingswood last year. Bennylyn, 25, was reported to Avon & Somerset Police as missing on Monday 1st March. She was reportedly last seen at her home, believed to be in the Court Road area, on Wednesday 17th February. On Friday 5th March police attended a property in Troon Avenue in Dundee as part of the inquiry and Andrew Innes, 50, who lived at the address, has subsequently been charged with murdering Bennylyn and two-year-old Jellica some time between 17th February and 5th March. Police Scotland said that Bennylyn’s other daughter had been traced and was being supported. Innes was due to make a second court appearance this week. As we went to print this

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

week, police were still looking for the two bodies. Cllr Boulton, who represents the Staple Hill & Mangotsfield ward, said Bennylyn had been an active member of the Staple Hill & Mangotsfield Residents Facebook group and regularly engaged with threads and posts. Writing on Facebook last week, he said: “As one of Bennylyn’s ward councillors, I met her and her beautiful daughters. As you can imagine, the news that developed over the weekend knocked me for six. “I'm sure that there are other members of this group who also knew them who must be feeling equally shocked. I have been in touch with Dundee Police to let them know everything I knew about Bennylyn and her circumstances. If you have any information that may help them to understand the story of Bennylyn's life over the last few years, then please get in touch with Police Scotland by calling 101 and quoting reference 1434 of 5th March 2021. Rest in peace Bennylyn and Jellica.”

Bennylyn Burke and her daughter Jellica

Bristol’s Nightingale Hospital to close As coronavirus numbers continue to fall, Bristol’s Nightingale Hospital based at the University of the West of England at Frenchay is to close next month. The hospital opened on 27th April last year, ready to house 300 intensive care beds for COVID-19 cases if the region's permanent hospitals were overwhelmed. Almost a year later it will close its doors having never housed a COVID patient. However, in December the hospital began hosting

outpatient services to support children and adults from across the region. It has been used for assessing and treating patients from Bristol Eye Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children whilst remaining on standby in case it was needed for COVID patients. Outpatient treatments will be moved back to their respective hospitals when the Nightingale closes on 1st April. It is one of four of England’s Nightingale hospitals that are to close permanently.

Footpath closure A public footpath at Lyde Green is being closed temporarily later this month because of the likelihood of danger to pedestrians while building work on new homes and infrastructure is carried out. The closure order affects footpath LPU/36/30 which extends south east of its junction with Willowherb Road for 132 metres. The closure order by South Gloucestershire Council runs from 22nd March for a maximum of six months.

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The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Regional support for Saltford Station bid The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has made a bid to the Department for Transport’s Restoring your Railway fund for £50,000 towards the cost of £70,000 to develop the business and feasibility case for opening a station at Saltford as part of the MetroWest project. MetroWest will provide half-hourly local train services across the Bristol-Bath sub-region. The Saltford Station study will cover the areas required to establish whether the station is feasible, and if it is, what the next steps in its development should be. The bid has the backing of local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg and follows a vote by Bath and North East Somerset Council in October 2019 supporting the opening of the station. Neil Butters, Joint B&NES Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I would like to congratulate Saltford Parish Council, councillors Duncan Hounsell and Alastair Singleton, and the people of Saltford for their achievement so far. “A reopened Saltford station would take many cars off the road, reduce carbon emissions, and lead to a pleasant environment. This station project has my full support.” The WECA bid is also welcomed by Saltford Parish Council and the Saltford Station Campaign, who have been actively supporting the reopening of Saltford Station for many years. Chris Warren, chair of Saltford Parish Council as well as the Saltford Station Campaign, said: “This bid is a strong, positive step towards the reopening of Saltford Station potentially at its former site. The cross-party and cross-

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

From left: Chris Warren, Neil Butters & Duncan Hounsell

organisational support from WECA, B&NES, and our MP for developing the business and feasibility case for opening a station at Saltford as part of the MetroWest project is greatly welcomed. “Saltford Parish Council and the Saltford Station Campaign view this as a significant step towards making the reopening

of our station a reality.” The WECA bid makes clear that the development of a station would take a minimum of five years if there was sufficient line capacity. If a station was dependent on signalling enhancements, the minimum time for delivering the station would be 10 years.

