The Bradley Stoke Journal

A serious accident, believed to have involved a motorcyclist and a young pedestrian, has led to the closure of Bradley Stoke Way in both directions between Patchway Brook Roundabout and Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre.

The accident happened at around 4pm on Friday afternoon. An eye witness told The Journal that a motorcyclist travelling north on Bradley Stoke Way had collided with a lone child crossing the road on a scooter at the crossing point just north of Savages Wood [Streetview].

Police, ambulance and fire services remain at the scene.

UPDATE 4:55pm: A police spokesperson said the emergency services had been called to the scene at 3:50pm. The collision involved a motorcyclist and a teenager. The teenager has been taken to Frenchay Hospital with serious injuries. There is no news about the motorcyclist. Police cannot say when the road will re-open.

UPDATE 5:45pm: Police accident investigators are working at the scene. Unofficial estimate of 6:40pm for re-opening Bradley Stoke Way.

UPDATE 7:30pm: Reports say that the road is still closed.

UPDATE 8:30pm: Bradley Stoke Way has now been re-opened.

UPDATE Saturday 12pm: Police have issued an appeal for witnesses. The condition of those involved in the accident is described as follows:

“The youngster on the scooter, aged 13 years, suffered serious head, abdomen, arm and leg injuries and was taken to Frenchay Hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.”

“The motorcyclist suffered an arm injury and was also taken to Frenchay Hospital, where he is to undergo surgery. His injury is not thought to be life threatening or life changing.”

More: Road closed for more than four hours during Friday rush hour »

A series of exhibitions about Filton Airfield and its future are to be staged by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) during October.

Following the announcement in April by BAE Systems that it intends to close Filton Airfield in December 2012, the Council put out a Position Statement that set out possible options for how the planned closure of the airfield could be dealt with in the Core Strategy (its main planning document for guiding and managing new development and change in South Gloucestershire up to 2026).

Consultation on the Position Statement ended on 29th July and the comments received can be reviewed on the SGC website.

The Council is now giving residents a further chance to comment on the future of the airfield at a series of exhibitions throughout October.

An unstaffed exhibition about options for the airfield will be staged at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre from Tuesday 4th October until Tuesday 11th October.

The exhibition will summarise the feedback from the Position Statement consultation and provide residents with a further opportunity to express their views on the future of the airfield.  This will include further information about why BAE Systems have made the decision to close the airfield.

Additionally, a staffed exhibition will be hosted at the new Severnvale Locality Hub in Rodway Road, Patchway, on Tuesday 11th October from 3pm to 7:30pm.

Read on to find out how to respond to the Filton Airfield consultation »

All but one of the staff on the payroll of Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) have been rewarded with £50 Mall vouchers “in recognition of good work to date and assistance in raising the profile of BSTC”, according to the draft minutes of last week’s Full Council meeting.

The news is revealed in the minuted account of a discussion item titled ‘Chairs recommendation on Annual Staff Appraisals’, from which the press and public were excluded. In the minutes, we learn that Mayor Ben Walker recommended:

“On completion of the new staff appraisals for 2010/11, the Chairs of the council committees would like to pay special thanks to the BSTC members of staff for their conduct, support and flexibility throughout 2010/11 and the implementation of the staffing restructure. Those staff members are: Rachel Pullen, John Rendell, Pat Louca, Vicky Davies, Sue Clark, Vanessa Walters, William Walton, Stephen Barton, Elaine Bezer, Patricia Harris, Royston Broderick and Dave Dace.”

The “staffing restructure” at the Town Council would appear to have been going on for some now, having first came to light in April 2010 when the Council held an ‘Extraordinary and Confidential’ meeting. Later, in June 2010, the profile of the then Deputy Town Clerk Lesley Osborne mysteriously disappeared from the staff list shown on the Council’s website. A press statement later explained that the officer had retired and that “no decision on the post would be taken until the results of the on-going staffing review are presented to Council.”

More: The Mayor announces Council’s decision before a vote is taken! »

Bradley Stoke now has a second late-night, seven-days-a-week, chemist after the ‘Bradley Stoke Pharmacy’ opened last Monday on the Bradley Stoke Surgery site in Brook Way.

The new chemist, which is located remarkably close to the existing Lloyds pharmacy near Aldi, opens for 100 hours a week, enabling it to exploit a “loophole” in the law that avoids it needing to prove to the local health authority that it is “necessary and expedient”.

The news, announced in a low-key manner on the Bradley Stoke Surgery website, comes just seven months after Boots opened its ‘Midnight Pharmacy’, operating under the same 100-hour legislation, at its Willow Brook Centre store.

The town’s fourth pharmacy operates within the Tesco Extra store, also at the Willow Brook Centre.

A statement in the September edition of the Friends of Bradley Stoke Surgery newsletter reads:

“Work began at the end of August to create Bradley Stoke Pharmacy adjacent to the surgery which will enable patients to make one journey to see the doctor and collect their prescriptions at the same time.”

“We are delighted that this new initiative is going ahead which will provide even better services and be more convenient for patients.”

Read more about the company behind the new pharmacy »

Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre has announced that Argos has completed contracts on an 8,000 sq. ft. unit that is set to open in late November, in time for Christmas.

The new store will occupy unit 3 of the retail terrace, between Brantano and Peacocks.

Scott Lahive, Manager of the Willow Brook Centre said:

“We will be delighted to see Argos open here in Bradley Stoke.”

“It’s also good news for all our tenants to see the Centre fully let in retail terms.”

A press release put out today by the Centre describes Argos as: “a well-established, unique retailer recognised for choice, value and convenience. It sells general merchandise and products for the home and, on average, 18 million UK households, or around two thirds of the population, have an Argos catalogue at home at any time.”

Following the re-opening of the Santander agency branch last week, this latest news means that the Centre will have 100% retail occupancy by the end of 2011, just over three years after its official opening in October 2008.

More: Unit 3 has planning permission for a mezzanine floor »