Centre closure would be 'absolute disaster' for families

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The council is blaming the academy trust for the closure, but opposition groups say the fault lies with the council's administration.

Parents campaigning to save the unit, which currently has 12 pupils with autism spectrum disorder, appealed directly to political leaders at a council meeting on February 15, speaking passionately about how vital it was for their youngsters.

One parent said: “It’s an absolute disaster for the children and their families.

“There are no local sites that can meet these young people’s needs. Having to travel long distances is unthinkable for many who have extreme anxiety."

Another parent said: "My young person has no physical disabilities but needs a high level of support.

"He wasn’t considered disabled enough for some placements, and not independent enough for others.

"The Access Centre bridged that gap. Without Chipping Sodbury, children like mine won’t be able to go to school."

They were joined by local child psychologist Sean Rhodes, who works with children with autism and communication difficulties.

He said: "Where will these children go for their education? We already know that there is no space at other bases and centres, or in our special schools."

A petition aimed at keeping the centre open has received more than 1,000 signatures.

It says the unit is set to be hit by new "Banding and Safety Valve agreements", aimed at increasing “value for money” in specialist provision.

Athelstan Trust chief executive Tim Gilson said it was a “horrible situation” caused by a lack of funding to the council from central government for

Man dumped uncle's rubbish in lane

A YATE man has been ordered to pay a total of £1,228 after dumping rubbish he had collected from his uncle in the town.

South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted Santiago Pablo for waste offences following the discovery of a fly-tip on the side of Watery Lane last July.

Council workers cleared the rubbish and found papers relating to an address in Alveston, which turned out to belong to Pablo's uncle. Environmental enforcement officers visited and he told them the waste had been taken away by his nephew.

After failing to attend an earlier court hearing, 29-year-old, Pablo, of Cater Drive, was arrested on warrant and brought before Bristol Magistrates Court in January.

He pleaded guilty to the offence of failing in his duty of care and was ordered to pay a fine of £480, along with £500 in costs, a further and £56 in clear up costs, and a £192 victim surcharge, making a total of £1,228.

He had told council staff he had removed the waste from his uncle's address as a favour and then paid an acquaintance £20 to take it away.

The council urged anyone who sees illegal fly tipping to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos. gov.uk/flytipping online.

pupils with special needs and disabilities.

The council's cabinet has blamed the trust for the closure.

Cabinet member for education Erica Williams said: “This decision by the trust came totally out of the blue.

“We asked the trust to come to the table. The trust refused to come to the table.

“We don’t see why there is any reason for it to close –through the banding changes there will still be sufficient funds for that access centre to remain open.”

But opposition groups say the the fault clearly lies with the council administration.

Liberal Democrat group leader Claire Young told the meeting: “The parents will have almost certainly had a long battle to get their child into the centre, and now when they thought they had the answer they see it being snatched away.

“It’s a disgrace that this council is risking the education of some of its most vulnerable children and I urge a rethink.”

The petition can be found at change.org/p/save-chippingsodbury-access-centre.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service