The Bradley Stoke Journal

The Harvester chain is to set to open a restaurant at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre.

An eagle-eyed Journal reader spotted notices in the windows of Town Square units 5, 6 & 7  this morning, which show that Mitchells & Butlers (the owning company) has applied to South Gloucestershire Council for an alcohol and entertainment licence on behalf of the national restaurant chain.

The Journal understands that the company plans to open a restaurant seating around 80 diners, with the possibility of further tables being positioned outside in the square.

Initially the business will be “dining only” but there is the possibility that a bar might be included at a later stage.

Objections to the licensing application must be made by Wednesday 15th September.

A charity looking to build an MS therapy centre and respite care facility on land adjacent to Wheatfield Primary School has won its appeal against South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) decision to refuse planning permission.

Permission to build the therapy centre was granted in November 2009, subject to a condition that the site be accessed exclusively from Bradley Stoke Way – following scores of objections from residents of Wheatfield Drive who feared that the alternative of allowing access via their street would worsen already-existing traffic issues in their neighbourhood.

But when the charity later submitted plans for a respite care facility on another part of the site, the proposed access switched to Wheatfield Drive because, it was said, fibre optic cables had been discovered running immediately beneath the line of the proposed access road off Bradley Stoke Way.

A BBC article at the time said it would cost an astonishing £1 million to move the cables, which the charity said it couldn’t afford.

SGC failed to issue a decision on the revised access plans within the stipulated eight-week period, leading to the application being referred to the Planning Inspectorate.

Despite the referral, Councillors on SGC’s Development Contol (West) Committee went on to consider the application and finally voted to reject it in late June. That decision was made against the advice of the Council’s officers, who had concluded that the access proposals were:

“safe … and would not result in a material impact upon highway safety and amenity.”

Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Planning Committee had previously voted unanimously to reject the application and residents’ concerns were supported by local MP Jack Lopresti.

In the decision report published yesterday, the Inspector says:

Overall, I conclude … that vehicle movements associated with the proposed development would not unacceptably affect the safety and convenience of road users in the area and would not unacceptably affect the living conditions of residents in the surrounding area.

Read on to find out how the Inspector justifies the appeal decision »

An unnamed store at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre has vetoed the Town Council’s plan to establish a monthly farmers’ market in the Town Square.

July’s meeting of Full Council had been told that Council staff were keen to set up a regular farmers’ and artisans’ market in the Town Square and that initial discussions with the Willow Brook Centre had proved fruitful.

Staff had made contact with a local market organiser and advice had been sought from officials at South Gloucestershire Council.

Some Councillors expressed surprise that Tesco had not objected to the plan on the grounds that it might affect their trade but Town Clerk Sharon Petela explained that experience elsewhere showed that the reverse was true, citing  the market held outside Waitrose in Portishead as an example.

However, hopes were dashed at last night’s meeting of the Leisure , Youth & Amenities Committee, where it was reported that Willow Brook Centre Manager Scott Lahive has since “received objections from one of the major tenants [of the centre]“.

Councillors expressed dismay at the change of heart, with Cllr Julian Barge describing the objections as “narrow minded”.

The first market had been due to take place on Wednesday 6th October and the monthly event had already been publicised on the Farmers’ Markets page of the Taste South Gloucestershire website.

Construction of the new Post-16 (Sixth Form) Centre at Bradley Stoke Community School is nearing completion and the facility is due to open its doors to students for the first time at 8:30am on Thursday 2nd September.

Governors of the school were recently given a tour of the new building and Cllr Jon Williams has kindly provided some exclusive photos of the inside of the centre, which can be viewed in our Picasa Gallery [album; slideshow].

The text of a recent press release put out by the school is reproduced below …

After five years many of the original cohort of 180 students, now in Year 11, are looking forward to continuing their education at Bradley Stoke Community School in a new Post-16 Centre which has been built over the past ten months. The new Post-16 Centre will help to meet the needs of the local community and is due to be handed over to the school on 23rd August 2010.

Bradley Stoke Community School is part of the Concorde Partnership and will be offering an integrated post-16 timetable with Abbeywood Community School (formerly Filton High School), Patchway Community College and Filton College.  Between them they will deliver a wider range of courses during 2010/11; more than any one institution could offer alone – this will broaden opportunities for young people in the local area.

Our Post-16 Centre is designed to cater for 180 students in years 12 and 13 eventually although there will only be year 12 in 2010-11.

Read on to find out more about the centre and its funding »

A charity Orienteering Challenge, suitable for families and accompanied children, is to be held next weekend in Bradley Stoke.

The event, which takes place in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve between 11am and 4pm on Sunday 22nd August, will raise funds for the children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Families, teams and individuals can have a go at a timed circuit (with prizes to be won). For younger children and families, shorter ‘nature trails’ will be available, following five habitat themes.

Entry is set at just £1 per person, irrespective of team size and under-5s go free. Maps will be provided and refreshments will be available.

The event will be based at the entrance to Savage’s Woods between Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and the Community School playing fields [map].

Organiser Leyla Roebuck says she had the idea for the event after doing some voluntary work at the charity’s Bristol office:

“Barnardo’s has always been a favourite of mine – I’m for anything that improves the quality of life in children.”

Barnardo’s South West spokesperson Martin Pitman told The Journal:

“I am delighted that one of our volunteer supporters has organised this interesting orienteering event in aid of Barnardo’s.

I know that Leyla, like us, is passionate about vulnerable and disadvantaged children and this seems like a great way to help whilst enabling the local community to join in the fun at the same time.”

Read more about the Three Brooks orienteering and nature trail »