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THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset Issue 794

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16th August 2023

Read by more than 40,000 people each week

Residents rally as developer steps up pressure on the Green Belt With concern that over 300 acres of Green Belt land in

lift Green Belt protection on some parcels

the Warmley area are at growing risk from a major

of land.

house-builder, local people are uniting to draw up their

Locations in which developers have

own vision for their community.

expressed an interest under the council’s

It is understood that developer Bloor Homes has recently

Call for Sites process are mapped and

acquired land in the parish of Siston which it has been keen

include the fields stretching northwards

to develop for years.

from the A420 at Warmley.

South Gloucestershire Council is currently developing its

Under the last Labour Government, there

new Local Plan, which is due to be published in November

was a Regional Spatial Strategy which

and will set out where development should, and shouldn’t,

included plans to build thousands of homes

take place over at least the next 15 years.

on the Green Belt to the east of Kingswood.

There is concern not just in Warmley but in other parts of the

That strategy was abolished in 2010 when

district where developers are hovering that the council may

the Coalition Government came to power. But since then, the prospect of an “urban extension” has remained a concern in the

Green Belt land north of Warmley

Warmley area. In 2016 a “Vision for Warmley” drawn up by consultants acting for Bloor and

development “sensitively”.

Barratt Homes highlighted that about 130 hectares (321

At the time, Bloor and Barratt were said to have “detailed

acres) of “predominantly undeveloped/agricultural and

information with regard to landownerships within this area

pasture” land provided the opportunity to deliver a new

and have a significant area either under control, or with the

neighbourhood of 2,500 homes along with employment and

potential to be under control through further negotiation”.

retail use.

Last week the Siston Parish Neighbourhood Plan Group held

The report said the area’s common land would need to be

its first public meeting at Warmley Community Centre.

retained and existing properties incorporated into the

Also in this week’s issue

Homes evacuated after arson at old Whitchurch Sports Centre . . . page 2

Couple in their 80s find love at Keynsham retirement village . . . page 3

Vandalism at Willsbridge Mill . . . page 7

Continued on page 3

How much do local MPs earn from second jobs? . . . page 12

Arson probe after huge blaze sparks evacuation Police

are

appealing

for

witnesses

following a deliberate fire at the disused Whitchurch Sports Centre which led to nearby residents being evacuated. Emergency services were called to the site at Bamfield at around 10am last Wednesday following reports of fire in one of the buildings at the rear of the site. Around 50

Fire crews tackling the blaze

households in nearby Paddock Garden were

“Our officers will now be working with the

evacuated as a precaution due to smoke,

fire investigators, our CID and the council to

while firefighters worked to bring the blaze

carry out CCTV trawls and house-to-house

under control after it started to spread into the

enquiries.”

main building. A number of roads were

Officers are keen to speak with anyone who

closed and residents were told to keep their

saw or heard anything suspicious from

windows shut.

9.30am last Wednesday, or if anyone has any

Crews from 16 fire stations, including

dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage around

Keynsham and Hicks Gate, attended along

the sports centre site. They are especially

with

service,

keen to speak with four young people,

Hazardous Area Response Team and the gas

believed to be two boys and two girls, who

and electricity board. No was hurt in the

were seen in the area around the time and

incident.

may have information.

the

police,

ambulance

St Augustine's Church provided a community place of safety and people were allowed to return home at around 7.30pm. Crews monitored the building overnight and carried out regular inspections using thermal imaging cameras and gas monitoring equipment. Following a visit from Avon & Somerset The old sports centre

Police’s crime scene investigators and Avon

Insp Starr added: “We are aware there are

Fire & Rescue Service’s investigators the

some rumours around this incident and we

following morning, the building was deemed

would ask people not to speculate while our

unsafe to enter; however, it believed the fire

enquiries are ongoing.

was started deliberately and an arson

“We are aware of an increase in calls relating

investigation got underway.

to anti-social behaviour around the site in

South Bristol Neighbourhood Policing

recent weeks. At this stage it is far too early

Inspector Chris Starr said: “We understand

to speculate whether any of these previous

this has been a stressful time for local

incidents are linked to the fire but we will

residents and we would like to ensure

keep an open mind while investigations work

everyone that we will conduct a thorough

is ongoing.”

investigation. We would like to thank the

Call 101 and give the call handler the

public for their support and understanding

reference number 5223192246. Alternatively

while we carry out enquiries and to those

contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800

who were evacuated from their homes.

555 111.

