THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset
5th October 2022
Issue 750
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178 bus route is saved A replacement has been found for the 178 bus service which
service - the 379 (Bristol-Radstock-
is due to be axed by First at the weekend.
Bath) - to replace much of the old 178
Agreement has been reached between the West of England
route, the local authority cannot
Combined Authority and local bus companies Citistar and
supply a competing service. The new
Abus to operate a service between Paulton and Brislington Park
Abus and Citistar service mainly
and Ride, starting on Monday 10th October.
covers the villages which are not
This means that villages south of Keynsham, such as High
included on First’s alternative 379
Littleton, Farmborough and Marksbury, will have up to six
route.
buses a day to Keynsham (for rail connections) and to the
The consequences of losing the 178
A4/Park and Ride for onward travel to Bristol. The new service
were highlighted at the recent meeting
also provides a better service for people living on the east side
of the West of England Combined
of Keynsham, as well as a link for students attending St
Authority committee meeting in
Brendan’s Sixth Form College.
Bristol. Members of the public who
Dan Norris
Financing of the route has
made
come largely from the
committee spoke of the hardships
West
England
caused by First’s decision to withdraw the service. One
Norton and other areas.
of
representations
to
the
Authority,
mentioned a local resident who will no longer be able to visit
“Now I’d ask passengers to use this service taking advantage
contributing
her terminally ill husband in his care home in the next village
of our new, cheaper fares. That’s vital for its future viability.
£22,000 a month. It also
because she does not drive. One person with special needs had
Buses matter. They allow local communities to thrive and are
means
Combined which
is
Regional
been asked by her employer to hand in her notice as she will
so, so vital if we’re going to meet our ambitious net-zero
Mayor Dan Norris has
have no other means of travelling to work. Another member of
targets.”
now provided replacement
the public said the 178 may not be the most profitable route
The new timetable which has been drawn up links in with other
or alternative services for
but it certainly is one of the most socially necessary. A petition
bus services such as the 179 and 379 to provide onward travel
more than half of the 27
to save the 178 had at that stage received over 1,000 signatures.
between Paulton and Midsomer Norton. The 178 will operate
routes being cut by First
Mayor Dan Norris said: “I promised we’d throw the kitchen
using buses from Citistar and Abus. As with the 96 service
this week.
that
sink at this, and we have.
from Brislington to Hengrove, which the two companies have
Replacing the 178 proved more of a challenge because it was
“Thank you to Citistar and Abus for taking on this service that’s
also stepped in the replace, financial support from the West of
not a local transport authority-supported bus service but run
really important for local people and students in Keynsham,
England Combined Authority guarantees the service through
commercially by First. Because First is also introducing a new
Marksbury, Farmborough, High Littleton, Paulton, Midsomer
to next April when a more comprehensive round of bus service tendering will take place.
Also in this week’s issue
High Street fall victims encouraged to take legal action . . . page 3
‘No lessons learned over Keynsham house building’ . . . pages 4 & 5
The Week In celebrates 750th edition . . . page 7
More reaction to MP’s fracking announcement . . . page 10
2
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
Councillor refers fall victims to legal advice A Keynsham councillor is pointing people who have injured themselves in the new layout of Keynsham High Street to a local solicitor who is prepared to take up victims’ claims against Bath & North East Somerset Council. Writing on Facebook last week, Cllr Alan Hale said he had been talking to a lawyer at Wards Solicitors who is acting for one of the casualties on a no win, no fee basis. “I asked her if others could come to her following their injuries due to the falls on the cycle lane and she said that they could on the same basis – no cost to the claimant,” said Cllr Hale. He and his Conservative colleagues who represent the town on B&NES Council have described the High Street as “a menace to public safety” following numerous reports of people tripping Alan Hale and falling over the
uneven road surface, with some needing hospital treatment for broken bones. The £1.5m High Street improvement project, completed in March, saw footpaths widened and resurfaced, a cycle lane added and new street furniture and some trees installed. The council has made attempts to improve safety by installing signs, painting the cycle lane red and reducing the width of the solid white line that marks the edge of the cycle lane. Cllr Hale said: “Since the completion of the High Street improvement project I have been inundated with reports of residents being injured on the poorly designed road surface. Despite numerous meetings with the council and senior members of the administration, as well as some extra mitigation works having been carried out, efforts to improve safety for pedestrians have simply not gone far enough, and now they have stalled. “We are still seeing people tripping and falling, and it’s only a matter of time before somebody sustains life-changing injuries.” The Conservatives are calling for the cycle lane to be lowered to road level, as they are usually found, so that pedestrians are better able to identify the kerb edges.
