The Bradley Stoke Journal

South Gloucestershire Council is running a second consultation on its proposed road safety improvements for Bradley Stoke Way, in the vicinity of the Willow Brook Centre.

The latest consultation, which runs until Wednesday 8th February, invites comments on the new toucan crossing that is proposed to replace two uncontrolled crossing points that were the sites of two serious road traffic accidents during 2011.

The new light-controlled crossing will be situated approximately midway between the two existing crossing points and new guardrails will be installed to deter pedestrians from crossing the carriageway away from the new toucan crossing.

There is still no news on the outcome of the first consultation on the overall scheme, which ran from 20th December 2011 to 8th January 2012. The Journal has learned that “seven or eight” responses were received but the Council has so far not found the time to give personal replies or publish an analysis of the results on its website.

Cllr Brian Allinson, SGC’s executive member for planning and transport, said last year that work on the new measures would start in March 2012 but that schedule now appears to have slipped by at least a month, with the Council now saying:

“Depending on the results of the public consultation and advertisement, the scheme is programmed to be designed in this financial year (2011/12) with a view for implementation in 2012/13.”

More: Speed monitoring exercise began on morning of 2nd accident »

Police investigating multiple reports of a prowler in Bradley Stoke and Little Stoke say they have arrested a man.

A statement posted today on the Avon and Somerset Police website reads:

“A 30-year-old man from Bradley Stoke was arrested shortly after 8pm last night, Thursday 26th January, by neighbourhood PC Claire Fletcher.”

“He remains in police custody today, Friday 27th January.”

The move comes after police said they had been called to investigate two separate reports of an early morning prowler in Elm Close (Little Stoke) and Oaktree Crescent on Wednesday 18th January.

Local police have said they arrested a man in connection with a similar incident in Bradley Stoke in November 2011 but following further enquiries he was released without charge.

An article in the The Bristol Evening Post earlier this week claimed a prowler was scared off after he was seen “trying to peer into a house” in the vicinity of Brook Way.

Two Bradley Stoke Judo Club players have won the top two medals in their categories at the prestigious 2012 Commonwealth Judo Championships, held yesterday (Tuesday 24th January) at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

The players, Steph Walker and Lele Nairne (both just 14 years of age), won first the silver medal and then Lele bagged the gold and title of ‘Commonwealth Judo Champion’.

Commenting on their performance, Club Coach Pete Douglas said:

“The selection process for this championship started months ago when the best players England had to offer gathered to fight it out to distinguish the top athletes to represent England in this truly international event.”

“These two players proved themselves to be true titans in judo and right at the very top of their game. They are a credit to the club and South West and I know will shortly be going on to represent England again at other internationals at the very highest level.”

More: Youngsters are also members of the England elite squad »

An article in today’s Bristol Evening Post claims shoppers have been put off from using Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre following the installation of speed humps back in November last year.

The humps on the approach road to the centre are said to be giving customers “too much of a jolt” and the obstacles are alleged to be causing traffic congestion because vehicles have to “virtually stop before driving over them”.

The story will be familiar to Journal readers as we covered it two months ago when the humps were first installed.

The paper quotes Bradley Stoke Town Councillor Keith Cranney as saying:

“… the centre should be doing everything it could to encourage customers in times of economic austerity – not put them off.”

“I’ve had a lot of complaints about this and it was raised at a recent forum meeting where someone said they wouldn’t be shopping there again.”

Members of the Bradley Stoke Police Beat Team which has a base at the centre, however, expressed different views in a presentation to a Town Council meeting last Wednesday.

More: Humps are "helping the cause" says PCSO »

Bradley Stoke Town Council has voted to freeze the precept charge on residents’ council tax bills for the second successive year. The decision, agreed at last Wednesday’s Full Council meeting, sees the charge on a Band D property remain at £113.50 for 2012/13.

Commenting on the freeze, Cllr Roger Avenin (Con, Baileys Court), Chair of the Finance Committee, said:

“We continue to find ourselves in uncertain economic times and many residents’ household budgets are under pressure. As a Council we’re here to support the community and it simply wouldn’t be right to ask hard working families to pay any more this year.”

Councillors are also keen to point out that services aren’t under threat with Town Mayor Cllr Ben Walker commenting:

“We’re not making cuts, we’re still providing for the community; we’re just focusing very hard on doing everything we can as efficiently as possible. Our youth budget for example has been maintained but it has been opened up to a wider variety of organisations than ever before, so we can support a diverse range of activities for young people of all ages.”

The Town Council precept typically represents less than 10% of the total Council Tax bill. The largest proportion, around 80%, is taken by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), with the police and fire services making up the remainder.

More: Government offers SGC a sweetener to freeze Council Tax »