Keynsham Music Festival to go on the road this year A different type of Keynsham Music Festival is being planned this year. Last year’s festival had to be cancelled

because

the

pandemic and the organisers say that they have taken the difficult decision not to hold the 2021 festival in the Memorial Park this summer either. Instead a Keynsham Mobile Festival will be held in the town on Sunday 5th September. Festival chairman Mike May

“If you live on the route, we hope that you

said: “As a volunteer organisation, we

will hold your own family garden party

cannot take the financial risk of having to

and decorate it with bunting. We are also

cancel due to changes in Government

hoping you will take part in an arts trail

rules after we have committed to purchase

with further decoration. This should leave

all the necessary infrastructure - not to

enough room for your neighbours from

mention our commitment to performers,

adjoining streets to take part in a safe way.

crew and traders.

“We

“So instead, we plan to bring the festival

distancing rules will enable us to stop at

to you! Our hope for this year is to

certain points on the route. In any event,

organise a Keynsham Mobile Festival, a

we will be totally reliant on the goodwill

procession of performances taking in as

of the Keynsham community to ensure

much of the whole town as we possibly

that everyone has a great, totally safe,

can. There will be music of all sorts,

enjoyable time.

dance, children’s entertainment, and

“In addition, we are hoping that we will

circus performances. We are at the early

be able to put on smaller events leading

stages of planning and there may well be

up to the big day.”

changes, additions and cancellations, so

Further announcements will be made as

please bear with us.

plans are finalised, say the organisers.

desperately

hope

that

social

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Radio presenter to turn spotlight on local country music acts Community radio station KTCRfm 108.5fm has spent almost the whole of its first year of broadcasting during the pandemic and lockdown. While it has provided an invaluable service to local residents during that time, one of the major challenges in producing its daily programming has been the restricted access to the studios in Keynsham. Presenters have had to find other ways to record their programmes and one of these presenters is Dave Brassington. He presents a fortnightly country music show, a genre he is well acquainted with, having enjoyed it most of his adult life; in the early 1990s he presented a similar show on Classic Gold Brunel Radio in Bristol. The show features a wide range of country music styles from the

early recording days of the 1920s in America up to modern times. At the moment this show is being recorded from home, but Dave is hopeful that as the COVID restrictions end, there can be more local input from musicians and clubs in the area to the programme. Looking forward to a brighter future he told The Week In: “I’m looking to promote local country acts and ‘what’s on’ and I’m keen to speak with organisers and artists planning future events this year.” To contact Dave leave a message at ktcrfm@gmail.com The programme goes out on alternate Thursdays at 10am, repeated the following Tuesdays at 4pm. You can also listen again at www.ktcrfm.com

Dave Brassington at home surrounded by some of his musical memorabilia

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Setback for proposed power plant as council’s highways team objects The controversial plans for a waste-to-power plant near Keynsham have suffered a setback, with B&NES Council’s highways team objecting because of concerns about the impact on road safety. We reported in Issue 666 last month that a new planning application had been submitted for the former Resourceful Earth plant at the old Queen Charlton quarry site in Charlton Field Lane, which closed in October 2017 when administrators were appointed. Planning permission was granted in 2014 for a renewable energy anaerobic digester (AD) plant, using biogas to generate renewable electricity, but the works were never completed, nor was it built in accordance with the permission granted. In 2019 a company called Resourceful Earth Anaerobic Ltd (REAL) submitted new plans to produce biogas to generate renewable electricity, increasing capacity from the approved 25,000 tonnes of organic material per annum to 92,000 tonnes. The plans sparked concerns including about odours and an increase in traffic, and a campaign group called POKE Protect Our Keynsham Environment – was formed. Last June the council advised the developer to withdraw the application and resubmit it with impact assessments and an environment statement. REAL’s latest application for an AD facility producing gas and electricity for local grid networks also proposes to restore local ecology in the old quarry. The developer has said that the proposals would have a limited impact on the Green Belt, there would also be a limited traffic impact and that the site is well located in relation to sources of waste. It adds that there would be ecological, landscape and visual improvements to the quarry, plus the creation of local jobs.