Second lorry load of aid leaves Keynsham for Ukraine
The lorry being packed
A second lorry full of humanitarian aid for Ukraine left Keynsham this week. At the weekend volunteers from the charity Hope for Ukraine loaded up more than 11 tonnes of items ready to be driven to their partners in Ukraine. The first load went out in April. Once again Luke PowerHippisley, from Bristol haulage firm Tudor Services, is undertaking the journey, together with the charity's mascot Dillon (which means ‘Ray of Luke Power-Hippisley
Hope’). The lorry departed the charity's storehouse based at McGill’s in Avon Mill Lane in Keynsham on Monday morning. A lot of the aid was donated and packed by volunteers in the Keynsham area. Find out more about the charity and what is needed at https://hopeforukraine.org.uk//
Volunteers taking a break from their packing
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
3
Free swimming offer becomes permanent Pregnant women in South Gloucestershire can continue to access free swimming as part of the partnership initiative between South Gloucestershire Council and Circadian Trust, the not-for-profit organisation operating the district’s Active Lifestyle Centres. Following a successful pilot where 460 women accessed the scheme, the council has agreed with the trust for the initiative to be put in place permanently. Swimming provides a comfortable environment for expectant mothers to maintain their physical health. So far those who have participated in the scheme have benefited from more than 1,700 free swimming sessions. To be eligible for the scheme, women need to visit their local Active Lifestyle Centre and present their Maternity Notebook (yellow book), or Maternity Exemption Certificate, or MAT B1 (issued by their doctor or midwife) and show proof of address before their first session. Residents registered with a South Gloucestershire GP surgery but who live just outside the district, will also be considered eligible. In these cases, proof of registration with the GP surgery will also need to be shown to be signed up. There are five Active Lifestyle Centres – in Kingswood, Longwell Green, Bradley Stoke, Thornbury and Yate.
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.
‘No lessons learned over house The volume of new housing in Keynsham has had a can be clearly demonstrated by the applicant that a reduced negative effect on the town and surrounding area - and buffer would adequately protect the woodland’, as well as things are about to get worse. some re-wording of the sustainable transport measures listed That’s the warning from Saltford Environment Group (SEG) in the policy. who say that transport forecasts “bear no relation to reality”. “Those policies are to investigate, and provide as necessary Their concern comes as Bath & North East Somerset Council improved frequency of public transport along the A4; begins consulting on final changes to its Local Plan Partial cyclepath provision; and a new active travel (i.e. walking and Update (LPPU). cycling) connection between the A4 and the Bristol & Bath In a statement SEG said: “Despite robust submissions from Railway Path via Clay Bridge, World's End Lane. SEG, Saltford Parish Council and Keynsham Town Council “However, there is no guarantee that the sustainable transport to the LPPU public examination held in June and July measures will create a significant modal shift away from car concerning plans for new housing developments totalling commuting. As anyone who lives or works in the area will some 280 homes on safeguarded Green Belt land at know from bitter experience it is inevitable that the new 213 Keynsham East, the inspector's report to B&NES Council has houses opposite Pixash Lane at Withies Green, together with not recommended removing those plans from the LPPU. the additional 70 homes by Minsmere Road, will further “In response to the inspector's recommendations, there has exacerbate the existing severe traffic congestion at peak been some re-wording by B&NES of the biodiversity net gain periods in and around Keynsham, including the Bath Road policies including permission for the developer to reduce the habitat buffer with the local woodland if ‘it Fast food chain McDonald’s plans to build side and rear extensions at the branch at Aspects Leisure Park in Longwell Green, and to alter the entrance and access doors, have been withdrawn. The plans also included reconfiguring the drive-thru to accommodate an extra ordering booth and height restrictor. However, plans for two illuminated static signs and to relocate an internally existing freestanding sign have been granted by South Gloucestershire Council.
