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THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset

20th April 2022

Issue 726

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10.5 tonnes of aid leaves Keynsham for Ukraine A lorry packed full of supplies for a community in Ukraine left Keynsham on Good Friday. Driving the truck is Luke Power-Hippisley, who runs Bristol haulage firm Tudor Services. Luke, who lives in Keynsham, was due to arrive in Suceava in Romania today (Wednesday) where the goods were being unloaded and repacked onto a Ukrainian truck to get everything to its final destination - Chernivtsi in south-western Ukraine. Luke is unable to cross the border into Ukraine as it is deemed too dangerous with the Russians targeting aid trucks. He is keeping supporters up to date via https://www.tiktok.com/@lph.trucking The fledgling charity Hope for Ukraine, based at Carmel City Church in Brislington, has organised the aid mission, with people generously donating items at hubs in and around Keynsham. The charity has established links with a community leader in Chernivtsi

who can receive and distribute the vital supplies. The lorry set off from I J McGill Transport Ltd’s site in Avon Mill Lane in Keynsham, displaying signs showing that it is carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The haulage firm has been providing storage space for donations. Before he left, 34-year-old Luke said: “A big thank you to everyone who has kindly donated to fill this trailer, I J Volunteers wave as the lorry leaves Keynsham McGill Transport Ltd for the warehouse space and thanks to Stena Line UK to A chance meeting earlier this month between Luke and Holland for donating the ferry crossing and Whites the chair of Hope for Ukraine’s trustees Steve Lewis set Transport Services Ltd for teaming up with us and the wheels in motion for him to get involved. Continued on page 3 suppling the trailer.”

Fatal crash at throughabout Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision at the throughabout in Warmley on Sunday night. They were called to the A4174 Wraxall Road junction after a Ford Fiesta and a moped collided at about 9.45pm. Paramedics attended but the moped rider was pronounced

Also in this week’s issue

Deliberate fires started on Rodway Common . . . page 4

dead at the scene. A 27-year-old man was arrested. The road was shut for a number of hours but reopened shortly before 5.30am. Anyone who saw the collision or has dashcam footage is asked to call 101 and give the reference number 5222091120.

Complaints over latenight venue in Kingswood . . . page 5

Campaign to make Keynsham High Street carfree again . . . pages 6 & 7

Graffiti & fly-tipping hotspots targeted in railway spring clean . . . page 9

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Artist opens her garden to raise funds for Ukraine

10.5 tonnes of aid leaves Keynsham for Ukraine Continued from page 1 Luke’s mum Tina Hippisley from Kingswood was among those waving him off on Friday morning and has played a key role in the logistics. She approached the Romanian church which meets at Hanham Methodist Church and spoke to a priest who has a link with one in Suceava. In an extraordinary twist, the priest in Suceava knew the priest in Chernivtsi and Tina’s Romanian lodger Radu was able to help arrange where in Suceava all the donations could be transhipped onto another lorry for its onward journey. Kirsty Gooder, one of the Hope for Ukraine trustees, who was also there to wave the lorry off on Friday, said: “It has been amazing to see how people have come together to help.” The charity thanks all the volunteers at the hubs in Keynsham, Willsbridge and Brislington and everyone who has donated. More donations are needed for the next delivery. The Keynsham drop-off points are St John's Church office on weekdays from 10am to noon; and Community at 67 in Queens Road on Saturdays from 10am to noon. Lime Landscaping at Jarretts Garden Centre at

An open garden day by Rosemary Webber of

painted the Ukraine colours with the country's

Hanham raised £500 towards helping people

emblem of sunflowers on them as a mark of

suffering the war in Ukraine.

acknowledgement and respect for the people

More than 50 friends and neighbours rallied to

of Ukraine.

the cause while also touring Rosemary's

Christine Rogers

magnificent garden. Primroses, irises, daffodils and hundreds of other flowers thrive in the garden of Rosemary's colourful home in Abbots Avenue. As the local artist's birthday was also a recent event, there were plenty of cakes donated by well-wishers, plus a cake decorated by Rosemary herself. Known for her colourful and regular art

Some of the volunteers who waved the lorry off including looks mum Tina, second from left

displays on her garage doors, Rosemary

Willsbridge can take donations from 10am to 2pm on Mondays and Fridays. If you would like to help in any way, including giving

financial

donation,

info@hopeforukraine.org.uk or call 07933 712584. Find out more about the charity and what is needed at hopeforukraine.org.uk/ See page 13 for more local efforts to support

Rosemary in her garden and sunflowers for Ukraine

Ukrainian refugees

Luke with the charity’s mascot Dillon who is on the journey

What’s on board? The first shipment totals around 10.5 tonnes of aid including: • 8 pallets of first aid kits / contents • 6 pallets of wet wipes • 7 pallets of toiletries The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

• 265 sleep pods • 10 pallets of nappies • 2 pallets of baby clothes & equipment • 1 pallet of adult clothing • 4 pallets of bedding / towels 3

Three arsons on Rodway Common

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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.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service crews have been called to four reports of fires on Rodway Common in Mangotsfield this month, three of them believed to have been started deliberately. On Friday 8th April crews from Kingswood fire station were called at 12.20pm to deal with a fire and found a bush alight. They used a hose reel to extinguish the fire, the cause of which is thought to have been deliberate. The following day firefighters from Yate tackled a fire on a section of shrubland. The call came in at 2.44pm. The crews used an aqua backpack, a fire beater and two buckets of water to extinguish the flames. In this case the fire is thought to have been accidental. Then on Sunday 10th April crews from Kingswood were called at 2.45pm to reports of a fire and found a section of grass and bracken alight. They used a hose reel, fire beater and a bucket of water to extinguish the flames. The cause is thought to have been deliberate. And on Monday of last week crews from Kingswood were called at 4.06pm to tackle a section of grass which was alight. They used a hose reel and fire beater to extinguish the flames. The cause of that fire is also suspected to be deliberate. The fires follow a recent spate of anti-social behaviour in and around the area. At the end of March we reported that police had

stepped up their patrols on Rodway Common and nearby Manor Road in response to reports of objects being thrown at cars.

