The Bradley Stoke Journal

Bradley Stoke Town Council has revealed plans to relocate its office to the shopping mall of the town’s new Willow Brook Centre. The announcement was made at this evening’s meeting of the Safer & Stronger Community Group at Bradley Stoke Community School following a Special Meeting of the Council earlier in the day.

Mayor Robert Jones reported that the Council had agreed terms with the owners of the Willow Brook Centre and, subject to contract, the office move will take place “next year”.

The Journal understands that the new Town Council office will be located on the first floor level of the shopping mall. Other facilities planned for that level include an NHS dental practice.

Costa Coffee is the latest organisation to advertise for jobs at the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke’s new town centre development.

The company is looking for Assistant Managers and Team Members to staff its new store that is due to open later this month in the new Town Square.

Working hours are said to be flexible, with “full and part-time hours available during the week and weekends.”

Elsewhere, Greggs the Bakers, also opening in the Town Square, are still looking for staff. The company held a recruitment day on Saturday at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre, where a member of staff told The Journal that a number of part-time positions remain to be filled.

More details of all the vacancies at the Willow Brook Centre can be found on The Journal’s dedicated New Town Centre Jobs page.

The seasonal park and ride service (984) from the Frenchay campus of the University of the West of England (UWE) into Bristol city centre started last weekend (27th September) and will run until 28th December.

The service starts and finishes at UWE’s car park 20 [map], off Coldharbour Lane. It runs every 15 minutes and the journey takes 15-20 minutes.

City centre stops are at Cabot Circus (Bond Street) and Broadmead (Lewins Mead).

The fare is £2 return for adults, with children under 16 travelling free if accompanied by an adult.

Related Links:

• Bus service 984 - Timetable for 2008
• The Journal’s guide to bus services in Bradley Stoke

The latest Meadowbank by-election campaign leaflet from local Conservatives has appeared today. Under the headline ‘Positive Campaigning Locally’, Cllrs Rob Jones and John Ashe tell voters:

“So many local people [we] have spoken to tell us how badly they feel Labour has let down our area.”

The Councillors go on to highlight local issues on which they claim the Conservatives have successfully campaigned, including plans for a sixth form at Bradley Stoke Community School, an NHS dentist in the new town centre and youth provision in the town.

By-election candidate Paul Turner says of the planned sixth form:

“The Conservative team have been campaigning on this issue and finally, owing to their dedication and commitment we have success. I hope that the learning and skills council are able to back these plans - we could see the new sixth form in place as soon as 2010.”

Voting in the by-election takes place this coming Thursday, 2nd October. The polling station, at the Church of Christ the King, Mautravers Close, will be open from 7am to 10pm.

The past fortnight has seen two further Liberal Democrat campaign leaflets dropping on the doormats of homes in Bradley Stoke’s Meadowbank parish ward, where a by-election takes place this coming Thursday (2nd October).

The first leaflet describes the Liberal Democrat candidate, Jon Williams, as a ‘local champion’ and leads on a promise to “fight hard on behalf of the Bowls Club and our young people”. It also contains a rebuttal of the claim made in a Conservative leaflet that Mr Williams opposed plans for a Sixth Form at Bradley Stoke Community School:

“Not content with ruining the services and facilities of the Town, the Tories are trying to undermine my reputation over my long support for our local secondary school. If the Tory candidate comes to your door, ask him when he has ever written or spoken up for a sixth form?”

On hearing the news that the sixth form plans have been approved by South Gloucestershire Council, Mr Williams told The Journal:

“I’m delighted that planning permission for the new 6th form building at BSCS has been approved. It has been a long term ambition of mine to see our children have the opportunity to complete their schooling within the town and this will allow that to happen. There is now the disruption of the actual construction process, but Head teacher Dave Baker and the Governors are planning ahead to ensure that there is minimal affect on the running of the school. I am confident that the new facilities will be ready in plenty of time for the 1st intake of 6th form students and I look forward to seeing them achieve their full potential at what is already a high achieving school.”

The leaflet goes on to claim that few of the Tory Councillors on Bradley Stoke Town Council actually live in the town and that many of them also serve on other Parish Councils.

The second leaflet repeats many of the claims made in earlier leaflets and accuses the Conservative administration of being “more interested in making a profit than providing local facilities”.

The Journal is not aware of any further leaflets being delivered by the Conservatives, after their first leaflet appeared at the start of the campaign.

Conservative supporters are most likely hoping that a “significant announcement” in connection with Bradley Stoke’s new town centre development, expected to be made on Tuesday evening after a Special Meeting of the Town Council, will sway the vote in favour of their candidate, Paul Turner.

Candidate statements and campaign leaflets can be viewed on The Journal’s Meadowbank By-election page.

Tesco plc has announced the appointment of Oliver Hill as manager of the new Tesco Extra store that is set to open on Monday 13th October at Bradley Stoke’s new Willow Brook Centre.

Mr Hill has been with Tesco for eleven years and hails from Surrey. He now lives locally and has recently been running the recruitment centre for the new Bradley Stoke store.

In a press release put out by Freedman Brown Communications on behalf on Tesco, Mr Hill says:

“I am aiming to deliver the Tesco values including giving our customers fantastic service and low prices and providing a wide range of quality products. Customers will see a clean bright and spacious brand new store with fast and friendly customer service.”

The new Tesco Extra store will include a range of non-food departments, fresh food, deli, fish counter, olive bar, meat counter, hot chicken take away, adults and children’s clothing, a travel money desk, telecoms shop, photo lab and electrical department. It will also have a pharmacy and opticians.

There will be over 15,000 different products on offer and 40 checkouts to cope with demand from shoppers.

The new store will employ over 600 people, compared to the 299 that work at the existing Tesco store on the site.

Residents of Bradley Stoke are invited to join local police on a cycle trek around the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve, stopping at relevant points and identifying any issues or problems that require the attention of the community / partner agencies and discussing any probable solutions.

The ride takes place this Sunday (28th September), starting from the Three Brooks Lakes (duck pond) [map] at 4:30pm. You will need your own cycle in order to take part.

Following the trek, there will be an informal meeting at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre (5:30 pm start) to discuss any further issues. This meeting is also for individuals who do not ride bikes but wish to have an input into the discussion.

Issues likely to be discussed are nuisance motorcycling (highlighted in a recent report in The Journal) and dog fouling (raised at the Safer & Stronger Community Group meeting in June).

Related Links:

• Avon & Somerset Constabulary - Bradley Stoke Beat page
• The Bradley Stoke Journal - Police information and news page
• The Bradley Stoke Journal - Police stories

[Postscript: Apologies to anyone who turned up at the Leisure Centre for the 5:30pm meeting; we should have written that the meeting was at the Lakes, or at the Leisure Centre in case of poor weather]