The Week In - Issue 721 - 16th March 2022

THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset

16th March 2022

Issue 721

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Power plant plan is refused but campaigners are braced for appeal Controversial plans for a “massive and ugly” anaerobic digester plant near Keynsham have been refused but it is suspected that the developer will appeal.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee unanimously rejected the scheme by Resourceful Energy Anaerobic Ltd (REAL) for Charlton Field Lane.

REAL had applied to increase capacity from the previously approved 25,000 tonnes of organic materials or feedstocks per year to 92,000 tonnes, and to restore ecology in the old quarry at the site.

REAL director Phil Gerrard told Wednesday’s meeting: “This project takes waste food and agricultural residues and turns them into clean, carbon-neutral renewable energy. It will significantly increase the district’s renewable energy capacity and help tackle the climate emergency declared by the council three years ago. Also in the light of the huge challenges we now face on energy security, it’s a very timely opportunity.”

He claimed that the council planning officer’s report contained “misleading” and “significant inaccuracies”.

Speaking on behalf of campaign group Protect Our Keynsham Environment (POKE), which represents 847 objectors, planning consultant Rob Duff said the application involved a large AD facility and the retention and regrading of approximately 250,000 tonnes of unauthorised and unmonitored land-raising to form a hill to screen the plant.

Also in this week’s issue

He added: “This is not previously developed or brownfield land, as the applicant would have you believe, but a greenfield site within beautiful open countryside that has been damaged by unauthorised built development and unauthorised land-raising. The site should have been restored years ago.”

He added: “I have been a town planner for over 30 years and I’ve never before come across unauthorised development or proposed development as harmful to the Green Belt than the application before you. The AD facility is both massive and ugly but it’s dwarfed by the large hill.”

Saltford councillor Alistair Singleton, in whose ward the site lies, is the council’s member advocate for renewable energy.

He said he had been a supporter of the much smaller 2014 scheme, which was genuinely designed to convert food waste into green energy.

He said the current application lacked integrity and was loaded in places with “weasel words”.

“In reality food waste forms only a part of the mix of what is being proposed by REAL and where it will come from is not easy to ascertain. The B&NES food waste contract is committed to GENeco in Avonmouth for many years to come and suggestions that waste may be sourced and shipped in from neighbouring authorities such as South Glos or Wiltshire seem very fanciful and fraught with downsides such as HGV mileage, road congestion and diesel

Crime concerns over possible location of Cadbury Heath park . . . page 4

Latest efforts to help Ukraine . . . page 6

The site at Charlton Field Lane

emissions.”

Cllr Singleton added that a third of the plant’s operating emissions are expected to be methane, a significantly more damaging greenhouse gas than CO2, and the considerable emissions generated by the scheme’s construction would take years to pay back in operation.

“This is not a green or environmentally sound project. It is a damaging commercial enterprise masquerading in diaphanous green clothing. It is opposed by all the local town and parish councils.”

Cllr Alan Hale warned that many hundreds of homes in his Keynsham South ward would be affected directly by the inappropriate development and “28,000 additional HGV journeys per year on inappropriate roads”.

Continued on page 3

Tackling congestion in Longwell Green . . . page 7

Share your memories of Chasers nightclub with museum . . . page 9

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The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Power plant plan is refused Continued from page 1 Cllr Hale, who is the member advocate for road safety, said: “Whatever conditions might be imposed, there is every chance that some drivers, perhaps many, will abuse the Charlton Road weight restriction and drive through the town of Keynsham to reach or leave the site…. If they come through the town on Charlton Road then the HGVs will pass along routes to school for three primary schools and one secondary.”

In her statement, fellow ward councillor Lisa O’Brien said there are already AD facilities in the region not operating at capacity, as well as a large one being built at Shepton Mallet.

Publow and Whitchurch councillor Paul May said the power plant would do nothing for B&NES communities except create traffic chaos, lighting pollution, dangerous spores and smells.

Council officers were recommending refusal of the planning application on four grounds – that it’s not a suitable site, would harm road safety and severely impact the road network, would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would harm protected species including bats and barn owls.

The committee also refused the plans for three extra reasons put forward by ward councillor Duncan Hounsell – that it would cause harm to vulnerable people in terms of noise and air quality, would harm the openness of the Green Belt because of land raising, and could impact on the proposed ‘liveable neighbourhood’ scheme in Queen Charlton, which aims to reduce the dominance of vehicles.

Committee member Cllr Eleanor Jackson added: “We sympathise with the people at Avonmouth who have to put up with terrible smells and disruption and heavy vehicles and so on, but we don’t want our share of it here in B&NES, I’m afraid. It may be Nimbyism but this is beautiful Green Belt and it should be kept for the residents to enjoy.”

50th anniversary reunion at station Avon Valley Railway, based at Bitton Station, was formed 50 years ago as the Bristol Suburban Railway Society.

To commemorate this anniversary the railway is organising a reunion of those members who were part of its development in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.

The reunion will be held on Wednesday 13th April at the station.

