The Bradley Stoke Journal

A private enforcement company has been brought in to combat unauthorised parking around the edge of the Tesco petrol filling station at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre.

Notices threatening rogue motorists with a penalty charge of £70 have been erected around the area. The signs bear the name of South West Parking Solutions, a Cheltenham company.

A reporter from The Journal witnessed an official taking several photos of a car parked in the area before securing a penalty notice behind the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. One further car was also seen to have a notice attached.

Willow Brook Centre Manager Scott Lahive told The Journal:

“The restriction have been introduced due to the high level of illegal parking we have experienced in this area. The area had been clearly lined as a loading/delivery bay since opening.”

“Earlier in the year the road markings were also extended and made even more prominent however abuse persists. Parking in this area has an operational effect on the centre as this section is for centre deliveries and fuel deliveries.”

“This hasn’t been a decision we have taken lightly and we have trialed other options before commencing with parking penalties, however the situation has got progressively worse and we are left with no other option.”

Police have been called in to investigate the disappearance of thousands of pounds of funds belonging to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of a Bradley Stoke primary school.

Writing in a recent newsletter, Arlene Yalung, outgoing Chair of the Friends of St Mary’s (the PTA of  St Mary’s RC Primary School in Webbs Wood Road) says:

“This year we have unfortunately encountered a problem with being able to produce a final set of accounts and have had to work with auditors from the local authority which has resulted in us having to pass the matter to the police.”

“It stems from a deposit of £3,500 being made in January that it would appear the bank are unable to trace.”

A spokesperson for the local education authority (South Gloucestershire Council) confirmed to The Journal that:

“The Friends of St Mary’s are currently voluntarily working with the appropriate bodies to resolve an accounting issue. The Friends are a completely separate organisation to the school.”

Parents at the school have been asked to: “refrain from becoming involved in any unhelpful conversations with each other or members of the Friends.”

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar was guest of honour at Bradley Stoke’s Baileys Court Inn on Saturday night at a post-match function organised by local football club Winterbourne United.

Winterbourne manager Nick Tanner, a team-mate of Grobbelaar at Liverpool, seemed to have pulled off a coup when he announced that the wacky 51-year-old would play for his team against local rivals Patchway Town in a Gloucestershire Cup tie.

Tanner was later forced to changes his plans, telling the Bristol Evening Post:

“We felt that, out of respect for our opponents and the competition, it would be best for Bruce not to play in the game.”

Instead, Grobbelaar would take part in a half-time penalty competition and would be on hand to warm up the players, sign autographs and pose for pictures.

In the event, the star’s presence failed to inspire the Winterbourne lads, as they crashed out of the competition in a 0-1 home defeat.

Undeterred by the afternoon’s result, the team and supporters made merry at Baileys Court Inn on Saturday night at “An Evening with Bruce Grobbelaar”.

A chilli supper was followed by a quiz and then an “informative and hilarious” question and answer session with the footballing legend.

Grobbelaar also made a draw to nominate the Baileys Court Inn charity of the year for 2010, which went to Southmead Cancer Research.

Photo (L-R): Mark Hodgkiss (Manager, Baileys Court Inn), Ellen Winfield (Winterbourne United FC), Bruce Grobbelaar, Nick Tanner (Manager, Winterbourne United FC).

The Bradley Stoke local beat team is staging two free bicycle security marking events this coming week.

The move is linked to mention of a “slight increase of pushbike thefts in the area recently” in the December edition of the Bradley Stoke police newsletter.

PCSO Kirsty Flicker will be at Bradley Stoke Community School after lessons on Monday (7th December) to mark pupils’ bikes with postcodes. The meeting point for this event is by the cycle storage in the main car park.

Wednesday (9th December) will see PCSOs Paul Baxter and Jason Green offer a similar service – along with crime prevention advice – at the Willow Brook Centre between 12 noon and 4pm.

Related links:

• Bradley Stoke Police Newsletter, Dec 2009 [PDF, 334KB]
• Advice on bicycle security (Avon and Somerset Police)

Staff from South Gloucestershire Council will be manning an exhibition of proposals for a bus rapid transit system in Bradley Stoke this weekend.

The exhibition, part of the public consultation on the “North Fringe to Hengrove Packge”, takes place tomorrow (Saturday 5th December)  between 9am and 12 noon at Bradley Stoke Library.

Information published on the website of the West of England Partnership website suggests that a dedicated rapid transit bus lane could be constructed along the full length of Bradley Stoke Way:

In Bradley Stoke, it is likely that the rapid transit would make use of the land reservations already in place along Bradley Stoke Way.

The statement is believed to refer to the strip of undeveloped land along the north-east side of the road that was previously foreseen for a tram system – until a spat between South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council put an end to the plans some years ago.

Related link: North Fringe Rapid Transport (The Journal)