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The Week In Community Ltd, 8 Temple Court, Keynsham. BS31 1HA 0117 986 0381 www.theweekin.co.uk ISSN: 2052-9767 Publisher Editor Contributors

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

Advertising

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

No material in this publication, nor its associated website (www.theweekin.co.uk) may be reproduced without the written permission of The Week In. All rights reserved. The Week In is regulated by IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor for the Press CIC. As such, we adhere to the IMPRESS complaints procedure. A copy of this procedure can be found on our website or can be sent upon written request to the address above. 4

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Controversial late-night venue in Kingswood applies to play music until 3am A late-night venue in Kingswood town centre, which over the past year has sparked complaints and has been caught flouting licence and COVID regulations, has applied to South Gloucestershire Council to play music until 3am. The application to vary the premises licence at Rumors Lounge Bar and pub in Regent Street has been submitted by agents acting for the licence holder, Wayne Houghton. A report going to the licensing subcommittee’s meeting tomorrow (Thursday) says that last July Mr Houghton was issued with a final warning letter by the licensing team leader and the neighbourhood inspector for Avon & Somerset Police. This warning was due to breaches of COVID restrictions, licence conditions and overall management controls at the premises. Among the concerns was that on 9th July last year, door supervisors watched an assault take place outside and then admitted the perpetrator to Rumors: “A visit was made by a police officer investigating the assault and

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

the designated premises supervisor (DPS) and the door supervisors stated they had no knowledge of the assault. CCTV footage shows that the door supervisors were watching the assault.” Mr Houghton made several changes to the operation of the premises, including a change in the company which provided door security staff. Now his agents say that a number of temporary events notices have been applied for over the last six months to cover later hours for the sale of alcohol, late-night refreshment and live and recorded music with no apparent issues of either disorder or nuisance. The proposed changes include extending the hours of music to 3am and allowing later entry and re-entry, The police have not raised any objection to the proposed variation of the licence. However, the council’s environmental protection team have objected, saying that since the premises licence was issued in December 2019, they have received 11 separate noise complaints alleging

disturbances from loud music, excessive bass, bottling out late at night and noise from people being rowdy in the street after leaving

the venue. See next week’s issue – and our website - for the decision.

Campaign for Keynsham High Street to be made Keynsham councillors are mounting a campaign to see how many residents are in favour of Keynsham High Street being pedestrianised again. The trial one-way system through the High Street was made permanent in 2018 and it was then closed to traffic, except for cycles, from 9am to 5pm for social distancing in the

Michael Lowe

summer of 2020 because of the pandemic. It was then closed to traffic from last June until last month while the street was redesigned. In a letter to us this week councillors Hal Macfie and Andy Wait, who represent Keynsham East on Bath & North East Somerset Council, say: “Now that the roadworks in Rock Road are complete, we can start to think again about returning to the car-free High Street that we have all become accustomed to during the last 18 months. “To do this we will mount a campaign to show how many residents are in favour of that. We will be in the High Street in the next few weeks asking you to sign a petition to return to car-free shopping in the 10am to 4pm slot.” Meanwhile the council has now put up signs all along the High Street, alerting pedestrians to the stepped kerb to the cycle lane, after being bombarded with reports of people tripping and injuring themselves. One of them, Michael Lowe, who injured himself badly, is unimpressed with the

When the High Street was closed for social distancing

response he received after lodging a complaint with the council’s chief executive Will Godfrey. As we reported last week, Mr Godfrey’s response included an assurance that the redesign is compliant with legislation, specification and guidance. But Mr Lowe says he has gone through the relevant documents on the project’s webpage and highlighted several issues. He says the walking, cycling and horse-riding assessment and review states that in the three-and-a-half years to July 2019 there were 12 casualties on the High Street, all involving vehicles.

“The redesigned High Street has been open for less than one month. Already the number of incidents and accidents is two or three times that number. None involved vehicles,” he said. Referring to the Stage 2 road safety audit, Mr Lowe says this document identifies various problems and proposes solutions: “I can find nothing that recognises the problem to pedestrians which is giving rise to all the trips, falls, and injuries, including my own.” Of the equality impact assessment, he says it does not address the problems experienced

Keynsham High Street

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

car-free again as criticism of redesign continues by pedestrians simply wishing to cross the road. He adds that a Department of Transport document about cycle infrastructure design on the website runs to 188 pages of guidance, primarily for the benefit of cyclists. “There is very little reference to the safety of pedestrians. However, I note two significant points. Firstly, and importantly, it is for guidance only. At the start of the document, it makes it very clear that ‘local authorities are responsible for setting design standards for their roads’. “Secondly, amongst the ‘core design principles’ there are Dos and Don’ts. One of the Don’ts says, ‘Neither cyclists or pedestrians benefit from unintuitive arrangements …’. “Unfortunately, the design of the double step down in the road is unintuitive for pedestrians, and is the cause of the many falls, including my own.” Mr Lowe says the general tenure of the letter seems to be that the council has complied with all requirements: “The implication therefore is that the level of injuries being sustained by pedestrians is somehow

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

acceptable to you.” He says he’d also asked for evidence that a risk assessment had been carried out regarding potential risks to pedestrians. “I did not find evidence of any risk assessment regarding risks to pedestrians, despite pedestrians being far and away the main users of the High Street.” He tells Mr Godfrey: “You have a duty of care to me and all the pedestrians on Keynsham High Street. This duty of care has been breached by the failures of design which have created a pedestrian hazard which did not exist before the redesign.” He concludes: “I, and all the people of Keynsham, need to know what you will do to remove the hazard causing the large number of trips, falls, and injuries.”

‘Disgraceful response’ A man whose wife tripped on the new low kerb and fell flat on her face, causing injuries which needed treatment at Yate Minor Injury Unit, has also attacked the council’s response. In a letter to The Week In (see page 10) Stephen Burgess says: “The general look of

the street is ‘pedestrianised’ which encourages people to cross anywhere. “We read in The Week In of 6th April an article describing another person who tripped and was injured. BANES Council's response – ‘People should familiarise themselves’ - is disgraceful. We were visitors to Keynsham, not residents; we live in Wick and rarely visit Keynsham. So how should the visitors whom

we presume the council wants to attract familiarise? “The new layout is dangerous and must be changed. BANES Council need to take responsibility. Their uncaring response in the article is so different from the kind people who came to our help. We have written to and would like a serious response from BANES Council.”

