The Bradley Stoke Journal

Residents of Bradley Stoke and the surrounding area have rallied round to support families affected by a tragic house fire that claimed the lives of two young children.

Charlie and McKenzie Whitton, aged five and seven, died after fire broke out at their home in Merryweather Close at around 6am on Saturday 19th March. Their parents, Lee and Alex, managed to escape the blaze along with their other children Thomas, aged nine, and six-month-old Jak.

Neighbours Linda and Rebecca Ashley have now set up the Lee and Alex Gift Fund to raise money for the families affected by the fire. All the money raised will be given to Lee and Alex Whitton and the families in two adjoining properties in Merryweather Close, to use as they see fit.

Full details of how to contribute to the fund can now be found on The Journal’s Merryweather Close Fire Victims Appeal Fund page.

Elsewhere, four ladies from the wider community are organising a fundraising event in the ballroom of the BAWA Club, Filton, on Saturday 23rd April. On the night there will be special guest appearances (names to be confirmed), local bands performing, disco, raffle and auction.

Doors open from 8pm; bar closes 12:30am; event ends 1am. Tickets (£10 for adults, £5 for children) are available by either contacting the organisers through their Facebook event page or telephoning Louise Keogh on 07545 034450 or Aimee England on 07413 799416.

Further details of the event and the tremendous support being given by local businesses are available on the Victims of Merryweather Bradley Stoke group page on Facebook.

Read on to find out how local schoolchildren are helping the appeal »

Following on from a planning application to fit a gate to the pedestrian access point between Manor Farm Crescent and the Willow Brook Centre, a site inspection is to be carried out on Friday 1st April at 10:50am by the South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) Development Control (West) Committee. This will then inform the full Planning Meeting to be held on Thursday 14th April when a decision is expected to be taken.

The purpose of the proposed development is to restrict the use of the access point by introducing a gate which would be locked shut between 8pm and 7am in order to prevent occurrences of anti-social behaviour in the locality.

Despite a recommendation from the SGC planning officer to proceed with a twelve-month trial for a gate, the application has been referred to the Planning Committee by Cllrs Brian Hopkinson and Jon Williams in the above manner to allow Planning Committee members to “consider the benefits of the proposal for the local community as a whole”.

The planning application states:

“It has been acknowledged that there have been occurrences of anti-social behaviour in the locality which is giving local residents grounds for concern and distress. It is also acknowledged that the development could act to discourage the congregation of youths at this location and very close by. However, there is no tangible evidence that the proposed development would act to resolve the anti-social behaviour issue.”

Read on for more comments from the SGC planning officer »

The Brantano shoe store at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre is running a ‘New for Old’ money-saving promotion that promises to also help a baby charity and people in the third world.

Anyone taking an old pair of shoes (in any condition) into the store before Sunday 10th April will be given a £10-off voucher that can be used when spending £40 or more before the end of April.

For every old pair of shoes received, Brantano will donate 20p to the baby charity Tommy’s, which funds research and provides information on the causes and prevention of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth.

According to Brantano:

“… your unwanted shoes could be delivered directly to an African trader who will repair, clean and polish them back to their best. The shoes will then be sold locally for an amount which, although modest, helps maintain and strengthen this essential cottage industry.”

Full terms and conditions of the promotion are available on the Brantano website.

Related link: Willow Brook Centre Store Directory

A team of students from Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) has made it through to the final of the British Schools Karting Championships (BSKC) taking place this weekend in Milton Keynes.

The team of three Year 10 boys (Sam Morgan, Liam Williams and George Malin) entered the competition back in January, when they competed in the local semi-final at Team Sport, Avonmouth.

Victory by a single point qualified them for the West England & Wales regional semi-final on 12th March at Llandow Kart Circuit, where a second place result secured them a trip to Sunday’s final.

The 2011 Championship has been contested by more than 450 teams, with a total of 1350 student drivers.

After more than 100 karting events around the country, just 33 teams have made it through the final, which is sponsored by Red Bull Racing and Arden International Motorsport.

Red Bull Racing will reward the Champions with a VIP factory tour of their Milton Keynes facility, while Arden International Motorsport have offered the overall Champions a day of driver training in their state-of-the-art simulator.

James Male, a mathematics teacher at BSCS, said:

“The BSKC has given a fantastic opportunity for the students at Bradley Stoke to shine in a sport that is not promoted within school.”

South Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats fired the opening shots in the 2011 Local Election campaign when they launched their ‘Action for our Area’ manifesto in Bradley Stoke’s Town Square on Saturday morning.

Local MPs Steve Webb and Don Foster joined local candidates and activists to promote the document that promises to “create a Council that works for you … not for the Government”.

Voters will go to the the polls on Thursday 5th May to elect representatives to South Gloucestershire Council (SGC)  and Parish/Town Councils, including Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC).

SGC has been controlled since May 2007 by a minority Conservative administration, while the Town Council currently has a comfortable Conservative majority (twelve seats against the Lib Dem’s two and one independent).

The three SGC wards in Bradley Stoke and Stoke Lodge are represented by five Councillors. Of the current incumbents, four are Conservative and the other a Lib Dem.

In looking to regain overall control of SGC, the Lib Dem manifesto states:

“When we ran South Gloucestershire – and when no party had complete control – things were better. Residents had a real say in things. Now, the local Conservatives are simply doing what they want, irrespective of whether you want it.”

“If you give us power in 2011 we will work with you to help you create the sort of green, clean, fair and safe communities you have told us you want to live in, with a Council that listens to you and gives you real power over your own lives and communities.”

Read on for six things the Lib Dems say they will fix »