Camper van fire closes Ring Road A vehicle fire on the A4174 Ring Road closed the section between the Deanery Road roundabout at Warmley and Siston Hill roundabout for a time on Monday 7th August. Avon Fire & Rescue Service were called at 2.26pm and two fire engines from nearby Kingswood fire station attended and found a camper van on fire. Crews used one high pressure hose reel and a 45mm jet to extinguish the flames with one firefighter wearing breathing apparatus for safety. They gave oxygen therapy to one casualty who had suffered smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Couple in their 80s find love in retirement village Two residents have married after meeting and falling in love at St Monica Trust’s Chocolate Quarter Retirement Village in Keynsham. Christopher and Rosa tied the knot at the end of July, 18 months after meeting at a coffee morning. They found they had a lot in common, including a love of art, the theatre, history, music and spending time in the countryside. In one of life’s strange coincidences, they discovered that they had lived 40 miles apart from each other in Zambia in the mid-1960s, where Christopher worked as a mining engineer and Rosa’s husband was a teacher. Despite a calamitous first date at a restaurant in Bath, where Rosa nearly choked on a

banana leaf and they caught in torrential rain on the walk back to the car, they quickly became an item. It was after booking a holiday together to Italy that the idea of marriage came up. Christopher said: “If I’d got down on one knee, I’d never have got up. It was a bit of a babbling proposal, but luckily Rosa laughed and said ‘yes’, so we set a date for the wedding and our holiday became our honeymoon.” Christopher and Rosa were joined at the Guildhall in Bath on their wedding day by members of both their families, followed by a celebratory meal at the Pump Room Restaurant. Christopher said: “It was very emotional for both of us, having our children and

Residents rally as developer steps up pressure on the Green Belt Continued from page 1

Homes said: “We are in the process of

Neighbourhood planning was introduced

promoting the land through the Local Plan

in the Localism Act 2011 and although a

process but are not currently considering a

Neighbourhood Plan cannot prevent any

planning application as the land is

development from ever taking place in an

currently designated as Green Belt.”

area, it provides communities with a

The village of Charfield north of

unique opportunity to produce a legally-

Thornbury has also been facing the

recognised planning document based on

prospect of large-scale house-building.

the needs, views, and priorities of those

The Charfield Neighbourhood Plan was

who live and work there.

the first to be adopted in South

The group’s appointed chair Steve Reade

Gloucestershire two years ago.

said he was pleased to see how many

The vision is for the village to remain a

people had attended Wednesday’s meeting,

rural community with a unique sense of

and that it was a clear indication of the

place and identity, to protect and safeguard

level of interest and support for a

the wildlife and countryside views, and

neighbourhood plan. The group intends to

enhance access to the surrounding

have a ‘cut-down’ version in place before

countryside. It says future growth should

South Gloucestershire’s Local Plan comes

be on a small-scale sustainable nature that

out for consultation.

is in line with the needs and wishes of the

This week a spokesperson from Bloor

community.

grandchildren there, and we also streamed the ceremony live to New Zealand for my family who live out there. It was a wonderful day and everything went just as we’d hoped.” Having had their honeymoon before the wedding, Christopher and Rosa have taken an equally unconventional approach to married life. Rosa said: “As well as keeping our own names, we’ve also decided to keep our own apartments, which makes our friends laugh. I’ve got a lot of antiques that I inherited from my parents and acquired during my travels, plus all of Christopher’s

belongings mean that our possessions would never fit in one apartment.” Christopher worked as consultant in the mining industry and Rosa trained as a State Registered Nurse before moving into the Probation Service. She is a volunteer at Charterhouse Care Home at The Chocolate Quarter and was recently presented with a St Monica Trust’s Rose Award for her services to volunteering. Both have family in the local area and made the decision to move into The Chocolate Quarter following the passing of their spouses.

Failed attempts to get a planning blueprint Following the abolition of the Regional

Charfield. Last year work on the

Spatial Strategy 13 years ago, subsequent

replacement West of England Spatial

efforts to decide where major house-

Development Strategy was halted by

building should go have not gone

Regional Mayor Dan Norris, largely due to

smoothly.

a lack of agreement about how Bristol’s

The Warmley area was not one of the

unmet housing need would be dealt with

dozen

by the neighbouring authorities.

locations

earmarked

for

development under the regional Joint

The individual Local Plans for South

Spatial Plan, which was scrapped in 2020

Gloucestershire, Bath & North East

after planning inspectors said it was

Somerset and Bristol will now provide the

unsound. The sites had included five in

strategic planning framework, including

South Gloucestershire – Yate, Coalpit

housing need, for the West of England

Heath,

Combined Authority area.

Thornbury,

Buckover

and

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Wave of support for café over planning issue The family-run Warmley Waiting Room café next to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path has been inundated with support after it emerged that the planning permission granted four decades ago for the change of use was only temporary. The popular café is in the original waiting room on the platform of the old Warmley Station. The current owners plan to replace two storerooms in the garden with a new building containing improved storage, a prep kitchen and extra covered customer seating. Writing on the café’s Facebook page, they said: “Our popularity has meant that we have outgrown our current small workspace, so the

new single-storey, timber-clad building will enable us to continue to serve our customers for many years to come and will be similar in appearance and style to our summer house. “Whilst applying, we have discovered that the original planning permission for the café, in the early 1980s, was only granted as temporary. We now have to apply for planning permission for the existing café and garden, plus the new-build. “Because we are in a Green Belt, we need to demonstrate a level of public support for the scheme for the planners to consider our application. “If you are willing to offer your support,

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.

please can you provide your feedback in the comment section below so that we can submit them with our planning application.” As a result the café has received more than

650 comments of support including the backing of councillors Sam and Liz Bromiley who represent the Parkwall and Warmley ward on South Gloucestershire Council.

