The Week In - Issue 720 - 9th March 2022

THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset

9th March 2022

Issue 720

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Good news and bad for Keynsham town centre construction work was under way. But now it has been confirmed that one-way traffic in the Bath direction will recommence next Friday.

But then on Monday 21st March, Rock Road will be closed to allow for a new sewer main to be laid. This is a necessary part of completion of the Alliance Homes development on Rock Road and the work was delayed from last year to avoid another road closure at the same time as the High Street.

The Ashton Way car parks will still be accessible but only from Charlton Road, and the signed diversion for traffic from the Saltford direction will be via the bypass to Hicks Gate and then along the Bristol Road to St John’s Church. Rock Road will be closed from Temple Street to The Labbott. Parking restrictions will be in place on Park Road and West View Road with the latter becoming oneway in a northerly direction. Further restrictions will apply on Rock Road for the second phase of work on the Alliance Homes site from 11th April.

The A4, 39 and 178 buses towards Bristol High Street

The good news for Keynsham residents is a confirmed date for the reopening of Keynsham High Street – but the bad news is that it will be immediately followed by the three-week closure of Rock Road.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has announced that the first phase of the High Street redevelopment will come to an end on Friday 18th March.

The project was delayed both by lockdown and issues with the carriageway, which only became apparent once

Also in this week’s issue

Waste-to-energy plant recommended for refusal . . . page 2

More support for Ukraine crisis . . . page 4

Rock Road

Airport and Bristol will be diverted from Bath Hill along Temple Street and then via Albert Road, Queens Road, Charlton Park and Charlton Road to pick up their route at St John’s Church. In the opposite direction they (along with the 349 bus) will no longer need to travel along Ashton Way but will use the new bus stop on Keynsham High Street. Details have not yet been confirmed as to how the 17 will turn around at the Keynsham terminus but is likely to follow the same route as the one above.

In order to facilitate resurfacing of the High Street prior to reopening, overnight closures have been in place this week (7th to 9th March) and will be so again next Tuesday to Thursday.

Time capsule discovery at Kingswood . . . page 6

Cautious welcome for bus funding announcement . . . page 13

Supersize power plant recommended for refusal Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee was today (Wednesday) considering plans for a huge waste-to-power plant near Keynsham.

Council officers were recommending refusal on four grounds – that it is not in a location deemed acceptable for such a facility; it would result in an unacceptable impact on highway safety; would be inappropriate development within the Green Belt; and would harm protected species, including bats and barn owls.

Officers say the proposal will not save more emissions from renewable energy generation than it creates from its annual operation alone.

A previous unfinished anaerobic digester (AD) plant at the site in Charlton Field Lane closed more than four years ago when administrators were appointed.

Resourceful Energy Anaerobic Ltd want to increase capacity from the previously approved 25,000 tonnes of organic material per annum to 92,000 tonnes. The facility would

produce gas and electricity for local grid networks and the company would restore ecology in the old quarry.

The campaign group Protect Our Keynsham Environment (POKE) has coordinated opposition to the proposal and there have been more than 800 objections.

Keep an eye on our website and see next week’s issue for a full report on the outcome of the meeting.

Private Eye highlights interference in case The Environment Agency (EA) has apologised after one of its staff interfered in the anaerobic digester planning matter.

In their latest edition, Private Eye reported that on campaign group POKE’s Facebook page, a comment was posted by a Clara Palmer who accused the campaigners of “misleading people” by referring to the proposed plant as “super-sized”. She wrote: “Please remove the false wording. I feel it reduces the credibility of your campaign.”

POKE investigated to see who she was, initially thinking she might be an employee of the applicant Resourceful

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Energy Anaerobic Ltd. Private Eye said: “They were shocked to discover she is an employee of the EA, whose responsibilities include issuing and monitoring pollution permits.”

The publication quoted an EA spokesman saying: “Clara has apologised for her actions. She will not be involved with any environmental permit application relating to this site.”

This week POKE confirmed the accuracy of the Private Eye report.

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

Dawn steps up to become town clerk Keynsham Town Council has announced the appointment of Dawn Drury as the new town clerk.

Dawn was previously the council’s deputy clerk.

This week Andy Wait, chair of Keynsham Town Council, said: “I am very pleased that Dawn Drury applied and was successful in becoming our new town clerk.

“She has been employed by the council since 2010 and during the difficult times of COVID and then staff shortages, she has been a tower of strength, effectively covering the town clerk and deputy town clerk roles together. Dawn's is the first of a series of new appointments as the town council responds to the needs of a larger community. We look forward to working with her to make Keynsham an even better place.”

Cllr Deb Cooper, chair of personnel, said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to appoint Dawn to this post. Over the last decade and more she has dedicated herself to working with many organisations in the local area and can often be seen around wearing one of her many ‘hats’ – whether it be representing the town council in formal meetings, marshalling events in her ‘hi-viz’ jacket, planting for Keynsham in Bloom or putting out the deckchairs by the bandstand in the park.