Cracked paving Several of the new paving slabs in Keynsham High Street have cracked, causing another potential trip hazard. Keynsham councillor Alan Hale has criticised inconsiderate drivers who have been mounting the pavement when parking on that side of the street, saying the paving has not been designed for the weight of vehicles.

Plans for 260 homes at Brislington Meadows submitted to city council Homes England last week submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council for 260 new homes at Brislington Meadows. The site was allocated for housing in Bristol City Council’s 2014 Local Plan to

help address the city’s acute housing shortage. Last October we reported that Homes England, which in 2020 spent £15m buying Brislington Meadows, would be pushing ahead with plans to build up to 300 homes

An aerial view of the proposed masterplan for Brislington Meadows from the site entrance

there, even though the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees announced last April that it would be kept as a local green space as part of the council’s plan to tackle the ecological emergency. Homes England has held public consultation events for the housing plans, saying the feedback has helped identify key themes and priorities, such as the importance of nature and open space, the need for housing for local people, the need to invest in public/active travel to help address congestion and air quality, and the importance of integrating the new development into the Broomhill community, including new investment that will be brought to local services, businesses and other infrastructure in the area.

The planning application for 260 homes on the site, including 30% affordable housing, is in outline, with only the access off Broomhill Road designed in detail. Homes England says 55% of the land area is proposed to be green space and it will be a sustainable neighbourhood with nature prioritised, including creating new habitats on the site. New play spaces and new pedestrian and cycle routes heading south and north, east and west are part of the scheme. Once the application is live on the council’s website, people will have the opportunity to view and comment. A second more detailed application would follow in 2023 if planning permission is granted.

Farmyard friends at Avon Valley Railway If you’ve visited Avon Valley Railway for any of their Christmas trains in recent years, you’ll have seen their festive donkeys as part of your visit. They will be returning to the heritage railway in Bitton this weekend (23rd and 24th April) and bringing some of their farmyard friends to help celebrate the arrival of spring. As well as the rescue donkey visitors will be able to meet a miniature Shetland pony, some pygmy goats and rabbits. Mark Simmons, the railway’s commercial and business manager, said: “We always look forward to seeing the donkeys,

they’re such gentle creatures and are always a hit with our visitors. To see some of the other animals at this time of year too will be a lovely addition to our train rides this Easter holiday.” Tickets, to include a ride on one of the heritage steam trains, as well as the chance to meet the animals, cost £9 for adults, £8 for concessions and £6 for children. Whilst no longer required to offer social distancing, the attraction is still limiting tickets to one family per compartment. To find out more details and reserve your seats visit www.avonvalleyrailway.org

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Graffiti and fly-tipping hotspots targeted in major railway spring clean Network Rail teams have been working to freshen up Britain's railway in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year with more than £2m of funding being used to target the removal of unsightly graffiti which blights infrastructure. Across Network Rail’s Western route – which covers the railway and towns and communities between Penzance and London Paddington – a clean-up of 36 hotspots has been completed. Graffiti has been removed from a number of sites across the West of England, including the Corston viaduct between Saltford and Bath, and Redland Station, Victoria Park and St Luke’s Road in Bristol, while large amounts of fly-tipped waste has been removed from a number of areas including Keynsham and St Annes Park in Bristol. Rail workers have cleared bags of waste and used pressure washers and wire scrubbing brushes to remove stubborn spray-painted tags, applying anti-graffiti paint where possible to deter people from targeting the

same areas in future. Mike Gallop, Network Rail Western route and strategic operations director, said: “I’m really pleased with the improvements we’ve made in cleaning up the graffiti and fly-tipping hotspots identified on the railway across Western route. “Graffiti and fly-tipping make the railway look untidy for passengers and those who live nearby. We want to make sure that everyone feels safe and welcome on the railway, which is why targeting these sites for a spring clean was so important. “We’ll continue to work with our colleagues at the British Transport Police and the Department for Transport to tackle this issue and identify the most heavily affected parts of our network.” British Transport Police Inspector Jon Dando said: “The cost of cleaning graffiti is enormous - money which could otherwise be invested back into the network. It also causes significant disruption to services and inconvenience to passengers as trains are taken out of service to be cleaned.

Keynsham fly-tipping

“Graffiti on the railway is also incredibly dangerous, often involving trespassing onto the tracks, which can result in tragic consequences or life-changing injuries.

“If you notice anyone acting suspiciously or vandalising the railway, you can easily report it to us by discreetly texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40.”

Corston viaduct

Plans for 6 homes Plans have been submitted to South Gloucestershire Council to knock down a pair of semi-detached houses and garages in Mangotsfield and build six houses on the site. Acton Homes Ltd’s plans are for land at 29A and 29B St James Place. Four three-bed houses and two four-bed houses are proposed with a total of 13 cars and 21 cycle spaces.

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

The existing accesses would be re-used by the development to offer a one-way route through the site. The application says that the design of the proposed development is in keeping with the area and there is good access to local services and facilities. The planning reference is P22/01746/F and the deadline for comments is 6th May.

LETTERS Moving forward with Keynsham High Street

Shopkeepers came to help with first aid, but

single-lane vehicular road and bridge over the

due to cuts and seeing that my wife hit her head

River Avon to provide access for maintenance

we went to Yate Minor Injury Unit for

vehicles to the Wessex Water sewage plant.

Dear Editor

treatment and check-up. That took nearly five

Apparently, this is necessary due to the plans

Dave Biddleston is right to chastise us for the

hours. My wife also suffered shock and trauma.

to extend the plant and relieve traffic problems

design faults that have led to people falling

Her prescription glasses were damaged.

in Saltford village.

over the cycle kerb in Keynsham High Street

We are grateful to the shopkeepers and

In The Week in Issue 724 (6th April) there was

(Letters, The Week In, Issue 725).

bystanders who came and offered first aid,

an article headlined ‘Bridge in Bitton will need

These designs were the work of highway

blanket, and cups of tea. Their care was much

strengthening

engineers employed by Bath & North East

appreciated. Thank you.

Gloucestershire Council has recently approved

Somerset Council but the plans were

The reason is that the new kerb height along

funding for an investigation to see whether

extensively commented on by local councillors

the road is very small, not a normal height kerb,

strengthening work will prevent a weight

and interested residents. It is galling to think

so unexpected and not clearly visible. It is a

restriction being put in place on the road bridge

that Dave might have spotted the problems if

dangerous trip hazard all along the redesigned

over the River Boyd or whether a new one will

he had been there.