Calling time at The Upton Inn The Upton Inn in Upton Cheyney has

Brewery Hill pub for the last three years,

closed and the building has been put up for

have moved on to a new venture and pub

sale with a price tag of £750,000.

chain Hall and Woodhouse has ended its

Chris and Teresa Meaker, who had run the

lease.

16,000 copies are distributed through retail outlets, libraries, pubs, community centres each week. Verified pick-up rate of 97%.

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

0117 986 0381 sales.theweekin@gmail.com @theweekineditor the_week_in_news

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.

Plans for children’s home Plans to change the use of a house in

house would be a home for up to four

Dragons Hill Close in Keynsham to a

children aged between five and 18. There

children's care home have been lodged

would likely be no more than four

with Bath & North East Somerset Council.

members of staff present at one time, and

The proposal for the property known as

the children would attend local schools.

Shalom has been lodged by Kingswood-

The proposal involves a change of use

based Premier Care Management Limited.

only, with no external works proposed.

They are a provider of community and

There is room for five cars to park.

outreach services in the South West and are

The consultation closes on 15th September

now seeking to open a children’s

and

residential care home. The two-storey

23/02888/FUL.

the

planning

reference

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Marathon swim in aid of charity that saved Keynsham man’s life A man whose friend from Keynsham needed a life-saving stem cell transplant is undertaking a mammoth swimming challenge to raise money for the charity that helped him. Duncan Fawcett, a 37-year-old teacher from Buckinghamshire, has been swimming in the Lake District to raise vital funds and awareness for stem cell transplant charity Anthony Nolan. He decided to take on the challenge of swimming the length of all 14 of the swimmable lakes after his childhood friend, Harvey Marcus, received treatment for blood cancer. Harvey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2022 and was informed that he would need a lifesaving stem cell transplant. ALL is a form of blood cancer that stops certain white blood cells from developing, preventing bone marrow from producing all types of healthy blood cells.

Anthony Nolan helped find Harvey a donor and he had the transplant in April. The charity helps blood cancer patients by recruiting potential stem cell donors to their stem cell register, matching patients with strangers with similar genetics. Duncan said he had not heard of the charity until Harvey’s diagnosis and treatment. He said: “The thought that without this charity a fraction of people would actually get the match they need, significantly reducing their recovery chance, really hit me. As we speak, my friend is recovering thanks to the work of this charity. My aim was to help as many other people’s friends recover in the same way.” Duncan, who spent a lot of time in the Lake District when he was growing up, started the challenge in April and has already completed 13 of the swims, with the longest so far being Ullswater at 12.07km. His aim is to have completed all the swims by the end of this month.

He said: “By joining the Anthony Nolan register, you have the opportunity to do something special that can save a friend, mother, father, etc, so don’t think twice about doing it. Fundraisers also have the ability to do something incredible by helping raise money that ultimately goes towards changing lives.” Harvey’s wife Jules said: “Duncan’s a great guy and it’s an amazing thing that he’s doing. When he told us what he was planning on doing for Anthony Nolan we were totally shocked. It had been a really dark week for us, as Harvey had been readmitted to hospital, but Duncan’s message was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for us. It gave Harvey a physical and emotional lift at a time when he really needed it. The amount Duncan is raising is incredible, and to see it continue to go up has been really uplifting.” Tom Horsfield, community fundraising manager at Anthony Nolan, said: “Fundraisers like Duncan help raise crucial funds that allow Anthony Nolan to continue to recruit new potential donors to the register.

Duncan's first of 14 swims

It costs £40 to recruit each new donor, so the incredible work Duncan is doing will go a long way to helping find new donors who can give stem cell transplant patients a second chance at life.” This week Duncan was very close to his £5,000 target. Visit his JustGiving page at https://tinyurl.com/24zsew4j To find out more about joining the register visit www.anthonynolan.org/savealife

Harvey and Duncan

Community gardening The next Community Gardening Day in

but must be joined by an adult.

Staple Hill will be on Sunday (20th

Refreshments will be provided.

August). Meet at Fountain Square, you are

Community gardening days aren’t just

welcome to drop in anytime between noon

about brightening up the High Street, you

and 4pm and all equipment will be

can also get advice about pollinator

provided for weeding, planting, litter

friendly plants for your garden, or come

picking and more! Children are welcome

along and share your knowledge.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

New chapter for renamed community centre The newly-formed Coronation Centre CIC (Community Interest Company) has been selected as the preferred operator of the former Batch Community Centre in Cadbury Heath. The centre, which is owned by South Gloucestershire Council, was forced to close after previous operator the Banjo Island Community and Sports Association (BICSA) handed back the keys last October. The closure was blamed on the cost-of-living crisis and operational difficulties. Since then, the council has undertaken repair work to the

Waste collection update The most up-to-date advice from South Gloucestershire Council regarding delayed recycling and garden waste collections is to leave them out if they have not been emptied on the due collection day. There have been high volumes since the kerbside collections resumed following the end of strike action by bin workers over pay. The crews are taking longer to get around and so catchup collections are taking place. If your bins or containers have not been emptied, the advice is to leave them out. Meanwhile the collection of large household items service was resuming from this week.