The total number of annual trips connected with the site is predicted to be 10,637 vehicles in and 10,637 out. A report from the council’s highways team summarises that REAL “has failed to demonstrate that satisfactory access to the public highway can be achieved and that there would be no severe cumulative impact on the operation of the local highway network”. It continues: “Highways are of the view that without The site in Charlton Field Lane further mitigation measures, the development is likely to result in the introduction of all of those new residents will have bought to live on the edge HGVs on unsuitable roads to the detriment of highway safety of a market town and close to the countryside, not to be in and residential amenity… In addition, the application does the firing line for additional traffic, noise, odour and spores.” not provide adequate details of pedestrian access, emergency And Cllr Paul May, whose Publow with Whitchurch ward vehicle access, car parking, cycle parking, post-construction includes residents living immediately next to the site, has also waste management, traffic management and travel planning formally objected, saying it is a major application which measures. would adversely affect thousands of people. In his objection “We cannot assess the junction capacity modelling because he says it would be an inefficient and costly carbonthe data used was collected during November 2020 which generating development in its reliance upon waste being was a national lockdown where the general public’s transported and would be extremely visually intrusive in movement was extremely limited.” terms of the open views of the Green Belt. He adds: “Current Among the many other objections lodged on the council’s enforcement powers will not be able to control the use of the planning portal include one from Cllr Alan Hale who site if permission is granted.” represents Keynsham South on B&NES Council. In his letter The deadline for comments is 27th March and the planning he says: “Many hundreds of new homes have been built less reference is 21/00419/EFUL. B&NES Council’s target date than a mile from the proposed development and many if not for making a decision is 11th May.

Sudoku 1-Easy

SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 21st March

2 -Hard

Boots, Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green (10.30am-4pm) Asda, Longwell Green (10am-4pm) Boots, Emersons Green Retail Park (10.30am-4.30pm) Sainsbury’s, Emersons Green Retail Park (9.30am-4.30pm) Stockwood Pharmacy, 78 Hollway Road, BS14 8PG (9am-7pm) Keynsham Pharmacy, 15 Station Road, BS31 2BH (10am-4pm) Tesco, Callington Road, Brislington (10am to 4pm) Morrisons, 688-718 Fishponds Road, Fishponds (10am-4pm) Boots, Avonmeads Retail Park, St Philips Causeway (11am-5pm)

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

New windows in historic building will ‘greatly improve town’s conservation area’ B&NES Council’s planning committee has granted listed building consent for new finely detailed windows to replace the plastic ones that were installed in haste at Keynsham Conservative Club. As we reported last week, the old windows at the Grade II listed premises were rotting and were replaced without consent, with the council concerned they may have been the originals. A subsequent retrospective listed building application to keep the uPVC double-glazing was refused and an enforcement case was pending while plans for more suitable timber replacements were discussed. At last Wednesday’s committee meeting, planning officer Caroline Power said the 18th century property was probably built originally as a residential townhouse “therefore carrying considerable status within the town at that time and presently does the same”. She said the building in the High Street has been the Conservative Club for at least 100 years if not more. “It is close to other quite major historic assets within the town centre, including the remains of the abbey, and the parish church, so it’s in a very important historic core of the town.” She added: “It is considered that the proposal

