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THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset 5th April 2023

Issue 775

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Ancient tree being felled to make way for new path A tree believed to be 300 years old is being chopped down as it is in the way of the new shared use path being created at Shortwood Road on the outskirts of Pucklechurch. As of this week, the B4465 Shortwood Road is closed from 8am to 4pm for a fortnight with a signed diversion in place. This is to allow for preparation work before construction of the new path begins. It will link Pucklechurch to the existing cycle track on Shortwood Hill and make it safe for people to walk, cycle and ride horses in and out of the village. The closed-off section is between Siston Lane and Becket Court. The diversion goes via the A4174 Avon Ring Road, along the A420 from Warmley to Wick, then up Naishcombe Hill and along Abson Road to Pucklechurch, and vice versa. Construction work is expected to begin in mid-April when two-way traffic lights will be in place. The path is likely to take up to six months to complete.

Also in this week’s issue

The new path will be along the southern side of the B4465 on land currently used as highway verge, a field boundary, horse grazing field, and as arable crop farming. A section of public footpath which crosses an adjoining field between the B4465 and Siston Lane will be diverted along the new shared route. A worried local resident contacted us to say that as well as some hedgerow being removed to make way for the new path, he feared that a 300-year-old landmark oak tree – in which there are nesting crows - would be lost. The council this week confirmed that is the case. A spokesperson told us: “Once complete the

The oak tree on the left will be chopped down to make way for the new path

Pucklechurch Shared Path will provide access to the countryside, along with a direct off-road route linking

More parking removed as Temple Street works in Keynsham continue . . . page 3

South Glos Council leader to stand down . . . page 4

Pucklechurch and other villages to schools and all the amenities available around Emersons Green and beyond, offering a much-needed healthy alternative to car travel. “A sympathetic landscape design has been developed to provide as much mitigation for the work as possible. Wherever possible, the existing hedge and trees have been retained, although an established ash tree and an oak need to be felled. The change in levels between the existing ground/tree and the road/path are such that the oak tree would become unstable if left in place. “A more varied mix of tree planting is proposed along with additional lengths of hedging. The hedge will be restored in as short a time as possible, with larger trees being planted. We have also been planting nearby within Pucklechurch to further increase local tree cover.”

Two Staple Hill childminders quit after shock reports . . . page 14

Halifax in Emersons Green to close . . . page 13

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Play park closed after ‘significant vandalism’ The play park at Redfield Hill in Oldland Common is closed after vandals wreaked havoc, causing around £6,000 damage. Bitton Parish Council said it was saddened to report that the children’s play area had suffered “significant vandalism” on the weekend before last. A council spokesperson said: “A group of youths gathered on the Saturday evening and lit a fire with aerosols under the main play frame, damaging the safety flooring and underneath the main equipment.

“They also with nailed wood have damaged the slide, making it unsafe for any child to slide down as it has pierced the metal. All signage has been ripped down and broken in half so currently we have padlocked the gate. “For safety concerns the play park will now remain closed until we are able to replace the damaged equipment and safety flooring.” Last year fencing was broken and youths ran amok at the neighbouring allotments site. The crime reference number is 5223073698 if anyone has any information for the police.

Damage to the slide

Fire damage

More car parking spaces Damage in Page Park taken out of use Five more parking spaces have been closed off for four weeks as work on the Temple Street improvement project in Keynsham continues. Since the project began in January there has been no parking on both sides from No 30 to No 52 Temple Street. But last Thursday the Keynsham High Street Heritage Action Zone Partnership Programme – which involves Historic England, Bath & North East Somerset Council and Keynsham Town Council – announced that an additional five car

parking spaces on the corner of Carpenters Lane would be temporarily out of use to keep both the public and construction site team safe. The parking suspension started last Friday and runs until 21st April. The improvement works involve installing new paving, planters, cycle parking and seating. The project is set to finish in May. The council says that parking is available at the car parks at the Civic Centre, Ashton Way and Bath Hill East, and Temple Street traders stress that they are open for business.

The Friends of Page Park in Staple Hill say that sadly they are seeing a lot of damage recently, with plants being dug up and broken. Part of the new native hedgerow has been dug up and several daffodils were picked and discarded in another area of the park. This damage has been reported to Avon & Somerset Police and the reference number is RAC‐T5QEV.

With wildflower planting taking place last weekend near and around the celebration bench, the Friends are asking dog walkers and parents to supervise their dogs and children when visiting the park. They say: “A great deal of work by our grounds crew and volunteers goes into making our park a lovely place to visit so please help us to protect it.”

Kennels will become housing Plan to turn Latchets Kennels in Chewton Keynsham into four detached houses have been approved by Bath & North East Somerset Council. The Redlynch Lane site was originally a poultry rearing holding and converted into kennels over 40 years ago. The site until The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

recently also operated a pet care store, pet grooming shop and dog training facilities. The wider site includes caravan storage, which will be removed. The existing access will remain. Council planners said the scheme will improve the look of the site which is in the Green Belt. 3

South Glos Council leader to stand down Cllr Toby Savage, the Conservative leader of South Gloucestershire Council, will stand down at next month’s local elections. He has led the council since 2018 and has represented the Longwell Green ward as a councillor since 2015. He said: “These past years have been unprecedented and exhausting. We have led the local responses to a global pandemic, a war and a worldwide cost of living crisis. “But we have also stayed true to the promises we were elected on four years ago. “I have been honoured to work with

Toby Savage with his daughter

extraordinary people both inside and outside the council. I am proud to be leaving at a time

2021 with the birth of my son Laurie and then

of record high performance for the council on

again with the arrival of my daughter

school standards, recycling and investments

Dorothy in February. I have realised how

into our communities, to name just a few.

precious these first few years are and I am

“During my first three years as council

excited about having more time to dedicate

leader, I was in the fortunate position of

to my growing family.”

being able to throw myself entirely into my

He said he hopes to return to public service

passion for public service. That changed in

in the future.

THE WEEK IN Barrs Court, Bitton, Brislington, Cadbury Heath, Compton Dando, Corston, Downend, Emersons Green, Fishponds, Hanham, Hillfields, Keynsham, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Mangotsfield, Marksbury, North Common, Oldland Common, Pucklechurch, Saltford, Staple Hill, Stockwood, St George, Warmley, Whitchurch, Wick, Willsbridge. 16,000 copies are distributed through retail outlets, libraries, pubs, community centres each week. Verified pick-up rate of 97%.

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

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

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

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Row over Tory election leaflet claim A row has erupted over a claim made in a Tory election leaflet that Labour councillors back plans to build 9,000 homes in South Gloucestershire instead of Bristol, therefore “putting countryside around Warmley and Oldland Common at risk”. The claim has been challenged by Ken Rabone, a Labour candidate standing in May’s local elections in the Parkwall & Warmley ward. He wrote to The Week In to say: “As they cannot run on their record, Tory candidates are adopting scare tactics and desperately making up false claims about Labour Party policy. “Conservative councillor Sam Bromiley falsely claims in literature that the Labour Party would impose 9,000 homes in Warmley. This claim just as the Tory-led council issued a statement that they need to build 28,000 homes across South Gloucestershire. Residents should ask him why local people have not been consulted about future development in the ‘East Fringe’ (which includes the Warmley area) as they have done in Yate, the North Fringe (Filton, Patchway), and Thornbury, etc. “I find it very sad that this kind of unethical and outrageous claim is being spread in a last-resort desire to gain votes at the cost of honest politics. If a Labour council is elected on 4th May, we will give local people the opportunity to have their say about future development.” This week Cllr Pat Rooney, who is currently leader of the Labour group on South Gloucestershire Council, but will be standing down in May, said: “Labour councillors have never ever said that we would impose 9,000 houses in Warmley, I can assure you of that.

“This is totally incorrect and 'spin' used by a desperate Conservative group who recognise their time is up. We are sure that local residents will vote for a change in May to remove the current Conservative administration who appear to be filling their election leaflets with rubbish. And that is the best place for their leaflets.” But Cllr Bromiley, who currently represents Parkwall & Warmley and is a cabinet member, said: “We stand by the claims made in the leaflet as they are entirely correct. Last year, the Labour West of England Combined Authority Mayor tried to impose significant numbers of extra homes on South Gloucestershire through the previous Spatial Development Strategy. As reported in the local press at the time, this meant South Gloucestershire could be forced to take 9,000 more homes than originally anticipated. “This would have seen precious green spaces in South Gloucestershire being built on instead of mores suitable locations in Bristol. Conservative councillors opposed this while Bristol Labour councillors expressly supported it. If Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire were against it, perhaps they should have raised it with their own WECA Mayor at the time.”

Tories challenged over green bin claim South Gloucestershire Labour group’s deputy leader Cllr Ian Boulton, who is standing again to represent Staple Hill & Mangotsfield ward, has flagged up a claim made on social media by Tory councillors and candidates canvassing in Stoke Gifford that “South Gloucestershire Conservatives managed to keep the green bin charges at £30 when all other parties wanted to charge

approximately £60 which would result in fly-tipping”. Cllr Boulton said: “The truth is it was only the Conservatives who proposed an increase in these charges within their draft budget. No one else proposed it and it was removed from the final budget.” The claim was later removed from the social media post.

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Demand responsive transport up and running The Week In publisher Stephen Rodgers tries out the new service WESTlink, the new demand responsive

At a meeting of the Keynsham Area Forum

transport system funded by the West of

in February, Phil Wright, the person at

England Combined Authority (WECA),

WECA responsible for the WESTlink roll-

has launched this week.

out, announced that a high-profile media

Although the minibuses had been delivered

campaign would take place in March. Many

and the app available to download, concerns

were sceptical at the time over the size of the

had been raised about the lack of public

operation and the relatively short lead-in to

information about using the service.

the 3rd April launch date. But, at a little after 9am on Monday, I opened up the WESTlink app to see if I could book a journey to Bitton. In just a few seconds I was advised to go to the bus stop opposite the Post Office on Keynsham High Street where my transport would arrive just three minutes later. As my phone pinged with a message to say my driver was one minute away, the bright green WESTlink minibus came around the corner. I tapped my travel card, buckled up and we were away.

consequences along the way. But the fact

booking system. Once booked, passengers

remains I was able to complete a short but

will also receive updates by text or be able to

direct journey on Monday morning that was

track the WESTlink minibus as it nears the

not available to me by public transport the

pick-up point. The app can be downloaded

previous week.

from Apple or Play Store but if you do not

• The WESTlink app works in a very similar

have a smartphone, WESTlink bookings can

way to Uber or the Bristol Airport taxi

be made via a website or call centre.

Without any scheduled bus stops along the way, we drove directly to Bitton railway station in just moments. So, it works. There will no doubt be snagging problems and unintended

Woman arrested after police pursuit A 45-year-old woman has been charged with failing to provide a specimen following a police pursuit which ended in Bitton High Street. The woman, from Winterbourne, was charged following an incident in St Philips Causeway in Bristol at around 11.30am on Sunday 26th March. Officers on the ground were supported by the National Police Air Service in their response. The woman is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 11th May.

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Policeman struck down by virus battles back to fitness with hospital fundraiser A Kingswood policeman who was struck down by a viral infection that left him unable to walk has built his fitness back up and will be running the Manchester Marathon in uniform this month to raise money for Bristol Children’s Hospital where his step-daughter is being treated for a debilitating condition. Jamie Evans has been in the police for 28 years and is currently the sergeant for the Kingswood Neighbourhood Policing Team. He has previously completed eight Ironman events and seven marathons but suffered a serious knee issue after a viral arthritic infection in 2021. The infection was so bad that Jamie couldn’t walk and he was hospitalised. He started on a slow recovery and while at the police rehabilitation centre in Berkshire a year ago he was able to start running again, although very slowly. Jamie has been working to build his fitness back up to complete the marathon on Sunday 16th April.

The officer, who has set up a JustGiving page, is completing this challenge in honour of his stepdaughter Sophie, 15, and to say thank you to everyone who has helped look after her over the last few years for a condition that has yet to be diagnosed. He said: “Sophie was a happy, healthy and active child until she began complaining of pain in her joints at 10 years old. After initially putting it down to growing pains, she began to lose movement and the pain increased. It was soon established that Sophie needed to have surgery in her left elbow for a condition that destroys the cartilage in her elbow joint. “Once this surgery was done her right elbow began to hurt and it was quickly discovered that this elbow had the same condition. Both times Sophie spent time on Apollo Ward and received the best care. “When Sophie was 12 she began to complain of a bad back. Four months later Sophie was using a wheelchair on a permanent basis. It was discovered that she had a slipped disc and this was compressing her nerve and that is why she could no longer feel her left leg or foot. Sophie had her first spinal surgery in May 2021, where part of the disc was removed to try and alleviate her symptoms. Although this initially worked, only a couple of months later Sophie was back on Apollo Ward with her back in complete spasm and she spent 10 days on the ward, eventually having a spinal steroid injection. The pain continued and in August 2022 Sophie had another spinal surgery where she had a titanium cage screwed into her spine and the disc removed.” He said Sophie has continued problems: “But at least we know that when she does have to go into hospital for further tests and operations then the staff will all care for her and look after her with the kindesss you would hope for. “I wanted to do something to say thank you to Apollo Ward for the way they have looked after Sophie in the past and will again in the future.” After giving up rugby aged 35, Jamie began training to take part in triathlons and Ironman events. But his last Ironman

Jamie in training

event was in 2019 and his last marathon in 2018. He explained: “In September 2021 I was struck down with an acute arthritic episode in both my knees. Following months of hard recovery and many doctor and hospital visits, the specialist believes this was a viral infection caused from when I had COVID. “I didn’t run again until March 2022 at the end of two weeks at Flint House, the police rehabilitation centre. For me deciding to run a marathon feels like I am starting from scratch again. However, I know people will look at it and think he’s run loads of marathons, this is easy for him. So I wanted to make it harder for myself. By the time I run the marathon I will be one year short of 50 and only have 18 months left of 30 years’ service in the police. So my plan is to run the marathon in full uniform.” To sponsor ‘Jamie’s Plod for Sophie’ in aid of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal which supports the hospital, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p94my6c

Sophie and Jamie

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Hopes that new Chief Trading Post premises could be open by Christmas There are hopes that a replacement Chief Trading Post farm shop and café, as well as other retail units, could be open at the Barry Road site in Oldland Common by Christmas. Most of the business’s staff were made redundant between last Christmas and the New Year amid uncertainty about when the new café and retail building would be built as part of the hybrid redevelopment of the old nurseries site, Outline planning permission was granted at the end of 2022 to Oldland Common LLP for 50 homes (35% of them The Barry Road site this week “affordable”) and a community/health surgery building as a place by August. He said that the proposals replacement for the current Hanham Health from Alliance Homes are of a very similar layout to the one in the outline application, branch surgery in Oldland. At the same time full planning permission and parish councillors said they welcomed was granted for a retail/café building and for the 100% “affordable” housing element. six supported living homes to be delivered by Regarding the proposed community/health surgery building, Mr Cussen said it would be provider Elim. As we reported in Issue 773, a full planning reserved for Hanham Health for a “minimum application is expected to be lodged with of two years”. Asked by parish councillors South Gloucestershire Council soon for 50 what would happen after that, he said he homes from Alliance Homes and didn’t know. Although keen to improve Countryside Partnerships who plan to build facilities, Hanham Health has been told by 25 homes for rent and 25 as shared the Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board that at ownership. Ned Cussen, from landowner Oldland LLP, present there is no funding available. and Roland Tanner, from Chief Trading Post, In Issue 763 in January we reported that attended Bitton Parish Council’s meeting last Chief Trading staff had been sent a letter in which it said that the company was insolvent. Monday with an update. Councillors heard that there is a new After meeting with the parish council last proposal for Chief Trading Post involving a Monday Mr Tanner told The Week In that pre-fabricated wooden building with units four members of staff had been retained and around a central courtyard. It would be on the that those made redundant had received their same footprint as the retail/café building redundancy money and he understood they already approved but lower in height and have all found jobs. He explained that because of the pandemic, considerably cheaper to build. It is hoped that rather than considering it as a then a fire in the farm shop, and now having completely new planning application, South stock without premises to sell it in, the Gloucestershire Council will look at it as a business has sustained losses. When plans non-material amendment when it is were drawn up four years ago for new submitted. Mr Tanner said that if all goes premises, the estimated cost had been according to plan, the business could reopen £500,000 but he said that had risen to £1.2m, hence the new plans which cost half of that. by Christmas. All the buildings and greenhouses on the site Mr Tanner said his staff had been “the best” have been demolished and Mr Cussen told and he hoped they would want to return to the meeting that a spine road is due to be in work at the new premises. The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

LETTERS ‘Epidemic’ of potholes

Recycling day mess

Dear Editor

Green Belt will have to be consumed

Two interesting articles in last week's edition

Can I agree with S Freeman who had a

Dear Editor

(Issue 774), one about the Ring Road ‘white

letter published in The Week In’s 23rd

In your Issue 773 a couple of items drew my

elephant’ (‘Concern as near misses continue

March issue regarding litter around South

attention.

at throughabout’), and the other trumpeting

Gloucestershire.

The main front page about the campaigners

South Gloucestershire Council’s claim to

The council do need to look at themselves a

protecting the Hanham Green Belt supported

have “filled in 17% more potholes”.

little bit as well.

by Chris Skidmore MP. Then strangely two

Just think how many more potholes could be

The recycling crews do a fantastic hard

pages in it’s reported that he defied his party

filled in if the money spent on the

job but when emptying containers and

and voted against the Illegal Immigration

throughabout had been used to maintain the

dropping items on the road, are they not

roads properly in the past and deal with the

allowed to pick it up due to health and

epidemic of potholes now appearing in our

safety?

roads (particularly in Warmley, Cadbury

If they see items next to a recycling box that

Heath).

some animals have sorted through, couldn't

Memo to South Gloucestershire Council:

they pick it up and put it in the lorry? How

please divert the necessary resources to

often do you see items across areas after

tackling the huge scale of this problem, and

recycling day?

also use the latest technology in methods and

A little thought could really help keep South

materials to make a proper job of it!

Gloucestershire cleaner.

Jerry Moore

Nick Gould

Barrs Court

Oldland Common

Bill in Parliament. The problem is Green Belt and mass immigration is not compatible. I can’t see how you can protect the Green Belt. The inner cities and suburbs are densely populated so the Green Belt will have to be consumed to fill the need for housing all the immigrants coming to this country. It’s sad but that’s the scenario we face. John Woodruff

Rescue donkey at Palm Sunday service Palm Sunday was celebrated by the congregations of St Anne’s Church in Oldland Common and the United Church in Longwell Green with the help of a donkey. The visitor was Bella, a rescue donkey from 2nd Chance Petting Farm in Beckington. The farm has 18 rescued donkeys at present, some of which are used with other rescued animals to visit care homes for therapy, schools to assist in children’s education, for appearances at

fetes and shows, and in TV and film work. The donkeys are especially busy on Palm Sunday and at Christmas and the income from these events, along with sponsorship from the public, enable the farm to continue its rescue work. Bella made Palm Sunday a memorable occasion at the joint service at the Longwell Green church, especially for the children who enjoyed having rides around the car park.

Fight to make paths official Hanham Abbots parish councillor Chrissie Cushing says she has been overwhelmed by community support for her campaign to gather evidence of public rights of way on the fields known as The Batch. In February Ashfield Land and Redrow Homes announced their intention to apply for planning permission to build 149 homes at the Green Belt site off Hencliffe Way although no application has as yet been submitted to South Gloucestershire Council. There has been widespread concern however, with petitions started and a banner erected near Hanham Common advising that “Hanham say no to Redrow”. The fact that the council has said that an

environmental impact assessment of the site would not be required has added to the uneasiness. Cllr Cushing put out an appeal for anyone who has walked these paths for over 20 years and would be prepared to sign a statement to join her at Hanham Cricket Club on 25th March to complete public right of way evidence forms. Sixty sets of forms were filled out by people testifying that they had used two paths at The Batch that are not plotted on the official map. The response was so great that another 90 sets have been given out to people who registered an interest. Cllr Cushing has thanked everyone for their support.

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Truck hits house Police were called to Causley Drive in Barrs Court after a truck veered off the road and hit a semi-detached house. Police said they were called at 4.45pm on Thursday 23rd March after a report of a vehicle colliding with a property. There were no injuries. It is understood that the driver of the vehicle, owned by gardening and landscaping company The Garden Saint, swerved to avoid a cat. The vehicle was in situ in the front garden with police tape around it for several days. A structural assessment was made by a South Gloucestershire Council building control surveyor and the building was not considered to be at risk of collapse.

Call for legal action over enforcement action breach The landowners at Queen Charlton Quarry near Keynsham had until 10th March to comply with an enforcement notice by demolishing the anaerobic digestion plant buildings and removing all material produced from the land. But this week campaigners say its appears that Resourceful Earth Limited has not complied. Protect Our Keynsham Environment (POKE) said: “This unpopular development has been an ongoing issue for many years. Residents are therefore frustrated and increasingly dismayed that, after what was a significant victory for local people power, there is now non-compliance with the enforcement notice. “POKE is aware that there have been some works taking place on site but this has been restricted to the removal of the high-value assets, possibly by the administrator. This should not be confused with the important matter of enforcement notice compliance. In fact, the only building mentioned on the notice that has been removed is the high-value combined heat and power units. All the other buildings and equipment remain in situ.” POKE said the parties have had more than sufficient time to comply with the notice – particularly given the extension of time allowed due to an appeal from which they later withdrew. POKE is calling on Bath & North East Somerset Council to follow through with legal action for non-compliance with the enforcement notice “without delay”. “We are disappointed that the buildings haven’t been removed and we have contacted the council to ascertain their next steps to ensure compliance with the important enforcement notice and when this will be implemented.” The council’s planning committee refused permission in March 2022 to almost quadruple the previously approved capacity at the plant in Charlton Field Lane. A previous

unfinished anaerobic digester (AD) plant at the Green Belt site, which had approved capacity for 25,000 tonnes of organic material per year, closed in 2017. The developer wanted to increase capacity to 92,000 tonnes to produce gas and electricity for local grid networks, and also proposed to restore ecology in the old quarry at the site. The proposal was rejected on grounds including that it was an unsuitable site, would see thousands of additional HGV journeys per year on inappropriate roads, would be inappropriate and harmful development in the Green Belt and would harm protected species.

Easter pharmacy opening times Good Friday (7th April) Tesco in-store pharmacy, Callington Road, Brislington (8.30am-6pm) Boots, Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green (9am5.30pm) Boots, Unit 1 Avonmeads Retail Park, St Philips Causeway (9am-6pm) Boots, 40 High Street, Keynsham (9.30am-5.30pm) Boots, Emersons Green Retail Park (10am-4pm) Lloyds in Sainsbury’s, Emersons Green Retail Park (10am-4pm) Asda, Craven Way, Longwell Green (10am-4pm) Asda, Oatlands Avenue, Whitchurch (10am-4pm) Morrisons, 688-718 Fishponds Road, Fishponds (10am-5pm) Keynsham Pharmacy, 15 Station Road (5pm-8pm)

Easter Sunday (9th April) Shaunaks Pharmacy, 123-125 High Street, Hanham (10am-1pm) Jhoots Pharmacy, 1c Pool Road, Kingswood (1.30pm-

Sudoku 1-Easy

3.30pm) Keynsham Pharmacy, 15 Station Road (3pm-5pm)

2 -Hard

Easter Monday (10th April) Boots, Unit 1 Avonmeads Retail Park, St Philips Causeway (9am-6pm) Asda, Oatlands Avenue, Whitchurch (10am-4pm) Morrisons, 688-718 Fishponds Road, Fishponds (10am-4pm) Tesco in-store pharmacy, Callington Road, Brislington (10am-4pm) Asda, Craven Way, Longwell Green (10am-4pm) Lloyds in Sainsbury’s, Emersons Green Retail Park (10am-4pm) Boots, 40 High Street, Keynsham (10am-4pm) Boots, Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green (10.30am-4.30pm) Keynsham Pharmacy, 15 Station Road (5pm-8pm)

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Two childminders quit after Inadequate ratings from Ofsted Two Staple Hill childminders have closed after receiving the lowest ratings from Ofsted. Both had previously been ranked as Good by the education watchdog - and both have quit since the latest inspections. Neither are named in the Ofsted reports. The first childminder had been registered with Ofsted since 2011 and was rated as Good at inspections in 2012, 2015 and 2019. However, Ofsted carried out the most recent visit earlier this year as a result of a risk assessment following information received, and as a result the childminder was rated as Inadequate in all categories. The inspector found that the childminder frequently exceeded the required ratios and was unable to manage children's behaviour or interact with them appropriately, due to the “loud and chaotic environment”. Her report said: “Units containing toys fall forward onto children. The childminder's dog frequently knocks children over. At times, the dog becomes aggressive towards the childminder. She fails to identify this risk or protect children by removing the dog from the area.”

Her report also noted: “The childminder is frequently too busy trying to manage the dog's behaviour, picking up toys and rocking children in buggies to be able to interact effectively with children. She is often unable to support children when they are upset, which impacts on their emotional well-being. At times, she puts the television on to try to reduce the chaos. However, this adds to the noise levels and disrupts children's play and rest further…The childminder does not understand how children learn.” The reports highlighted that dog toys litter the floor, along with children's toys: “The dog frequently chews children's toys, which they play with afterwards. Children put dog toys and bones in their mouths, which spread germs and increases their risk of other infections.” Children were often unable to sleep due to the noise and the space used for childminding did not give children enough room to play and explore freely. A separate childminder in Staple Hill registered with Ofsted since 2016 has also been rated as Inadequate in all categories.

Drama group seeking new members The Kingswood-based Woodland Players are actively seeking new members aged over 18. No previous experience is needed, just a good sense of humour and a willingness to commit to rehearsals each week.

Crossword

The drama group meet every Thursday at 7.30pm at Our Lady of Lourdes School. The next meeting after the Easter break is on 13th April when the group will be deciding on their next production, which will be in October.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Table ball game (9)

1. Flying mammal (3)

6. Mongrel (3)

2. Song-like (5)

8. Ground (7)

3. ---- the Terrible (4)

9. Sprinkle (5)

4. Milk curdling substance (6)

10. Chance (4) 11. Female fowl (3)

6. Dead body (7) 7. Regal colour (5,4)

14. Paved terrace (5)

10. Opera glass (9)

16. Roof timber (6) 18. Ornamental tuft (6)

11. Stringed instruments (5)

19. Isolated (5)

12. Saltpetre (5)

21. Not any (4)

14. Podded vegetable (3) 15. Cereal (3) 17. Trumpet flourish (7)

23. Subdue (4)

20. Antenna (6)

27. Grilled bread (5)

24. Alert (5)

28. Prehistoric period (4,3) 30. Female sheep (3)

“The childminder does not fulfil her responsibility to maintain records and ensure that required information about children is easily accessible. These weaknesses place children's safety and well-being at significant risk of harm.”

5. Waistband (4)

13. Travel by ship (4)

22. Bishop's diocese (3)

In 2018 the childminder was told that she required improvement but in 2019 she was rated as Good. Again the most recent inspection was carried out as a result of a risk assessment following information that Ofsted received. The report said: “The childminder fails to understand her responsibility to safeguard children. She fails to supervise children at all times. She leaves her unvetted assistant in sole charge of children.” The report said that the childminder did not hold a valid paediatric first aid certificate and her risk assessments of the premises and hygiene procedures were not good enough.

25. Pace (4) 26. Rain heavily (4) 29. Stray (3)

31. Arctic creature (5,4)

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Old footbridge in park is demolished The old footbridge over the River Chew in Keynsham Memorial Park has now been removed. It had been closed since October 2019 on health and safety grounds because beams had decayed. Demolition work finally began at the end of February and the

nearby play park has been closed since then for public safety. The new structure will be made from fibre reinforced

polymer. The installation works starts soon, with the main structure due to be lifted into place by crane next month.

Teen attackers break man’s arm Police are appealing for witnesses after a man in his 50s was attacked in an attempted robbery in the Callington Road underpass off the A4174 Ring Road near the Tesco store at Brislington. It happened at around 7.30am-7.45am on Saturday 18th March. The attackers were white and said to be in their mid-to-late teens. They threatened the victim and one who was said to be in possession of a black pole used it to strike the victim who suffered a broke arm. One of the offenders unsuccessfully tried to make off with the victim’s e-scooter before both ran off. The one with the weapon wore a black tracksuit and a black top, while the other had a tight grey tracksuit and black top. Witnesses or anyone with any footage are asked to call 101 and quote reference number 5223063380.

The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

As it was

The old bridge has now been removed

Partial closure order after anti-social behaviour A partial closure order has been granted against an address to help protect people in Speedwell from anti-social behaviour. A warrant was carried out in January at the address, which is in the Gorse Hill area, after reports of issues relating to drugs and noise. Avon & Somerset Police and Bristol City Council worked together over a period of time before the warrant to try to alleviate the issues – including offering the tenant an antisocial behaviour contract – but neighbours continued to be

affected. An application was agreed at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 22nd March for a three-month partial closure order, meaning only the tenant is allowed to enter the property. Breaching this would be a criminal offence. Acting Inspector Serena Serjeant said: “We take anti-social behaviour seriously and are thankful for the support of residents and partner agencies who have helped achieve this result. “It is not right for anybody to feel scared by what is happening on their doorstep.”

‘Cossham Hospital must have an Urgent Treatment Centre to tackle inequalities’ There is concern that national guidance to replace Minor Injury Units with Urgent Treatment Centres will not do anything to tackle widening health inequalities in South Gloucestershire unless one is opened at Cossham Hospital in Kingswood. As part of their review of local healthcare provision and needs, South Gloucestershire Council’s cross-party Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee met last Thursday to consider evidence from the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and members of the public. The review was prompted after the rejection a year ago of a 5,000-plus name petition calling for the promised Minor Injury Unit (MIU) at Cossham. More than 2,000 of those who signed were Week In readers who got behind the campaign started by local nurse Josh Ditte. But health chiefs stated that a MIU at Cossham was not part of their urgent care strategy and rejected the petition, without carrying out a health inequalities study. Cossham reopened in 2013 after a major refurbishment but without the MIU that was agreed as part of the Bristol Health Services Plan drawn up 20 years ago. A subsequent 18,000name petition failed to convince health chiefs who instead launched a trial in 2016 in which minor injuries were treated in GP surgeries. That failed to reduce A&E attendances so instead significant investment was put into Yate MIU. But as Thursday’s meeting heard from Cllr John Gawn, it gets so busy that people sometimes have to queue out the door. The service also closes early if it experiences significant demand. The ICB is responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of the local population, managing the budget and

arranging for the provision of health services. It says that the direction from the Government now is to move away from the “confusing” range of Minor Injury Units, Walk-In Centres and Urgent Care Centres to “more consistent Urgent Treatment Centres”. These will be open at least 12 hours a day and staffed by doctors and nurses. As well as seeing walk-in patients, Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) will be able to offer booked appointments via the 111 service, carry out X-rays and issue prescriptions. In their evidence to the sub-committee, ICB officers submitted 11 reports totalling hundreds of pages. Updating members on what they are doing regarding improving urgent and emergency care, they spoke about their targeted communications campaign encouraging patients to access their own GP and NHS 111 instead of going to A&E. There have also been successful projects remotely assessing and managing people with urgent needs, while a pilot scheme refers about 3,200 patients per month from GP practices to a community pharmacist for minor conditions. One of those addressing Thursday’s meeting was Ian Scott, who was the chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee at the time of the first battle to secure the promised MIU almost 10 years ago. He said he had recently attended Yate MIU with his grandson and the service had been “fantastic”. He said the need for one at Cossham – or indeed a UTC - is now greater than ever for the residents of Kingswood and

Ongoing wait for Frenchay Community Hospital is ‘galling’ Ongoing frustration at the long wait for the promised Frenchay Community Hospital was raised at Thursday’s meeting. Giving evidence were Barbara Harris, of the Save Frenchay Community Hospital group, and NHS campaigner and South Gloucestershire resident Daphne Havercroft. Mrs Harris has previously highlighted that 40% of the beds at Southmead Hospital are occupied by “bed blockers” which equates to 320 beds – the same number of acute beds lost when the old Frenchay Hospital closed in 2014 when the new super hospital opened at Southmead. Land was reserved for a community hospital at Frenchay but still hasn’t been built and she is concerned that the proposed 40 to 50 beds aren’t enough anyway.. Mrs Harris and Mrs Havercroft said that a report published in 2021 by Professor John Bolton is important for the Integrated Care Board and key to informing the subcommittee’s work. The report was commissioned by the

Local Government Association in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care. Prof Bolton worked with seven NHS trusts, one of which was North Bristol Trust which runs Southmead. There was a particular interest in looking at the outcomes from community hospitals and the role of residential care for short-term recovery. Where data were available, it demonstrated that the better-staffed community hospitals can get over 70 per cent of older people back to their own homes and where residential care beds were supported by therapists and nurses, a similar percentage of older people returned home. Mrs Havercroft said: “It is galling for South Gloucestershire residents to see that commissioners, who have not delivered the Frenchay Community Hospital (promised in the Bristol Health Services Plan), have missed the opportunity to achieve the sort of encouraging outcomes recorded by community hospitals elsewhere in the country.”

East Bristol. Cllr Andrea Reid, who chaired Thursday’s meeting, said afterwards that it had left her “deeply concerned” about whether the new UTC model would do anything to address widening health inequalities in South Gloucestershire. She said: “It appeared that UTCs will be added where premises already exist, meaning that unless there is a change in the lCB's thinking, people will still struggle to access treatment whilst forced to travel miles to access it. “Currently the existing MIUs are in Hengrove, Yate and Clevedon, a completely farcical distance away from residents in Staple Hill and Mangotsfield, and Kingswood. These are the top two areas struggling with clusters of deprivation. If MIUs have to go and be replaced with UTCs, because of national guidance, fine. But the ICB must see that Cossham should then have one of the UTCs.” Cllr Reid said the ICB’s presentation even stated the evidence for it by saying that they need to look at population clusters and the importance of rapid access to health. But she added: “There is a gaping gap in the data to demonstrate they have identified barriers to accessing local healthcare, identified how best to remove them, and ascertained how many South Gloucestershire residents have been unable to access healthcare when needed. “To base provision on data compiled from talking to people who have actually been able to access healthcare is likely to result in a very skewed offer, inevitably resulting in worsening health outcomes for the most deprived and most vulnerable of the South Gloucestershire population.” The sub-committee will this month draft a report and recommendations which will be presented to the Health Scrutiny Committee in June, and then to the ICB. • Cossham is already a base for Severnside Integrated Urgent Care which combines NHS 111 and the out-of-hours service which allows people to speak to a clinician when they urgently need to and their own GP practice is closed. The Week in • Wednesday 5th April 2023

Halifax branch in Emersons Green to close The Halifax branch at Emersons Green Retail Park is to close this summer, it has been announced. That will leave both Downend and Emersons Green without a bank. As we reported last December, Downend’s last remaining bank, HSBC, is due to close on 25th April. Halifax chiefs say that following an in-depth review, their branch at Emersons Green Retail Park will close on 19th July. The review found that customers are already banking in other ways, including 88% using other Halifax branches, online banking or telephone banking, while 22% have also used the Post Office.

Customers are advised that the nearest Halifax branch is at Kings Chase Shopping Centre in Kingswood, 3.28 miles away. Halifax admit that although there are direct buses to Kingswood, they are “irregular” and

are cash machines at Boots and Sainsbury’s in the retail park. There is a Post Office branch in Downend at McColl’s with a cashpoint, as well as a cashpoint at Sainsbury’s. There is also a local

the journey takes around 30 minutes. Alternatively customers can go to the Yate branch which is more than five miles away: “There are indirect buses requiring a change and some walking, with journey times of between 40 and 60 minutes.” Customers are advised that the nearest Post Office branch is at Northcote Road in Mangotsfield which is almost two miles away. Customers are also advised that there

agency for Yorkshire Building Society.

The Halifax branch will close on 19th July

HSBC in Downend closes on 25th April

New exhibitions at Kingswood Heritage Museum

The ‘droid’

Kingswood Heritage Museum’s new season has begun and it will be open from 11am to 5pm on Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and on Bank Holiday Monday. This year’s new exhibitions feature Temperance and the Kingswood circuit, the Whitsun procession, local farming and spotlights on the areas of Wick, Pucklechurch, Dyrham and Doynton. The new displays include a ‘droid’ that accompanied famous local actor David Prowse MBE in his role as the Green Cross Man, a superhero invented to promote road safety for children and young people. The first monthly talk this season is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 12th April, when Rose Wallis will tell the tale of John Horwood, the Hanham miner’s son who was

the first person to be hanged at Bristol New Gaol. Admission costs £4 and light

refreshments will be available. Seats can be reserved by calling 0117 9605664.

Situations Vacant

Keep in touch, let us know what you think, send us your news Warmley Wesley Methodist Sunday School at the 1972 Kingswood Temperance parade

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