building, which opened in 2015 at a cost of £2m, and includes a café, bar, large hall and several rooms. The council held discussions with select partner organisations who had indicated an interest in taking over the facilities. None were able to take on the whole operation but Creative Youth Network (CYN), which had previously run open access youth work at the youth wing of The Batch, was allowed back in earlier this year so those services could be restored. A formal Expression of Interest process was launched to secure a new long-term operator for the venue which has now resulted in the selection of the Coronation Centre CIC. The CIC has the full support of Oldland Parish Council. The aspiration of the new operator is to create an interactive

community-style café offering a space for people with shared interests to meet and engage in a range of activities. It will support CYN to increase opportunities for young people to develop new skills, connect with training and apprenticeships. It will also work with adult community learning, professional training providers and local businesses to increase employment opportunities; and deliver a range of events to engage with the local community and showcase local talent. People are encouraged to have their say on the plans for the centre, including what they think the best planned activities and regular events should be, by taking part in a survey - https://tinyurl.com/2zhwc7px An update on when the centre is likely to reopen is expected next month.

Sponsored walk in memory of Mikey A 50km sponsored walk will be taking place on Saturday 26th August in memory of Mikey Roynon, the Kingswood teenager who was stabbed to death in June. Mikey, who was 16, died from a single knife wound while attending a house party in Bath. A 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with his murder and possession of an offensive weapon. The walk, which will take 13 hours, will be raising funds for ‘Mikey’s World’ which aims to help combat knife crime by getting kids off the streets and into boxing or making music. Kingswood Boxing Club at Lodge Causeway and Cobra Gym in Waters Road are supporting the project. More than £500 has already been pledged for the walk which will begin in Chippenham at 6am and go via Atworth, Dundas Aqueduct, Bathampton, Bath, Saltford and Bitton before ending in Warmley at around 7pm. Look out for collection boxes in pubs in and around Kingswood including at The Plough at Westons Way, The Star in Hanham Road, the Kings Arms in Kingswood High Street, the Queens Head at Lower Hanham Road and The

Mikey Roynon

Maypole in Hanham High Street. There are also boxes at Bendix Social Club in Wood Road and Tuckers Butchers in Soundwell Road.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Vandalism at Willsbridge Mill The group that looks after Willsbridge Mill says it will be extending CCTV operations after a spate of vandalism this summer. Chair of Willsbridge Mill Community Refresh Graham Hoyle told The Week In: “School holidays bring a welcome increase in visitors and users of the much-used and loved community facilities at Willsbridge

Mill. “Sadly, they have once again also brought vandals to the site who seem to have no interest other than to damage those same facilities. The directors have already had to install comprehensive CCTV around the main Mill and coffee areas which clearly identify unwanted visitors to the site. “We will now be extending our cameras

Take a walk on the wild side People are being asked to help build up a

today (Wednesday) from 7pm to 9pm and

picture on the health of the natural

tomorrow from 10am to noon when

environment in Oldland parish by taking

ecologist Ed Drewitt will be on hand to

part in a project to record wildlife in

help identify what you find on the

Jubilee Park in Cadbury Heath.

iNaturalist App. Find out more at

Meet at the main entrance at Queens Road

https://orlo.uk/Jubilee_Park_6OQ0Y

across the wider site capable of identifying any anti-social behaviour. “Sadly, this will incur considerable costs from our community company, which will have to be diverted from the maintenance, development and improvements of the existing area which we would otherwise be doing for the benefits of our local community, young and old alike. “We have reported recent incidents to the police and will ask the community to do the

same if they see people of any age damaging any of the woodlands or facilities in the valley.” In the most recent incident a group of four youths caused damage to some outbuildings at approximately 8.30pm on Monday 7th August. If you have any information about this incident, call 101, giving reference number 522319071. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

20 is plenty through Bitton, say campaigners A campaign has been launched for a

from Bitton Parish Council also attended.

20mph speed limit on the A431 through

The group, with support from councillors,

Bitton.

will now be preparing a request to South

The first supporters’ meeting of Twenty is

Gloucestershire Council for the scheme to

Plenty for Bitton was held earlier this

month. Organiser Steve Cox said that a

proposals for traffic calming measures

reduction from 30mph to 20mph would

such as speed bumps if the majority of

make the village safer, quieter and

supporters feel them necessary.

healthier.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 19th

Fifteen supporters attended the meeting,

September at St Mary’s Church Hall at

including Erica Williams and Paul Hughes

7pm.

who

South

Meanwhile an incorrect 40mph marking

Gloucestershire Council and also sit on

on the A431 (pictured) has been reported

Bitton Parish Council. Cllr Geoff Hardman

to the council.

represent

Bitton

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

investigated

and

could

include

LETTERS Is this the best use of our council tax? Dear Editor Your article in the 9th August edition reported that work had stopped on a new ‘path’ linking Pucklechurch and Shortwood. For many weeks, I have travelled along the B4465 wondering what the purpose was of this construction, only to now discover that it’s for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders! From the

there. Does this make sense? An invitation to

way in which it’s being constructed and the time

graffiti ‘artists' it most certainly is, with those nice

being taken, I thought that it was additional

panels waiting to be painted.

carriageway. Talk about overkill for a footway!