McDonald’s plans withdrawn
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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
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Tracy Broderick 0117 986 0381 sales.theweekin@gmail.com @theweekineditor the_week_in_news
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The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
building in Keynsham’ A4 through Saltford. “It is inconceivable that if B&NES planners had been presented with accurate transport forecasts of the severe and extended peak-time congestion arising from the cumulative effect of new housing in the existing Local Plan in Keynsham and other surrounding areas, the new housing at Keynsham East would have been approved by a responsible council. “The volume of new housing in this part of the West of England has proved to have a very negative effect on Keynsham and the surrounding area, including Saltford. And yet those same mistakes are about to be amplified even further as if no lessons have been learned whilst transport forecasts bear no relation to reality.” • After B&NES Council granted planning permission for the Withies Green development next to Hygge Park, we reported in May that SEG, Saltford Parish Council and Keynsham Town Council had contacted MP Jacob Rees-Mogg who made strong representations on their behalf to the Secretary of State, asking that the planning decision be called in for his final say.
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
Hanham Wetherspoon’s goes on the market as part of national sell-off The Jolly Sailor in Hanham High Street is among 32 Wetherspoon’s pubs across England which have been put up for sale by the pub chain amid rising bills and inflation. The venues are being marketed by commercial property specialists CBRE and Savills. More than half are in London and the South East. Others are in Gloucestershire, the Midlands, and the North. JD Wetherspoon operates around 800 pubs in total.
Withies Green
Most of the concerns related to the impact on the already congested A4, on air quality and the loss of greenfield land that helps to maintain the separation of Keynsham and Saltford. Objectors said the land was supposed to have been safeguarded against development until at least 2029 and that the decision pre-empted the public examination looking into the Local Plan Partial Update. As a result of the intervention, the council was ordered not to grant permission without specific authorisation to enable the Secretary of State to consider whether he should call it in. That decision is still awaited.
5
Singers look to recruit more members The Cleeve Singers of Downend are a four-part choir looking to recruit more singers and it is not too late to join for Christmas. There are no auditions and two free taster evenings. This term they are rehearsing Christmas songs and the choir have chosen the music. Starting in the New Year, the repertoire changes to a selection of easy listening music, from shows and many popular items. Cleeve meet weekly on a Wednesday night
at 7.30pm in the Jubilee Hall, Downend Folk House, Lincombe Barn, Downend, where there is a car park. The conductor is Jonathan Edwardes. Their Christmas concert this year is a matinee only on Saturday 3rd December at 2pm at the same venue when they are supporting CLIC Sargent and on Saturday 10th December they are performing in the church at Dyrham House. Find out more at https://cleevesingers.wixsite.com/mysite
Situations Vacant
6
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
Turning the pages at The Week In Publisher Stephen Rodgers looks back as well as forward In November 2017, I spent an enjoyable evening at Pomegranate in Keynsham, surrounded by family, colleagues and friends of The Week In. The occasion was the publication of our 500th edition of the newspaper. I remember it as if it was yesterday and I also remember the light-hearted remarks some of the guests made about doing it again for Issue 1,000. So the fact that this week’s edition sports 750 on the masthead has come as something of a surprise. It’s a cliché, but just where did that time go? To mark the occasion of The Week In Issue 500, I also published a book. ‘Week In Week out’ charted almost 10 years of the publication Stephen Rodgers from its early incarnation as Keynsham & Saltford Times through the various changes which brought us to late 2017. The book was both a digest of stories which made the headlines locally in each of the years, as well as my own musings about the direction of the business and the challenges faced along the way. In the final chapters I looked forward to the possible challenges which lay ahead at that point. Some predictions turned out to be accurate while others, such as COVID-19, were definitely not on the radar at all. So, in October 2022, what has changed? Well, the format for a start. Having settled in 2017 on a new page size, just over a year later, we switched to the traditional tabloid format that you are reading today. Those last chapters in the book considered the difficulties facing print media as news consumption habits evolve towards digital. While national newspapers have continued to see sales figures fall off a cliff, the regional press has also seen a steady fall in advertising revenues. The attrition rate is quite alarming. Almost 300 local newspapers have disappeared since 2005 and 40,000 journalists have lost their jobs in the last decade. The Week In has not been immune to the downward trend in
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