“She is the right person to take the council forward at this exciting time for our town - we are so lucky to have her.”

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

Sweet shop targeted again Scrumptious Sweets in Keynsham High Street has been targeted again, less than a fortnight after a previous break-in during which sweets and chocolates were stolen.

Owner Pam Garrie said that three youths were seen on CCTV

attempting to break into the shop in the early hours of last Wednesday morning. A window was broken.

CCTV footage has been passed to the police.

The break-in on 18th February was the second in five months.

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Communities rally to support Ukrainian refugees Communities are rallying to support the people of wartorn Ukraine.

Emersons Green Village Hall has been a collection point for essential items and at the weekend the first batch was taken over to the Ukraine border. A second load went out this week.

The Ukrainian flag flying over Kingswood Civic Centre this week

THE WEEK IN

This week the team at the hall said there has been such an overwhelming response that they have no room for any more donations and were finding an alternative drop-off point.

St Anne’s CE VC Primary School in Oldland Common is also a collection point and local resident Julija Bausiene is due to take the first load across to Ukraine on Friday. Items needed include first aid kits, disinfectants, batteries (AA + AAA), blankets, sleeping bags and mats, disposable nappies, pasta, canned food, instant soups, and pet food. The collections at the school are set to continue.

In Keynsham last week, with just 24 hours’ notice, people took along items including toiletries to Studio 11 Aerial Fitness in Charlton Road which were then taken to Glastonbury from where an aid trip set off for Poland to

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

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

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The vigil in Mangotsfield

help fleeing Ukrainian refugees.

A vigil was held at the old Dame School in Mangotsfield on Sunday evening. A service with prayers was led by local pastor Clive Heath, followed by the laying of candles, and £203 was collected for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

B&NES Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council have all offered their support to refugees.

Keynsham Now: standing firm with Ukraine Connie Seymour, a member of Keynsham Now youth town council, has been moved by the unfolding events in Ukraine to pen this article and poem for The Week In. As are many, members of KeynshamNow are dismayed by the ruthless acts of the Russian government causing unjust tragedy to Ukraine alongside threats to liberal democracy.

As fellow Europeans, we direct a compassionate message to the citizens of Ukraine: we support you. We wish you peace, safety and courage to continue to battle for your nation and its democracy that would collapse upon Russia’s undesired success. As a youth town council, we stand firm with the young people of Ukraine.

While Russia’s failure is in our greatest interest, we must remember this is an act of the Russian government, not the Russian people, and discrimination shall not exist or be tolerated. Only those behind the devastation shall deserve blame.

From the very heart of Keynsham Now, Slava Ukraini.

As your skies are lit with burning flames, I lay and pray your sovereignty remains, Even with the hunger of a blood-thirsty beast, The streets of your country shall not be seized.

I wish you peace while you fight the inhumane, With Molotov cocktails consisting of butane, the umbrella over your heads is now martial law, as you watch your homes be shredded raw.

Huddled in shelters and inoperable metro stations, Awaiting your heroic soldiers to protect your foundations, With your children delivering haunting cries, I can only imagine the fear in their eyes.

Dear Putin and your bloody hands, That have stained the peace of all our lands, Success will never fall in favour of such disgrace, Dig your own grave as karma you will face.

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

Sharing the secrets of time capsule found at historic Tabernacle A time capsule has been found in the wall of the Whitfield Tabernacle in Kingswood during restoration work.

Site manager Adrian Crompton, from historic building conservation specialists Carrek Ltd, says the bottle containing several items was found in the east wall of the Grade I listed building which is being turned into a community arts venue.

It had been placed there in the mid-1930s by James Gardner, caretaker at the Tabernacle at the time who lived in the nearby Chapel House. The capsule contained items relating to the erection of a plaque held two decades previously in honour of George Whitfield, one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement in the 18th century.

The event also honoured John Cennick, a contemporary of Whitfield.

The poster was one of the items found in the time capsule

James Gardner was succeeded as caretaker at the Tabernacle by his son James Edward Gardner, who also lived in the Chapel House with his family, including daughters Pat and Carol. They had been told about the capsule by their grandfather so were thrilled to hear it had been found and were invited to visit the Tabernacle in Park Road last month.

Pat Jefferies and Carol Nutland, as they now are, were shown around by Adrian Crompton and joined by trustees Amy Curtis and Kim Scudamore, who is also a South Gloucestershire councillor. Carol’s son Ben, who is also a South Gloucestershire councillor, accompanied them.

Built as a school and a meeting house, the Tabernacle dates from 1741 and was extended in 1802 and 1830. It went on to serve the Kingswood community in many ways. But it was a derelict shell for decades after being vandalised and damaged by fire.