I see the rust ‘effect’ is already causing unsightly

It would be interesting to know what this project

rust streaks on the stainless steel support brackets,

is costing and just how many pedestrians, cyclists

and it’s not even been there a month! I wonder

and horse riders are likely to benefit from using

what it will be like in a year, or in five years, with

it?

the damp river environment and the rain? And

It seems to me that South Gloucestershire Council

how easy will it be to remove graffiti from these

would better serve their council tax payers by

panels? Railings (decorative ones) would have

undertaking their contractual duties, by, for

been the practical answer.

example, clearing the weed-strewn, filthy,

So, £750,000 down and at least another 60 years

untouched

before a better replacement. Why do road

and

unmaintained

streets

Kingswood where I live!

designers/architects/engineers not see the long-

Stuart Lockwood

lasting effects of their work? Look at the cycle lane in the High Street, why did

Council should listen to what the public want Dear Editor The new footbridge in Keynsham Memorial Park is now completed, hooray! Except that to any intelligent person it’s been constructed in the wrong place! The opportunity should have been taken to align the new bridge in a more appropriate and user-friendly way. The ideal placement would have been from adjacent to the play area on the southern bank to the River Chew information board on the northern bank. The bridge would then have been level with the rest of the park and the hideous ramp adjacent to the bandstand could have been removed.

it need to be on a different level? And don’t get me started on the money wasted in Temple Street. Remember the millions wasted on the Wraxall Road throughabout at Warmley, not to mention the death of that young scooter rider. And officers at South Gloucestershire Council were sure they were in the right in wanting to waste tens of

bridge in situ.

bridge over a weekend, and install the new one

I’m afraid a little more thought could have been

being delivered to site after.

put into the panel work; as it has stainless

Why does it take so long in this country to do

handrails, the side panels could have been made

anything? When the schools return it is going to

from laser-cut stainless panels with some nice

be chaos on the surrounding roads especially now

artwork, possibly trees or something pleasing to

two school buses from that area have been

the eye designed into them.

withdrawn to Winterbourne School.

The ramps on the bandstand side, even though a

Our local MPs need to get involved with this at

bit ugly and tight, stop the cycle brigade from

top level and get it sorted.

racing across.

Nick Gould, Oldland

Richard Earle Keynsham

Why I don’t oppose housebuilding plans

A big thank you to Wessex Water

Dear Editor

Dear Becky

maize on The Batch in Hanham has complied

I would like to say thank you to Wessex Water for

with the demand to ensure that it remains open for

their ‘old people’s club’.

public use (The Week In, Issue 793).

I am blind and deaf and I phoned for help as I had

You might be interested to know that, until a

a blocked drain. They promise that they will come

couple of years ago when I became partially

out to old people within four hours if you call

disabled, I made a point of trying to keep that path

them and they did. They gave me a wonderful

open every year by using my ‘slasher’ to hack

service.

through the growing maize.

I want to praise them to the top.

I have to confess I was not entirely successful in

Peggy, 89

that endeavour but I did try, hoping that other

Editor’s note: Wessex Water’s Priority Services is

members of the Green Belt Conservation Society

designed for customers with additional needs who

would join in the effort. That, however, never

may need extra help due to age, ill health,

happened. Neither was I successful in trying to

disability, mental health or a temporary change

persuade South Gloucestershire Council to

in your personal situation. If you or someone you

enforce the law.

know would benefit, you can register for Priority

All I kept being told was: ‘We've told the farmer

Services at https://tinyurl.com/ye2yux5v

that it's his responsibility to ensure the public

I’m really pleased that the farmer who grows

footpath remains open.’ The council never took it

millions more converting other roundabouts to the same useless pattern, until press and public pressure made continuing with the schemes untenable. It’s time councils listen to what the public want and start spending our money wisely. Name and address supplied

any further.

Why does it take so long to do anything?

It's amazing, isn’t it, how the council starts acting properly when they can see that they need to get

Dear Editor

the public on their side in order to get more homes

I read the article regarding the motorway

built.

overbridge at Downend with slight disbelief. It is

One of the reasons I decided not to oppose the

closed until at least Christmas but if it is beyond

plans for The Batch was the fact that the

repair it could then take two years to replace it! If

developer showed that they intend to keep that

National Highways are that concerned about its

public right of way open. Were they to deviate

condition surely it's better to get on replacing it

from that, I would strongly oppose the

isn't. Interesting maybe, but for £750,000 I would

Bridge design could have been better

expect ‘stunning’. No bridge lighting, due to

Dear Editor

now.

application.

wildlife concerns, but the big streetlight at the

Nice to be able to do a circular walk around

They could follow Network Rail and build the

David Matthews

bandstand end of the bridge is, I believe, still

Keynsham Memorial Park now with the new

bridge in sections off-site, demolish the existing

Hanham

As to the design described as ‘elegant’, I think it

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

New traffic lights will help deal with increased traffic during M4 bridge closure Work was getting under way this week to