There has been a problem tracking some of them down so if any of our readers were one of those members, or know one, you are asked to please contact Alan Matthews on 0772 174 8265 or email trustheritage@avonvalleyrailway.org

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Time for enforcement action, say objectors Campaign group Protect our Keynsham Environment (POKE) is calling for B&NES Council to take enforcement action against unauthorised work at the site at Charlton Field Lane following the refusal of planning permission.

POKE’s chair Kerry Morgan thanked councillors on the committee for “making the right decision” and the planning case officer for their work.

She added: “We are grateful to our many supporters and everyone who has contributed to the campaign over the past two years. We hope the applicant will choose not to appeal but if, as we suspect, they do, we will be ready to give our best case to the planning inspector.”

POKE said the council had previously refused to take enforcement action to secure the removal of the unauthorised landfill, which thanks to Cllr Duncan Hounsell, is now a reason for refusal, and had not taken action to require the restoration of the land in accordance with conditions attached to previous planning permissions at the site.

“POKE will now strongly request that enforcement action is taken as soon as possible and definitely before the applicant makes an appeal.”

West of England Mayor Dan Norris said he was pleased the planning committee had not fallen for REAL’s “greenwash”.

“Anaerobic digesters can be good for the environment but not when farmers plant extra crops to feed the power plant, rather than people. And not when they bring huge lorries to narrow roads in a beautiful part of the country, and noise and smells. This site has a long and troubled past. Let’s hope today truly does mark the death knell for these misguided and inappropriate plans for the Charlton Field Lane site.”

He added: “The applicant has six months in which to appeal and I suspect they are likely to do so.”

The Avon and Bristol branch of CPRE, the countryside

Campaigner Kerry Morgan with Dan Norris

charity, said: “A huge thank you and congratulations to our brilliant volunteers and everyone involved in POKE who have worked tirelessly to make the case against the proposals and to the councillors that spoke and ultimately voted to protect our beloved countryside.”

New community library Happy Days Nursery in Lyde Green launched a new children’s community library on World Book Day. The library is available outside the nursery, next to Lyde Green Primary School in Willowherb Road, between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday and everyone is encouraged to ‘borrow, share, donate’.

The nursery thanks those who have already donated and if anyone would like to donate children’s books they are asked to take them to the reception.

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Crime concerns over possible location of new Jubilee park Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a Community Trigger gives victims of persistent antisocial behaviour reported to any of the main responsible agencies, such as the council or police, the right to request a multi-agency review of their case.

At the local Community Engagement Forum (CEF) last Wednesday there was a discussion about the location of the new £500,000 park during which chair Janice Suffolk said she did not know whether South Gloucestershire Council had actually made a decision but from what she had read, it would probably go on the old golf course, which is also known as the old pitch and putt.

However, she stressed that it is local councillor Sam Bromiley's project, and as he was not at the meeting, the organisers would need to contact him to find out more.

Tarzan Park Speaking about the two Community Triggers, PC Phil Busvine said the police have been working with the council to address the problems. One resident said Barrs Court, Bitton, Brislington, he had requested bike gates Cadbury Heath, Compton Dando, by the stones near Brereton Corston, Downend, Emersons Green, Way to stop them getting Fishponds, Hanham, Hillfields, through on to the open space Keynsham, Kingswood, Longwell but the council did not seem Green, Mangotsfield, Marksbury, keen in investing money. PC North Common, Oldland Common, Busvine said he understood Pucklechurch, Saltford, Staple Hill, there were reasons for not Stockwood, St George, Warmley, doing that, including that it Whitchurch, Wick, Willsbridge. was not possible without 16,000 copies are distributed through installing big fences. retail outlets, libraries, pubs, Local resident and chair of community centres each week. the South Glos Over 50s Verified pick-up rate of 97%.

Forum Margaret Slucutt questioned whether this was The Week In Community Ltd, 8 Temple Court, Keynsham. BS31 1HA the right location for the 0117 986 0381 park: “You Janice did some www.theweekin.co.uk community development ISSN: 2052-9767 surveys and people said they’d like chairs in Publisher Stephen Rodgers admin@theweekin.co.uk Editor Becky Feather 07403 273967 Contributors Christine Rogers

Concerns were raised after a public meeting heard that the likely location of a new park to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is the old Warmley Golf Course.

At the same meeting the police had highlighted that there has been a spate of anti-social behaviour (ASB) around Brereton Way and the golf course, involving drugs and off-road motorbikes, sparking two Community Triggers.

THE WEEK IN

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The Brereton Way end of the old golf course

Coronation Park and perhaps some flowers. I just can’t understand why the council is wasting money to think about putting a garden in the place that is being suggested especially hearing that there are drugs and all sorts of things going on just opposite. I am just confused by it. I am trying to think about how residents would use it.

“I say that as a resident but also I represent the over 50s group. I feel that more money could be put in perhaps to the surrounds of Coronation Park, which we know is used for football, might be better used and feel safer for people who might want to use it.”

Local parish councillor Barry West commented on the lack of consultation regarding the new park and felt that investment might be better spent on Tarzan Park in Coronation Road.