advertising sales although it has been cushioned by its hyper-local appeal which has remained an attraction for local businesses. But you only have to look back through Issue 500 for example to see that the number of those local businesses has also declined dramatically. Some have been swallowed up by larger, national companies, others have succumbed to the attraction of online retail, and some have simply given up and retired. Until early 2019, it was fair to say that this was a managed decline. Then COVID hit. Not only did the vast majority of our advertisers have to stop trading, the very places where members of the public could pick up their copy of The Week In were also forced to close. Our initial reaction in March that year was to go online only. While there were some important learnings gained from that experience, it also became apparent that the people who used to read the print edition of The Week In needed it more than ever. After only a few weeks, and with the support of Government public health adverts, we were able to go back into production in a limited way. In time, matters improved as more of society opened up, but like long COVID, it has never been the same as before. While the timing of COVID came out of the blue, I was already making plans for a new future for The Week In. It had already become clear that a free newspaper funded solely through advertising would not be sustainable in the longer term. But more significantly, the whole notion of a reliable and local independent media that could hold those in authority to account was under threat. Today, there is a new buzzword being used – media deserts. This describes areas which now have so little or even no local media coverage that companies or authorities are able to seize the media narrative. In areas like these, the only freely available source of local news is social media – and we all know what that means in terms of reliability. So in 2019 I began drawing up plans for a new version of The Week In. In place of a private company, a cooperative would take over the publishing of The Week In. That cooperative would be owned not by shareholders but individual members of the public who would also have a say in the way the business was run. In addition to membership subscriptions, the society would also be able to apply for financial grants and use those funds for related projects which would further
The 500th edition party
help the local community. So The Week In Community began operations in January 2021. As well as meeting with our members, we have also run mentoring projects to bring younger people in the community into the operation of The Week In. We have just commenced another scheme to complement our traditional methods of reporting with more digital and video methods which you will see more of in the coming weeks and months. This is important because the future of The Week In must be longer than my own personal input can allow. The way in which news is consumed is changing and so therefore must The Week In if the next generations are to be involved. But the prime aim must be to ensure that the area continues to have a truthful and reliable local media outlet which will keep those who make decisions on our behalf accountable. If you want to become a member of The Week In Community, visit our website www.theweekin.co.uk or complete the form opposite. 7
LETTERS community, but to the generations who will
case of emergency) number and left the phone
Sarah Warren
Beware, the pigeons are taking over
Dear Editor
B&NES Cabinet Lead for Climate
Dear Editor
Once again, thank you for your honesty. I would
It is shocking that new Prime Minister Liz Truss
Emergency & Sustainable Transport
Has anybody else noticed the increasing
like to thank you personally. If you contact The
and her climate change-denying Secretary of
numbers of pigeons that have become resident
Week In, they will put you in touch with me.
State for Business, Energy and Industrial
in Keynsham? I installed solar panels on my
Graham
Jacob Rees-Mogg branded a ‘fracking Luddite’
follow us.
with staff at Iceland, complete with cash and bank cards.
Strategy, Jacob Rees-Mogg, have announced
Parking concern
their intention to lift the moratorium on fracking
Dear Editor
increase in the number of pigeons on my roof.
in England “where there is local support”.
I am wondering if someone can enlighten me.
On closer inspection, they seemed to be
The Conservative Government imposed the ban
Has the now defunct Store 21 front entrance
sheltering under the panels. Then, I noticed the
in 2019, stating that it would remain in place
area now become a new car park for
eggshells coming from above, the mess and the
until “the science shows categorically that it can
Kingswood?
constant noise. I had no alternative but to get the
roof in 2012 and from around 2020, I noticed an
be done safely”.
professionals in, spending £500 on a barrier to
Even aside from the current maelstrom in
stop the birds getting under the panels. There
energy markets, which reinforces the case for a
were four nests under my panels.
swifter transition away from the fossil fuels
I now have residents complaining to me on the
causing climate chaos, this safety threshold has
subject. It appears that during the pandemic,
quite clearly not been met. A recent British
pigeons migrated away from city centres into
Geological Survey report commissioned by
the suburbs as there was no food for them. They
Government says forecasting the occurrence of
are now here and look to be staying. As I personally am very concerned for
fracking industry have called for planning rules
pedestrian safety here.
and earthquake standards to be weakened.