The new traffic lights will go live before

to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

improve the Westerleigh Road and

Monday 4th September to help alleviate the

The council also closed Coalsack Lane,

Henfield Road junction while the A432

increased traffic flows expected when

Ruffet Road and Cooks Lane last month due

Badminton Road bridge over the M4

children return to school.

to the volume of traffic using the narrow

remains closed because of fears it could

The new traffic lights will be removed when

lanes and because some drivers were making

collapse.

the A432 eventually reopens. National

inconsiderate manoeuvres at junction. Access

National Highways closed the M4 between

Highways has already warned that the

is maintained for homes and business

junctions 18 and 19 every night from 7th to

earliest a decision will be made regarding

premises.

14th August to carry out exploratory work on

future restrictions is likely to be December.

the overbridge which is next to the A4174

People are advised to carry on using the

Ring Road.

diversion route suggested by National

South Gloucestershire Council’s StreetCare

Highways which is northbound via the

teams have been constantly monitoring the

B4465 Westerleigh Road up to the A46 and

impact on traffic after the closure of the

into Yate via the A432; and southbound in

bridge last month, and will be replacing the

reverse.

four-way temporary traffic lights they

National Highways is also encouraging all

installed at the Henfield Road/Westerleigh

traffic to use the A420 and A46 for Yate from

Road crossroads to manage traffic with more

the Hicks Gate direction on the A4174 Ring

efficient regular traffic lights.

Road, and motorway users to use the M4

Work will last approximately three weeks and

junction 18 for Yate, rather than the M32 and

will mean Henfield Road will be closed

A4174.

overnight from 8pm to 6am for the first week.

Access is being maintained on the overbridge

Worn-out roundabout markings should be replaced soon In response to ongoing inquiries to The Week In about when South Gloucestershire Council is going to refresh the faded and in places non-existent road markings on the Deanery Road Roundabout at Warmley, we are told that the work should be taking place soon. In January (Issue 766) we ran a story about the worn-out markings at the roundabout where the A4174/A420 meet. At the time South Gloucestershire Council said that

This week a spokesperson for South

following feedback from road users that the

Gloucestershire Council said: “We are in

markings have started to wear, repainting

the process of refreshing arrows, letters and

work would be done in the spring “when

numerals along sections of the A4174

the weather improves”.

which will include those at Deanery Road

A month ago (Issue 788) we featured more

Roundabout in the coming weeks. We are

calls from concerned local driving

coordinating this with other work taking

instructors and motorists that the work had

place along the Ring Road to minimise

still not been done. At the time the council

disruption and achieve the best possible

said that the work would be done in the

value for money. We thank people for their

coming months.

patience while the work takes place.”

Sudoku 1-Easy

The Henfield Road/Westerleigh Road crossroads

SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 20th August

2 -Hard

Boots, Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green (10.30am-4pm) Asda, Longwell Green (10am-4pm) 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 16th August 2023

Rail booking office closure sparks concerns Transport campaigners are concerned that the booking office at Bath Spa railway station is closed because of problems with the roof at the listed building. A board at the station advises customers to go to the ticket machine or get their ticket on board their train. And GWR’s website advises travellers to buy their tickets digitally or at

the first available opportunity to do so. Campaigner David Redgewell, who uses a wheelchair, said that ticket machines sell very limited tickets at the highest fares, no bus-railway integration or ferry link tickets, and no 50% discount for disabled people. A spokesperson for GWR told us: “All ticket office staff on

Beatrix Potter Trail on Hanham High Street A Beatrix Potter Trail is taking place on Hanham High Street this week. It has been organised by Nicola Bartlett, of Eclectic Gift Shop, and features a beautiful set of hand-made characters made by her late mother-in-law, Patricia Smith, who passed away last year. The trail is free for families to take part – just collect a trail map from Eclectic between 10am

and 4pm until Saturday (19th August). The trail is sponsored by Hanham firms Tollgate Hire and Jemima’s Beauty who are covering the printing costs and prizes for the children. The Beatrix Potter characters are hiding in shop windows and can be found by enjoying a circular route on the High Street.

duty are in the entrance hall, offering support to customers. “And there is also revenue protection and gateline colleagues selling tickets and a customer ambassador, when on duty, too. A help point/information desk is also available in the entrance hall.” As we have been highlighting, there is currently a Department for Transport consultation to close more than 1,000 ticket offices across the country. The deadline for public responses has been extended until 1st September after the Department for Transport (DfT) proposals initially set just a three-week window for consultation. Disability campaign groups have been among the most vociferous opponents of the ticket office plans. You can see all the proposals for stations in our area at https://www.gwr.com/haveyoursay

Brunelcare sponsors football team Brunelcare, the charity that has supported older people across the South West for more than 80 years, is proud to announce sponsorship of Emersons Green Junior Football Club’s under-12s Jaguars team kit. This sponsorship will last two years and the team will be wearing the Brunelcare-branded kits for all training and tournaments in the new season. The Jags have already won the Ashton tournament wearing their brand-new kits. This sponsorship was made possible by Sarah Baker, a clinician at Brunelcare’s Orchard Grove Reablement Centre. She was a football player herself and her daughter has followed in her footsteps by playing for the under-12s Jags.