It was acquired in 2019 by the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust and is now being restored.

Pat and Carol recalled memories and knowledge of the Tabernacle, including of the harvest suppers held there, that it was used as a polling station and by the Home Guard during the Second World War. Kim presented the sisters with copies of two of the items found in the buried glass bottle – a page from the Western Daily Press dated Wednesday April 30th 1913 about a forthcoming event at the Tabernacle and a copy of a poster advertising the event on Saturday May 3rd.

The capsule also included an order of service for the event and a letter inviting people to

From left, Cllr Ben Nutland, Pat Jefferies, Carol Nutland, trustees Kim Scudamore & Amy Curtis, and site manager Adrian Crompton

attend.

There are plans to place the items in another capsule for reburial, along with present-day items. The trustees welcome ideas for what could be included and are also looking for old photos.

Kim said: “We’re really trying to build up an archive of any memories, but especially photos, of how the Tabernacle has been used in the past.”

Email kim.scudamore@whitfieldtabernacle .org or call 0117 9322723.

Inside the tabernacle

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

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Controversial housing plan involving former council land is refused The latest attempt to build houses next to Kingswood Rugby Club has been refused.

Horizon Construction Bristol Ltd sought permission in principle for the plot behind 58-68 Grimsbury Road for a maximum of five houses.

A South Gloucestershire Council planning officer had recommended approval, but the development management committee last Thursday refused the application, saying it would lead to conflict between vehicles and pedestrians using the access lane and would be a cramped development.

There were 20 objections and local councillor Alison Evans said multiple previous planning applications for the site had been refused.

She said that although planning for three detached houses was approved in 2017, it was when the council was unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply of housing. “This situation has changed and is not currently the case.” That permission has now lapsed.

Cllr Evans said that in 2018, a bid for six homes was refused. One of the reasons was that the increase from three to six could lead to additional conflict between vehicles and pedestrians using the access lane. She said: “I believe the increase from three to five dwellings would still increase conflict.”

Last year the developer applied to build a block of nine apartments but the council said it was “overly ambitious” but did concur that it might be possible to accommodate a

reduced number of flats, suggesting a maximum of six.

At last week’s development management committee meeting, a representative for the developer said they had purchased extra land from the council to enable the access to be widened so two cars can pass.

But local resident Helen Davis, representing her neighbours, said the applicant had no right to use the lane, which would be a fourth access onto a miniroundabout, and that Grimsbury Road is already very busy. She said the lane, which had never been used as a road, has been dug up and resurfaced by the developer.

She added: “I have been advised directly by the applicant that they have purchased two more plots of land adjacent to the site – significantly one of these is the bottom field of the rugby club, sold to them by the council and not advised to the residents.

“The site you are considering today involves a single access way, subject to a civil dispute with the residents of Grimsbury Road and Baden Road which the developer intends to use as the sole access to this site and further much more significant development of the adjacent plots.”

A report from the council’s planning officer said the lane is unregistered land and

The mini- roundabout

although there could be covenants that neither the planning authority nor the applicant is aware of, this would be a civil

matter. Meanwhile concerns that work had started appeared to be clearance rather than development, the officer added.

Recent crimes in Keynsham Someone forced a window to try to break into a home on Edinburgh Road in Keynsham at around 11pm on Sunday 27th February.

Police say the resident heard a number of bangs and the burglar alarm going off at that time but reset it as they thought it had gone off by mistake. They only realised that there had been an attempted break-in at about 8.30am the following day when glass from the window was found in the hallway. A motorbike was damaged while parked behind a home on Teviot Road in Keynsham during the night of Sunday 27th February. The fuel pipe was cut, flooding the area with petrol.

Someone attempted to force the front door of a home on Park Road in Keynsham at approximately 10pm on the same night.

The door and frame were damaged but no entry was gained.

Meanwhile a crowbar-type implement was used to force the front door to a home on Bath Road in Keynsham between 6.45pm and 7.45pm on Monday 28th February. A search of the rooms was made but it is believed that the only thing missing was a passport.

If you have any information regarding any of these incidents contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Fairtrade Fortnight coffee morning

The access lane

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Saltford Fairtrade Group supported Fairtrade Fortnight by holding a successful coffee morning at Saltford Village Hall, with more than 50 people coming to enjoy a drink and homemade cakes made by the Fairtrade group and their families.

The organisers said this shows the support for Fairtrade in the local area and the reason why Saltford is called a Fairtrade village. Thank you to all the organisations who supported this event including the local branches of Waitrose, Tesco, Co-op

an Saltford Community Association.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Look out for the Fairtrade logo on products such as tea, coffee, sugar, bananas, wine, spices, dried fruit, chocolates and biscuits.

