The Bradley Stoke Journal

Bradley Stoke resident John Miller asks why the Town Council’s currently-running public consultation on the future location of the Council’s office lacks an option for a relocation of the office to the Willow Brook Centre.

For years the expectation has been that when the District Centre was completed, the BSTC administration Office would move down into it. Being more central and available than the Woodlands site.

Yet in offering consultation, this piece of history is apparently not worthy of consideration.WHY?

This Council does not seem to appreciate the past or present problems that the residents in the Jubilee Centre area have to endure. I refer to anti social behaviour and car parking. The current car parking provision at the Jubilee Centre is inadequate. Which leads to overspill and resulting congestion in the street(s).

Bringing the administration offices here, would exacerbate the problem. As no provision is made for additional parking space in any of the options.

With 1a. being quite ridiculous. Would drivers wend their way through the main part and down to the extension, knowing that they have to walk back to the pedestrian entrance? no, parking in the road would be the easier option.

With 1., the football pitch cannot be moved in a South or Westerly direction, as, with the present location players have to run up a gradient to take corner kicks or throw-ins.

With 2. This would establish a alleyway between the new block and the changing rooms. Ideal for ‘activities’ out of the public gaze. No thank you!

As I understand it, Willow Brook can provide accommodation at a lower cost than the present. It is central, convenient for residents, able to combine with a shopping visit, easy parking, and a non-disruptive move. And there would be no unknown financial liability imposed on future Councils.

As things stand, I and probably most other local residents would have no alternative but to vote for option 3.

So please rethink (no it’s not too late for common sense to prevail), modify the consultation document to include the Willow Brook option, and give the public real options.

Yours sincerely,

John Miller

A District Councillor representing Bradley Stoke has told a Labour Councillor to “make up his mind” about transparency and the provision of care for the elderly.

Cllr Sarah Pomfret, who represents the Bradley Stoke Central & Stoke Lodge ward on South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), says Cllr Andy Perkins (Woodstock) needs to:

“make up his mind about transparency and how councils account for his Labour Government’s policy of forcing older residents to sell their homes to pay for care.”

Cllr Perkins and other Labour Councillors have called a special meeting of SGC’s Community Care and Housing Select Committee to discuss what he claims are plans to allow private companies to build and run care homes in the district.

Read more: Make your mind up (Evening Post)

Kerbside collections of food waste and plastic bottles look set to be introduced in South Gloucestershire following talks between the District Council and waste contractor SITA.

If approved at a cabinet meeting on Monday 17th May, the plans would see food waste (in caddies) collected weekly and plastic bottles (in a ‘green sack’) collected every two weeks.

More info: Doorstep plastic and food waste collections on the way for South Gloucestershire (SouthGlos Post)

Bradley Stoke Town Council has awarded grants totaling nearly £2,000 to four local organisations.

Sole Sisters (North Bristol) Running Club has once again been awarded £500 towards the cost of staging the Bradley Stoke 10k Run as part of the Community Festival weekend in June.

The new Bradley Stoke Bowls Club has been awarded £500 towards the cost of new bowls equipment to be used at the Baileys Court green.

Also attracting a grant for an event at the Community Festival is Bradley Stoke Youth FC, for the organisation of a football tournament.

Finally, £493 has been awarded to Southern Brooks Community Partnership to fund trips associated with the Bradley Stoke Dreamscheme project.

Bradley Stoke’s Mayor Mark Forsyth has called an Extraordinary and Confidential Meeting of Full Council on Wednesday 28th April, starting at 7pm.

The meeting will preceed the regular Planning Committee meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm.

The main agenda topic is to “consider and action the recent Council Staff Pay Grading and Restructuring Review”.

Due to employee/employer confidentiality with regards to salaries, the press and public will be excluded from the meeting.

More information: BSTC Council Meetings – Agenda and Minutes

Draft minutes of a recent Bradley Stoke Town Council meeting appear to expose a deceitful attitude to the public consultation process.

A resident attending last week’s Full Council meeting queried why the agenda indicated that discussion of issues surrounding the relocation of the Council’s offices would be held in private.

Draft minutes of the 17th March meeting, recently published on the Council’s website, record the following response:

“Councillor Forsyth explained that these matters were in very early stages of discussion, once decisions had been made, the public would be fully consulted.”