This week a South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson told us: “No location for the new Jubilee park has been identified yet and there is no basis for the suggestion made at the CEF as we have not made any decisions or announced any potential sites. The South Gloucestershire Council is currently reviewing opportunities in the Cadbury Heath area and once we have identified any potential sites for the new park, we will be carrying out community engagement before any final decision is taken.”

Coronation Park

Help shape the future of South Glos Public consultation on South Gloucestershire Council’s new Local Plan Phase 2 is open and people are invited to have their say on how the district grows, changes and is protected over at least the next 15 years.

The council says on its website: “This is an important opportunity to shape the places that we live, work and socialise in; have a direct impact on quality of life, the natural

and built environment; have positive impacts on climate change, inequalities and encourage a green economy; and discuss choices and make decisions about where future homes and jobs might be located, and which areas should be protected.”

The consultation runs until 4th April. Find out more and have your say at https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/new-localplan

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Planning for improvements Neighbours’ backland development of 8 houses is approved to Keynsham Park Bath & North East Somerset Council is asking people who use Keynsham Park to take part in a survey about the issues and priorities for investment.

B&NES Council is working with the town council to make improvements to the park which includes the areas known as Keynsham Memorial Park, Abbey Park and Chew Park.

The aims of the Keynsham Park Improvement Project include ensuring it meets the needs of a wide range of users and protects and enhances nature as otters, kingfishers and Daubenton’s bats use the river corridor.

The plan also includes attracting more visitors to Keynsham, which will help stimulate the local economy, and increasing opportunities to improve health and wellbeing.

B&NES Council says that while budgets to maintain the parks are tight, it understands there are several issues that may be priorities for regular users – the play area equipment is nearing the end of its life, the footbridge near the bandstand needs replacing as it is has been closed since October 2019, and the river above the weir is filling with silt.

The council adds: “We want to know which areas you think are priorities for investment, and whether there are any other issues that impact your ability to use or enjoy the park.”

To have your say go to https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/keynshampark-improvement-project-survey The closing date is Friday 29th April.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Controversial plans to build eight houses in the back gardens of homes along the A431 at Longwell Green have been given the go-ahead.

The scheme involves land to the rear of 38 to 48 Stonehill. The open countryside at the rear is in the Green Belt. The planning application was revised since first being submitted to South Gloucestershire Council when it was for one detached house and eight semi-detached homes. It was amended and now the council has given approval for two detached houses and six semis.

The existing property at No 48 will be demolished to create access to the rear. The council received 27 objections and 11 comments in support of the application.

Hanham Abbots Parish Council supported the concerns of people living nearby that it would be a cramped development which would lead to overlooking and lack of privacy. The parish also voiced concerns about access onto the busy A431 near traffic lights.

But South Gloucestershire Council planners said that backland developments are a common feature of the area and that the proposed density is similar to nearby developments at Hillcroft Close and Hales Close.

They said that overall, although there will be some overlooking, it will not cause significant harm, and there are no highway objections.

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Support for Ukraine continues Efforts to support the people of Ukraine are being stepped up locally.

In Keynsham a new charity is being set up to help and items are urgently needed.

The list includes sanitary items, bodywash, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, flannels, nappies, wet wipes, food pouches, formula milk, dummies, towels, blankets, sleeping mats, ibuprofen/paracetamol, first aid kits, detergent and warm clothes.

Items must please be new or nearly new condition.

The drop-off points are St Dunstan's Church on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9am to 11am; St John's Church on weekdays from 9am to noon; and Community at 67 in Queens Road on Saturdays from 10am to noon.

Paul Popiel from Keynsham who has family in Ukraine is organising Zoom meetings for people who can offer help.

Email popiel_paul@hotmail.com or call 07704 327334.

Meanwhile the New World Business Centre at Station Road in Warmley has launched an appeal to raise £50,000 for the Red Cross. They say: “The serviced office industry has had many colleagues from Eastern Europe, similar to any other industry in the UK. Some have contributed greatly to our success at New World Business Centre. With this in mind, we would like to invite all serviced offices in the country and their clients, friends and associates to support the British Red Cross in providing humanitarian aid: clean water, food, shelter, medicine and healthcare to people in Ukraine affected by the Russian invasion.

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“We have set a brave target of £50.000, but no donation is too small. Let's all come together and support Ukrainians when they most need us.”

To donate go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/newworld-business-centre St Anne’s CE VC Primary School in Oldland Common is a collection point for deliveries to Ukraine being coordinated by local resident Julija Bausiene.

Items needed include first aid kits, drip kits, blood bags,

syringes, alcohol swabs and elastic bandages, strong painkillers, cold/flu medicines, glucose (in liquid), disinfectants, batteries (AA + AAA), blankets, sleeping bags and mats, safety shoes and thermal socks, reflective backpacks, torches, binoculars, power banks and cables, disposable nappies, wet wipes, earplugs, pasta, grains, canned food, instant soups, and pet food.

Donations can be dropped off at the school between 9am and 3pm each day.

Call for lighting at play area Concern about the lack of street lighting at Cherry Gardens Play Area near Bitton Station has been raised at the local community engagement forum (CEF).

CEFs are organised by South Gloucestershire Council to give residents the opportunity to raise any concerns and find out what is happening in their community.

A local resident told the meeting last Wednesday that she had raised the issue more than a year ago and had been told by a community spaces officer from South Gloucestershire Council that there was no funding available for additional street lighting for the park.

The resident said: “I would question that. I am aware that the Government has set up the Safer Streets Fund and the Safety of Women at Night Fund so I believe there are funds available out there to local authorities.

“The Cherry Gardens Play Area has been the subject of anti-social behaviour and crime and obviously during the winter months it’s very dark. People are having to use their mobile phone torches to walk along the path at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I would like to again ask that lighting be installed in the park.” PC Phil Busvine was not aware of many calls to the park but encouraged residents to report any incidents.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Tackling traffic congestion in Longwell Green Ways to tackle the increase in traffic from the proposed redevelopment of the Kingswood Industrial Estate in Longwell Green have been put forward by Oldland parish councillors.

They back the redevelopment, which would provide modern and innovative employment, leisure and community facilities, but say a key concern is the increase in traffic congestion due to the potential for 440 new jobs and up to 350 car parking spaces.

With the area already suffering from congestion, they say they are sharing their local knowledge to present ideas in support of an effective transport strategy, with the

main area of concern being the stretch of Aldermoor Way between the Asda roundabout and B&Q roundabout.

They believe that installing traffic lights and yellow box markings would improve traffic flow there.

They are also suggesting that a new access is created into the redeveloped site from Marsham Way, opposite Woodward Drive, which would route customer traffic away from the congested section of Aldermoor Way. Another idea is to open up an additional exit from the Gallagher Retail Park car park on to Marsham Way which would give direct

Aldermoor Way

access to the A4174 Ring Road avoiding Aldermoor Way and the Asda roundabout, They say this exit would not involve the loss of many car parking spaces, would reduce queuing at the existing single car park exit on to Aldermoor Way, and has the potential to improve traffic flow within the car park.

The parish council is also pushing for a “high quality, safe and inviting” active travel network and facilities and says the development site could be a prime candidate for a community transport hub as part of the West of England Combined Authority’s

Future Transport Zone concept.

Although the numbers 17, 44 and 45 bus services currently serve the development site zone, the parish council says it strongly supports linking this area into the metrobus network, using the nearby Ring Road strategic route and enabling bus travel to the north and south, the latter linking into the Bristol-Bath transport corridor.

The parish council has sent its proposals to South Gloucestershire Council which as the planning authority will decide on the application.

Marsham Way

Mapping out issues and concerns The new online community hub project launched by Oldland Parish Council which we featured in Issue 712 in January is proving popular.

The parish’s development specialist Steve Skidmore said: “We are heading towards the 1,000 visitor mark using the online map and so far have received over 300 contributions.

“Concerns cover a broad range of issues including transport, speeding, getting about and a range of environmental

concerns.

“We are already working to resolve some of the issues with partner organisations and will produce a detailed report in June of this year. A more in-depth consultation will then follow to focus on the themes that emerge and to consult on longer term plans and aspirations.” To get started visit https://tinyurl.com/2hnduhnu You can also comment Mr Skidmore on 01179 673941 or email steve.skidmore @oldlandparishcouncil.co.uk

Virtual community meeting There will be a virtual meeting of the Staple Hill, Mangotsfield & New Cheltenham Community Engagement Forum on Tuesday 22nd March at 7pm.

Items to be discussed include local volunteering stories during the pandemic, staying safe online training, loan sharks and Mangotsfield Residents’ Association.

There will also be updates from the police, fire service and local councillors.

For details of how to join the meeting email CommunityEngagement@southglos. gov.uk or call 01454 868113.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

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LETTERS Broken promises Dear Madam I admit it. I voted for Chris Skidmore in 2019. My excuse is that I was between a rock and a hard place and I did want to ‘get Brexit done.’

Although I was influenced by Brexit, I also did due diligence. I read the Conservative Party manifesto which Chris appeared to endorse as an official party candidate.

One of the promises made was: “We promise not to raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT. This is a tax guarantee that will protect the incomes of hard-working families across the next Parliament.”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has since said that he proposes to increase employees’ National Insurance from April. I can find no Parliamentary record of Chris speaking or voting against this.

Another pledge that he supported was: “We will keep the triple lock, the winter fuel payment, the older person’s bus pass and other pensioner benefits …”

Recently, the Chancellor announced that he was “suspending” the triple lock because his actions had caused increasing levels of inflation. This will cause hardship to most pensioners in Chris’s constituency, of course.

Once again, I can find no record of Chris speaking or voting against this action.

Finally, another pledge from the manifesto on which Chris was elected: “We will keep our existing energy cap and introduce new measures to lower bills.”

Most of your readers will be aware of the massive rise in energy prices which most of us face in April. The Government is attributing this to world energy prices. But then they told us there were no parties in Downing Street during lockdowns.

The truth is that the Government made the decision not to use our own resources to provide energy for our people but to buy it

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from abroad. The result is we are dependent on short-term supply and demand prices and political ‘blackmail’ from France. If Russia cuts off gas supplies to the EU over Ukraine, prices will rise dramatically, again. All of this happened on Chris’s watch. I am bound to ask what he has been doing for the last 12 years?

