Bradley Stoke community projects could benefit by almost a quarter of a million pounds if decisions go their way at a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) Southern Brooks Area Forum in Stoke Gifford on Tuesday night (25th February).

The largest application, for funding from the forum’s New Homes Bonus allocation, is for £225,000 towards the cost of creating a “new, bespoke and more accessible modern spray concrete, multi-wheeled skate park” in the grounds of Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre. The application is being made by Bradley Stoke Town Council, which says it will contribute £50,000 from its own existing skate park contingency and repair & maintenance budgets.

Other local organisation seeking a share of the New Homes Bonus money are Bradley Stoke Radio, Bradley Stoke Carnival Association and the Bradley Stoke in Bloom group.

Bradley Stoke Radio, a regular visitor to the grant-giving table, is asking for a total of £10,000. Half of this would be used to replace ageing computer equipment with the other half being used to cover running costs, which it says have risen sharply since the start of FM broadcasting in September last year. The station, which rents space in Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Brook Way Activity Centre at a subsidised rate, says its aims to be “totally self-funding” by June/July of this year.

Bradley Stoke Carnival Association, “formed to ensure a lasting legacy to the successful Brazilian Style Carnival which took place in Bradley Stoke last summer“, has asked for £6,000 to stage a re-run of last year’s event, which was organised by Bradley Stoke Radio supported by a £4,000 Community Development Grant from Bradley Stoke Town Council.

Bradley Stoke in Bloom says it would like £5,000 to “provide a landmark sculpture on the Patchway Brook Roundabout in Bradley Stoke, to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War”. According to the application form, the aim of the project is “to stand three full size replica horses in a field of poppies, on what is now the northern gateway to Bradley Stoke, ready to unveil by 28th July 2014”.

More: Five Bradley Stoke groups applying for small grants »

Share this article:

The group behind a plan to create a war memorial out of the two granite posts in the Town Square at the Willow Brook Centre has applied for a £3k grant towards an alternative “standalone stone memorial of contemporary design”.

The move comes five months after the original plans, which involved mounting black plaques onto the existing granite posts, were ridiculed in the national press because no resident of the town has been killed in military action, with a headline on the BBC Bristol website describing it as a memorial “for those yet to die”.

A group calling itself the Friends of Bradley Stoke War Memorial, fronted by Katherine Robinson of the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group and Cllr Ben Walker (UKIP, Bradley Stoke North), has submitted an application for funding from South Gloucestershire Council’s Southern Brooks Area Forum, which meets in Winterbourne on Tuesday evening (26th November).

On its grant application form, the group states:

“The memorial will be designed for people to be able to reflect and remember not just the fallen from our armed services but, anyone they wish to remember.”

“It will also serve as the focal point to an annual remembrance parade, organised by the Friends and the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group, to remember and teach the younger generations about conflicts which our servicemen & women have played a part in.”

According to the application form, the Willow Brook Centre has pledged to contribute £3k to the project.

In a Bradley Stoke Journal online reader poll conducted in September and asking: “Should Bradley Stoke have a war memorial, even though nobody from the town has died in military conflict?”, 68% of the 294 respondents said ‘no’.

At a meeting in July, town councillors in Bradley Stoke agreed to “support the Scouts in the concept of some form of stone or memorial to remember the fallen”, but they stopped short of endorsing the Town Square at the Willow Brook Centre as a suitable location for it, with several members suggesting that a quieter location elsewhere in the town should be considered.

Image: Artist’s impression of the originally-proposed war memorial.

More: Applications from Bradley Stoke Radio and Incredible Kids »

Share this article:

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).

Share this article:

A large number of Bradley Stoke transport and community projects stand to benefit from decisions due to be made at a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) Southern Brooks Area Forum this week.

The forum has £100k to allocate to local transport capital schemes and four of the twelve schemes to be considered for implementation are in Bradley Stoke.  In order of assessed priority, these are:

• Increasing the width of the footway on Brook Way (near The Common and Bradley Stoke Surgery) to mitigate cycle/pedestrian conflict (£17k).
• Introducing two additional speed tables (reduce gaps in existing calming to reduce noise) on Baileys Court Road (£60k).
• Kerb works to eastbound approach to the Woodlands Lane/Pear Tree Road roundabout (£41k).
• Traffic calming measures in Ormonds Close/Ellicks Close (£60k).

The twelve proposed schemes have an estimated total cost of £559k, so it is unlikely that all, if indeed any, of the Bradley Stoke schemes will be selected.

Also on the list of schemes is a proposal to increase the speed limit on Hatchet Road, Stoke Gifford, from 30mph to 40mph, at a cost of £15k.

Bradley Stoke organisations that stand to benefit from the forum’s small revenue grant scheme include: Bradley Stoke Woodcraft Group, Bradley Stoke Youth FC, Stokes Cycling Club, Bradley Stoke United FC, BOBBS Breastfeeding Support, Bradley Stoke Radio Limited and the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group.

Bradley Stoke Woodcraft Group has asked for £1,040 to help fund the setting up of a new ‘Pioneer’ group for 10-12 year-olds. SGC officers have recommend that £570 be allocated to the group.

Bradley Stoke Youth FC would like £1,425 to provide specialised football coaching for children with disabilities and special needs. The sessions take place at Bradley Stoke Community School and Meadowbrook primary School. SGC officers have recommend that £1,212 be allocated to the football club.

Stokes Cycling Club has asked for £2,998 to improve the capability of the club in supporting novice cyclists. The bulk of the money would be used to pay for six members to undergo cycle leader training. SGC officers have recommend that £2,000 be allocated to the club.

More: Town Council submits bids for New Homes Bonus funding »

Share this article: