The Journal is pleased to announce that Leanne Robinson is the lucky winner of our exclusive prize draw to win a year’s free membership at the Anytime Fitness gym in Bradley Stoke.

Leanne’s entry was drawn out of the hat by Scott Lahive, manager of the Willow Brook Centre, where the local Anytime Fitness gym is based.

The free prize draw was featured in the May edition of the new Bradley Stoke Journal magazine, delivered FREE to every home in Bradley Stoke, EVERY MONTH.

Leanne, who lives in Fishponds, entered the competition after hearing about it through her dad, who received the BSJ magazine at his Bradley Stoke home.

Speaking about winning the prize, valued at more than £300, Leanne said she is looking forward to being able to use the gym at times convenient to her busy lifestyle (the gym is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Everyone who entered the competition is being offered the chance to have a free workout at the gym before the end of June.

Anytime Fitness is situated on the first floor of the Town Square complex, above Costa Coffee, Greggs, Taylors Estate Agents and KFC. Access is via a door in the passage way between KFC and Harvester.

Photo: Leanne (right) receives her prize from Stephanie Bishop, Club Manager at Anytime Fitness Bradley Stoke.

Related link: Gyms & Health Clubs in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

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Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre officially opened its doors to SOHO Coffee Co. this week.

It is the first time that the outlet, which offers fresh food and organic fair trade coffee, has been located in a leisure centre and its opening celebrates the culmination of a larger programme of investment by Active Leisure Centre operator Circadian Trust.

Trustees Sid Ralphs and Rob Wimbush cut the ribbon to mark the occasion and welcome leisure centre users, local councillors and media to tour the new facilities.

Since 2012, Circadian Trust, the social enterprise that runs the Active Leisure Centres in South Gloucestershire, has invested a quarter of a million pounds into Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre.

The gym facilities received a major facelift in November, with a new functional fitness area, a 20% increase in floor space and 20 new pieces of techno-gym equipment. The public areas have also been renovated with a redesigned reception and additional fast track area for customers.

The developments at Bradley Stoke are also part of a wider investment programme by Circadian Trust in its eight-strong Active Leisure Centres. This has recently included new gym facilities at Longwell Green and Kingswood as well as renovation of the soft play area at Yate.

More: All staff from centre’s previous café were retained »

What do you think of the new café and its menu/prices?
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Last week’s Annual General Meeting of Bradley Stoke Town Council saw councillors select their new Mayor for the ensuing year, bringing to an end Cllr Charlotte Walker’s year’s term in office.

Cllr Walker was selected as Mayor last May, becoming the youngest female Mayor in the country.

Prior to presenting the chain of office to new Mayor Cllr Brian Hopkinson, she said:

“Firstly, I would like to express my thanks to Sharon and all the Bradley Stoke Town Council staff. They continue to work endlessly for the community and are definitely the hard working members of the council team.”

“I would also like to say thank you to all the town councillors who continue to actively work in the best interests of the town and the residents.”

As Mayor and Chair of Council I have tried to remain impartial to party politics and make decisions based on what I felt was best for the community. I can only hope that the next Chair continues this and the council as whole can remain transparent.”

More: Cheques totalling nearly £8,000 handed to two charities »

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With the second anniversary of the introduction of part-night street lighting in Bradley Stoke coming up next month, The Journal has today launched an online poll to gauge readers’ views on the scheme.

A public consultation carried out by the town council in 2010 found 54% of the 153 respondents in agreement with the plan put forward by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), under which most street lights are turned off for five hours a night, nominally between midnight and 5am GMT (1am and 6am BST).

In general, all street lights have been switched to part-night operation, except on stretches of road within a specified distance of major junctions or roundabouts or where the road incorporates traffic-calming features. Lights are also left on throughout the night near pedestrian crossings and along enclosed footpaths.

According to information obtained by The Journal, installing the new photocells necessary to implement the scheme in Bradley Stoke cost SGC £25,756. The annual saving in electricity costs is estimated at £16,800, with annual carbon emissions being reduced by 105 tonnes.

SGC claims there has been no increase in recorded crime since the part-night street lighting scheme was introduced, although enquiries by The Journal reveal that the police are unable to provide crime statistics for the specific hours during which the lights are off, with the period 6pm to 7am being used as the basis for analysis.

When the switch-off first came into operation, there was a backlash from many residents, with one calling the scheme “insane” and others demanding the lights be switched back on in their street. One town councillor even claimed that residents’ human rights were being violated but he later had to accept that councils have no legal obligation to provide street lighting.

What do you think about the street light switch-off? Leave a comment on this story and complete the Journal poll in the sidebar of the website to let us know.

More info: Part-night street lighting in South Gloucestershire (SGC)

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Local residents have the chance to voice their opinions on matters affecting the local area at two public meetings this week.

The Bradley Stoke Safer and Stronger Community Group (SSCG) meets tonight (Monday 13th May) at the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road (7pm start, agenda).

SSCGs influence how services are delivered locally, establish longer-term plans to improve areas, help prevent future problems, and deal with current local issues.

Priority issues discussed at the previous meeting in February, for which progress will be reported tonight, include obstruction caused by on-street parking in Savages Wood Road, dog fouling in Webbs Wood Road & Juniper Way and unsatisfactory refuse collections in Coriander Drive.

The meeting will also hear the latest updates from Avon and Somerset Police and the Avon Fire & Rescue Service.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 14th May), a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council’s Southern Brooks Area Forum will discuss a number of projects with relevance for Bradley Stoke.

The meeting will hear reports on current or potential future local transport capital projects that include a raised table zebra crossing near Bowsland Green Primary School, waiting restrictions and safety measures near St Mary’s Primary School, adding a ‘raised table’ to an existing signal controlled crossing on Woodlands Lane and investigating pedestrian facilities on Brook Way, between Braydon Avenue and Baileys Court Road.

An application from Bradley Stoke Town Council for a grant of £26,489 from the forum’s Positive Activities Subsidy budget, to support detached youth work and the setting up of a ‘youth council’ in the town, will also be discussed.

The Town Council has also submitted three bids for funding from the forum’s New Homes Bonus budget: provision of disabled access at the Jubilee Green play park; pedestrian/cycle improvements outside the Brook Way Activity Centre; and the establishment of a picnic area in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve.

The area forum meeting takes place at Abbeywood Community School in New Road, Stoke Gifford (7pm start; agenda).

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