Of course, this does not have any effect on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

I was glad to note that there was a debate recently in the House of Commons about reducing tax on home fuels as promised by the Prime Minister during the Brexit campaign. Chris spoke and voted against the motion. Apparently, it was more important to pay subsidies to rich landowners and foreign offshore operators to tilt at windmills, than worry about how his constituents were going to pay their fuel bills.

Here are three pledges, promises, guarantees, made by Chris that he has deliberately broken. I have put these points to Chris but he seems reluctant to respond.

Paul Trenchard Longwell Green

High Street hazard Dear Editor I just had to write after witnessing the hazard that Keynsham High Street has become for pedestrians.

I haven’t been shopping in the High Street for some time but last week my friend and I decided to have a look to see how it was progressing. Tarmac had been laid for the road and what I only assume is a cycle lane.

We walked along the new pavement, commenting on how dirty it looked and noticed that the Tarmac did not come up to the edge of the kerbs. In one place opposite Coffee#1, you step down from the pavement onto the ‘cycle lane’, then across more Tarmac to another white kerb before

stepping onto the road.

We had only just commented that you needed to be very careful as you didn’t see the step down into the road when a young man actually fell off the kerb.

He was very shaken and had injured his ankle. We then went into Coffee#1 where we sat in the window with our coffee and cake watching a procession of people stumble off the second kerb that went down to the road surface.

Then a lady fell and injured her face and hands and was very shaken. People rallied to help her along with a policeman and a young lady who was a nurse.

That section should have had barriers around it until the area had been completely finished.

Lynda Coles, Keynsham

Guidance for fasting during Ramadan Dear Editor Diabetes UK are offering advice and support to anybody living with diabetes who is preparing to fast during Ramadan to help them manage their condition safely.

Choosing whether to fast is a personal choice; however, getting information and advice ahead of Ramadan is very important – particularly for people living with diabetes as they are at increased risk of complications.

So, ahead of the holy month, Diabetes UK are encouraging anyone living with diabetes who is preparing for Ramadan to speak to their diabetes team and their Imam to help them to decide what is best for them.

If you decide to fast during Ramadan, it’s a good idea to include more slowly absorbed foods (low GI), such as basmati rice and dhal, along with fruit and vegetables in your meal before starting each day’s fast. It is also important to check your blood sugar levels more often than usual and, if they drop too

low, you should break your fast.

We advise people that if they are unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19, they should not fast and call 111 for further advice.

For more information on diabetes and Ramadan visit: www.diabetes.org.uk/ramadan Phaedra Perry South West Regional Head Diabetes UK

Help feed a hungry child in South Sudan Dear Editor I wouldn’t blame the children of South Sudan if they just gave up. One third are suffering chronic malnutrition. Half are missing school. Millions are displaced. And none of them have ever known anything but war.

One of my colleagues there, a 45-year-old man, tells me he has never seen peace in his lifetime. But he has seen hope. He has witnessed the hope our colourful bowls full of maize and beans bring to some of the poorest children on earth.

Mary’s Meals feeds more than two million children every school day in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. Our nutritious meals attract little ones into the classroom, where they can gain an education that gives them hope for the future.

We are already reaching around 70,000 hungry children in South Sudan, and with the support of your readers we can serve our lifechanging meals in even more schools. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk to find out more about our appeal.

The children of South Sudan aren’t giving up. And nor are we. We know that no child on this earth is unreachable.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow Founder of Mary’s Meals

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Don’t let yourself be silenced, Kingswood people are told People in Kingswood are being urged to speak out if they are angry at the decision to push ahead with plans for a new town council even though there was no clear mandate from residents.

At last Monday’s Kingswood Community Engagement Forum (CEF) local councillor Pat Rooney, who also leads the opposition Labour Group on Conservative-controlled South Gloucestershire Council, said the Regulatory Committee had overturned the result of the public consultation (as The Week In reported in Issue 717).

She said she and her Labour colleagues “are getting emails left, right and centre” about it: “Residents are quite annoyed about this. Even though the narrative of the consultation said we will listen to the people, they obviously haven’t.”

She said that Labour councillors had voted against the setting up of a town council but it had gone through on the Tory and Lib Dem vote, even though there has never been any Lib

Dem representation within Kingswood.

“The bills will be coming out next year with a council precept added on for Kingswood. This is the wrong time to go against public opinion.”

Cllr Rooney added that the decision has to be ratified at a full council meeting in either June or July.

She advised residents to write to South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage with their concerns and to attend the Cabinet meeting on Monday 4th April when the public will have a chance to make their views known.

Labour councillor Andrea Reid told the virtual meeting: “If you are angered by this, don’t let yourself be silenced because regardless of who’s in charge, you should be heard.”

Close to 22,000 residents in Kingswood were consulted by South Gloucestershire Council about whether they wanted a town council and 320 responded. Half were against and 42% in favour.

Museum wants your memories of Chasers Chasers nightclub in Kingswood has been a popular local venue and meeting place for more than 40 years.