to install four timber double-glazed sash windows with traditional through glazing bars closely resembling the ground-floor windows is an acceptable solution and will not only preserve the significance of this listed building but will also improve the setting of the adjacent heritage assets and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.” Club secretary Dave Johnson told the meeting that following a complaint from a member of the public, B&NES planning department had advised the club that the plastic windows contravened planning and listed building regulations. “We submitted two proposals from timber window manufacturers to the planning department for consideration and advice - one was rejected immediately being of insufficient standard, the other falling short on detail.” He said that after protracted discussions lasting more than a year between the planning department and supplier, an agreement on specifications for replacement windows to comply with planning and listed building requirements was finally reached. “These form the basis of our application which we hope will receive committee approval so that we can move forward and leave this sorry saga behind,” he said.

Crossword

Keynsham Concservative Club

The planning committee unanimously approved the new windows with Cllr Eleanor Jackson saying they will “greatly conserve and enhance the conservation area” and that the impact on the street will be considerably improved. Following the meeting Mr Johnson has told us that the rotting windows that had been removed were not the originals, as the council had suggested might be the case, but had been there for only about 25 years. He also said that the club was this week putting in an application for listed building consent to keep the façade the blue colour that it was painted in 2019. It had previously been a stone colour but at the time the

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Magnificent (8)

1. Magnitude (4)

5. Bludgeon (4)

2. Depart (5)

9. Very enthusiastic (7) 3. Secluded retreats (5) 10. Interior (5)

4. Mad (6)

11. Diving bird (3)

6. Line of descent (7)

12. Famous admiral (6) 7. Hair ornament (8)

Heritage Action Zone Last year Keynsham High Street received £1.1m to enhance its historic identity and retain its status as a conservation area. B&NES Council received a share of the £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zones fund from Historic England. The bid was made in partnership with the town council and supported by Keynsham Neighbourhood Development Plan and civic, community and business groups. The Keynsham High Street Heritage Action Zone is formed of the upper part of the High Street, the main High Street and Temple Street.

Work begins on new Park & Ride Work has begun on the new Yate Park & Ride. The new transport hub will help reduce traffic along the congested A432

Badminton

Road

corridor

15. Very angry (5)

8. Two-piece swimsuit (6)

17. Slender (4)

13. Garland (3)

as public transport, cycling or car sharing.

19. Elk (6)

14. Savoury dish (4)

The £3.6m facility is being built next to the South

22. Halve (6)

16. Nazi emblem (8)

Gloucestershire Council offices and will include 198

24. Small loaf (4)

18. Competent (4)

parking spaces, 38 electric vehicle charge points and

26. Breathe noisily (5)

20. Defend, shield (7)

secure cycle parking for 46 bikes, as well as improved

27. Charge with air (6)

21. Boy soprano (6)

bus stops.

30. Swampy ground (3) 23. Ocean (3)

property received its Grade II listing, in 1975, it was blue.

encouraging people to use alternative travel options such

The site will provide an initial Park & Ride service using

32. Perfect (5)

25. Shallow lake (6)

the existing bus network and will later benefit from the

33. Disgusting (7)

28. Readjust (5)

planned extension of metrobus services to the area. It will

34. Poker stake (4)

29. Topic (5)

also be available for rail users at Yate Station, which is

35. Object of

an eight-minute walk away.

abhorrence (8)

The new facility is expected to open later in the year.

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Track and level crossing works at Bitton Station Avon Valley Railway is carrying out “essential works” immediately south of Bitton Station, including replacing the level crossing which will involve some overnight shifts. The heritage railway says preparatory works have already started, making the most of the current COVID restrictions which prevent public trains from running. The works are expected to be completed by 16th April and people living near the station are advised that it could get noisy at times. In a letter to people living nearby, the railway says: “The works planned include removing the existing track; removing the existing Tarmac surface to the level crossing for the Bristol to Bath Path; replacing the existing track, adding new ballast and compacting the track; and installing a new crossing surface which is easier to maintain and safer for crossing users.” “The majority of the works will take place during the day (between 9am and 6pm) and our team of volunteers and staff will make all efforts to reduce the impact of our work, but you can expect to hear some increased activity during this period.