High Street. The general look of the street is

have to be built.

We have spent several hours in the High Street

‘pedestrianised’ which encourages people to

It is anticipated there will soon be an increase

observing and talking to people who stumble

cross anywhere.

in traffic including the number of HGVs along

and have passed our findings on to BANES.

The shopkeepers told us that many people have

this stretch of A431, which includes the bridge,

They in turn are working hard to produce a

tripped on this small kerb. We read in The

because of the Wessex Water scheme.

series of measures that will minimise the risks.

Week In of 6th April an article describing

effort in lifting the spirits of our residents with

We have asked them to bring these forward as

another person who tripped and was injured.

this year’s superb display of plants in both

quickly as possible. We are grateful that ward

BANES Council's response - "People should

Staple Hill and Mangotsfield War memorial

Cllr Alan Hale, Advocate for Road Safety, is

familiarise themselves” - is disgraceful. We

gardens.

representing our local ward councillors in the

were visitors to Keynsham not residents; we

Cllr Michael Bell

on-site meetings.

live in Wick and rarely visit Keynsham. So

Now that the roadworks in Rock Road are

how should the visitors whom we presume the

complete, we can start to think again about

council wants to attract familiarise?

returning to the car-free High Street that we

The new layout is dangerous and must be

have all become accustomed to during the last

changed. That is certain. BANES Council need

18 months.

to take responsibility. Their uncaring response

To do this we will mount a campaign to show

in the article is so different from the kind

The bridge has served the area well for many

how many residents are in favour of that.

people who came to our help.

years. Why should residents in South

We will be in the High Street in the next few

We have written to and would like a serious

Gloucestershire be expected to finance the

weeks asking you to sign a petition to return to

response from BANES Council.

costs of replacing or rebuilding the bridge?

car-free shopping in the 10am to 4pm slot.

Stephen Burgess

Residents will have to cope with extra HGVs

Cllrs Hal Macfie & Andy Wait

replacing’.

South

Mangotsfield

Staple Hill

Bin your rubbish! Hedgerows have been removed near Swineford

Dear Editor I am writing to you about the rubbish, mostly from eateries, that keeps turning up on a regular basis on the corner that leads to the park in Back Lane, Keynsham. Whoever is doing this can you please put your rubbish in your bins. A Back Lane resident

from Wessex Water thundering through the villages along the A431. At the very least the

Fears for the future of the 42 bus

Dear Editor

Counting the cost of Wessex Water’s scheme

I want to add my experience to the sad history

Dear Editor

of the new surfacing in Keynsham High Street.

The many people using the A431 through

Superb displays

On 1st April at about 11.30am my wife and I

Bitton and Swineford will be shocked and

Dear Becky

really. The bus arrived on time but when I went

were crossing the street and my wife tripped on

appalled at the loss of about 100 yards of the

Staple Hill & Mangotsfield councillors Ian

to scan my pass, the driver waved me on.

the new low kerb. She fell flat on her face

hedgerow recently, especially during the

Boulton, Michael Bell and Katie Cooper would

I inquired, from another mature passenger,

sustaining serious injury and bruising around

nesting season.

like to thank the South Gloucestershire

whether he was waved on and he informed me

her eyes.

This is the next phase of the construction of a

StreetCare gardening team for their superb

‘yes’.

Uncaring response

costs should be borne by Wessex Water. V McNab

Dear Editor Recently I decided to have a treat – a ride on the 42 into Bristol. A hospital appointment

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

LETTERS This is the usual ploy prior to being informed

us their carefully prepared art works and made

that certain buses will be removed through lack

us all aware of the Easter story.

of use. North Common has lost the 18 and the

Rev Steve, as he is known, explained the first

42 is reduced to hourly, if that.

Easter story and what it meant, and most

D Watch

importantly the reason for the joyous celebration we were having.

Help a good cause Dear Editor A former resident of Keynsham, who now lives in Cornwood, near Ivybridge, has organised and is taking part in a charity bike ride across Devon to raise funds for the charity that has helped prolong his life. Pete Blomley lived in Keynsham for many years before moving to Devon; he was actively involved with coaching at Keynsham Town Football Club as well as other local groups. He is well known to many people in this area who might be unaware of his battle with cancer and his determination to complete this ride. He

Headteacher Neil Turner, staff and everyone were smiling throughout. It was especially good that a ‘signer’ was there to help everyone know the words being said or sung; indeed, a celebration for everyone to take part in. At the end a friend of mine, who was there as a proud grandparent, asked me if I had anyone at the school. I said “No, just all of these”, waving my hand in the direction of the seated children as I am lucky enough to be a governor at such a wonderful school as Christ Church, as is Rev Steve and the other governors present. It was a pleasure to be part of it. April Begley, Hanham

moved to Devon around four years ago from Keynsham. He has the following JustGiving page should anyone like to add their best wishes to Pete on the forthcoming ride: https://tinyurl.com/293r4ucu Nigel Wright

A joyous Easter celebration Dear Editor On 7th April I was lucky enough to be at a wonderful Easter celebration at Christ Church, Hanham. So many people came to see Christ Church Hanham Primary School that the Rev Steve Dyson was racing around making sure everyone had a seat. The whole school (except unfortunate absences due to COVID), sang, mimed, read and showed

Write to us The Week In is independent of any political or commercial interest. We aim to produce a balanced and accurate view of local news and welcome comments from our readers. Normally, we will publish letters in full but reserve the right to shorten or clarify the contents or to refuse publication. Please try to keep letters under 300 words and supply your full name and address for reasons of authentication. Only the name and district where you live will be reproduced. Anonymity is possible under certain circumstances.