M Bridges
The Business Secretary has claimed that
Kingswood
entitled ‘Making the Streets Safer’ but noted that there was no mention of any funds being I therefore wrote to my councillor and it has been
confirmed
to
me
by
the
South
Gloucestershire Council Stronger Communities team leader that they did not submit a bid to the Girls (VAWG) funding. They obviously have enough funding available to ensure the safety of women and girls in the South Gloucestershire area. Why then, when I enquired about installing lights in a dark park in my area, there was NO
dotted across rural England would be enough to
Council needs to give a fuller explanation
The advice is please don’t feed them,
lower the European (gas) price any time soon.”
Dear Editor
particularly not at ground level as this attracts
Mr Rees-Mogg has called those opposed to
I read with interest the comment from resident
rats and other vermin as well. You can buy bird
fracking “Luddites”, but in fact, perhaps the
Steve Webb in the story in Issue 748 headlined
feeders designed for small birds only and these
fracking Luddite is the Minister for the 18th
‘Anger over double yellow lines delay’.
can be effective, but beware, pigeons are
Century, clinging to the antiquated technology
He’s quite correct in saying that over £90,000
resourceful and will look for clever ways to get
of fossil fuel extraction in the face of all the
has been given to two private sports clubs in the
at your food.
science that shows us the future lies in
area. The council’s response is also correct in
Cllr Andy Wait
renewables, and in energy-efficient retrofit to
saying that this Section 106 money has to be
Keynsham
insulate our leaky homes and businesses. These
used for public open space improvements.
solutions will help, not only in mitigating the
But the council doesn’t answer how giving all
climate crisis, but simultaneously in reducing
of that money - £92,000 to two private clubs -
our mounting energy bills.
“No amount of shale gas from hundreds of wells
I saw with interest your article in Issue 740
Home Office for Violence Against Women and
fracking will reduce energy prices, but even Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng admitted this year:
Dear Editor
awarded to South Gloucestershire Council.
large earthquakes from fracking is complex and remains a scientific challenge. Meanwhile, the
Give women’s safety a higher priority
funding available due to funding restraint? When there are women and girls being killed, assaulted and abused every single day, it’s nice to know the importance South Gloucestershire Council has placed on women’s safety by not applying for funding available from the Government. S Freeman Bitton
RIP the Y5 bus Dear Editor
will improve open space facilities for the public.
Thank you for returning lost phone
Here at Bath and North East Somerset Council,
Why were smaller amounts not allocated to
Dear Editor
to the big outside world of Bristol and Yate.
we will continue to pursue and encourage
more deserving causes? I think a fuller
I would like to pay my sincere thanks to Sean.
It was bad enough when the service was reduced
responsible renewable energy developments
explanation including the criteria for allocating
He found my phone in the road at the
to two-hourly, but this is far worse. Our close
across our district. By doing so, we will fulfil
is required from the council
roundabout outside Iceland in Keynsham. He
neighbours in Mangotsfield and Staple Hill will
Steve Hicks
then rang my daughter by way of the ICE (In
also lose this fast service into Bristol bus station
our obligations not just to the international
8
First Bus’s withdrawal of the Y5 service will isolate the residents of Shortwood, and our link
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
LETTERS as it used the M32 and was almost 20 minutes quicker than the No 49 bus, much to the benefit of residents using the Bristol Royal Infirmary and city-based office workers. I have enclosed a photo of the Y5 bus that readers of The Week In may wish to retain and place as a keepsake in their memory boxes, perhaps to be shown in a distant future exhibit of the Antiques Roadshow. D Bryant, Shortwood
Keynsham Mini Walking Festival success Held over the last weekend in September and in glorious sunshine, the Keynsham Mini Walking Festival got off to a great start on the Friday evening when 65 people turned up for the history walk. It was led by Richard Dyson, of Keynsham & Saltford Local History Society, and took in St John the Baptist Church, the old abbey, Dapps Hill bridge and Temple Street – all in 90 minutes. Saturday saw two walks with town clerk Dawn Drury leading the morning walk around Chewton Keynsham, Burnett and Compton Dando with 26 hardy souls, and a further 17 people enjoyed a shorter afternoon walk led by Walkers Are Welcome organiser Dave Johnson. On Sunday the traditional fundraising walk in support of the
BBC Countryfile Children in Need Appeal had a healthy attendance of 36 who enjoyed a walk along the banks of the River Avon to Hanham and back. A total of £320 was raised for the charity.