For further information contact saltfordfairtrade@hotmail.co.uk. Further details can also be found at www.fairtrade.org.uk/

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

Helping Brislington and Stockwood recover from the pandemic Events are being held in Brislington and Stockwood this weekend as Bristol City Council works to support local shopping hubs as they emerge from the pandemic.

With £4.7m available to invest in the 10 priority hubs across the city, which include Brislington Village and the shops in Hollway Road and Stockwood Road, the council has been seeking suggestions from local people.

The most popular improvement suggestions for Brislington Village have been for greenery and floral displays, more seating and culture/events.

Half of the businesses surveyed there recorded a decrease in footfall over the previous 12 months and only half were

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

confident about their survival over the next 12 months.

There was a mixed response as to their level of satisfaction with the area and a lot of complaints about the footbridge, which is felt to be an eyesore.

Feedback on the hub at Stockwood Road/Hollway Road found it was generally seen as being tired and dilapidated but has the benefit of a car park and large open area which has potential to host events and for additional seating.

Stockwood businesses generally reported a decline in footfall over the last year and fewer than half felt confident about the next 12 months. The most popular improvements local residents, businesses and organisations said they would like to see are more seating, more greenery and floral displays, culture and events and litter/recycling improvements.

As part of its City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal Programme, the council has arranged for creative

Stockwood

workshops in both Brislington and Stockwood this Saturday (12th March) to understand what kind of artistic and cultural activities or events people would like to see.

There will be a workshop from 10am to 1pm near the precinct and parade of shops in Brislington and another on the square outside the Co-op in Stockwood from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.

Register for the workshops and find out more at https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/highstreet-improvements

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LETTERS Keynsham legend will be much missed Dear Editor I was devastated to hear that Julie Matthews from Keynsham had passed away. People who used her services were never disappointed, her reputation went far and wide.

For me, she redesigned our curtains when we moved to fit the new house, splitting them vertically and horizontally! She has made cushions, sewn patches, mended pockets, altered dresses, endless jobs. I never worried if an item of clothing I wanted to buy needed altering because I was safe in the knowledge that oh, Julie can fix that!

She was always friendly and stopped for a chat wanting to know all about my family, a very happy lady.

I recommended her to my family and friends and all have used her services. Her work was beautiful, neat and precise .I only have one criticism - she never charged us enough. A friend who had full length curtains altered thought Julie said £90 which she thought was fair and counted out the money, Julie was Horrified - no £19, she wanted.

I am too old to pick up a needle, let alone thread one. What a legend she was in Keynsham. Julie was known to hundreds of us and will be sorely missed.

Liz Kingston • Julie’s funeral is on 21st March at 2.30pm at Haycombe Crematorium in Bath.

1,000kg of rubbish collected from bypass Dear Editor I was pleased to see Keynsham Bypass being cleared of litter last week. Council crews were working hard to pick up scattered waste. You could see food and drinks packaging and several more unusual items,

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such as a child’s bouncy seat, which were clearly fly-tipped.

There is some disruption for traffic during the process as lanes have to be coned off to protect workers hand-picking rubbish. It’s unpleasant, hard work and I think we all owe the crews our patience.

Waste services later reported that an enormous amount of rubbish was collected.

The 85 bags of litter and fly-tipping weighed about 1,000kg – “the same weight as an adult walrus or 2 male adult grizzly bears!”

How much better it would be if people took their litter home instead of dropping it by the side of the road! We could save the cost of cleaning up and our teams could spend their time on constructive projects. Something to think about.

For the time being, the Sisyphean task continues, and the Lib Dem administration has boosted funding so the bypass will be cleaned four times a year. We’ve also allocated £1m extra investment in the coming year to make B&NES cleaner and greener, whether it’s graffiti removal or unblocking drains. After Keynsham, the team moved on to the A37 between Chelwood roundabout and Clutton.

Hal MacFie Liberal Democrat councillor for Keynsham East

Home truths Dear The Week In I live in St Paul's and work in Hanham.

Really interesting to see the journalism on housing developments. Noticed the comments (Issue 718) that four houses at Somerdale aren’t much in the scheme of things for Taylor Wimpey.

If you search for Hanham on Rightmove, the estates recently being built are at around £260,000-£350,000 a flat. So even four becomes a £1m-£1.5m project managed by

the developer.

All for the café and all for financial sense to be used by planning officers.

Sophie Cooper

Council being ‘petty’ over colour of pub Dear Editor I cannot believe the fuss that has been going on about the ‘blue’ Old Bank pub in Keynsham.

I would have hoped that the council had more important things to occupy their time and energy on than faffing about what colour blue should be used on a building which is so close to a ‘pink’ building that surely must mean it also contravenes some sort of law.

But now apparently the new imposed colour the council has ordered to be done within four months will have “a more positive impact on the character and significance of the Old Bank".

At the end of the day, with so much more important things happening in the world, does anyone really care about such petty things.

Julia Chandler

Beware of greenwash Dear Editor As West of England Metro Mayor I’m hugely proud that the people of our great region are more aware and determined to protect the planet than anywhere else in the UK. We are certainly ahead of our local politicians when we look at the record of our area for the past generation or so. As we all know, words are easy - while actions that really help the planet have been too few.

Greenwash – the deliberate putting out of misleading information to suggest an environmentally responsible image – has become rife and it has fooled too many politicians.

Politicians’ desire to appear green, is of course, highest prior to elections – like the local elections we have across B&NES and South Gloucestershire next year in 2023. The public therefore have to be particularly questioning in the countdown to polling day to see if politicians’ deeds really do match their words!

The regional pledge to have net zero CO2 emissions by 2030 is hugely ambitious. As Metro Mayor, with responsibility for a population of over a million people, I worry if we can do it. The decision to allow the latest expansion of Bristol airport is a big setback. Airport bosses have used greenwash aplenty expecting all of us to make the CO2 cuts needed, while they want special treatment for themselves, to drive a massive coach and horses through our important net zero target.

But airports are not alone in greenwashing.

Across the country profit-before-planet businesses use greenwash to get supersized anaerobic digester power stations built.

Really careful analysis of claimed environmental benefits is critical.

B&NES councillors are about to decide on such a power station just downwind of Keynsham. Councillors from all political parties claim to be against this site in the Green Belt. They are all saying that specially growing maize to fuel such a plant is not green because it is unsustainable. They all say our region has enough such power plants already. They all say they are concerned about thousands of extra HGV journeys on our narrow streets. They all object to inappropriate noise, smell and health concerns for local people.

Let’s see which local politicians actually back their green words with actions. And I promise you this: I will be watching closely along with you, and I will be calling out those who let down our planet, and our local communities, at this time of climate and

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

LETTERS ecological emergency.

Dan Norris West of England Regional Mayor

South Glos Council has misled the public Dear Editor I noticed that no tree planting (or any planting at all) had taken place on the throughabout on the Ring Road and queried this with South Gloucestershire Council as the consultation clearly stated: "Approximately 30 existing trees on roundabout to be removed and to be replaced elsewhere."

"Perennial plants providing colourful naturalistic planting in a sustainable manner."

I received this response from an engineer from South Gloucestershire Council: “The trees shown on the

consultation plan were indicative and it was hoped some planting could take place here. However, during the detailed design it was established we were not able to plant these trees due to the number of underground utilities in these areas, primarily the surface water drainage, electrical supplies to the traffic signs and the ducting to the traffic signals. This was in addition to the need for maintenance hardstandings on both sides.”

I am not amused by this response - the public have been misled by South Gloucestershire Council.

The documents the public were consulted on have been changed/altered with no consultation. This roundabout is an eyesore, it does not blend into the environment. There is no planting on it as we were led to believe, yet they can put advertising signs on it!

Other roundabouts on the Ring Road

have trees and plants on them, yet they do not interfere with the utilities. Why were the trees previously there then if they interfered with the utilities? No other roundabouts have maintenance hardstandings either. The public did not want this roundabout in the first place and South Gloucestershire Council did not listen, as per usual.

Sarah Freeman

A step too far Dear Editor I thought I’d write to point out that whilst the building of steps going down Stockwood Vale by a group of volunteers was very altruistic, a problem has arisen. Due to the washing away of the gravel between the steps, they’ve subsequently become a dangerous tripping hazard.

A bruised walker

Sewage plant capacity improvement plans approved Wessex Water has been granted planning permission for a scheme which will improve capacity at its sewage purification works at Saltford.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has granted approval for five kiosks containing control equipment for the wastewater treatment plant at Mead Lane. A landscaping bund on a field next to the centre will screen views. The council acknowledged that it will be inappropriate development in the Green Belt but that the required expansion and the positive impact of a properly designed bund are “very special circumstances” which can justify permission.

Work is expected to start early next year.

Meanwhile Wessex Water has started preparation work including the removal of hedgerows on the A431 on the outskirts of Swineford - to make way for a construction compound for a new bridge over the River Avon and a link road to the A431.

Planning permission was granted by B&NES last December. The new infrastructure will remove Wessex Water traffic from Saltford’s narrow roads.

Public Notice

Grants from Keynsham Town Council Keynsham Town Council’s Annual Grant Awards will be open to applications from 1st April.

The council will consider applications for financial assistance from properly constituted clubs and societies, voluntary and charitable bodies or not-for-profit organisations. Applications must demonstrate a direct benefit to the Keynsham town area, or its residents. The primary intention of the scheme is to support new events/projects/items in the town and the maximum grant payable to any one organisation will be £1,100.

A grant fund of £22,000 has been set aside for community

grants along with a further £15,000 to support environmental projects that will bring a direct benefit to the Keynsham town area.

The closing date for applications is 13th May and applicants will hear from the town council a month later. A presentation for successful applicants will then take place on 21st July at The Space in Keynsham.

Application packs can be downloaded after 1st April from the grants page on the council’s website at www.keynshamtc.gov.uk or for more information contact admin@keynsham-tc.gov.uk

Sudoku 1-Easy

SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 13th March

2 -Hard

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

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

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New mural depicts Kingswood’s history People taking the No 17 bus or driving or walking along Hanham Road towards Kingswood will be struck by the huge mural appearing at Cecil Road on the side of a building overlooking the small park next to it.

It depicts Kingswood at various times in its history. There is an acknowledgement of Kingswood Forest in the 11th or 12th century, with a knight in armour making his way through the dense woodland.

Also celebrating the area's mining industry, a miner is to be seen hacking his way through rock, bringing the precious commodity used by homeowners and businesses in the area.

John Wesley and other famous images from Kingswood are also being depicted in this epic tribute to Kingswood which has been organised by the Friends of Kingswood Park with

Football club’s plans Plans have been submitted to South Gloucestershire Council for a new changing facility building and a 74seat viewing stand at Wick Football Club.

Six floodlight columns are also proposed along with sixmetre high fencing to the north of the site in Oldbury Lane.

The planning reference is P22/00270/F.

Crossword

Meeting for the second time in two weeks, a majority of elected members of Bristol City Council voted in favour of the coming year’s budget presented by the Mayor Marvin Rees. It contains amendments put forward by councillors during their first meeting on 15th February.

A 2.99% rise in council tax from April that includes a 1% precept aimed at generating funding for adult social care services was agreed.

The council has said there will need to be further consultation to deliver proposed savings in the coming year.

Over 50s Forum event funds from the National Lottery. The artist is Jim Whittaker.

Janice Suffolk, who is known for her activities with Juice, the community organisation at Cadbury Heath, has recently been appointed as the Friends’ activities development officer and if anyone would like to get involved with this group she can be contacted at janice.suffolk@southglos.gov.uk or by phone on 01454 8642121 or 0759 210 7649.

Christine Rogers

Charity coffee morning There will be a charity coffee morning at Saltford Golf Club tomorrow (Thursday) from 10am to noon.

Entry is £1.50 and there will be lots of stalls.

All proceeds will go to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Slide (7)

1. Ceases (5)

5. Tree sap (5)

2. Asian country (5)

8. Playing card (3)

3. Rumour (7)

9. Elderly unmarried woman (3,4)

4. Type of tyre (6)

10. Group of witches (5)

6. Grassland (7)

11. Chairs (5) 13. Organise (7) 15. Competent (4) 17. Sufferer (6) 19. Reach (6) 22. Highest point (4) 24. Therein (anag.) (7) 26. Sea movements (5) 29. Diadem (5) 30. Melodic (7) 31. Organ of sight (3) 32. Staple food (5) 33. Earmark (7)

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City council agrees budget

The South Gloucestershire Over 50s Forum are holding an event at Lyde Green Community Centre on Wednesday 16th March from 2pm to 4pm.

The speaker will be Toby Savage, leader of South Gloucestershire Council.

Many organisations will have stalls at the event. Anyone over the age of 50 is welcome. For more details call 07426 862121.

Seedy Saturday The annual seed swap is back this Saturday (12th March) at Timsbury’s Conygre Hall.

Seedy Saturday is for keen growers and anyone aiming for a more sustainable lifestyle.

It will run from 10am to 2pm and entry costs £1 (under 16s free). Find out more at www.seedysaturday.org.uk

5. Happen again (5)

7. Cotton fabric (7) 12. Epoch (3) 14. Paper quantity (4) 16. Scottish hillside (4) 17. Taxi (7) 18. Rootstock (7) 20. Lockjaw (7) 21. Anger (3) 23. Shell-hole (6) 25. Sharpened (5) 27. Postpone (5) 28. Work out (5)

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Man who helped set up Keynsham’s ambulance station passes away The man who helped to set up Keynsham’s ambulance station in the 1960s has died at the age of 91.

Chris Face, of Caernarvon Road, had been suffering from illhealth for some time.

He passed away at the Royal United Hospital in Bath on 19th February and leaves wife Mary and a daughter, Caroline.

One of three children, Chris was born in Winscombe in North Somerset on Christmas Eve, 1930. His brother passed away 15 years ago and his sister lives in Canada.

In 1949 Chris signed up to five years in the RAF. For most of that time he was based in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He worked as a radar mechanic and was involved in aerial raids

Art exhibition There will be an art exhibition at St James the Great Church at Abson this weekend (12th & 13th March).