New lease of life proposed for redundant shop The stove shop next to Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen at Glenavon Farm in Saltford has closed and there are plans to give the building a new purpose. Kindle Stoves ceased trading last month. The retiring directors say they have been unable to sell the business as a going concern due to reducing demand for solid fuel stoves. The former dairy building off Bath Road has a condition that restricts use of the site to the sale of wood-burning stoves and related products, so a planning application has been lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council to create a more flexible mix to bring it back into use. Unit 1 would be a retail unit and unit 2 would be dual use – a flexible leisure unit and storage and distribution. The proposal also seeks to provide an extra 23 parking spaces within the existing communal parking area. The council is also considering a separate planning application for the change of use of part of an agricultural field at Glenavon Farm

Copy can be sent by post or, preferably, email and should arrive at our offices no later than 9.00am on the Monday of each week. E-mail to:admin@theweekin.co.uk

Sudoku 1-Easy

for a fenced dog walking paddock with a timber shelter. The proposals for ‘Woofpark’ have been lodged by agents on behalf of the landowners. The application says that the nearest dog walking facility to Saltford is around eight miles away. “The applicants have had a number of requests for a secure dog exercising area, and discussions on a Facebook group for dog walkers from Saltford and Keynsham show people expressing their demand for a more local facility. “B&NES dog warden confirms that a secure paddock would benefit dog owners and the general community in many ways.” These include providing a space for training in a safe environment and a safe space for walking a dog with behavioural issues, as well as reducing professional dog walkers walking multiple dogs in other open spaces that often result in complaints from members of the public.

SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 24th April

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 20th April 2022

£105m more money for region’s buses, but not for threatened services The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has received a funding allocation from the Department for Transport of £105,488,970 as part of the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. The announcement was made on the same day as the confirmation of WECA’s first installment of the £540m award for its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement that we reported in last week’s issue. The extra money for bus service infrastructure is a result of a bid submitted earlier last year in response to the Government’s £3.5bn Bus Back Better programme which was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Local transport authorities were invited by Baroness Vere, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, to submit ambitious plans to revitalise bus usage in their local areas, but the programme was subsequently surrounded in controversy. Initial concerns were raised after Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Statement which seemed to indicate the bus fund had shrunk to £1.1bn. Although the funding allocation announcement from the Government at the start of this month still referred to the original £3.5bn, there was dismay in many quarters that only 31 of the 70 bids submitted under the Bus Service Improvement Programme were successful. And even then, some of the awards were far smaller amounts and only the North East (which has a metro system) received more money than the West of England. While WECA is the local transport authority for Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire, many of the region’s bus services also overlap into North Somerset

where the district council acts as the transport authority. Last year, WECA and North Somerset Council entered into an enhanced partnership to submit the bid jointly and of the funding awarded by the Department for Transport, around £48m will be spent in North Somerset. The bid which the enhanced partnership of WECA and North Somerset submitted focused on improving inter-urban bus corridors and bus priority on key routes. Integrated ticketing and lower fares were also part of the package, including half-price fares for under 18s and free travel for children under 11. Commenting on the latest award, West of England Mayor Dan Norris said: “This is another vote of confidence in our amazing region. The money will build on the half a billion we have already secured since last May. It sounds like a lot of money - and it is. “Sadly, this isn’t cash I am allowed to spend to save individual bus routes. What we can do is make sure buses don’t get stuck in so many traffic jams with measures to speed them through congestion, improve the quality of buses, and make it easier and more convenient to buy a ticket. “This is a step on the road to give local people the public

Crossword

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Sparkling wine (9)

1. Male swan (3)

6. Burnt remains (3)

2. Predict (5)

8. Mendicants (7)

3. Drama (4)

9. Drying frame (5)

4. ------ Klimt, artist (6)

10. Deserve (4)

5. Test (inf.) (4)

11. Vehicle (3)

6. Unpaid debts (7)

13. Look stupidly (4)

7. U-shaped plate (9)

14. Pixies (5)

10. Extremely good (9)

16. Fortress (6)

11. Uninfected (5)

18. Beetroot soup (6)

12. Nonconformist (5)

19. Men (5)

14. Tree (3)

21. Chunk (4)

15. Distress signal (3)

22. Zero (3)

17. Precis (7)

23. Labyrinth (4)

20. Horizontal beam (6)

27. Accurate (5)

24. Greek letter (5)

28. Tread roughly (7)

25. Stalk (4)

30. Plaything (3)

26. Girl (4)

31. Frothy drink (4,5)

29. First woman (3)

transport services they need and deserve. But this can only be the start. We need to lever in even more resources if we really want to get as many people as possible out of cars and into public transport which is key to meeting our ambitious net zero targets.”

Choirs raise £8,000 for good causes From Cheltenham to Falmouth and all points in between, the Good Afternoon community choirs give more than 800 people each week the opportunity to sing. Founder of the choirs is Bath-based music man Grenville Jones. Fourteen years ago he started his first Good Afternoon Choir in Bath and by the end of 2022 there will be 25 across the West Country. There are no auditions to belong to a Good Afternoon Choir and the members themselves choose a local organisation to benefit from their fundraising and concerts. The accent is on fun through music making with concerts and social events. Following lockdown, the choirs started singing again last October. They have already raised more than £8,000 which will go to benefit organisations across the region. The picture shows the Keynsham and South Gloucestershire Good Afternoon choirs at a concert supporting the local Dementia Alliance group in March.

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Caring village sets up new fund to help refugees and host families When COVID struck in early 2020, Saltford Community Association launched a hardship fund to support residents during the pandemic and beyond. Within the space of a few weeks nearly £14,000, including Gift Aid, had been generously donated. The fund initially provided more than 900 hot meals, 600 afternoon teas to over 75s, plus basic food supplies and small emergency cash sums where needed within the village during the first year of the pandemic. Last year the association teamed up with Citizens Advice in B&NES and Somerset Skills and Learning (SSL) to provide a package of support to Saltford residents. Over the last nine months, 16 residents have been provided with financial assistance, mainly in connection with fuel poverty. The association is keen to continue to support local residents in financial need and has now launched a

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

new initiative called the Saltford Community Support Fund (SCSF). The association says: “In these current times we are all also aware of the suffering of the Ukrainian people and at various events we have encouraged donations which we have passed directly onto DEC for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. “We are aware of a number of people in and around Saltford who are offering to take in Ukrainian refugees and we would like to support both the hosts and the refugees staying in and around our village. To this end we have set up a support group and intend to use the Saltford Community Support Fund to

also help them while they are with us.” Details of how to donate can be found at https://www.saltfordhall.co.uk/SCSF.html There will be a special fundraising concert for the SCSF at Saltford Hall on Saturday 30th April from 7.30pm. Everyone is performing for free and all monies raised on the night, including all ticket sales, bar and food profits will go into the SCSF. Tickets are £12 and can be obtained online via www.tickettailor.com/events/scaevents or from Saltford Post Office/Library Hub.