Public Notice
The fundraising walk
Sudoku 1-Easy
SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 9th October
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) 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 5th October 2022
9
Tremors spreading after fracking statement North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg appears to have set the hares running over his announcement in Parliament that the moratorium on fracking was to be lifted. We published an article about his statement as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on our website on 23rd September. You can read it using the link www.tinyurl.com/35r3y8ev But it is not just the tone of his statement to the House which has angered so many. The ban on drilling was imposed in 2019 by Rees-Mogg’s own government after a number of earth tremors had been detected at a site in Lancashire. The moratorium was put in place to allow more time for scientific research into the process of drilling into coal seams and then blasting them with a cocktail of water, sand and chemicals to release shale gas. But last month, the Minister declared that the only problem was that people simply didn’t understand the Richter Scale. These “Luddites” apparently could not see the benefits of producing our own fossil fuel as opposed to importing someone else’s fossil fuel from other parts of the world. The transport savings would benefit the environment, with no mention of the harm in actually using the fossil fuels. Only hours after making his announcement in Parliament, video footage emerged of him briefing staff at the Ministry along the same lines and reaffirming his commitment to draining every last drop of oil from the North Sea. While no tests for shale gas were taking place in our area at the time of the ban, licences had previously been granted, but not executed, in parts of Somerset including East Harptree and Ston Easton. A report from 2000 identified up to 165 potential Felicitysites, Park including Corston and Kelston, while a
Crossword
planning application to sink a bore hole at Hicks Gate in 2012 was subsequently withdrawn. But after Jacob Rees-Mogg’s recent announcement, concern now seems to be focused on the role of local people in any decision-making. Before the decision to impose the moratorium, the one caveat was always that fracking would not happen if the local community did not want it. When pressed on this point in Parliament last month, the Business Minister only talked about financial inducements and rewards. Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy at CPRE, the countryside charity, reacted to the statement saying: “Determined to force fracking onto unwilling communities, the Government is moving the goal posts. From a ban unless this damaging process could be proven safe, it now says it welcomes fracking ‘done as safely as possible’. In other words, it is determined to put the interests of fossil fuel companies ahead of ordinary people and will likely have to upend the planning process to do so. This would be a betrayal of local democracy.” The whole fracking debate was upstaged the following day by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘mini-budget’ which caused an even greater seismic reaction. With a Bank of England bail-out just a few days later and subsequent U-turn on abolishing the top rate of income tax, the narrative has been diverted away from other parts of the Chancellor’s original statement. One of the other measures intended to stimulate growth was a proposed shake-up of the planning system to remove red tape. An appended list of projects earmarked for fast-tracking did include the A4 Bristol to Bath corridor but also nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell in Suffolk. Already, campaigners fear that projects like that will be able
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Noblewoman (8)
2. Seem (6)
8. Scoop-shaped tool (6)
3. Wild cat (6)
9. Fencing sword (4)
5. Musical lines (6)
10. Pasture (3)
6. Revulsion (6)
11. Truth (6)
7. Church officer (6)
12. Herbaceous plant (8)
12. Waterfowl (4)
15. Public speaker (6) 16. Filament (6) 20. Move unsteadily (6) 24. Edible grain (6) 27. Suspension (8) 28. Noted (6) 29. Possesses (3) 30. Long journey (4) 31. Contradict (6) 32. Blushed (8)
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to proceed without the need to satisfy the many environmental conditions which are currently in place. The present Government has already dallied with the idea of creating sites of “nationally significant infrastructure” Jacob Rees-Mogg which would effectively mean that it could bypass any planning scrutiny. The idea was shelved four years ago but with the detail of the Chancellor’s planning reforms still to be made public, many are fearful of how much influence the local community may have if someone wants to extract shale gas from places like Kelston or East Harptree. Both of those are in Bath & North East Somerset and the council was strongly opposed to the Hicks Gate scheme in 2012. Last week, B&NES Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Transport, Sarah Warren said: “Mr Rees-Mogg has called those opposed to fracking ‘Luddites’, but in fact, perhaps the fracking Luddite is the Minister for the 18th century, clinging to the antiquated technology of fossil fuel extraction, in the face of all the science that shows us the future lies in renewables, and in energy-efficient retrofit to insulate our leaky homes and businesses. “Here at Bath and North East Somerset Council, we will continue to pursue and encourage responsible renewable energy developments across our district. By doing so, we will fulfil our obligations not just to the international community, but to the generations who will follow us.” See also Letters, page 8