“Due to the need to close the Bristol to Bath Path to replace the crossing, it will be necessary to undertake some works during two night shifts. These will involve works between 9pm and 8am on two separate nights - Saturday 27th March and Saturday 3rd April. Again, we will do our best to keep noise and disturbance to a minimum but there will be rail and movements (to, from and within site) and power tools used during this time.” Avon Valley Railway says it has liaised with both South Gloucestershire Council and Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, which is custodian of the National Cycle Network, to coordinate the works. “This is part of a much bigger project to improve the track design and signalling system that controls the trains that travel through the station, to make it safer for our visitors, volunteers and users of the cycle track. “The next step of the project will be to install signalling which will help reduce the amount of times trains stop on the approach to Bitton Station when returning from the River Avon.”

The old Warmley Golf Course

Concerns over any redevelopment of green space South Gloucestershire Council’s move to earmark part of the old Warmley Golf Course for potential redevelopment, as we revealed last week, has caused some concern. The council has published the outcome of its most recent Call for Sites exercise to identify land that could be considered for future growth and development – and part of the old golf course, along with the adjoining Suez recycling and recovery depot at Cowhorn Hill, is one of five sites that the council owns or part-owns and has put forward for consideration. The council has previously spoken of its hopes to relocate the waste vehicles to the

Mangotsfield waste and recycling centre. The proposed future use of the depot and the green space, which stretches behind houses up to Brereton Way in Cadbury Heath, is to be confirmed, according to the council. There have been several comments on social media in response to our story including: “For goodness sake, this is awful, we will have no green areas around here soon.” Another local resident said: “We as a community need to stop this happening, we are losing many of our green spaces.” One person wondered: “Can they do that there? I heard it used to be landfill so they can't build because the land is toxic?”

The Suez depot The level crossing

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

The Community Page

News from Bitton Parish Council The Chairman of the Council Erica Williams would like to extend her thanks to the residents within Bitton Parish for working together to get through this pandemic. We are still a short way to go but if we all remain committed we will soon be back to some form of normality. We are proud to say that we have kept the precept for 2021/22 the same for the 4th year at £94,000. Councillors felt that in light of the Erica Williams

current pandemic this would be our way of giving something back.

Redfield Hill Playpark Bitton Parish Council have installed a playpark on the edge of the allotments at Redfield Hill. Councillors were keen to provide an area that is extremely lacking within the Oldland Common area. They are very proud of this new asset and hope residents will be too.

Forthcoming Events Creative Arts Every year we run a Creative Arts competition for the 5 Primary schools in the Parish. We encourage our youngsters to paint pictures, dazzle us

Hall for hire

with their handwriting, write poems and adventure stories. Their imaginations never cease to amaze us. This year we are ‘Dreaming of Dragons’. Closing date is 8 April 2021.

Photography Competition We would like to remind our residents that the closing date for the Photography Competition is 30 April 2021 so there is still time to enter! If you live in Bitton Parish, dig out your cameras and take lockdown photos. Get your entries in to the Clerk – clerk@bittonparishcouncil.gov.uk

Bitton Parish Council have a lovely Community Building at the rear of Redfield Edge School which is available for hire at competitive rates with parking available. Please get in touch.

Bitton gets creative! Youth Club members were challenged to design a T shirt to share their feelings and activities during lockdown. In

Phoebe Coles

a fun judging session they modelled their designs. School work, cooking and eating chocolate featured but also very large doses of Harry Potter! The joint winners were Phoebe Coles and Shelbie Snailham who both received a gift voucher of their choice. Well done to our creative young people.