B&NES welcome first families Bath & North East Somerset has welcomed its first refugees under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine (H4U) scheme with more families escaping the war due to arrive in the coming weeks. So far under the Homes for Ukraine five adults and two children have made the 1,700 mile journey from Ukraine to Bath. They are now settling into safe, secure accommodation provided by kind-hearted residents and are being supported

by B&NES Council and other local partners. A further four adults and seven children were due to arrive by the end of the Easter weekend. So far, the applications of residents from 67 households across Bath & North East Somerset are in the final stages of processing under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Over the coming weeks 89 more adults and an additional 50 children are expected to be granted visas and move to the district.

Nuclear energy: what do you do with the waste? Although climate experts have been warning for decades about our continued reliance on fossil fuels, it seems that only the terrible events unfolding in Ukraine have brought home the urgency. Earlier this month the Government published its much-heralded Energy Security Strategy. To replace oil and gas purchased from autocrats, we are going to embark on a new strategy to be self-sufficient in energy supply sometime in the next 30 years. No matter that just one day before the Government announcement, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its latest warning that it is now or never if we are to have any chance of limiting global warning. According to the IPCC, greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025. The Government’s response is that North Sea oil and fracking (another carbon fuel) are back on the table and MPs will not have to worry about “unsightly” wind turbines in their constituencies. But the elephant in the room is the renewed focus on nuclear power. It is almost as if we have turned the clock back 70 years to when the first power stations

Onshore wind is still not popular

like Berkeley and Hinkley A first came on stream. Back then, they didn’t know the answer to one vital question and it seems nobody does today – what do you do with the waste? Although the two local power stations mentioned in the previous paragraph lie idle and decommissioned, their legacy will remain with us for hundreds, indeed thousands of years. According to the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, mothballing the old Magnox nuclear reactors built between the 1950s and 1990s has so far cost more than £130bn. There are 700,000 cubic metres of radioactive and toxic waste that nobody actually knows what to do with. Most of it is resting in Sellafield and so far, the only idea anyone has come up with is to dig a big hole in the ground. A Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) is basically a concrete mausoleum built between 200m and 1km underground. To house 700,000 cubic metres of radioactive waste it would need a footprint of about 20km. Although first thought of in the 1970s, the closest we have come to building a GDF was a site in Cumbria which was rejected a decade ago. If on-shore wind turbines or fracking sites have the local residents up in arms, it’s not really surprising that a GDF has not got off, or rather under, the ground. But it gets worse. The preceding is all about how we deal with the legacy of radioactive waste we produced in the first

An illustrative plan of a geological disposal facility

Hinkley Point C (Credit: EDF)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting Hinkley Point to announce the Energy Security Strategy (Credit: EDF)

nuclear energy wave. And it is not just that the strategy includes more nuclear power stations planned for the future. Despite the optimistic noises that Hinkley C will come on stream soon, it uses a new generation pressurised water reactor (PWR) – a technology that is far from proven. The first of its type in Finland only came on stream last month, 13 years behind schedule, while a second in France is also languishing and some €300m over budget. If the Government pushes ahead with the equally untested ‘advanced modular technology’ reactors as part of its future energy plan, there is even less information about how to deal with the waste. Already the NDA has stated that spent fuel rods from the new PWRs would be so hot that they would need to stay on site for 140 years before they could even be moved. The reality of the recently published Energy Security Strategy is that very few of the measures will actually address the short-term

requirement to replace Russian gas. They are all long-term aims which require high levels of investment. Other long-term investments such as tidal power remain off the table – dumped during the last decade on cost grounds while more harmful alternatives were available at low cost. If Ukraine has been the catalyst for this change in energy policy, then it is there also that we should end when considering the legacy of nuclear power. Albeit unconfirmed, reports of Russian troops withdrawing from Chernobyl after occupying the site of the 1985 nuclear disaster cited two events. Soldiers were reporting sick after being ordered to dig defensive trenches around the perimeter while tanks patrolled the no-go area, churning up the soil. Whenever you read or hear the voices which extoll the virtue of nuclear energy in our response to the climate emergency – just ask ‘What do you do with the waste!’ Stephen Rodgers The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Jubilee film project will record Keynsham residents’ memories Keynsham residents are invited to join one of the filming sessions being arranged in Keynsham Memorial Park to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. People are invited to bring along a piece of memorabilia, a photo, or just a thought or memory about the Queen, Royal Family, and Keynsham jubilee celebrations gone by.

Flypast of legendary planes Siston Parish Council’s Platinum Jubilee preparations have been boosted by official confirmation from the RAF that a three-plane flypast will happen on Friday 3rd June. Legendary Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire planes will fly over Warmley Forest Park that afternoon. The evening before, the beacon on Siston Common will be lit as part of the Jubilee celebrations. A Scottish piper has been booked and 30 members of the Bristol School of Performing Arts will sing as a choir. Two specially arranged pieces of music have been written for this unique event. The flypast of the legendary planes has been organised by Ian Adams, who also arranged in 2018 for a 1944 Mk9 Spitfire to fly over Warmley as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signal box.

The film - Keynsham Jubilee Conversations - will be screened in Keynsham Baptist Church as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Picnic in the Park on Saturday 4th June and be available to watch online after the event. This project is being led by Keynsham Town Council with support from Bath & North East Somerset Council and funding from Historic England as part of the High Street Heritage Action Zones scheme. Filming will take place next to the bandstand in Keynsham Memorial Park on the following dates: Sunday 1st May: 12.30pm - 1.30pm Saturday 7th May: 9.30am - 10.30am Sunday 8th May: 1.30pm - 2.30pm Saturday 14th May: 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Sunday 15th May: 1.30pm - 2.30pm Additional filming times and locations are available on request. The organisers would be pleased to set up sessions in your school, residential home, club or community centre. Email culturalpc@keynsham-tc.gov.uk The town council is organising the party on 4th June which starts at noon and will be a free family day of music, entertainment and lots more. There will be competitions and games, including best dressed jubilee teddy bear and best decorated jubilee cake. People are invited to bring picnics.