Nicola with the hand-made characters

Crossword

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Wall support (8)

1. Good Queen ---- (4)

5. Narrow aperture (4) 2. Implement (4) 7. Highest Alpine peak (4,5)

3. Glorify (5)

9. Make dirty (4)

5. Dispatched (4)

10. Ribbon (4)

6. Apartment house (8)

11. Type of tree (5)

7. Heavy burden (fig.) (9)

14. Pacifies (5) 15. Astound (5)

8. Ornamental horse covering (9)

16. Lustre (5)

11. Possession (5)

17. Unlace (5)

12. Dismal (5)

18. Culpability (5)

13. Lanky (5)

19. Late (5)

14. Noblewoman (8)

22. Food fish (4)

20. Main artery (5)

24. Crossbow arrow (4)

21. ----- Day, film star (5)

26. Always bearing

24. Ray (4)

foliage (9)

25. Piquancy (4)

4. Ointment (5)

23. Greedy (4)

27. Remit (4) 28. Taking for granted (8)

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Pre-school takes action after receiving Ofsted’s lowest rating The Hive Pre-School in Whitchurch has been rated as Inadequate and ordered to take action to deal with the issues raised following an Ofsted inspection. The pre-school is based at the 21st Bristol Scout Hut in Bamfield and has 46 children on the roll. At the previous visit in July 2022, the pre-school was told it needed to make improvements. The latest report, published following a visit earlier this summer, highlights that the rating for all categories has now sunk to the lowest grade. The inspector’s report says that weaknesses in risk assessment compromise children's safety. Staff do not notice when children have gone inside from the garden without supervision and are able to access the kitchen, where medication, chemicals and knives are stored. The children are not able to sit safely to eat their snacks and lunch because the tables are too high for them. Some children's behaviour compromises their own safety; for example, they run around with scissors and hide. Staff do not know how to respond and do not provide children with the support they need to understand why such behaviour is not appropriate or safe. The inspector said that poor behaviour is ignored, allowing children to continue to use inappropriate language in front of other

youngsters. However, she noted that leaders are able to identify the signs of abuse and know the procedures to follow if they have safeguarding concerns. Although leaders have been developing the curriculum and have clear ideas about what they want children to learn, they are not learning key skills, such as how to cut with scissors, as staff do this for them unnecessarily rather than giving them the opportunity to try for themselves. The report found that staff do not ensure that all parents are aware of how they can support their children's learning at home and youngsters with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) don’t receive additional support to help them progress in their learning. The report highlighted that leaders and staff are welcoming and form warm relationships with the children, but don’t use the information they gather about individual youngsters to target the curriculum effectively. The pre-school, which was first registered in 2019, has nine members of staff. This week the partnership which runs the preschool said: “All points raised in our inspection have been addressed, with many issues having been resolved immediately. “For those that require a longer timeframe of

The Hive is based at the Scout Hut

focus, such as our curriculum delivery and training, we have solid plans and targets in place to ensure improvements continue to be made. We have been working with Bristol City Council’s Early Years team who have

been immensely supportive in helping us navigate a reflective time for our setting. “As a team we are saddened by the outcome but look forward to welcoming another inspection within the next six months.”

Public Notice

Music therapy sessions Keynsham and Saltford Dementia Action Alliance’s regular Music for the Mind event has just celebrated its 100th session since starting in 2017, despite being prevented from meeting during the pandemic. Meetings are held at St Dunstan’s Church Hall on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from 10.30am to 12.15pm.

They are well attended, often reaching 60 people, including volunteers. More helpers would be welcomed to take up a variety of roles, including helping at meetings, community engagement volunteer and trustees. For more information visit www.keynshamdaa.co.uk or email ksdaa22@gmail.com

Tools stolen from vans Thieves went onto the driveway of a home on Grange Avenue in Hanham and stole some power tools from a van while the owner was working at the property. A CCTV camera captured the incident at 12.20pm on Thursday 3rd August. The reference number for this crime is 5223187255.

On the same day tools were stolen from the back of a van while it was parked on Memorial Road in Hanham at approximately 1pm. The crime reference number is 5223186798. If you have any information on either incident call the police on 101. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

How much do our MPs earn from second jobs? A national newspaper recently focused on one aspect of Parliamentary life that we probably all knew about, but perhaps didn’t realise to what extent. The Guardian headline last week exclaimed that the people we vote for to represent us earned £10m in the last year from second jobs and freelance work. And while it came as no surprise that almost half of that total went to one single beneficiary – disgraced former Prime Minister Boris Johnson – two of our local representatives in Westminster also figure prominently in the MPs’ register of interests. North East Somerset Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is standing at the next election for the new North East Somerset & Hanham constituency, is currently receiving around