4. Cream cake (6)
13. Masculine (4) 14. Speck (4) 17. People in general (4) 18. Yemeni port (4) 19. Valley (4) 21. Glossy coating (6) 22. In both directions (3-3) 23. Bacon slice (6) 24. Stopped (6) 25. Child's toy (6) 26. Assent (6)
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
Extinction Rebellion’s call to action over airport expansion A public meeting will be held in Keynsham later this month for people to find out how they can help fight the expansion of Bristol Airport. At a High Court hearing which is taking place in Bristol on 8th and 9th November, Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) is challenging the Government’s decision to allow the airport expansion to go ahead. The public meeting is being organised by Keynsham Extinction Rebellion on Wednesday 19th October at 7.30pm at Keynsham Baptist Church. Details of the arguments, how to lobby politicians and how to get involved in the vigil planned outside the court will be discussed. There will be time for questions and answers. This week Keynsham XR said in a statement: “We reiterate that Bristol
Airport is big enough! As local residents we do not want increased flights, including night flights, more cars on our unsuitable roads or further encroachment on our green spaces, with the impact on our local wildlife. “However, we also acknowledge the disproportionate damage that the emissions from flying has globally on our climate and ecology. We are seeing now the horrendous flooding in Pakistan, drought and famine in Africa, heatwaves in Europe, devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean. These are just a few examples now of the increasingly catastrophic trajectory we are heading towards. “We have to reduce the damage now and one important step we must make is to fly less.” To find out more email BAANcc@protonmail.com
400+ children from 10 schools in musical extravaganza Pupils and staff from 10 schools got the new academic year off to a spectacular start by performing their own oratorio at Bath Forum. The musical piece was composed for the Futura Learning Partnership, which includes schools in Keynsham, South Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath, by Phil Dixon. He began last year by visiting Year 10 music classes at Bedminster Down, Sir Bernard Lovell and Wellsway schools, to come up with initial compositional ideas. He then went away and arranged the melodies and chord progressions into the Futura Oratorio. The piece, entitled Avona, was based on the myth of how the River Avon got its name. The performance, conducted by Phil, involved more than 400 children aged seven to 18, who formed two primary choirs, a senior choir and an orchestra. They
were supported by 40 members of staff. The event was organised by Futura Learning Partnership’s director of music Ingrid McLean. She said: “It was a fabulous occasion. We nearly filled the venue and received a standing ovation at the end. For many of the students it was the first time they had sung with an orchestra, so it was a wonderful experience in a special setting. Already staff and students have been suggesting doing more activities like this.”
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The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
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Advertising feature
Why being a care-giver is so rewarding Lisa Rowe, a care-giver with the agency Right at Home, talks about her role
share stories is one of the simplest things but this means the world to them.
Why did you decide to go into care?
What is it like working for Right at Home?
I worked for the Post Office for five years and before that I was working in pubs, behind bars and in social clubs. In 2019 I was 41 and fed up with my role. I was talking to a friend who worked for Right at Home and they persuaded me to give caring a go. I was nervous when I undertook the training, but I got through it and have now been here for four years. I am a mum-of-four and this role works for me and my family.
The support from my colleagues means a lot and working for a company that understands your own health needs is important and Right at Home have been supportive to enable me to do the job. I have friends here who will encourage and support me and there is always someone at the end of the phone if you are having a tough day or need to talk through anything.
‘Lisa is like a friend to me, she couldn’t be nicer’ How have you developed whilst working here?