The exhibition will be open from 10.30am to 3.30pm on Saturday and from 11am to 3pm on Sunday.

Work produced by the North Wraxall Artists during lockdown will be on sale.

Tea and coffee will be available at the exhibition.

Proceeds will go to church funds.

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

on bandits in Malaya.

At a loose end when he returned to England, he saw an advert for an acrobat to join a troupe and got the job, performing on the variety stage alongside the likes of Billy Dainty and Hylda Baker.

On returning to the Bristol area, he got a job with the city’s ambulance service. He met Mary, who worked in the control room, and they married in 1960.

The following year Chris was approached about setting up a branch of the Somerset ambulance service in Keynsham, initially based at the town’s hospital. He took the job, which came with tied accommodation.

He loved the 37 years he spent working as an ambulance man. He retired in 1995 but went on to work as a handyman and gardener at West View Surgery in Keynsham, where Mary was also employed.

As well as working together at the start and end of their careers in the health service, the couple shared a love of sailing. They initially joined Bristol Avon Sailing Club in Saltford in 1970 and then the Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club in 1980 where Chris started a group for disabled sailors that is still going today.

Chris had to give up sailing in his mid-80s. In later years he had a heart operation and three hip replacements, as well as

Chris Face

suffering from vocal chord palsy.

His funeral is at Haycombe Crematorium in Bath on Monday 14th March at 11.30am.

Donations to the RNLI can be made through Clarkson’s funeral directors in Saltford.

11

The Community Page The Friends of Siston Commons share the good news that they have received a grant to boost nature and biodiversity avenue of trees along the main footpath and a new community orchard of heritage variety fruit trees. There will also be two new ponds, a new footpath and some additional benches that will encourage visitors to access and enjoy the meadow throughout the seasons.

A recent study found that the UK has on average about half its biodiversity left, far below the global average of 75%.

Since 1970, there has been on average almost a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. It is thought that one million animal and plant species, almost a quarter of the global total, are threatened with extinction. Action to address this decline, at the global, national, and local level is of vital importance.

The project being undertaken by the Friends of Siston Commons will provide a welcome boost for nature and help to increase biodiversity in the area. It is an important component of the larger Common Connections project, which seeks to improve, expand and better connect important habitats along the Bristol and South Gloucestershire border.

The award from Enovert has helped to secure funding from WECA for this larger project.

The Friends of Siston Commons have been awarded a £50,000 grant by the Enovert Community Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund.

The grant will fund an exciting landscape improvement project taking place in the northern end of the Siston Common, helping the Friends to achieve their aims of protecting the environment, and conserving and promoting biological diversity.

The project is backed by South Gloucestershire Council’s Commons and Biodiversity Assets team and the council has provided the 10% match funding needed to secure the Enovert grant.

Most of the grassland found in Siston Common is rich in different wildflower and meadow grass species. This increasingly rare and precious habitat supports a wonderful

diversity of plant life, insects, butterflies, moths, birds, bats and other mammals. It has evolved through centuries of grazing without the use of artificial nutrients, fertilisers, or intensive agricultural practices.

In the northern end of the commons, there is a different story to be told. Here in recent decades the grass has been managed more for sport and recreation and as a consequence it is much less diverse. With changing priorities and less demand, far less of this area now needs to be managed in this way. This creates an opportunity to recreate a stunning wildflower-rich meadow across the remaining area, extending the habitat needed for beautiful and rare plants and creatures to find a home and prosper.

In addition to the creation of the wildflower meadow, the Friends, supported by the council, will also plant a new

James Hackett, chair of the Friends, said: “We are thrilled to receive this generous funding from Enovert and South Gloucestershire Council and we are looking forward to involving local residents of all ages in helping us to carry out the exciting plans for this part of the commons which will improve the area for humans as well as wildlife, giving us all hope for the future.”

Angela Haymonds, trust manager of Enovert Community Trust (ECT), said: “Funding projects that contribute towards increasing biodiversity is a priority for the trustees of ECT and we are delighted to be able to support this important project. ECT’s award of £50,000 will hopefully open up other funding opportunities to enable significant environmental improvements to be made over the next few years on this site.”

Bitton Parish History Group’s programme of events Local residents can fire up their enthusiasm for finding out about our past with an exciting spring and summer of talks and visits planned by Bitton Parish History Group.

On Thursday 24th March Professor Ronald Hutton will give a talk entitled Famine and Plague in Early Modern England.

In the Tudor and Stuart period people suffered regularly from famine and devastating epidemic diseases. This talk looks, with some special reference to the Bristol area, at what we can learn from these killers and their effects, and how they were experienced at the time. It also tackles directly the question of when and how they were finally brought to an end. Join the talk at 7pm for 7.30pm at North Common Village Hall, Millers Drive.