Many couples have shared their first dance and first kiss within the walls of the Regent Street venue, and the building has become a local landmark.

The club is currently closed, but Kingswood Heritage Museum would like to hear people’s stories and experiences from its opening to the present day.

The photograph of Chasers (courtesy of the South Gloucestershire Gazette) dates from 1981 and shows a visit by the well-known DJ Peter Powell.

Contact the museum at kingswoodmuseum@gmail.com or by phone on 0117 9605664.

Meanwhile the first of this year’s programme of monthly talks at the museum in Tower Lane, Warmley, will be on Wednesday 13th April, starting at 7.30pm.

This will be the first of two talks telling the story of the Roman invasion, occupation and settlement of the Avon

Valley area.

The first talk will be provided by Stephen Bird MBE, the recently retired head of heritage services for Bath and North East Somerset Council, and will feature the early Roman military and invasion period, the laying out of roads and the establishment of civilian settlements.

Admission costs £4, including tea or coffee, and seats can be reserved by calling 0117 9605664.

Sudoku 1-Easy

In Staple Hill and Mangotsfield there were 274 replies (2.5% of those consulted) with 49% of respondents preferring no change, compared to 39% who backed the creation of a parish council.

Speaking to the Regulatory Committee last month, Cllr Savage Pat Rooney said that one of the principle concerns people who responded had is that they think a town or parish council will automatically lead to higher council tax bills, but there is no evidence to suggest that is the case. He also said that a town council is “part and parcel” of the regeneration of Kingswood.

Labour’s plea to join management board Kingswood councillor and Labour group leader Pat Rooney also spoke at the community forum meeting about South Gloucestershire Council’s plans to create a town centre management board.

“We are asking to have at least one councillor sitting on that management board and we are waiting to hear formally whether we will have a say.

“We have six Labour councillors duly elected, democratically elected, and we have been involved in every association, every voluntary group, every consultation that’s taken place within Kingswood over the 30 years I’ve been here, so it’s not as if we haven’t contributed to the area at all.

“So we are concerned about the way Kingswood is moving. We fully appreciate the masterplan, we are really in favour of it all going through, but we do think that as elected representatives we should have some sort of worthwhile contribution to make and should be included within the management board.”

SUNDAY CHEMISTS Sunday 20th 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 16th March 2022

9

Beacon to be lit on Siston Common for the Jubilee The Beacon of Light installed on Siston Common as part of the tribute to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in 2018 will be lit again to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.

More than 1,500 beacons will be lit across the country at 9.15pm on Thursday 2nd June to mark the 70th anniversary of the Queen's coronation as part of the four-day Jubilee weekend.

On Friday 3rd June, Siston Parish Council is planning a huge community event at Warmley Forest Park with music, demonstrations and many stalls and activities. Everyone is welcome.

Council plants 600+ trees across South Glos this season To mark the end of tree planting season, during which more than 600 new trees have been planted in communities across South Gloucestershire, the council has teamed up with local volunteers to give three eightyear-old oak trees a new home.

The council’s tree team has been hard at work planting new trees across the district, as well as replacing those lost to ash dieback. More than half were planted in and around Staple Hill and Dodington, with other planting taking place along verges and roadsides including Downend, and at open spaces including Windsor Place playing fields at Mangotsfield and

Crossword

Rodway Common.

As part of this work, a number of planting events were arranged with local communities, schools, businesses and parish councils, and the council has also been supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.

One of these community events took place at Southey Park in Kingswood, pictured, where the leader of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Toby Savage and Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore were joined by members of the Friends of Southey Park to plant two English oaks and one Hungarian oak.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Unconventional (9)

2. Stereotyped phrase (6)

9. Hunting expedition (6)

3. Newspaper boss (6)

10. Pacific island state (4)

5. ---- of Skye (4)

11. Light source (4) 12. French engineer (6) 13. Principle (7)

4. Bleats (anag.) (6)

6. Cupboard (7) 7. Young cow (4) 8. Hats, headgear (9)

16. Scorch (4)

13. Blood-sucking insect (6,3)

17. Auction (4)

14. Simple (4)

18. Play on words (3)

15. Creates (5)

20. Attempt (3)

18. Stance (4)

21. Always (4)

19. Encourage (7)

23. Russian emperor (4)

22. Neglectful (6)

25. Confidentiality (7) 26. Make certain (6) 29. Cab (4)

23. Emotional shock (6) 24. Energetic (6) 27. Thick slice (4) 28. Relieve (4)

30. Single entity (4) 31. Foliage (6) 32. Journal (9)

10

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Keynsham care home goes green Work is under way to decarbonise Bath & North East Somerset Council’s care homes, with Charlton House in Keynsham the first to benefit from energy-saving measures.

As part of its commitment to tackle the climate emergency the council has invested almost half a million pounds to reduce carbon emissions at the care home. Solar PV panels have been installed on the roof and an air source heat pump is being installed to heat the building and provide hot water.

The care home has also switched to using energy efficient long-life LED lights.

