The Bradley Stoke Journal

The pond at Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Road has been cleared of rubbish by a team of volunteers from the local community. As The Journal reported last week, the pond had become polluted with shopping trolleys, bicycles, tyres, plastic seats and other debris, making it dangerous for people and wildlife.

The community action, inspired by two members (Mikey and Keith) of the local youth club, was coordinated by Ruth Cornish of Southern Brooks Community Partnership with help from Bradley Stoke Neighbourhood Policing Team and Home Housing Group.

Members of the youth club worked together with families from the neighbourhood adjoining Jubilee Green to collect debris from the pond and load it into a skip. Local Police Community Support Officer Pat Gardener was on hand to help direct the group, which consisted of about thirty people of all ages.

The pond was cleared in just under an hour, leaving the skip overflowing with mattresses, bicycles, an exhaust system, tyres, plastic furniture, computer equipment, a motorcycle, a vacuum cleaner and several shopping trolleys.

The hard work was followed by a well earned rest with the participants enjoying a barbecue back at the Jubilee Centre.

Lots more photos of the community pond clearance can be viewed in our PicasaWeb Gallery [album, slideshow].

As stated in our previous report, littering and fly tipping can be reported to South Gloucestershire Council’s Streetcare team (Tel: 01454-868000). If you are dissatisfied with the response you get from Streetcare team, you are advised to contact your local town or district Councillor [see The Journal’s Contact your Councillors page for how to do this].

Each home in South Gloucestershire is allowed one free collection of bulky waste (items that are too big to fit in your bin) in any 12 month period, while the Sort It! Centre in Station Road, Little Stoke accepts most types of household waste.

Abandoned Tesco trolleys should be reported to the customer service desk (Tel: 01454-847300) at the supermarket group’s Savages Wood Road store. The company told The Journal that it has a policy of collecting dumped trolleys when it is made aware of them. No comment could be obtained from the Aldi store at Patchway Brook roundabout, whose trolleys require a one pound deposit.

Southern Brooks Community Partnership is calling on residents of Bradley Stoke to help clear out the pond at Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Road. Rubbish has been dumped in and around the pond, making it dangerous for people and wildlife.

Interested parties are asked to meet at the Jubilee Centre [map] from 6pm on Thursday 22^nd May. Gloves and bags will be provided, but helpers are asked to bring their own waterproof footwear (wellies or waders).

The clear-up is the idea of members of the youth club that meets at The Jubilee Centre. Youth club members and leaders will be joined by a member of the Bradley Stoke Neighbourhood Policing Team as they they deal with the shopping trolleys, bicycles, tyres, plastic seats and other debris that litters the pond.

More photos of the pond before the tidy-up: [album; slideshow]

The initiative comes a few weeks before the town’s annual Community Festival that features events on the Jubilee Green over the weekend of 6^th-8^th June.

Residents are reminded that incidents of littering and fly tipping can be reported to South Gloucestershire Council’s Streetcare team (Tel: 01454-868000). If you are dissatisfied with the response you get from Streetcare team, you are advised to contact your local town or district Councillor [see The Journal's Contact your Councillors page for how to do this].

Fortunately, other ponds within Bradley Stoke are in a healthier condition. A few weeks ago, The Journal’s photographer took these shots [album; slideshow] of the pond at Patchway Common. Elsewhere, the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group has created two new ponds in the grassland to the north of Savages Wood.

2008-04-06 Bradley Stoke Wildflowers and Conservation Work

Seeking a break from recording progress in the construction of Bradley Stoke’s new town centre, The Journal’s photographer recently ventured into nearby Savages Wood and woodland below Bradley Stoke Community School to capture some more peaceful scenes. Check out the pictures of bluebells and wood anemones on our PicasaWeb pages [album, slideshow].

Volunteers from the town’s Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group were also busy over the weekend, planting wildflower species in the community orchard. The group’s next workday takes place on Saturday 3rd May, when some stream cleaning is planned.