Bradley Stoke Journal, February 2020

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February 2020 • Issue 78

SPORT P20-21 | POLICE P23 | SCHOOLS P29 | DIRECTORY P38

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PLUS , IN YOUR 40-PAGE BRADLEY STOKE MAGAZINE

Green light given for McDonald’s and Starbucks drive-throughs at the Willow Brook shopping centre after planning inspector overturns committee decision Pages 8, 9 & 10 Representative image

Three Brooks Lake

Rabbit Roundabout

Roadworks bring 40min delays

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P4-5

£250k allocated for desilting

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l End of the road for Stoke Gifford Co-op l Bus boss critical of roadworks planning l Bridge replacement still on track for Easter l Bradley Stoke residents in training for 110-mile cancer charity walk l Hundreds attend Butty’s memorial match at BSCS l Appeal for information following five burglaries in a single afternoon l Resignation could trigger costly by-election l Litter pick award for St Mary’s Primary School l Potholed Bradley Stoke road to be resurfaced l Mum & son become published authors l ‘In Bloom’ volunteers plant 120 young trees

February 2020

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3

News

End of the road for Stoke Gifford Co-op store

T

he Co-operative Food store in North Road, Stoke Gifford (located in the former Parkway Tavern premises) is expected to cease trading on Friday 31st January.

As we went to press, notices announcing the closure were on display at the shop, with an additional message saying: “It’s been lovely serving the Stoke Gifford community”.

The North Road convenience store is one of two Co-op stores in the Bristol area that were due to be closed in January, the other being the one on Gloucester Road, Bishopston.

A spokesperson for Southern Co-op said the “difficult decision” to close the Stoke Gifford store had been made “after lengthy consideration due to challenging market conditions and a significant decline in performance over the last few years”.

The Co-operative Food store in North Road (near Parkway Station)

Southern Co-op will still continue to operate its 13 other retail stores in and around Bristol including the one in Long Down Avenue, Cheswick Village.

Simon Eastwood, Southern Co-op’s chief operating officer for retail, said: “Colleagues at

these stores are part of the local community and have done a lot to support local causes along with our other stores in Bristol. This is just one reason why we don’t take decisions like this lightly and only close a store when we have exhausted all other options.”

“As a food business, we continue to evolve and develop our offering to meet the changing needs of our customers, but unfortunately, market conditions and competition have had a greater impact on these two stores than others.”

“This does not in any way reflect negatively on the hard work and commitment of our colleagues.”

Of the 12 members of staff employed at the Stoke Gifford store, a spokesperson said: “Our aim is to work with all of them to transfer as many as possible to other Southern Co-op stores. However, we appreciate that it may not be feasible for [all] our colleagues so we’re currently discussing all possible alternatives.”

The North Road Co-op store began trading at the site on 17th October 2013. ● thesouthernco-operative.co.uk

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February 2020

News Roundabout roadworks bring delays of up to 40min

T

Contact Us Editor: Stephen Horton info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk 01454 300 400 83 Snowberry Close Bradley Stoke Bristol BS32 8GB

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About the Bradley Stoke Journal The Bradley Stoke Journal magazine is published by North Bristol Press, a trading name of Snowberry Media Ltd; company number 8451178 (registered in England and Wales); registered office: Equinox South, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4QL. Our other publications include the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine and website, the Patchway Journal website and the Filton Journal website.

North Bristol Press is independent of any other media company or network operating in the Bristol area.

We accept no responsibility for anything stated by advertisers, who are themselves responsible for complying with all relevant legislation.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or article author. © North Bristol Press 2020. Content published in our magazines or on our websites may not be reproduced in any form without our express written permission.

Have your say: Reader letters Do you have strong views about something that’s happening in or around Bradley Stoke?

Want to pass comment on something you’ve read in the Journal or another local publication?

Send your letter to letters@bradleystokejournal.co.uk or post it to: Reader Letters, Bradley Stoke Journal, 83 Snowberry Close, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 8GB Please include a phone number, in case we need to contact you.

Our next issue: March 2020 • The advertising copy deadline is Friday 14th February • The article copy deadline is Monday 17th February • The magazine will be distributed from Saturday 29th February

he start of the construction phase of South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) £2.9m scheme of improvements at Great Stoke (Rabbit) Roundabout on Thursday 2nd January has brought peak-time gridlock to Bradley Stoke on a scale rarely seen since the notorious MetroBus roadworks of 2015-17.

Perhaps due to a staggered return to work after the Christmas and New Year break, the full impact on traffic only began to show itself from the second week in January, with BBC Bristol reporting delays of around 30min on Bradley Stoke Way southbound.

By Monday 13th January the delays were up to 40min, with traffic queued back to the Willow Brook Centre and beyond.

Commuters desperate to avoid the delays began to explore alternative routes, leading to the clogging up of Brook Way and Baileys Court Road during the morning peak. The former then impacted flows on another route out of town, Braydon Avenue.

And it’s not just private road users who have been affected – the flagship M1 MetroBus service has suffered immensely – partly due to the removal of the bus lane on the approach to Great Stoke Roundabout, but more so because the buses have found themselves locked in traffic queues on other sections of Bradley Stoke Way where bus lanes were considered unjustifiable on cost grounds.

The delays at Great Stoke Roundabout have also hindered students from the Stokes who attend Winterbourne Academy, including those who travel on the 963 school bus, which has additionally experienced operational troubles of its own making since the start of the new term (more on the BSJ website).

All this comes before SGC confronts road users with a second set of major roadworks in the area, the full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane at the railway bridge,

for eight months, currently expected to commence on 6th March (see page 12).

Addressing a number of issues raised by our readers on social media, including claims that, at some peak times, there has been only one live lane on the lead-up to Great Stoke Roundabout, an SGC spokesperson said: “We are at the start of a £160m investment in our roads to reduce congestion and emissions, improve cycling and pedestrian routes, facilitate faster bus journeys and future proof our road network. The purpose of this investment and, in particular, the timing of it, is to support and prepare for major new housing and business development coming to the area.”

“We are doing what we can to minimise the impact of the works but inevitably there will be some disruption and for this we sincerely apologise. Works have been planned carefully to try and keep everyone moving and we have brought forward, postponed and combined some schemes to keep disruption to a minimum. “ “We have started work on the Bradley Stoke Way southbound approach to the roundabout first to minimise the overlap with the closure of Gipsy Patch Lane.

The work at Great Stoke has not reduced the amount of usable road space and the current set up retains two-way traffic flow on Bradley Stoke Way. It also retains the two lanes leading up to the roundabout on the Bradley Stoke Way approach and this will be maintained during peak hours throughout the work.”

“The situation is constantly being monitored and following a site visit last week we have extended the lines on the approach to the junction to encourage traffic to use both available lanes.”

“We have now completed the preparation work and the lanes are in place for the construction phase.” ● See progress report on page 6.

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News RABBIT ROUNDABOUT QUEUES

Traffic congestion on the Bradley Stoke Way southbound approach to Great Meadow Roundabout on Thursday 16th January 2020, caused by roadworks at Great Stoke Roundabout.

Inset: The 963 Winterbourne Academy school bus stuck in traffic.

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www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk Great Stoke Roundabout Improvements Progress report from SGC (20th January 2020) Since work started on site on 2nd January…

We have moved several lighting columns along the footpath on Bradley Stoke Way, aligning them with a new footpath to make space for an extra road lane.

We have also been laying tarmac in the centre of the road at the Bradley Stoke Way junction with the roundabout to accommodate the narrow lanes which will soon be in place on Bradley Stoke Way while we undertake the rest of the improvement works at the roundabout.

We have started construction on both the northbound and southbound carriageways which will lead to increasing the number of lanes from two to three. This does mean the bus lane has been partially suspended to enable us to safely construct the additional lanes. The footpath here is also temporarily closed and a signed diversion route is in place.

We will be removing over 200 tonnes of material from the verge on the northbound exit of the roundabout onto Bradley Stoke Way to make space for the improvements. The excavated soil from Great Stoke will be processed and re-used.

Temporary pedestrian crossing signals are now in place on the B4057 Winterbourne Road west of the roundabout.

Work in February will continue on Bradley Stoke Way and include: • Removing existing kerb lines and grass verges to widen the road • Reconstruction of an underground BT chamber • Establishing the power supplies for the new traffic signals • Installing underground infrastructure for the new traffic signals

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February 2020

News

Bus boss critical of roadworks planning

T

he managing director of the bus company responsible for running the M1 MetroBus service has singled out the recently commenced roadworks at Great Stoke (Rabbit) Roundabout as an example of long-term infrastructure works that have been planned with insufficient consideration being given to maintaining public transport flows.

James Freeman, MD of First West of England, made the reference in an open letter on the effect that traffic congestion is having on bus services across Greater Bristol, but particularly in the so-called North Fringe.

What seems to have made Mr Freeman particularly annoyed is that his company had just introduced additional peak-hours capacity on the M1 service to cope with increasing demand from passengers in the Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford areas increasing the number of seats per hour from 450 to 600.

However, the day after the extra journeys were added to the timetable, South Gloucestershire Council closed the bus lane on the approach to Great Stoke Roundabout and introduced flow-throttling narrow lanes for general traffic.

Not only has this introduced delays of up to 40min on each journey through Bradley Stoke in the morning peak as the M1

James Freeman of First Bus

buses sit in traffic between the Willow Brook Centre and Rabbit Roundabout, it has also “totally disrupted the rest of the service straight through the morning, all the way to the very south of the city”.

Poor communication

Expanding on his statements in an interview with the Journal, Mr Freeman conceded that First was made aware of the upcoming roadworks, although he claims SGC failed to properly communicate the scale of the works and their likely effect on bus services.

Elsewhere in the North Fringe, traffic congestion on the A4174 Ring Road is having a severe impact on the reliability of the M3 MetroBus service. Here, Mr Freeman says there is a need to have dedicated bus lanes in both directions “all the way round to Keynsham”, doing away with

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February 2020

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An M1 MetroBus stuck in a queue of general traffic near Rabbit Roundabout

the current 2+ lanes which he describes a being a “complete cop out” and “unenforceable”.

Mr Freeman expressed regret that SGC doesn’t seem to be thinking along the same lines as Bristol City Council which has proposed a ‘Better Bus Deal’ concept – whereby bus operators agree to increase operating frequencies subject to the council introducing bus prioritisation measures and providing infrastructure improvements.

Returning to his open letter, Mr Freeman concludes it with a stark warning: “£230 million of public money was spent on creating MetroBus, on top of which the operators have invested £10.5m on top-of-the-range buses. It’s largely wasted if we can’t run the service properly or at all. Not only that, if our muchvaunted MetroBus system, by which so much store has been set, is not to be entirely discredited as an alternative to driving cars, then somehow the way has to be found to make these MetroBuses able to run through these areas of increasingly chronic congestion.”

“This approach has started to be recognised in Bristol but MetroBus can’t work if we don’t

realise that we must take urgent action…”

The Journal invited SGC to provide a statement on the impact of the Rabbit Roundabout roadworks on the M1 MetroBus service and a response to the concerns expressed by Mr Freeman. A council spokesperson replied: “We recognise there have been higher levels of congestion on the road network during the first few weeks of January.

This may be due to a number of reasons including the return to school and work after the Christmas break, bad weather as well as a number of incidents including breakdowns, accidents and an emergency road closure due to urgent electricity mains supply repairs. We are sorry people are experiencing delays and we are working hard to keep disruption to a minimum while we carry out a number of major highway improvement schemes.”

“We are investing £160m over the next four years on the network and unfortunately implementing these projects will lead to some disruption. We will continue to monitor journey times and do everything we can to minimise delays.”

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February 2020

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Representative image

Representative image

How the site looks today

Development Masterplan

Wheatfield Drive Closest residential property

Dewfalls Drive Access road brought closer to residential properties

Orange outline: Phase one

Bradley Stoke Way

Blue outline: Phase two This plan shows the proposed layout of the car park and access road at the end of phase 2.

For phase 1, the access road will remain as it is at present, except for the first right-hand turn being widened to allow easy access for delivery vehicles serving the two new food and drink units.

Starbucks McDonald’s Willow Brook Centre car park

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February 2020

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News

Timeline of planning application PT18/1491/O

Councillors’ decision overturned: McDonald’s and Starbucks drivethroughs allowed on appeal

B

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radley Stoke looks set to get two new drivethrough and sit-in fast food restaurants after a planning inspector allowed an appeal against South Gloucestershire Council’s decision to refuse permission for development at the town’s Willow Brook shopping centre.

The inspector’s decision means that ‘full’ permission has been granted for a two-storey McDonald’s restaurant and a single-storey Starbucks coffee shop, both to be located on the northern edge of the centre’s car park, approximately where the Waves hand car wash is currently positioned.

No restrictions have been placed on the trading hours of the two units, leaving open the possibility of 24-hour operation.

Once implemented, the development will result in a net loss of 80 parking bays within the shopping centre’s car park.

‘Outline’ permission has also been granted for two extra units to be added on the end of the centre’s existing ‘retail terrace’ (i.e. beyond the Poundstretcher store) and an associated reconfiguration of the car park and access road.

The application was strongly opposed by local residents in Wheatfield Drive and Dewfalls Drive, where the closest residential property is just 22m away from the proposed Starbucks outlet.

Bradley Stoke Town Council also registered an objection to the scheme following a unanimous vote at its Planning Committee. The application was subsequently rejected by two different planning committees at South Gloucestershire Council before being taken to appeal by the owners of the Willow Brook Centre.

Alongside the perceived impact on residential amenity, the local authority’s grounds for refusal were that the development was

contrary to national planning policy because it “fails to promote the economic, social and environmental character of the area”.

In the view of the fact that its own officers had recommended approval of the application prior to it being refused by elected councillors sitting on its planning committees, the council chose to employ an external consultant to put forward its defence during the appeal process.

In her seven-page ‘final decision’ report, published on 16th January, the planning inspector says the main issue she had to consider was the impact of the fast food units on the living conditions of nearby residents “with regard to noise, disturbance, fumes and odours”.

The inspector says she accepts the findings of a night-time noise assessment report submitted by the applicant and concludes that the development “would be acceptable in terms of its impact on the living conditions of nearby residents”.

Referring to complaints of noise and disturbance from users of the existing car park, as well as allegations of anti-social behaviour on the site, she adds that the 24-hour presence of staff within the fast food units “may deter anti-social behaviour in some regard”.

Concerns over fumes (from idling vehicles) and odours (cooking smells) are dismissed on the grounds that there is a “lack of substantiated evidence” provided by the council.

The inspector concludes: “Whilst I understand the apprehension of local residents, there is no substantive evidence to justify the dismissal of the appeal on the grounds of harm to living conditions or any other grounds that have been raised.”

Bradley Stoke town councillors, who objected to the application via their own planning

13th February 2018

Applicant notifies neighbours of a pre-application consultation

26th February 2018

Planning application received by SGC

25th March 2018

BSTC’s Planning Committee unanimously votes to object to the application

3rd January 2019

SGC case officer recommends approval

8th January 2019

Application is successfully ‘called in’ by councillors for determination at committee

24th January 2019

SGC’s Development Management Committee defers a decision & requests site inspection visit

8th February 2019

Members of the Development Management Committee inspect the site

21st February 2019

Development Management Committee votes 5:2:1 to refuse permission

21st February 2019

Case automatically referred to SGC’s Spatial Planning Committee

8th March 2019

Members of the Spatial Planning Committee inspect the site

19th March 2019

Spatial Planning Committee votes 8:0:1 to refuse permission

28th June 2019

Applicant lodges an appeal, meaning the application must now be determined by a government-appointed planning inspector

17th September 2019

Planning inspector visits the site

16th January 2020

Planning inspector upholds the appeal, meaning that planning consent is granted

Read all related articles on the Journal website: http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/tag/pt18-1491-o/

Continued overleaf

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Willow Brook Centre planning decision Continued from page 9

committee, have expressed their disappointment at the outcome.

Speaking at a meeting on 22nd January, Cllr Theresa Cullen alleged: “This was a done deal from the very beginning.”

Cllr Keith Cranney urged members of the Dewfalls and Wheatfield Residents Association present at the meeting “not to give up”, advising them that there is likely to be a licensing application submitted for the two fast food units in due course.

Replying to a resident’s concerns that the planning inspector hadn’t imposed any additional conditions on the consent, such as restricting opening hours, Cllr Cranney added: “It’s almost as though she didn’t read the papers.”

Two planning applications for advertising signage on the proposed fast food units are still to be determined.

A spokesperson for the Brookmaker Limited

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February 2020

Statement from the Dewfalls and Wheatfield Residents Association (DAWDRA)

O

ur objections to this development have never been just about the type of businesses proposed. They have always been about the close proximity of these types of developments and the moving of the access road closer to our homes/gardens.

It is disappointing the way the Willow Brook management company has treated neighbouring residents and advised from the outset they would not negotiate any changes to their proposed plans.

In the light of this, coupled with the short-sighted views and poor decisions made by South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) planning department, we are surprised the Planning Inspectorate has gone along with this without due consideration of the impact on the town and neighbouring residents. The planning Inspector indicated that SGC’s planning department failed

Partnership, owners of the Willow Brook Centre, said: “We are pleased with the decision of the Planning Inspectorate and

to provide any technical evidence in their appeal statement, therefore they did not defend their councillors’ decision adequately.

This decision does nothing to improve or enhance the character of Bradley Stoke as a community town.

Despite many DAWDRA members living adjacent to this development and, agreed, they are mostly affected by this, DAWDRA has the overall improvement of the town centre in mind. This decision does nothing to support this.

Although the Willow Brook Centre claims to have received requests for more sit-down restaurants, ‘lounge-type’ restaurants would come to mind, not drive-through fast food/drink.

SGC’s planning department has blundered through this with error upon error, including noise, litter and environmental reports that we consider cannot be adequately

are now progressing with the next stage of the development.

We look forward to sharing further details in due course.”

backed up with facts. We included in our objection a report that confirmed this.

Examples are breaching data protection laws by publishing names and details of minors in a McDonald’s survey, applying unacceptable pressure towards the councillors to approve the decisions in planning meetings and dismissing their own environmental health officer’s recommendations to protect the bordering residents.

Councillors made it clear they had a duty to the public to consider impacts on all of Bradley Stoke, which we believe they successfully achieved by refusing the plans not once but twice.

It is disappointing to see there is nothing the general public can do to stop unacceptable development impacting them, their community, their families and their homes with the current UK planning legislation in place today.

The Journal invited South Gloucestershire Council to provide a statement, but the opportunity was declined.

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February 2020

News

Bridge replacement still on track for Easter despite piling delays Full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane set to start 6th March

T

he project to dismantle the narrow railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane and replace it with a much wider concrete structure is still on track to meet the looming deadline of a programmed nine-day closure of the railway line over Easter, according to Network Rail.

Piling work to create 24-metre deep foundations to support the four corners of the replacement bridge has been going on since 4th November but has encountered delays due to “unforeseen ground conditions”.

The piling was originally due to start in early October 2019 and take three months but will now not be completed until the second week of February.

In order to safely complete the piling on the north-east corner, it was deemed necessary to close the southern end of Station Road for two weeks in January. The closure was originally planned to start on 6th January but was

postponed to 13th January. As we went to press, it was announced that the closure would continue into a third week.

In parallel with the piling work, construction of the new bridge has continued within the Alun Griffiths site compound within the Horizon 38 business park (see photo on facing page).

The bridge is being cast in three sections, (north abutment, south abutment and deck) each requiring a non-stop pour of concrete over many hours. The pour for the north abutment took place on 21st January, requiring 300sqm of concrete, brought to the site in 27 deliveries. Pouring of the south abutment and deck are scheduled to take place in February (see panel, right).

Once completed, a ‘curing’ period of up to four weeks is required for the bridge to achieve full strength.

The 4,500 tonne bridge is currently scheduled to be

Piling work on NE corner in January

manoeuvred into position, after the old bridge has been demolished, in the early hours of 15th April. This will be achieved using a 176-axle self-propelled modular transport unit.

The nine-day railway blockade is due to start on 11th April, with Network Rail scheduled to make a final ‘go, no go’ decision four weeks earlier.

Ahead of this, it is anticipated that Gipsy Patch Lane will be closed to all traffic at the railway bridge from 6th March, for a duration of eight months.

The period after the bridge installation is required for lowering the road surface and other highway works.

Network Rail says it hopes to be able to reopen a route under the bridge, for pedestrians and

cyclists only, six to eight weeks after the end of the railway blockade.

A shuttlebus service will operate for the period of time when the bridge is closed to pedestrians. This will operate a service from one side of the bridge to the other, using the shortest road route, without additional stops in between.

Status report (24th January) Bridge build The bridge is being built within the compound, ready to be moved into place. The steel reinforcement has continued on both the north and south abutments, the north abutment has been poured, the pour of the south abutment is scheduled for early February with the deck to follow at the end of February.

This will complete the bridge build within the compound.

Piling Sheet Piling – All of phase one sheet piling was complete before Christmas and phase two sheet piling works are due for completion early February.

Bored Piling – The south-west corner was completed prior to Christmas; the south-east was completed last week and the north-east corner is due for completion this week. The north west will take two weeks from next week.

Utility works We are meeting with utilities on a regular basis to plan for the forthcoming works. Wales & West have been working to complete works on the west side of the bridge. Further utility diversion works are scheduled for March with WPD, BT and Bristol Water.

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February 2020

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NEW BRIDGE TAKES SHAPE

Aerial view (looking north-west) of the new bridge under construction in the Alun Griffiths site compound. The Gipsy Patch Lane railway crossing (to where it will eventually be moved) is at the mid-point of the right edge of the photo.

The new bridge is 41.5m long, 27.6m wide, 6.4m high and will weigh 4,500 tonnes when complete.

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February 2020

The bridge at the Three Books Lake almost fully submerged during a flooding event in October 2019. Inset: Mud banks exposed at the lake less than a month earlier.

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15

News

Council finds £250k to pay for lake desilting Work likely to be carried out next winter, subject to Environment Agency approval of the scheme

C

ouncillors in Bradley Stoke have welcomed South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) allocation of £250,000 to an environmental project that will see the lake in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve desilted for the first time in 15 years.

The lake, which regularly floods due to its current condition, is in acute need of desilting and has been the subject of public concern about the impact on wildlife and potential loss of amenity.

Following campaigning by the local councillors for the Bradley Stoke South ward, Cllrs John Ashe and Roger Avenin, to see residents’ concerns addressed, SGC’s Cabinet has approved a reallocation of funds from its Highways Maintenance budget.

The money originates from an unspent portion of A4174 Challenge Fund – originally made available to speed up work on the recent Bromley Heath Viaduct repair project.

The scheme, which requires the removal of up to 4,000 cubic metres of silt and restoring the lake environment to the original landscape plans, including a 300m ‘stone to dust’ footpath, will enhance the wetland area for the community, improve resistance to flooding and enhance local biodiversity.

Cllr John Ashe commented: “Areas like the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve should

be enjoyed all year round, and you are hard pressed to go there in the daytime and not see the likes of dog walkers and joggers or young families going to feed the ducks, along with groups of school children getting to know and appreciate nature. So when it ends up flooding after some rain, it might not pose a threat to nearby homes, but it can definitely have a profound effect on the community of people that make use of it, as well as washing away the nesting areas of the local wildlife.”

“In recent months, so many residents have been in touch with myself and my council colleague Cllr Roger Avenin about the state of the lake and how, while they enjoy it during the summer months, they are put off using it in between late autumn and early spring due to the increased chance of flooding. Many also raising their concerns that, if gone unchecked, the damage to the area could get even worse.”

Having taken those views to the council, and argued the case for local residents, I am really pleased that funding will be put into this environmental project.”

Outlining the history of the lake, a spokesperson for SGC said: “Streams flowing from Patchway, Hortham, Little Stoke and Stoke Gifford all feed into the lake, which was constructed in 1993 to create an amenity

Bradley Stoke South ward councillors John Ashe (left) and Roger Avenin at the Three Brooks lake (known locally as the ‘duck pond’)

pond for local residents. The lake was last desilted in 2005 and is now in need of desilting again.

During the summer in 2019 low water flow exposed large areas of silt, exposing wildfowl nesting on the islands to predators including foxes and cats. This winter the high rainfall experienced across the country has led to the lake flooding twice.”

“The timing of the desilting work is restricted to between November and February due to the protected wildlife which uses the wetland area, including water

voles and otters. Between now and next autumn, the council will appoint a contractor and work with the Environment Agency to obtain a bespoke licence.”

“We will work closely with the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group, Bradley Stoke Town Council and residents to ensure the scheme is successfully delivered and provide regular updates, in the form of on-site notices and posts on the Council’s Streetcare Facebook page www.facebook. com/sglosstreetcare”

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February 2020

News

By Sara Messenger of the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group ur annual hedgelaying went well with us running out of hard hats for the first time. However, this year, we did manage to lay 38 paces of new hedgeline reaching as far as the gate onto Bradley Stoke Way. Not all of last year’s hedge is thriving, so we have also planted a few more hedging trees alongside the thinner patches.

We were delighted to welcome a few new volunteers, the youngest, being 5, considerably reduced the average age of our volunteers! Although we thought it best not to let her loose with a bill hook, Tiegan, along with her dad proved very capable at dead hedging and before they headed off for lunch, Tiegan planted also two hazel trees for us too.

Green Gym had cleared the hedging area for the Saturday group, but this year we also went back to finish the planting and do a little hedgelaying of our own.

O

Not that we’re boasting, but over two weeks we managed 68 paces!

Much of this was re-establishing an old hedgeline but was, we think, still pretty good going!

Planting seems to have been Green Gym’s theme recently; we have also re-established the hedgeline along the school path (near the skate park) and created

another down by the nowrepaired bridge. We have planted another 60+ rowans around the ‘new’ orchard to supplement the

ones bought by Bradley Stoke Town Council and have also put in two walnuts donated by local residents. The Edgely family have

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17

News

Conservation group report for January Continued from facing page

also donated a horse chestnut which one of the girls grew from a seed and, as no good deed goes unpunished, we dragged them out on a cold Saturday morning for them to plant it themselves.

It is a welcome addition to our stock as it is thought most of our conker trees may in just 30 years time be lost to a mite.

We do seem to be losing some of our bigger trees at the moment and not just in high winds.

Although it will take many years for these new trees to replace them, it is at least a step in the right direction and we are very grateful to The Woodland Trust, CGI and The Carbon Footprint company for donating such a large number of trees to Bradley Stoke.

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February 2020

News

Local residents in training for 110-mile cancer charity walk

A

group of twelve Bradley Stoke residents have been wearing out their shoe leather at an alarming rate as they train for a marathon fiveday charity walk in aid of cancer research.

They are part of a team of 20 fundraisers, led by local man Matt Baggott, who are planning to walk the 110 miles from the British Gypsum works in East Leake, Leicestershire (head office of Matt’s employer) to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in just five days, starting out on Wednesday 4th March.

By completing their marathon walk, the local fundraisers are aiming to raise at least £5,000 for Cancer Research UK. The challenge was inspired by the 1985 John O’Groats to Land’s End charity walk undertaken

by Matt’s hero Sir Ian Botham, which raised more than £1 million for Leukaemia Research.

Matt says he was moved to embark on a fundraising walk of his own after seeing the lives of his mother and several close friends being affected by cancer.

When Matt first announced his plan to raise money for cancer research by taking on the walk, he envisaged it being a solo challenge. However, family and friends soon decided they wanted to support the cause and they signed up to join him on the walk or help out with planning and preparation (although this may have been after a glass of wine or two, says Matt).

Many of the walkers involved have either suffered from cancer or have a family member who has cancer or is going through a recovery period. Some will be walking the whole 110 miles, with others joining to give support along the route.

Over the past few months the group has embarked on training walks of between 10 and 20 miles at weekends and

have really begun to understand the challenge which lays ahead.

Portishead, Clevedon, Yate and the Strawberry Line in Yatton are just some of the locations they have visited to date.

The group includes Matt’s wife Jayne and her business partner Nicky Pontin, who jointly run the town’s Abacus Pre-School.

They report that walking an average of 22 miles a day for five consecutive days now sounds a harder task than they had initially imagined!

Ross Ashford, who is also completing the five-day trek with the team, has himself suffered with Hodgkin lymphoma back in 2018. He said: “I’ve relied on life-saving research, which has made great progress over the last 15 years – particularly with blood cancers. I’m doing the walk in aid of this charity so that they can continue their progress.”

Another team member, Neil Short, who has known Matt for many years, said: “As soon as I heard about Matt’s walk, it was an easy decision to say: ‘Yes I want to take part,’ as my wife, Ali, has battled cancer on three separate occasions and is still having treatment. Cancer is an awful disease and taking part in this walk is the least I can do to help raise money towards essential research which, we all hope, will someday find a cure.”

Neil’s wife Ali, whose cancer is now ‘stage 4’, writes about her journey with breast cancer on her blog at www. memyselfandbreastcancer.com Challenge leader Matt said: “I’m really overwhelmed with how the initial idea has gathered pace and the support I have received from family and friends.

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News Continued from facing page

Everybody has become really committed to the cause with regards to the training and we’ve even managed to walk past more pubs than I expected we would do! Ultimately the work that Cancer Research UK does is vital in finding new treatments and medicines to fight this vile disease and if we could surpass the £5,000 target to support its work, that would be absolutely fantastic.”

If you would like to help the group reach its target, please visit fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/ page/matts-giving-page-397 or scan the QR code.

Matt Baggott (front, centre) pictured with other fundraisers at the Willow Brook Centre before they set out on another long training walk

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19

20

February 2020

Hallen AFC

Little Stoke FC

Stokeside FC

Patchway Town FC

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21

Sport

Hundreds attend Butty’s memorial match at BSCS Fundraiser for family of popular local footballer and café manager who tragically died in collision on M32

A

frosty January morning saw hundreds of players and supporters from the local amateur and semiprofessional football scene descend on Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) for a series of games being held to raise funds for the family of Darren Butt, widely known as ‘Butty’.

The event, on Sunday 19th January, was staged just two weeks after Darren, 40, had tragically lost his life in a multiple-vehicle collision on the M32 motorway.

A hugely popular figure in local football circles, Darren was well known for his sense of humour, outlandish dress sense and wacky hairstyles.

Over a period spanning more than 20 years, he played for many local clubs, including Patchway Town FC, Hallen AFC, Patchway North End FC and, most recently, Stokeside FC, where he was club captain. He also held the position of reserve team manager at Hallen AFC. As a schoolboy, he played for Swindon Town FC and is said to have come close to making the England squad.

Off the field, he was well known as a café manager, and was for a while involved with the former Café Lounge in Pear Tree Road, Bradley Stoke (now Vee’s Kitchen). More recently, he ran Redcliffe’s café in Bristol.

Simon Strachan, a stalwart at Patchway Town FC who knew Darren for many years, told the Journal: “He was very popular in the clubhouse after games and always had an amusing story to tell. He could find fun in most people and was the life and soul of the party.”

“He often wore brightly coloured and patterned shirts and was always very ‘out there’ with his hairstyles, whether it be Mohican or having it dyed in

Darren Butt, as captain at Hallen AFC

multiple colours.”

Following the crash, friends established an online fundraising page to benefit Darren’s family and the amount donated in this way is currently over £11,000.

The memorial match at BSCS consisted of two games: The first between ‘select XI’ teams nominally representing Patchway Town FC and Hallen AFC XI and the second between representatives of Little Stoke FC and Stokeside FC. With so many wanting to play, a system of rolling substitutions was used, with every player donating £10 to Darren’s fund.

After the on-pitch activity, the players and supporters moved on to enjoy a buffet and drinks at a packed Patchway Sports & Social Club, where further fundraising activities included an auction and a raffle.

The organiser of the two events reports that more than £13,000 was raised on the day.

Darren’s memory was also honoured at the start of many local league games in the days following his death through the staging of a minute’s silence before kick-off.

RIP Butty.

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23

Police

Appeal for information following burglaries in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge

P

olice are asking residents of the Stokes to be mindful of their home security following a number of recent burglaries in the area.

A total of five burglaries were reported to have occurred at properties on Hambrook Lane in Stoke Gifford, Dorcas Avenue in Stoke Gifford, Bibury Avenue in Stoke Lodge and Bush Avenue in Little Stoke – all between 2pm and 8pm on the same day, Thursday 16th January.

In each incident, the burglar(s) went around the back and entered the property by either forcing or smashing the rear door.

A number of items were stolen including jewellery, electronic items and cash.

Police are appealing for members of the public who were in the area at the time to get in touch if they noticed any vehicles or individuals acting suspiciously. They are also asking local residents to review any private CCTV footage or dashcam footage that might be able to

Burglary prevention advice from Avon and Somerset Police

assist in their investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting reference number 5220012476.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 percent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their anonymous online form.

No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers.

• Lock up and set the alarm, if you have one, at night as well as when you go out • Lock all your windows and doors every time you leave your house – even if you are just in the garden – and remembering to double lock uPVC doors • Make sure your door is locked by turning the key – some ‘paddle and stub’-handled doors might seem to be locked by lifting the handle, but can still be opened from the outside • Hide all keys, including car keys out of sight and away from the front door letter box and consider fitting a letterbox cage • Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows • Hide any high value items such as jewellery, handbags/wallets and passports etc. and where possible store them in a properly secured and hidden safe or bank vault • Keep entrances to your property easily visible by ensuring nearby hedges and trees are well maintained • Ensure any side gates are securely locked to prevent unwanted access to the rear of your property • Make sure boundaries to your property, including fencing and walls, are in a good state of repair • If possible, install a visual burglar alarm • Where possible, install an outside security light, many of which are sensor activated

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February 2020

News

Work starts on first new homes on airfield site

A

Cllr Toby Savage, fifth from left, with other guests at the celebratory event held on Tuesday 7th January 2020

ceremony has been held to mark the start of construction on the first homes at Brabazon, the new neighbourhood being built by YTL Developments on the site of the former Filton Airfield.

The event, on Tuesday 7th January, was attended by Cllr Toby Savage, leader of South Gloucestershire Council.

With the necessary enabling works having been completed in 2019, Cllr Savage was joined by the leaders of Filton, Patchway and Almondsbury councils to celebrate as the first foundations were dug on what will ultimately be a ÂŁ2 billion project.

Also attending were local community leaders, including the CEOs of Southern Brooks Community Partnership and the Southmead Development Trust, while the local business community was represented by staff from Airbus and Network Rail.

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25

News

Continued from facing page

Subject to funding and regulatory approval for the MetroWest Phase 2 project to reopen the Henbury Line to passenger traffic, Network Rail will be building a new station within walking distance of the new homes at Brabazon.

Cllr Savage commented: “Filton Airfield is steeped in history. Today this part of South Gloucestershire is a worldleading hub for engineering and innovation. The new neighbourhood at Brabazon will provide the homes, offices and infrastructure to allow that amazing commercial cluster to continue to grow.”

“This is a major investment into our local community. The project will create new homes and new opportunities and our shared vision is that it will be a place that all local workers, residents and visitors will feel proud of.”

There will be 278 homes within the first phase of this new urban community, which aims to set a new standard for quality development in the region.

Jon McDiarmid, director at YTL Developments, said: “The former Filton Airfield was the birthplace of Concorde. We want to make sure that Brabazon lives up to that legacy.”

“The iconic aircraft that were built here were known for their considered design details, timeless styling, and cuttingedge technology. Our aim is that people will feel the same way about these new homes” “Our vision is to create a thriving new neighbourhood for North Bristol so it’s very special to be joined by leaders from across the local community to mark this major milestone as we dig the first foundations.”

Elsewhere on the former airfield site, YTL Developments recently submitted a planning application to transform the historic Brabazon Hangars into a new arena complex for Bristol.

The first homes at Brabazon will go on sale in autumn 2020, with the first residents expected to move in early in 2021. ● To find out more, visit www.brabazon.co.uk

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Market snapshot Bradley Stoke NATIONAL MARKET

LOCAL MARKET ROUND UP

JANUARY 2020

Over the last 12 full months there have been 329 sales in Bradley Stoke . This is a –5% change on the previous 12 month period. The average sales price was £256,491.

Transactions by price band over the last 12 months NATIONAL

BRADLEY STOKE less than £100k

Ocean bring you the latest trends in the UK's housing market, with a detailed focus on Bradley Stoke .

£100k-£250k £250k-£500k £500k-£750k £750k-£1m £1m-£2m £2m-£5m £5m+

House price growth

Top transaction

over 1 year and 5 years

in last 3 months

£595,000 0%

+31%

CROFTERS WALK BS32

House prices Property prices are rising at their strongest level in a year according to the latest UK House Price Index. At £235,298 the average price of a property in November is 2.2% more expensive than a year ago, the highest rate of annual growth since November 2018.

Economy UK inflation unexpectedly fell to its lowest level in over 3 years in December. According to the ONS consumer prices rose just 1.3% in December, the smallest increase since November 2016. The fall is likely to fuel expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates.

Transactions It is estimated that 102,050 sales took place in November, according to the HMRC, 1.9% higher than a year ago. This would mark the first positive year-onyear increase since 2017. However in recent months sales volumes have been revised downwards in subsequent data revisions.

Average prices over last 12 months £400,000 £300,000 £200,000 £100,000 0 Flat/Apartment

Bradley Stoke

Terraced

Semi-detached

Detached

South West

Source: Dataloft, Land Registry

Stefano Missiato Ocean estate agents E: s.missiato@oceanhome.co.uk

Disclaimer: This report is produced for general information only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, Dataloft Ltd accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any nature arising from its use or from any changes made to Dataloft content by Inform users. Reproduction of all or part of the report in any form is prohibited without written permission from Dataloft Ltd. Report edited by Inform user and published on 2020-01-21.

Pop into our Willowbrook Centre office if you'd like to know more or discuss your property, we'll be happy to help...

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27

News Councillor’s resignation could trigger costly by-election

T

he resignation of a Conservative councillor on Bradley Stoke Town Council just eight months into a four-year term of office could lead to a costly by-election.

Nikki Hallur, who won one of the seven seats representing the Bradley Stoke South ward in the May 2019 election, handed in her notice of resignation in the second week of January, citing “personal reasons and work commitments”. A ‘Casual Vacancy for a Councillor’ notice has subsequently appeared on the town council’s noticeboards and website.

According to the notice, an election will be held to fill the vacancy should ten electors (residents) living in the ward request one by 5th February.

If no request for an election is received by that date, the town council will fill the vacancy by ‘co-option’, a procedure which

effectively involves the remaining 14 council members appointing someone of their own liking.

Speaking at the January meeting of Full Council, where the resignation was formally announced, mayor Tom Aditya (Conservative) asked members to be “mindful” of the financial cost of a by-election, which would fall on the town council.

The mayor’s comments were presumably directed at the three non-Conservative members of council, who might be expected to consider forcing a by-election in the hope of increasing their respective group’s representation.

Following the recent resignation, the make-up of the council is 11 Conservative, 1 Labour, 1 Citizens Movement Party UK and 1 independent, so a by-election for a single seat would not affect the balance of power.

Five (single ward) by-elections were contested in Bradley Stoke

between 2008 and 2013, but there have been none since.

Also speaking at the Full Council meeting, Cllr John Ashe (Conservative) warned of the likely increased cost of a by-election after the Boundary Commission reduced the number of wards in the town to three (from seven previously), ahead of the May 2019 elections. This would be a consequence of having a much larger electorate in the ward.

Cllr Ashe said that, from memory, the last by-election in Bradley Stoke had cost the town council around £4,500. He estimated that, with the larger ward size, it might be in the region of £7,000 to £8,000.

Cllr Ben Randles (Conservative), who was first elected to the council through a by-election in 2013, seemed less concerned, pointing out that the council maintains a dedicated

Resigned from council: Nikki Hallur

contingency fund to cover the cost of by-elections.

When contacted by the Journal, former councillor Nikki Hallur confirmed that she had resigned from the role for personal reasons, adding that she “would not want there to be a by-election”.

Unlike South Gloucestershire (district) councillors, who receive an annual allowance, town councillors receive no remuneration.

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February 2020

News

New orchestra on the lookout for members

By Emma Creasey, secretary of The Gifford Ensemble

D

o you like playing classical music and live in the Filton and Bradley Stoke area? If so then The Gifford Ensemble might be for you!

We started up in September 2018, when local residents, realising there was no local orchestra for the Stokes area, decided they’d better start one.

We gave our first informal concert in March 2019 to an appreciative audience of friends and family.

A second concert in October established the group, now newly branded as the ‘Gifford Ensemble’, as a welcome provider of accessible classical music (and cake!) to the local community.

The Ensemble is currently small, but our ambition is to grow into a full orchestra. We are looking for players of Grade 7 or equivalent standard, particularly

strings. If you’re interested, please get in touch and come for a trial rehearsal – it’s a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere with an emphasis on enjoying the music.

Rehearsals are at 7.15pm on Sunday nights in the Trust

Hall, North Road, Stoke Gifford BS34 8PE. Members pay £4 per rehearsal to cover venue hire costs – but we hope to reduce that as our membership grows.

You can find out more – and hear some live recording of our

playing – on our Facebook page.

If you’d like to get in touch, then please call or text Cathy on 07528 172228, or email Emma on secretary@giffordensemble.uk We look forward to meeting you!

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29

Schools

Bradley Stoke primary school children presented with award for local litter pick

C

hildren from St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary school in Bradley Stoke have been presented with certificates and £300 for their school after winning a districtwide, litter pick competition.

The competition was arranged

by South Gloucestershire Council and funded through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s High Street Community Clean-Up scheme.

Every school in South Gloucestershire was provided with a kit including litter pickers, hoops, bin bags, gloves and hi-vis vests. Schools were then encouraged to organise their own litter picks and report back on their activity to enter the competition.

Children at St Mary’s school made posters about the environmental and social impact of littering and recorded the rubbish they collected. Their analysis enabled them to identify and target specific locations where litter was causing an issue.

The school reinforced the importance of looking after the environment through assemblies, recycling schemes and by offering to lend equipment to other groups in the community.

South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet member for schools, skills and employment, Cllr Erica Williams attended the school to

present the certificates. She said:

Cllr Erica Williams presents winner’s certificates to the pupils at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School

“I’m delighted to present these children with their certificates following our first inter-school, litter pick competition which has been a huge success. I’d like to congratulate the winners here today and everyone who participated.”

“Tackling issues such as litter make a big impact on local communities and this competition has inspired pupils to learn about the wider environmental problems associated with waste and to develop solutions for the future.

“Schools are our top priority and schemes such as this enable pupils to learn while also making a positive impact on their local community.”

Headteacher at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Kathy Burden, said: “The children take environmental issues very seriously and are keen to do all they can to help look after the area they live in.”

“They were so enthused with the litter picking challenge that they continued with this over a weekend and created posters and reports to publicise the importance of throwing away litter and recycling. We are all very proud of them.”

Community groups and organisations can also help to tackle litter by taking part in the annual Spring Clean campaign, which runs from 23rd February to 10th May this year.

The council can supply the equipment, including litter pickers and hoops and arrange to collect the recycling and rubbish.

If you are interested in taking part, visit www.southglos.gov. uk/springclean and complete a booking form, or call the council on 01454 868000.

The Journal Send us your news!

March magazine Deadline for contributions: Monday 17th February info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk

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Get well · Stay well

S

February 2020

by Craig de Groot, chiropractor at Willow Brook Clinic

Back pain and depression

uffering from the winter blues? Rain and cold weather getting you down? You may have failed to maintain your January resolutions and are stuck back in your old habits. But have you asked yourself why?

Sometimes it’s your mental state together with your physical health that stops you from being you.

Feeling unhappy and links to depression are more commonly seen in patients with chronic back pain than in patients with pain that is of an acute, short-term nature. How does depression develop in these cases? This can be understood by looking at the symptoms often experienced by the person with chronic back pain or other spine-related pain.

• The pain often makes it difficult to sleep, leading to fatigue and irritability during the day.

• Because patients with back pain have difficulty with movement, they often move slowly and carefully, which can lead to social isolation and a lack of enjoyable activities.

• Sometimes the inability to work may lead to financial difficulties that begin to impact the entire family.

• Beyond the pain itself, there may be gastrointestinal distress caused by anti-inflammatory medication and a general feeling of mental dullness from the pain medications.

• Pain is distracting, leading to memory and concentration difficulties.

Understandably, these symptoms accompanying chronic back pain or neck pain may lead to feelings of despair, hopelessness and other symptoms of depression.

Studies have investigated the family consequences of chronic back pain. Patients reported a wide range of limitations on family and social roles including: physical limitation that hampered patients’ ability to do household chores, take care of the children and engage in leisure activities.

Spouses and children often took over family responsibilities once carried out by the individual with back pain.

These changes in the family often led to depression and sometimes anger and add to stress in family relationships.

Investing in your back health can help to prevent a downward spiral in general health and wellbeing. A visit to a chiropractor can resolve musculoskeletal problems that trigger back pain and regular maintenance appointments can keep you functioning the best you can.

Willow Brook Clinic www.willowbrookclinic.co.uk

● See our advert on page 9.

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February 2020

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31

News

Potholed Bradley Stoke road to be resurfaced

O

ne of the most potholed sections of highway in Bradley Stoke is scheduled to be fully resurfaced at the end of February, according to a notice recently published on the town council website.

The stretch of Woodlands Lane between its junction with The Park and the pedestrian crossing near the entrance to Woodlands Park has developed so many deep potholes that they have merged together to form metre-long ruts which at some points expose multiple layers of older road surface.

The potholes at this location have been the focus of many complaints, with reports on the FixMyStreet reporting website going back more than two years.

In a discussion on the BSJ Facebook page about the road damage at this location, one reader quipped (in February 2019): “I thought time team had

The rutted surface of Woodlands Lane, near its junction with The Park

forgotten to fill in after their dig!”

Many months ago, marking paint was sprayed around the potholes, giving the impression that repairs were about to take place, but nothing happened and the markings have now been warn away by the heavy traffic.

South Gloucestershire Council has informed local residents that it intends to carry out the

major resurfacing work overnight (between 8pm and 6am) from Monday 24th February to Thursday 27th February.

The work will involve planing off the existing surface of the carriageway, which the council warns will create a “significant amount of noise”.

For the duration of the works, the road will be closed from 8pm

each night and all traffic will be diverted around the area whilst the closures are in place.

In a letter to residents, the council writes: “We will make every effort to ensure that access to properties and amenities fronting the site and whose only access is from the closed road, is kept available and the disruption to local residents is kept to a minimum. However, there may be periods of time when access to properties by vehicle will be unachievable, and for this, we apologise. Please note that adverse weather conditions or plant / delivery problems may affect these times and dates.”

