The Bradley Stoke Journal

Issues surrounding the provision of youth work in Bradley Stoke have once again proved divisive within the Town Council leading to a Councillor walking out of a meeting after being accused of “railroading” proposals for extra expenditure.

After hearing youth leader Steve Robertson raise concerns in his quarterly report to Council that much of the youth club equipment is old and in need of replacement, Cllr Brian Hopkinson wanted to force a vote to approve extra funding for replacement items.

His proposal found little support amongst his colleagues on the Leisure, Youth & Amenities Committee, who thought that South Gloucestershire Council or Southern Brooks Community Partnership (SBCP) should provide the money.

Fellow Tory Cllr Morgan Baynham pointed out to Cllr Hopkinson that no vote could be taken as the topic of extra spending was not on the meeting’s agenda, adding that Cllr Hopkinson was trying to “railroad” the matter through Council.

After further discussion, it was suggested that Mr Robertson write to the Town Council with an equipment “wish list” which could then be discussed at the Full Council meeting in September.

Read more about the Councillor walk-out »

Discussion is open - 8 comments (view) - click here to respond.

Bradley Stoke Town Council is to place press advertisements for land suitable for allotments after South Gloucestershire Council failed to come up with any potential sites after more than 18 months of searching.

The Town Council became obliged to act after a number of electors, backed by local MP Steve Webb, submitted a petition in November 2008 calling on it to provide allotments for the residents of Bradley Stoke.

With no suitable sites within the town’s boundaries, the Council then agreed to ask SGC if it could provide an appropriate parcel of land at a “peppercorn rent”, with sites at Old Gloucester Road and Trench Lane being suggested as possibilities.

Almost two years on, SGC has failed to come up with a single proposal, claiming that “everything is on hold” because of uncertainties over the provision of gypsy and traveller sites in the district.

Frustration boiled over at last month’s meeting of Full Council, where Cllr Julian Barge described SGC as having been “totally inept” in dealing with the allotment land issue.

Approaches to the neighbouring parishes of Patchway and Stoke Gifford, which both provide allotments within their boundaries, have also come to nought.

Read on to find out how Councillors plan to take matters into their own hands in the search for suitable land »

Discussion is open - 3 comments (view) - click here to respond.

Bradley Stoke Town Council has issued a press release to clarify its staffing arrangements after the profile of the Deputy Town Clerk mysteriously disappeared from the Council’s website.

Following the retiral of the long-serving David Chandler in January, Sharon Petela was appointed the new Town Clerk with Lesley Osborne continuing to serve as Deputy Clerk. But then, in early June, Mrs Osborne’s profile mysteriously disappeared from the Contact the Office page of the Council’s website.

In a possibly related move, the Council has recently held two ‘extraordinary and confidential’ meetings (from which the press and public were excluded) to “consider and action the recent Council Staff Pay Grading and Restructuring Review”.

Pressed by The Journal, the Council has now issued a statement confirming Mrs Osborne’s retiral with effect from 28th May.

The statement says that the departure “was kept low key in accordance with her [Mrs Osborne's] wishes”.

Mayor Ben Walker, wished Mrs Osborne well, saying:

“Lesley leaves with the best wishes of councillors and staff and the gratitude of many people from a host of organisations whom she has worked with during her time with the Council.”

[Ed: Best wishes to Lesley from The Journal as well - many thanks for your cooperation over the last couple of years.]

The statement goes on to say that the Council has not yet advertised the vacancy caused by Mrs Osborne’s departure, and that “no decision on the post will be taken until the results of the on-going staffing review are presented to Council.”

Ben Walker (Conservative) was elected the new Mayor of Bradley Stoke at last night’s Annual General Meeting of the Town Council.

He received the ceremonial chain of office from outgoing Mayor Mark Forsyth, who had previously announced that he had raised a total of £6,735 for his two nominated charities during his year in office.

The money in the Mayor’s Fund comes principally from  the Community Festival in June and the Fireworks Display in November (the latter attracting a record crowd in 2009).

Cheques for £3367.50 were presented to Pat Jones of the Bristol Dyslexia Centre (left photo) and John Francis of the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association (BLESMA).

Cllr Walker, who lives in Little Stoke and runs a building services company, represents the Lakeside parish ward of Bradley Stoke. His achievements as a Councillor include helping to form the Lakeside Residents’ Association and heading the recent negotiations towards the formation of a new bowls club at Baileys Court.

The new Mayor’s charity will be St Peter’s Hospice, which provides, within the wider Bristol area, specialist palliative care to adults suffering from life-threatening illness.

Related link: More photos from the Town Council AGM (PicasaWeb)

Residents of Bradley Stoke are invited to have their say at the Annual Town Meeting on Wednesday evening (12th May) at the Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road (7:30pm start).

The meeting will receive summary reports from the Chair of Council (Cllr Mark Forsyth), the Chair of the Finance & Leisure Committee (Cllr Ben Walker) and the Chair of the Planning, Environment & Amenities Committee (Cllr Morgan Baynham).

Members of the public will then have the opportunity to put questions to Councillors in an open session.

The Chairs’ full reports are contained in the Annual Report for 2009/2010, which should by now have been delivered to all households in the town. [Ed: Other arrangements have presumably been made for getting the report to the eight Councillors, from the total of 15, who are not resident in the town!]

A section towards the end of the Annual Report details the attendance record of Councillors during the past financial year. Top marks go to Cllr Ben Walker (Conservative, pictured right) who has attended an astonishing 22 Council and Committee meetings, making him the only representative with a 100% record.

Residents in the Manor Farm ward may be concerned to learn that their elected representative, Cllr Sandra Hobson (Liberal Democrat), has attended just two of the 17 meetings at which she was expected over the past twelve months.

All those attending Wednesday’s meeting are invited to join Council members and staff for light refreshments after the proceedings.