On Tuesday 10th May at 2pm there will be a visit to Saltford Brass Mill which was part of a major copper, zinc and brass industry in the Avon Valley, supplying an international trading market.

It all started with coal-fired smelting of Cornish copper ores on the banks of the Avon using Bristol coal and finished with a thriving industry making brassware for trade with West 12

Africa and the Caribbean. Such pots and pans supported the For further information email Mike Gates, secretary of Bitton triangular slave trade which contributed to the creation of the Parish History Group, at Mg122@btinternet.com or call 0117 wealth of Bristol and Bath.

9328777.

A visit is planned to Warmley Grotto in June or July. William The group’s website is www.bittonhistory.org.uk Champion’s zinc-making business in Warmley became Mike Gates successful in the late 18th century, and he built himself an elegant and imposing new house with surrounding gardens laid out in the then popular Dutch style. A focal point was a 10-metre high statue of the god Neptune with his trident. The statue is still there and is believed to be the largest garden statue now standing in the country. The garden also features extensive man-made grottos which are fun to explore.

Later in the summer there will be a talk by local author David Noble about life at the chocolate factory at Somerdale in Keynsham.

Everyone is welcome at the history group’s talks and visits. It is not necessary to be a member and The statue of Neptune there is no charge.

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

development Cautious welcome for bus ‘Car-free’ proposed for town centre funding announcement Bus companies and the West of England Combined Authority are waiting anxiously to see how much of a £150m Government funding package will make its way to the local area.

As we have reported in previous editions of The Week In, bus services have been at risk of further cuts after the Government’s COVID emergency funding ran out last year.

Despite appeals from the bus industry and Metro Mayors around the country, the Department for Transport (DfT) had until last week refused to consider extending the Bus Recovery Grant beyond the end of this month.

But last Tuesday (1st March) Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that £150m would be made available to bus operators to take them through to October, by which time the assumption has to be that passenger levels will have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The announcement from the DfT made clear that this was the last tranche of financial support and that the money was also for light rail networks as well as buses.

While the announcement has been welcomed by transport chiefs in the region, they are also holding back until more details of the funding allocation are published.

West of England Regional Mayor Dan Norris said: "Finally there is some 11th hour common sense from the Government.

But why did it take so long? I was calling for this back in September last year. So much heartache could have been

Location of new jubilee park remains a mystery The location of a brand new £500,000 park in Cadbury Heath to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee remains a mystery.

As we reported in Issue 715 at the start of February, South Gloucestershire Council is proposing the significant investment at “an existing open space” to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.

As well as enhancing the site with landscaping, paths and planting, the new park will focus on the promotion of biodiversity and nature recovery in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh to celebrate his love for wildlife and nature.

The new park has been welcomed by ward councillors and MP Chris Skidmore – but with less than three months to go before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations kick off, local people are still pondering where it might be as there has been no further announcement.

There is speculation however that the site could either be Tarzan Park at Coronation Road or on part of the former Warmley Golf Course.

Cadbury Heath falls under Oldland parish and at the parish council’s planning, highways and environment committee meeting last Wednesday, members said they had yet to be consulted about the new park but are keen to find out more.

The Week in • Wednesday 9th March 2022

avoided.

"As always, the devil will be in the detail. I await further information on exactly how much of this cash is specifically for our region.

"Now we urgently need more local people to start using the buses again - it’s that old adage - use it or lose it.

"The greater number of passengers travelling on the buses the more fare income there is, so buses become commercially viable to run.”

Shops and flats planned for old garage site on A37 Plans have been drawn up for a mixed use development on the site of an old vehicle repair garage in Whitchurch Village.

Creo Property Solutions have submitted a proposal to Bath & North East Somerset Council to demolish Central Garage, which is next to Westin Care Home on the A37 Bristol Road.

The developers plan to build two commercial units and two flats above, (one with two bedrooms and one with one bedroom) after first de-contaminating the site.

Their architects say that it is an opportunity for a high quality development, modest in scale and proportionate to the heritage of the village. They add that the proposals aim to be in line with the general trend in new legislation for increasing opportunities for walking, cycling, the use of public transport and limited use of ultra-low emission private vehicles.

As a result, only single parking spaces are proposed for each flat, equipped with electric rapid charging points and additional space for bike storage.

The planning application reference is 22/00757/FUL and the deadline for comments is 21st March.

There are plans to turn a vacant commercial building in Kingswood into five flats with no parking.

The Rokform Group has told South Gloucestershire Council it plans to convert the building at the rear of 23 Downend Road.

The site has no off-street parking and the development would effectively be “car-free”, according to the application.

The developer says that as there are numerous frequent bus routes nearby, the site is relatively sustainable. A dedicated cycle store to provide sheltered and secure space for cycles is proposed as part of the development.

The planning reference is P22/00722/PNOR and the deadline for comments is Tuesday 22nd March.

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