Celebrating the Platinum Jubilee in Kingswood The Kingswood Regeneration Team are organising a community event to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with the aim of it being affordable and healthy family fun. They want people to be able to attend without the financial worries and are encouraging everyone to bring a picnic and join in the celebrations. It will be held in Kingswood Park on Sunday 5th June from 10am to 4.30pm. There will be a

fun fair, face painting, lots of free activities and community stalls and a big screen to watch live, televised, gala events. Organisations, groups and charities are encouraged to get involved with the celebrations. At the event, there will be space for up to 40 stalls to bring the whole Kingswood community together. To register your interest email kingswoodregen@southglos.gov.uk

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Will HGV diversion become permanent? Cleveland Bridge in Bath, where major repairs continue, may not be able to reopen to vehicles over 18 tonnes, leaving implications for South Gloucestershire and the A4 through Keynsham and Saltford which are on the current HGV diversion route. The historic bridge is a crucial link in the road network between the A46 and the A36. Bath & North East Somerset Council says that an independent engineering report has set out complex challenges facing the ongoing repairs. Previously hidden, unexpected and severe corrosion on a critical section of the structure was discovered by contractors carrying out repairs earlier this year. The severe corrosion was revealed when sections of concrete were removed from the hanger bars which support the main

The corrosion

trusses of the 200-year-old bridge. The bars are not commonly found in bridges and the engineering solution to repair the unique hanger bars, which would allow the bridge to fully reopen, is proving a technical challenge without radically altering the Grade II* listed structure. Initial analyses have suggested that the structure is no longer capable of sustaining its current load rating of 18 tonnes as a result of the section loss to the hanger bars. Work to repair and safeguard the Cleveland Bridge bridge began last May and it closed to vehicles from the end of June. It was initially expected that the bridge would be closed to vehicles for 12 weeks but the project has over-run significantly. Last October it reopened to vehicles under two metres wide but remains closed to HGVs. Cllr Manda Rigby, the council’s Cabinet member for Transport, said: “The ongoing safety of users of the bridge and those living nearby is of overriding importance and assessments have confirmed that the bridge can remain open using the current traffic arrangements. However, the issue is serious enough to risk structural failure of the bridge were it to reopen to all vehicles before repairs are carried out and if

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

you read the latest report there is not an obvious fix to allow the bridge to reopen fully.” The southbound diversion route for HGVs is from the M4 Junction 19 via the A4174 Ring Road to Hicks Gate, then along the A4 via Saltford and Keynsham towards Bath, following signs for the A36. Northbound, drivers follow the A36, then take the A4 via Saltford and Keynsham to Hicks Gate, then the Ring Road towards the M32 to join the M4 at Junction 19. A weight order stops vehicles over 7.5 tonnes from using the A420 as a diversion while Cleveland Bridge in Bath is shut. An update is expected next month.

South Glos celebrates Indian heritage An exhibition and films which capture and celebrate the stories of people from India who now call South Gloucestershire home have been launched at a special event at Aerospace Bristol before the exhibition tours the district. ‘This is your Heritage: Stories from the Indian Community in South Gloucestershire’ features an introduction video that provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of South Gloucestershire residents with Indian heritage. The video features some of the people who have kept their culture and traditions while embracing life in South Gloucestershire and can be seen at https://tinyurl.com/j77547bj The exhibition forms part of a pilot project which encourages people from the Indian community in South Gloucestershire to share their experiences of migration and work with local museums to gather and document their oral histories. South Gloucestershire Council and partners South Gloucestershire Race Equality Network, Avon Indian Community Association, South Gloucestershire Museums Group, and Yate Heritage Centre secured Arts

Council National Lottery Project Grant funding for the project which runs over the next 12 months at museums and libraries across the district. Find out more at www.southglos.gov.uk/indian-heritagestories The exhibition will be at Aerospace Bristol

until 2nd June (paid entry to the museum) and at Kingswood Heritage Museum and Frenchay Village Museum on dates to be confirmed. Confirmed venues and dates so far include Staple Hill Library (28th November to 10th December); Hanham Library (19th

December to 31st December); Kingswood Library (9th January to 21st January 2023); Cadbury Heath Library (30th January to 11th February 2023); Emersons Green Library (20th February to 4th March 2023) and Downend Library (3rd April to 15th April 2023).

Health visitors hold free webinars for parents Parents can access support and advice on a range of topics including infant feeding, sleep and safety at home, thanks to a series of free webinars run by health visitors. The health visiting team from the Community Children’s Health Partnership, which is led by Sirona care & health, are running 11 webinars throughout April and June for parents across South Gloucestershire, Bristol and North Somerset. The team began running the webinars at the start of the pandemic, when face-to-face meetings were not possible. The virtual

sessions have proved so successful that the health visitors are continuing to run them alongside face-to-face groups to enable more people to attend. They are now planning to record the webinars and upload them to Sirona’s YouTube channel so people can access them whenever it’s convenient. Parents can join webinars on introducing solid foods, sleep, fussy eating, infant feeding, safely using a wrap or baby carrier, and safety at home. Sign up to the latest webinars at https://tinyurl.com/yp9ecnvy

Virtual community meeting There will be a virtual meeting of the Hanham and Longwell Green Community Engagement Forum on Tuesday 3rd May at 7pm. CEF meetings are hosted by South Gloucestershire Council. Everyone is

welcome to attend and you can raise any topics or issues you may have and find out what is happening in your area. To request a link to join email CommunityEngagement@southglos.gov.uk or call 01454 868113.

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

The Community Page Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council

Chairman’s message Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council has, over the years, installed defibrillators throughout the area. We want to ensure that everyone knows where they are and how to use them, should this become necessary. The five defibs we have provided are located at: - North Street (to the side of Michael Nicholas Estate Agents) - Cleeve Wood Road (on the side of the chemist) - Quakers Road (by the tea rooms) - Badminton Road Methodist Church - Pavilion at King George V Playing Fields (off Sutherland Avenue) In the event of a suspected cardiac arrest, the following procedure should be used: 1. Call 999 or 112 and ask for the ambulance service. 2. When asked by the operator, please give the telephone

number from where you are calling and the location of the cabinet. 3. The operator will ask a series of questions which Councillor Janet Biggin, you will need to answer Chairman to the best of your ability. This will only take a few moments and will not delay the ambulance. 4. The operator will then provide you with the access code to open the cabinet. 5. The defibrillator and resuscitation pack should be removed from the access point and the ambulance service will stay on the line and give verbal instruction if required. 6. Switch on the defibrillator and it will then provide you with verbal instructions for use. 7. The defibrillator cannot be used incorrectly as it will only deliver a shock to the patient if it detects it is necessary. 8. There are scissors in the resuscitation pack to assist with removal of clothing and a pocket rescue breath mask for use with ventilations in CPR. 9. If you are unable or unwilling to give ventilations, simply do "hands only" chest compressions. Remember THINK safety. Look around before pushing the button to shock and SHOUT the command STAND CLEAR SHOCKING and then check to make sure everyone is clear.