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg

£29,000 a month for presenting his show on GB News. And while Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore OBE has announced he is stepping down from Parliament at the next election, he currently earns £200,000 a year for work he does for three different companies. Since first elected in 2010, Jacob Rees-Mogg regularly declared earnings for work he carried out as a partner in Somerset Capital Management, paying himself around £11,000 a month. He was required to step away from the business when appointed a minister in Boris Johnson’s Government in 2019 but since being omitted from Rishi Sunak’s administration, he has embraced his role in the media. In addition to the GB News stipend, he has also been paid between £500 and £1,000 this year for articles he has written for newspapers including the Mail and Daily Telegraph. The monthly time commitment to the TV programme is listed as 40 hours. The MPs’ register also shows him as partner in Somerset Capital Management and a director of Saliston, which is a shareholder in that firm. Both roles are currently non-paid. Chris Skidmore received plaudits for producing the Government’s Net Zero policy earlier this year and is now earning the bulk of his additional income from the energy sector. He has a contract with the Global

Family Announcements

THE WEEK IN The deadline for family announcements is 4.30pm on the Friday before publication

Insight Exchange worth £80,000 p.a. for 24 hours work a month. A similar amount is received as an adviser to the Emissions Capture Company for an annual commitment of 160-192 hours. Between June and December last year the MP also received £3,200 a month for 40 hours’ work for Public Policy Projects Ltd., like Global Insight Exchange, a company linked to the former Government minister Stephen Dorrell. Since June 2022 Mr Skidmore has also been a nonexecutive director of the Oxford International Education Group, earning £40,000 a year. The register also lists a directorship of Bosworth Ltd., a company he set up last year to provide research and advisory services. The role is so far unpaid. None of our three other MPs appear to have any second jobs. The only declarations in the register of interests for Thornbury & Yate MP Luke Hall are two private donations which

Chris Skidmore

went to the local Conservative Party. Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy received eight payments of between £70 and £100 for taking part in YouGov surveys while the only declaration from Filton & Bradley Stoke’s Jack Lopresti is two tickets to an Armed Forces’ family association dinner.

Recycled phone box becomes new village landmark Saltford Parish Council is delighted to not only have a replacement red phone box in the village, but for it to be a beautiful flower display for those passing to enjoy. This community project could not have been achieved without the contributions of two local businesses. Mobius Group and its chief executive Lee Bignell oversaw the delivery and installation at no cost to the village. And the phone box has been filled with flowers as a gift to the community by Flourish at Glenavon Farm, thanks to managing director Paul Castle. According to residents’ memory a red K6 phone box has stood on the corner of the A4 and Norman Road in Saltford for five decades or more. The parish council adopted the original from BT in 2019 after it was decommissioned. Many residents were saddened when it was destroyed in a collision in February 2022. Using the insurance received, the council was able to purchase a refurbished unglazed phone box – another K6. Flourish has created hanging trays which have now been filled with flowers. A local

resident has offered to water them when required. Later this month the phone box will be reconnected to the National Grid, once again with the works overseen by Mobius. An electrical supply is required for a defibrillator, and the council is in talks with a local business to purchase and maintain one on the outside of the box. Pictured from the left are parish council chair Cllr Jon Godfrey, Anita Bignell, support services director at Mobius Group, and Marina Abraham, marketing & event manager at Flourish.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Market day in Brislington

Situations Vacant

The next Brislington Village Market will take place this Saturday (19th August). The Concourse on Brislington Hill will again be filled with shoppers from noon to 3pm. There will be stalls, live music, food and free activities for children including free books for children to find as part of the Big BS4 Book Hunt.

Break-in attempts Five youths were seen on CCTV attempting to break into a garage on Dapps Hill in Keynsham at about 12.10am on Monday 7th August. They had bolt cutters but after pulling on the door for a couple of minutes, the group left. The crime reference number is 5223189548. There was also an attempt to break into a garage on Hurn Lane in the town during the night of Sunday 6th August. The door was dented and the top pulled apart. The crime reference is 5223190229. Call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Woodland campaign smashes its initial target A crowdfunding campaign to buy and protect five acres of mature woodland in Crews Hole that has come up for sale hit its target. Environment charity Protect Earth hopes to save Blackswarth Road Wood, which comes up for auction next month with a guide price of £50,000, by buying and restoring it “for the long-term benefit of the community, wildlife and the climate”. Auctioneers Hollis Morgan say that the woodland, close to the River Avon, offers “amenity/development” use. Kathy Sturgeon from Protect Earth has thanked The Week In for highlighting the appeal. She said: “Your article will have

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helped enormously. “We reached our original target in less than six days thanks to a plethora of support from local and national groups and individuals and fund-matching from two Aviva funds. “We’ve stretched the target to give us a better chance at auction. If we are successful in acquiring this land, we would use any surplus funds to remove the rubbish, conduct surveys and generally restore the woodland.” There have been more than 900 supporters so far. With the £40,000 target smashed, the new target is for £80,000. The link to the appeal is https://tinyurl.com/4duspaeb

The woodland coming up for auction

The Week in • Wednesday 16th August 2023

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solutions 1-Easy

2-Hard

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