How to contact your Parish: Mrs Kelly Fry, Bitton Parish Council – Telephone 01454 868102 or email clerk@bittonparishcouncil.gov.uk

Next week’s Community Page – Emersons Green 12

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Backland development bid in Hanham Plans to build four four-bed detached houses with garages and gardens on vacant land behind a house in Hollyguest Road in Hanham are pending consideration by South Gloucestershire Council. The application for Broadlands also seeks planning permission to construct a new private access driveway. The new Bellway Homes estate is located to the south of the site. The application highlights that a number of backland developments have been completed in recent years at the rear of large houses in South Gloucestershire. The planning reference is P21/01166/F.

Situations Vacant

Fate of pub sealed as plans to turn it into a nursery are approved Another Kingswood pub has been lost for good after

Plans were submitted at the same time as the pub

plans to turn The Old Flowerpot Inn into a children’s

redevelopment to build four three-storey semi-detached

nursery were approved.

houses at the rear, accessed from neighbouring Station Court,

South Gloucestershire Council has recently granted planning

but that application was refused, as we reported in Issue 643

permission to turn the derelict pub on the High Street, which

last September.

dates from 1890, into a 125-space children’s day nursery

Council planners said that the number of houses proposed

which will have 30 full-time staff.

would result in a cramped development with “sub-standard”

The plans include demolishing existing extensions and

outdoor space. They were concerned that nearby homes

building two-storey and single-storey extensions.

would be affected by overlooking and also rejected the plans

There were 23 letters of objection to Flowerpot Properties

due to the impact on road safety and on-street parking

Ltd’s plans including the impact on traffic and parking and

because of the lack of parking spaces.

the loss of another local to developers, particularly as The

• Over the last few years the Kingswood area has lost several

Old Flowerpot is said to be a “very rare” two bar

pubs. They include the Anchor Made For Ever at New

establishment.

Cheltenham, which has also become a children’s nursery. The

But the council said the building is in a “deteriorating state

Crown in Soundwell Road has been converted into housing,

of disrepair” and the proposed scheme will bring back into

as has the Tennis Court Inn at Deanery Road and The Shant

use a building that has been left empty for some time.

in Crown Road.

The plans were approved subject to the developer paying

The Highwayman on Hill Street and Royal Archer on Lees

£10,000 to the council to secure a Traffic Regulation Order

Hill were demolished to make way for housing.

for a waiting restriction necessary to manage the additional

The Lord Rodney site on Two Mile Hill Road became a Co-

traffic requirements that will be generated.

op as did The Chequers at Lodge Road.

Park hit by vandalism and fly-tipping Southey Park in New Cheltenham has been suffering from fly-tipping and vandalism. The Friends of Southey Park is a group set up by local people to safeguard and develop the open space for the benefit of nearby residents, wildlife and park users. Last week the Friends reported that a group of teenagers had broken off all the casing around some saplings, leaving “a huge mess on the grass for absolutely no reason”. “These saplings were donated to the Friends group by the Woodland Trust and we are really sad to see this has happened.” The Friends say the police have been involved. They have also highlighted fly-tipping problems near the park entrance onto the new path at Southey Avenue. “This fly-tipping has been here since September and more and more has been recently dumped. We have reported this many times through the official fly-tipping link for South

The Week in • Wednesday 17th March 2021

Gloucestershire and have also reported it directly to our local councillors. We have now been informed it is the job of the football club (Bristol Rovers Junior Supporters Football Club) to remove it, as they are the lease-holders for the land. “The council has made the football club aware of the flytipping and they should be removing it soon.”

Sudoku Solutions 1-Easy 4 9 1 7 5 3 6 8 2

2 3 6 8 4 1 7 5 9

8 7 5 9 6 2 4 1 3

1 6 7 4 3 5 9 2 8

Crossword Solution

2-Hard 5 8 9 2 1 7 3 6 4

3 2 4 6 8 9 5 7 1

9 5 8 1 7 4 2 3 6

6 4 3 5 2 8 1 9 7

7 1 2 3 9 6 8 4 5

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