Free Business Support for South Gloucestershire businesses and Entrepreneurs Take advantage of 12 hours of free business support available for businesses and residents of South Gloucestershire. Delivered by business consultancy Cool Ventures, this support is aimed at helping small businesses, including local charities, to recover from the impact of Covid and reach their full potential. It also can help

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

aspiring entrepreneurs learn what it takes to start and run a successful business. Get in touch to find out how your business can benefit from this free service (www.coolventures.co.uk, T: 08000 418293 E: info@coolventures.co.uk).

Mencap supporters raise more than £5k at dinner and auction After a two-year break Keynsham Mencap were delighted to welcome back supporters to their fundraising dinner and auction at the Apex Hotel in Bath. Fundraiser Amanda Leonard said: “The start of the pandemic meant Keynsham Mencap stopped running clubs in the usual way; thanks to the determination of staff and volunteers they adapted services and continued to reach out to members during such an uncertain time. “This gave the charity the opportunity to try new things; they took their services online and virtual, spent more time outside and made visits to families at their homes. Staff and volunteers did whatever it took to ensure members did not feel isolated. “Keynsham Mencap are so pleased of what was achieved during the last two years despite experiencing challenges they never knew existed, and throughout it all, it made the organisation stronger than ever. “The auction raised in excess of £5,000 on the night which way exceed expectations. “This amazing total will make sure we keep doing what we do best - providing social opportunities for adults and children with learning disabilities and autism.” Thanks go to businesses iTeam Solutions, Longwell Records, Gregorys Estate Agents, Bristol Fun for Hire, HomeLets in Bath, Apex Hotel, Soul Spa, Bailbrook House, SW Discos, Espa UK, The Olive Tree Restaurant, Original Wild Bath, Stockwood Golf Club, Congo Falls Adventure Golf, Wall Eden Adventure, Phil Girdlestone Photography, artist Jane Metters, Leanna Biggs Makeup and Hair, Hare Brewery, Bristol Headshots Photographers, Blue Bird Bakery, Clifton Wine School, Bird & Blend Tea Co, Mulberry and Persimmon Homes who all contributed to the success of the evening.

Churches hold poetry competition To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Churches Together in Keynsham and Saltford are holding a poetry competition on the theme of Celebrating. This could be a person, place, event, a team, or whatever you choose. The poem should be no more than 20 lines. There are three categories – primary school age, secondary school age, and adult. There is no entry fee, and there is a first prize (£40 voucher) and a runner-up prize (£20 voucher) in each category. A booklet of the entries will be published. Submit your poem, stating the category, and your full name, address and phone number, by email to poetry@jdclarke2p2.plus.com no later than Friday 27th May. The results will be announced at a celebration event in Keynsham on Sunday 26th June and it is hoped the winners and runners-up will be willing to read their poems at the event. 19

The Week in • Wednesday 20th April 2022

Child Contact Centre now accepting more referrals Bath Child Contact Centre (BCCC), like other organisations, was affected by lockdown and has had to offer a limited service but is now accepting more referrals. The centre is where the children of separated, and often acrimonious relationships, can spend two hours on a Saturday maintaining contact with an otherwise absent parent when there is no alternative, or they feel in need of support. BCCC supports children in Bath and the surrounding villages. It is child centred and run by well-trained volunteers. It is well equipped and provides a friendly, non-judgmental relaxed atmosphere in which a child and parent can play

Good rating for academy Perry Court E-Act Academy in Hengrove has been rated as Good by Ofsted. The team of three inspectors have published their report after visiting the primary school in Great Hayles Road in January. They found it to be a “welcoming and friendly place to learn”. Pupils are said to be confident and proud of their school and leaders have designed a curriculum that enables pupils to learn well and aim high. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school’s work. The school is part of E-ACT Multi-Academy Trust which it joined in 2017 and has 430 pupils.

together. The centre has been operating for the last 30 years from the halls in Grove Street of the Central United Reformed Church. There are separate entrances meaning that parents do not have to meet. Linda Wyon, honorary president who founded the centre in 1991, said: “COVID inevitably reduced family contact and so numbers at the centre declined; however, we now have a good capacity for new families and are keen to support children who, because their parents are separated, may not see one of them regularly. “Some children just come for a few visits and others for a great deal longer. It’s so hard for these children and their estranged parent but sometimes we have to remind them that

New club The new Bristol & Bath Dolls House Club meet on the third Tuesday of each month at Saltford Hall, Wedmore Road. They have an interesting programme of workshops and tutorials from 7pm to 9pm and entry is open to everyone for a £2 fee. The group will hold their first spring sale at the hall on Sunday (24th April) from 10am to 3pm. There will be lots of handmade pre-loved miniatures for sale plus a coffee and cake stall. Entry is £2. For more information email .debbie65@yahoo.co.uk or call 01179 322718.

no one comes for ever.” Referrals are made through the courts, CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service), solicitors or by self-referral by both separated parents. You need to book an appointment. To find out more contact BCCC co-ordinator Siobhan on 07791 482030, email bathchildcontactcentre@gmail.com or visit www.bathchildcontactcentre.co.uk

Nursery praised for diversity work First Friends Day Nursery in Bridge Road, Kingswood, has been rated as Good by Ofsted following an inspection which highlighted that children’s personal development is “outstanding”. The inspector said the youngsters have exciting, wellplanned activities on offer to them and staff are extremely proactive when gathering information about their home lives and cultures. Younger children greet each other in several languages during circle time and staff teach children about different cultures and diversity.

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The Week In - Issue 726 - 20th April 2022