The improvements at Charlton House, which provides care and health services to older vulnerable adults have been

largely funded by a £450,000 grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme following a successful bid to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

During a visit to the care home to see the improvements, Cllr Kevin Guy, leader of the council said: “If we are to achieve our net zero ambition, the council must lead by example.

We’ve pledged to reduce our carbon emissions by making our buildings more energy efficient and Charlton House is the first of our care homes to ‘go green’.

“We are committed to decarbonising all our care homes and are bidding for Government funding for similar schemes at Cleeve Court in Twerton and Combe Lea in Midsomer Norton. By investing in our care homes now we’ll reap the

Council urged to reinstate gritting on Siston Hill Concern about the hill over Siston Common no longer being gritted was raised at the local community engagement forum last Wednesday.

A resident said that South Gloucestershire Council had recently stopped sending a gritter down there, with it only going as far as the end of Carsons Road and then doing a U-turn. He asked at the forum what council policy had changed as Siston Hill could be lethal when frozen, and that a couple of weeks ago someone had come off their motorbike there and a driver had turned their car around

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

there because of the ice.

His concerns will be reported back to the council.

benefits in the long term, reducing their environmental impact while making them cheaper to heat, light and run.”

The energy-saving measures are expected to cut carbon emissions from Charlton House by 57.51 tonnes and save £14,287 in energy costs each year.

Cllr Alison Born, Cabinet member for Adult Services said: “Lighting and heating account for a significant proportion of the running costs of our care homes. The measures we’re introducing will help to reduce those bills, freeing up funding to spend on caring for the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Pictured at Charlton House where the new air source heat pump is being installed are Cllr Alison Born, Ricky Smith, contracts supervisor for Mannings Facilities Management, and council leader Kevin Guy.

11

Plastic bags for life scrapped at Southern Co-op convenience stores Southern Co-op is removing all single-use carrier bags and plastic bags for life from sale and is urging shoppers to switch to reusable bags to help tackle climate change.

The regional co-operative has more than 200 convenience stores across the south of England, including Queens Road in Keynsham, Memorial Road in Hanham, School Road in Cadbury Heath, Two Mile Hill Road in Kingswood and Church Road in St George.

It is hoping to deter customers from treating bags for life as if they were single use. One alternative will be compostable carrier bags available for 10p which are a more environmentally responsible choice and have a secondary use as a food waste caddy liner in the home.

The bags are certified compostable and can be collected as

Art apology In last week’s edition we featured the fantastic new mural being created at Cecil Road in Kingswood. We apologise that due to a misunderstanding, the work was credited to Jim Whittaker.

In fact the artist is Wei Ern Ong, pictured, who goes by the non de plume of The Silent Hobo.

part of local authority household food waste collections or are suitable for use in home compost bins.

There are also durable foldaway bags and large shopper bags for £1 to encourage customers to reuse them instead of treating them as single use.

The switch has already taken place in many stores with other changeovers taking place over the next month or so as stores work through the remaining stock of existing bags.

It is hoped that the change to compostable bags will tie in with work being carried out by Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) to enable local authorities in England to prepare to introduce separate food waste collections for all households.

The independent Co-operative is also working towards its

ambitious science-based targets to cut direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from its business by 2030, supported by a climate action pathway of planned activity and an initial investment of £5.8m.

Diversification plans at farm A farm near Keynsham is planning to diversify with plans to turn three redundant chicken sheds into self-storage units.

RW Stratton Farm Partnership say they have investigated converting Manor Farm at Burnett to a free-range egg production operation, but it’s not been possible due to factors including the landscape and drainage.

There was an egg production facility on the site since the early 1960s. The owners say that at national level, there is significant change; Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and the Co-op have stopped purchasing eggs from caged facilities and now only purchase free-range eggs. All other major supermarkets have confirmed that they will be purchasing free-range eggs only from 2025.

The purchasing decision is also said to be impacting on the egg processing sector for ingredients from companies such as Hellman’s.

The farm owners say their plans will allow further investment in the core arable farming and additional environmental stewardship activity supported by current farm diversification projects, which include solar energy and the re-use of existing buildings at Glenavon Farm at Saltford which is now occupied by Flourish Foodhall & Kitchen.

A resurfaced access is planned to improve road safety at Old

Burnett Lane as part of the scheme.

The planning application reference is 22/00960/FUL and the deadline for comments is 29th March.

Prestigious awards for local farm retailers Saltford-based Flourish Foodhall & Kitchen have been crowned the winners of the ‘Rising Star’ Award, given to the UK’s best new farm retailer, at the recent national awards ceremony held in Newcastle. The annual Farm Retail Association (FRA) Awards support the industry, and are the only awards judged by fellow farm retailers to celebrate the best farm shops, farm cafés and restaurants, farmers’ markets and trade suppliers in the country. Flourish opened at Glenavon Farm on the A4 last June. Judges were impressed by Flourish’s focus on attention to detail and retail layout, stating that the foodhall, restaurant and facilities created an environment that their customers love. Flourish were also scored on sustainability and their commitment to putting people and planet before profit.

The award winners also included Newton Farm Foods, based at nearby Newton St Loe, which took the title of Best Small Farm Shop of the Year.