On learning of the plan, one thankful two-wheeled road user, @JimsWheels, tweeted: “Good news for #BradleyStoke Woodlands Lane, the crumbling remains of what used to be the road surface will be removed and a new surface installed.”

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February 2020

News

Local mum and son team become published authors

L

ocal resident Alicia Chrysostomou and her son Sebastian were amazed to have become published authors on 28th January. Their book, ‘The Chronicles of Cerberus’, was published by Mogzilla, an independent company which specialises in historical stories for children.

‘The Chronicles of Cerberus’ is a children’s book targeted at 6- to 9-year-olds and is set in Ancient Greece.

The book had an interesting start in life. It all began when Sebastian started learning to write at school. In order to encourage his writing, Sebastian and his mother would sit down together to make up little

stories. These were based on mythological characters from Ancient Greece and tapped into the stories Alicia’s Greek Cypriot father told her as a child.

Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, was an early favourite and soon became the focus of these tales.

It was exciting to create these stories and draw illustrations for them. Alicia would type them up and scan in the drawings so they could be printed out. Sebastian and his mother would then cut up old cereal boxes, Sebastian would add an illustration and after stapling in the pages of the story, they had their first ‘hardback’!

As Sebastian rose through primary school these stories

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became more sophisticated and their collection of ‘books’ grew.

By the time Sebastian reached Year 6, they had quite a number of these little books. They all followed the adventures of Cerberus and his friend and dogwalker Sebastian as they cross Greece helping the many siblings of Cerberus tackle all sorts of problems. Strangely enough, Alicia’s son bears an uncanny resemblance to Cerberus’s best friend Sebastian! It certainly made it a lot of fun for Sebastian to write himself into these stories.

Reading through them one day, Alicia felt there might be enough for a proper book so she put them all together, tidied them up, sent them off to some publishers and waited to see if there was interest. She received many rejection letters in reply! Scanning publisher lists, she came across a small

independent publisher, Mogzilla, which specialises in children’s historical books. She gave them a try – and they accepted the book!

Many edits later, as well as many months elapsing, the book is now published.

The book is based on the mythology of Ancient Greece, with Cerberus embarking on adventure with his friend Sebastian. Each story in the book offers an alternate viewpoint to the classic tales giving a twist in their retelling. So when Jason comes to take the Golden Fleece, all may not be as it seems when he sneaks off with it. Hercules also features largely in these tales especially when his labours mean he’s to take things that don’t belong to him. Cerberus and Sebastian have to use all their wit and resolve to outsmart Hercules to ensure he thinks he has completed his labour when

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February 2020

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News Far left: Alicia Chrysostomou and her son Sebastian hold a copy of their recently published book ‘The Chronicles of Cerberus’ Left: Examples of Alicia and Sebastian’s earlier homemade books with covers made of card cut out from cereal boxes

Councillors would like to invite all older members of the Bradley Stoke community to an

Afternoon Tea Party When:

Friday 24th April 2020 2.00 – 4.00pm

Where: Brook Way Activity Centre Brook Way Bradley Stoke BS32 9DA

actually he’s been tricked all along.

Alicia would encourage anyone to get writing, even if they have no literary background. It is a fun thing to do with your child and makes bedtime reading more interesting when you can read your own little stories. And even

if you go no further than having some pages stapled into an old cornflake box, it’s a lovely thing to look back on as your children grow up.

‘The Chronicles of Cerberus’ is available directly from the publisher and from book stores, including amazon.co.uk

This is a free-to-attend event, however tickets must be pre-booked as places are limited. Please contact the Town Council on 01454 205020 or e-mail sharon.petela@bradleystoke.gov.uk to book a place

Advertising feature

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There are environmental challenges such as cold weather, high humidity and compliance with sustainability. All of this can be a challenge when you are seeking to build new or extend your property.

When you are looking to upsize there are many options. Of course, you can move house. However, extending is more affordable. In my case, extending the front portion of my house saved me nearly £50,000, and gave me the pleasure of designing the extension to my exact specifications.

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February 2020

Ask the Doctor with Dr Faisal Siddiqui of Bradley Stoke Surgery World Cancer Day

T

uesday 4th February 2020 marks an important date in health awareness worldwide – it’s World Cancer Day. In 2018, 18 million people were diagnosed with cancer.

Shockingly, one in two people in the UK will get cancer in their lifetime.

As a GP, I often get asked for a test for cancer and how people can prevent cancer.

They may have had friends or family go through diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, there is plenty of hope and two in four people in the UK survive their cancer for at least ten years.

Regrettably, there is no single test for all forms of cancer as there are more than 200 different types. However, the NHS currently runs screening programmes for three common types of cancer in the UK: • Breast screening for women aged 50-70.

• Cervical screening for women aged 25-64. It is offered every three years for women aged 25-49, and every five years for women 50-64.

• Bowel screening is offered to men and women aged 60-74 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, men and women aged 50-74 are offered screening.

has been linked to lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney cancers. Even if you don’t smoke, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.

Being overweight or obese is also a risk factor. Try to eat healthily, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, less refined

“Prevention is better than cure and there are things you can do to avert cancer” Screening tests are not available for all forms of cancer.

In order for a screening test to be viable, it must be reliable, not cause too many false results, be acceptable and safe for patients and cost-effective for the NHS. However, prevention is better than cure and there are things you can do to avert cancer.

Unsurprisingly, smoking is a major risk factor and smoking

sugars and less processed meats.

Also try to drink alcohol in moderation. Physical activity is important. In addition to controlling weight, exercise on its own will reduce the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

Staying safe in the sun is vital to protect yourself from skin cancer. When the sun is intense, stay in the shade, cover up and use sunscreen.

Cancer tests and treatments are continuing to evolve and improve. Hopefully with initiatives such as World Cancer Day there will get greater awareness of this terrible disease. I sincerely hope they achieve their aim of three in four people surviving cancer by 2034.

Dr Faisal Siddiqui Bradley Stoke Surgery www.bradleystokesurgery.nhs.uk

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February 2020

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News

‘In Bloom’ volunteers plant 120 young trees

By Sara Messenger of Bradley Stoke in Bloom (BSiB)

W

e don’t do what we do for the awards, the green Brownie points or even the free tea and biscuits, but because we believe this is our town and while we are here we want to do what we can to make her look her best. We don’t want to see graffiti or litter in the grass, we want to see artwork and daffodils poking their heads through. Which is why, even though it was definitely a thick sock kind of day, Saturday 18th January saw seven of us head out to plant over 120 trees.

Local resident Andrew North, who works for the company CGI, nominated us to the Carbon Footprint Company, who generously donated the trees to the group. They were a mix of rowan and bird cherry (both good for the birds) as well as crab apple, silver birch and pussy willow. Along with some other trees donated by the Woodland Trust, they have been used to: • Increase the new hedgeline around the former hard court area at Brook Way Community Centre; • Replace some lost rowan at the community orchard on the nature reserve (behind Bradley Stoke Community School); and • Create a very bird-friendly area around Trench Lane Roundabout.

So as well as a receiving a warm fuzzy feeling, we think we’ve also earned a few of those green Brownie points and maybe a chocolate biscuit or two! ● How to contact BSiB… t: 07582 634107 e: bsib@hotmail.co.uk

Clockwise from top: BSiB volunteers prepare to plant out saplings at Brook Way Activity Centre. Some of the saplings donated through the Carbon Footprint Company. Freshly planted hedgeline.

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February 2020

In Brief Oatley Hall at St Monica’s Trust, Cote Lane, Westbury-on-Trym on Saturday 22nd February.

Cost is £12 per head, which includes a light supper.

For tickets, contact Karen Holley on 07540 458119.

Stokes Singers have eyes set on summer concert Stokes Singers have started rehearsing for their summer concert which takes place on 27th June, with the theme of ‘Modern Musicals’, writes Gillian Rowles.