What is it you enjoy about the role? And why is care important? It’s like you have lots of friends when you are a carer. You see some clients more than your own family and it is like they then become part of your family in a way. I feel privileged to be part of our clients’ lives. The clients I support have lots to offer me too, I have learned things and listened to their stories. They are lovely people who just need support with little things that we take for granted. I might make someone a cup of tea and have a chat one day and that would be it, it may not seem like much but to them it is everything. I am the one who makes sure they get that cup of tea as they can’t do it for themselves. Having someone to talk to, listen to and
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and undertake a role that is so rewarding for yourself and those that you are supporting. You can do so much for someone in such a little amount of time. It may not be a huge number of hours you can give but to those getting the support it means the world. This job has been great for me as it changed when my life changed. I started with fewer hours to work around my family commitments and then when the kids got older, I was able to do more. The beauty of this job is that you have that flexibility; life changes and the jobs can change with it.
Mary Tanner, of Longwell Green (pictured)
I have attended in-house training and gained a lot of knowledge and skills to care for other people. I have also been able to know myself better, I know how to cope in certain situations, and I have been able to build on my personal skills set too. The more people you support, the more confidence you have for the role. I have now been offered a Field Care Supervisor role and have just started in the role. I am excited about this and proud of what I have achieved in my time with Right at Home.
What would you say to someone who was thinking about a role in care? I would say try it! It’s never too late to start something new
The Week in • Wednesday 5th October 2022
New shop units Plans to turn the old Outfit fashion store at Gallagher Retail Park in Longwell Green into three separate shops have been approved by South Gloucestershire Council. There is no indication yet about what shops might be moving in.
Fun quiz A fun quiz in support of Bitton Recreation Ground will be held on Friday 14th October at 7.30pm at Bitton Sports and Social Club. Teams of four are invited to take part. Tickets cost £5 a head, including a ploughman’s supper, and are available from Paul Cooney on 0117 4036845.
£58m world-leading science facility approved at Emersons Green The Chippenham-based Vectura Group has been granted planning permission for a new 10,000sq m ‘Inhalation Centre of Excellence’ at the Bristol & Bath Science Park at Emersons Green. The state-of-the-art £58m building is anticipated to complete in 2025. Michael Austwick, chief executive of Vectura, said: “We are delighted that our plans to build a world-leading science facility have been approved by South Gloucestershire Council. The new build will enable our already successful pharmaceutical company to continue and expand upon its vital work, providing innovative inhalation and other advanced drug delivery solutions that have the potential to improve the lives of patients around the world. “For nearly 25 years, Vectura has been providing a combination of formulation science, device technology and pharmaceutical development expertise, helping our partners and licensees develop products which are used by 10 million patients worldwide. “This new facility will help us to build on this successful track record, increasing workspace capacity and attracting talent to the area.”
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Cllr Ben Burton, Cabinet member responsible for corporate resources at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “The Bristol & Bath Science Park offers a prime location for a company of this type as it is a world-class centre for science and technology businesses with a focus on research and development, innovation and collaboration. “This new research and development facility will bring additional high-tech employment opportunities to our area and I’m pleased to see that Vectura’s plans for the new building include a number of environmental and sustainability considerations.”
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Gold awards for two academies Educate Together Academy Trust (ETAT) has announced that two of its schools Somerdale in Keynsham and Redfield in Bristol - have been awarded a prestigious Unicef award. Somerdale is the first school in Bath & North East Somerset and Redfield is one of only four in Bristol to have achieved the UK Rights Respecting Schools GOLD Award. This is Unicef’s highest accolade, granted to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos. Both schools went through a rigorous assessment which examined their rights respecting work and the impact that has been made through embedding children’s rights into school life.
All ETAT schools are working towards achieving Rights Respecting status because it is a crucial part of its key educational principle which is to be truly child centred and equitable. Miriam Fredrickson-Barnaby, director of education at ETAT, said: “Huge thanks to all the staff and children at both schools – these awards are a result of a huge amount of hard work and tremendous commitment to putting the Rights of the Child at the heart of all we do. The children clearly showed this to the assessors and were confident and articulate we are very proud of them.” The initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. Schools which have participated have reported a positive impact on pupil
behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to
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