Footpath closure South Gloucestershire Council is replacing the Warmley Brook boardwalk in Felicity Park at Siston Common.

The council says the timber boardwalk has deteriorated and needs replacing.

Work started last Thursday and has meant the closure of the section of footpath leading to the boardwalk. A signed diversion is in place. It has planned two weeks to complete the work but aims to finish sooner.

12

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

Is this the right time to expand any airport?

Events both closer to home and in Eastern Europe have limited space in these pages for further reflection on last month’s decision by the Planning Inspectorate to allow Bristol Airport to expand.

It is true that the 118-page Appeal Decision published last month does take a bit of reading but having done so, it doesn’t make it any easier to digest. The headline issue which accompanied the announcement that North Somerset Council was wrong to refuse planning permission was that without a clear Government policy on airport expansion, the inspectors could not refuse one airport permission to grow while another somewhere else in the country was allowed to expand.

But when you read through the specifics of why the council’s reasons for refusing permission were overturned, you do wonder if anything that goes on in the wider world is ever taken into account. There have been many occasions during the last 13 years of The Week In when we have reported on planning applications when it has been clear that common sense and planning law are not one and the same. But the case of Bristol Airport really does test credulity.

There is not enough room here to provide a detailed analysis of the inspectors’ reasoning but to the simple layman there do appear to be several contradictions. They acknowledge that since holding the public inquiry in Weston-super-Mare last year that the Government has published a number of reports and White Papers on matters such as decarbonising transport, greenhouse gas emissions, World Health Organisation guidelines on air quality health effects, while the Environment Act 2021 was given Royal Assent in November following COP26 in Glasgow.

Yet Luton Airport was allowed to grow by a further one million passengers and the go-ahead was given for expansion at Southampton Airport (although campaigners have been granted a judicial review). One of those reports, Beyond the Horizon – the future of British Airports, clearly advocates that decisions on airport expansion should be taken by local authorities, rather than national government. Yet in the case of Bristol Airport, the inspectors cite the lack of a national policy specifically to limit airport expansion or impose capacity limits as one of the reasons to allow the appeal.

In another section, they agree with Bristol Airport’s view that “people don’t fly because there are airports, there are airports because people want to fly”. That the likes of Ryanair and

EasyJet fly from Bristol to airports very few people have heard of may well be seen as proof of the former, not the latter. At the end of the day, the inspectors came down on the side of the economic benefit the airport brings to the region and accepted that it would reach a capacity of 12 million passengers one day or another.

A little over three weeks later, another report was published which tends to question why it was even necessary for ‘Government inspectors’ to have to consider whether any airport expansion should even be considered, let alone supported. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published the second of its reports, Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. We made reference to the first report last year which pulled no punches and was intended to spur delegates at COP26 into taking decisive action. Well, that went well, didn’t it?

But just looking at Europe, and assuming we are not about to suffer the fallout from any nuclear catastrophe, the warnings are pretty chilling. Water scarcity in some parts of Europe and flooding in others are ranked as ‘high confidence’ predictions if rising global temperatures exceed 2 degrees Celsius, while heat and drought will put pressure on food supplies and personal health. These are no longer scare tactics issued by doom mongers but scientific projections from the United Nations and World Health Organisation based on the evidence of the current global temperature rises.

Throughout the campaign against Bristol Airport’s expansion plans, waged by ordinary people of all ages and social backgrounds, nobody ever suggested there should be no airport. The most common sentiment was that the airport was still going to get busier, even to meet its current capacity of nine million passengers a year. The simple question they asked was whether this was the right time to consider even

more expansion. The argument that somehow the economy of the West of England would collapse unless another three million (mainly outbound tourists) fly from Bristol is fanciful.

The airport does and will continue to contribute to the local economy.

The argument is on a much broader basis. With the world seemingly at a tipping point in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, politicians locally, nationally and internationally still seem to prefer the easier options, rather than taking the sort of unpopular decisions which are really necessary. Whether that’s new oil fields, road building programmes and even fracking, which is seemingly being revived as a solution to the current energy crisis, it still seems all right to just continue on the same path for just that little bit longer before actually confronting the issue.

Aviation, like many other industries, may well reduce its carbon footprint in years to come – although total decarbonisation may well be for the birds. But put simply, is this really a time to be thinking about expansion at any airport?

Stephen Rodgers

Situations Vacant

More problems at bridge delay reopening to HGVs Complex work to repair Bath’s historic Cleveland Bridge has revealed previously hidden, unexpected and severe corrosion on a critical section.

Bath & North East Somerset Council says that further analysis will be carried out to find out the options for repair, and the current traffic management will remain on the bridge, with an anticipated update on options for the next steps in early April.

The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022

The project to repair and safeguard the Grade II* listed structure saw it closed to vehicles at the end of June last year with a diversion route via the A4174 Ring Road in South Gloucestershire, and the A4 through Keynsham and Saltford.

Last autumn the bridge reopened so cyclists and cars can use it under signals but diversion routes for all other vehicles including HGVs remain.

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The Week in • Wednesday 16th March 2022