Led by musical directors Sian and Phil, rehearsals are fun and enjoyed by all. It’s not too late for new members to join us, we meet on Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Coniston Community Centre, Patchway BS34 5LP, and there are plenty of parking spaces available.

We don’t hold auditions, but if you’re not sure of your voice pitch, an assessment will ensure you are assigned to the correct section of the choir.

You don’t need to be able to read music and the first two rehearsals are free of charge.

If you like singing, having fun and raising money for charitable causes, then why not give Stokes Singers a try?

Please call or text Gillian on 07790 909726 prior to coming so that we can welcome you at the door. Our website is www. stokessingers.org.uk where you can find further details.

We look forward to seeing you.

Rotary Club quiz to raise funds for hospital charity Following their successful abseil of Southmead Hospital, members of Bradley Stoke Rotary Club are now keeping their feet firmly on the ground to raise more funds for Southmead Hospital Charity!

The club is seeking teams (max. 6 members) for a Fun Charity Quiz Night, being held in the majestic surroundings of

Enforcement of weight limit on Braydon Avenue Ahead of the planned full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane from early March, Trading Standards and the police will be undertaking two joint operations a week, checking that vehicles are not breaching the weight limit on Braydon Avenue.

These operations will be targeted at times and places when/where intelligence suggests infringements are most likely to take place. Initially the police will issue Fixed Penalty Notices, but there will be an option for a Trading Standards prosecution if the circumstances warrant it.

Trading Standards are happy to receive intelligence on potential breaches but to make this manageable reports need to be emailed to trading. standards@southglos.gov.uk detailing days, times, location and any branding / identification marks on the vehicles. These reports will help to inform future enforcement operations.

Town council grants awarded in December Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Leisure, Youth & Amenities Committee approved the following grants and service level agreements at its meeting on

16th December 2019: • Youth Service Level Agreement of £3,500 to Bradley Stoke Youth Cricket Club • Service Level Agreement of £1,158 to Patchway, Filton & the Stokes Volunteer Centre • Service Level Agreement of £2,404 to Four Towns and Vale Link Transport • Service Level Agreement of £1,764 to South Gloucestershire Chinese Association • Community Development Grant Aid of £4,000 to Bradley Stoke Radio towards running and premises costs • Youth Grant Aid of £499 to Scratch Code 4 Kids Club towards the cost of the purchase of new laptops for the club ● Bradley Stoke Town Council has a range of grant funding streams which eligible groups and organisations can apply for. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/bstc-grants or phone the town council office on 01454 205020. ● The South Gloucestershire ward councillors’ Member Awarded Funding Scheme may be able to help your voluntary/ community group, social enterprise organisation, town or parish council. The first step is to contact your South Gloucestershire councillor to discuss your project proposal.

To find your local councillor and for further details visit www. southglos.gov.uk/MAF or call 01454 865865.

Our next magazine: Saturday 29th February

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February 2020

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HANDYMAN SERVICES

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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

PAINTING & DECORATING

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Directory of Advertisers Accountants & Bookkeepers C & M Accountants, Page 7 Dunkley’s Chartered Accountants, Page 40 Meadow Accounting & Bookkeeping, Page 25 Architectural Services Holdfast Architectural Services, Page 39 T.M. Design, Page 32 Bathrooms JJ Plumbing & Building, Page 16 Builders Criterion Construction, Page 36 JJ Plumbing & Building, Page 16 Car Dealerships Motorline Toyota Bristol North, Page 11 Carpentry & Joinery J. Earle Carpentry & Joinery, Page 37 Northavon Carpentry, Page 25 Carpet Cleaners B Clean, Page 37 Bonne Fresh Clean, Page 17 Child Care Ambourne House Day Nursery, Page 30 Banana Moon Day Nursery, Page 1 Children’s Activities Bristol Riding School, Page 17 Chiropractic Willow Brook Clinic, Page 9 Cleaning & Domestic Services Classic Cleaning, Page 17 Cycle Repairs Ride On Cycles, Page 36 Dentists Stoke Gifford Dental Surgery, Page 7 Domestic Appliance Repairs Kitchen & Laundry Appliance Care, Page 23 Double Glazing JDC Windows, Page 2 Driving Schools 2nd2None Driving School, Page 1 Education & Learning Kumon Study Programme, Page 15 Patchway Community School, Page 20 Electricians Ernest Till, Page 16 Estate Agents Ocean Estate Agents, Pages 26 & 34 Financial Services Aspirations Financial Advice, Page 17 Foot Care Willow Brook Clinic, Page 9 Funeral Services F. Woodruff Funeral Directors, Page 30 Memorial Woodlands, Page 5 MW Funeral Directors, Page 28 Garage Services Bristol Caravans, Page 27 Filton Central Garage, Page 32 GH Motor Services, Page 39 LCM Automotive, Page 35 Gardening & Landscaping Services ColourFence, Page 14 Garretts Landscapes, Page 12 Painting Petals, Page 37 Plan-It Garden Design, Page 35 Professional Gardening Services, Page 38 Smart Patios, Page 18 Gyms & Health Clubs Riverside Leisure Club, Page 8

Healthcare Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Page 7 Home Improvements & Furnishings Door Express, Page 25 Garolla Roller Shutter Doors, Page 33 Launderettes Wash Shop Patchway, Page 39 Mortgages & Financial Advice Aspirations Financial Advice, Page 17 Opticians Specsavers, Page 19 Painting & Decorating A. Worsfold, Page 37 Digby Decor, Page 37 Painting Petals, Page 37 Rick Murphy, Page 37 Pest Control Services Aman Pest Control, Page 37 Pet Services & Supplies Four Paws Pet Care, Page 39 Rosie Posie Pet Services, Page 39 Physiotherapy The Physio Clinic, Page 23 Willow Brook Clinic, Page 9 Plant Hire T. Edwards Plant, Page 38 Plasterers B & D Plastering, Page 25 Plumbing & Heating Bristol Plumbing & Heating, Page 10 Great British Heating, Page 29 JJ Plumbing & Building, Page 16 Low Cost Plumbing, Page 39 M.S.M Plumbing & Heating, Page 39 Panache Plumbing, Page 39 S. Berryman Plumbing & Heating, Page 39 Property Stoke Gifford Retirement Village, Page 22 Property Maintenance David Coombs Services, Page 37 HoldFast Handyman, Page 37 JJ Plumbing & Building, Page 16 Mark’s Gutter Cleaning, Page 39 P.J.R Plastics, Page 39 Public Notices Bradley Stoke Town Council, Page 33 South Gloucestershire Council, Page 6 Restaurants Saffron Indian Restaurant, Page 31 Rubbish Clearance Bradley Stoke Rubbish Clearance, Page 38 Self Storage Admiral’s Yard Self Storage, Page 6 Shopping Willow Brook Centre, Page 3 Solicitors Bevan Evemy Solicitors, Page 18 Star Legal, Page 24 Slimming Clubs & Consultants Slimming World, Page 13 Sport & Leisure Bristol Riding School, Page 17 Taxis & Private Hire Z Cars, Page 4 Tiling Services Tileworx Tiling Services, Page 37 Window Cleaning Ultra Clear, Page 39

Visit our online directory: www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/directory

February 2020

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PLANT HIRE

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RUBBISH CLEARANCE

Bradley Stoke Rubbish Clearance Licensed waste carrier We load and clear Same day service Household, garden, garage & sheds cleared Single item jobs Cheaper than a skip No VAT Contact Stuart or Sue on 0800 0234 995 (Freephone) or 07770 944727 stuart.thistlewood@yahoo.co.uk

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February 2020

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PLUMBING & HEATING

info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES

39

WINDOW CLEANING

Why move?…Improve!

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LAUNDERETTES

GARAGE SERVICES

WASH SHOP Launderette 11 The Parade,Patchway Bristol BS34 5LP Tel : 0117 947 0284 www.patchwaylaunderette.co.uk

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Taps, Washers Toilets, Cisterns Leaks, Blockages Tanks, Overflows Lead Pipes, Stopcocks….etc….

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