Work to construct a tunnel to carry a new sewer pipe under the M4 motorway is due to begin in Bradley Stoke’s Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve on Monday 24th April.

The work, which is expected to last for approximately six months, will involve setting up a fenced site compound on the triangular area of grass near the bridge over Hortham Brook where it flows into the ‘duck pond’. A six-metre deep shaft will be constructed in this location, from where a tunnel will be bored to accommodate the new 1.8m-diameter sewer pipe.

The tunnel will form part of a new 5km-long link between Frampton Cotterell and Bradley Stoke, completing the final link in the Frome Valley Relief Sewer which was begun in the 1990s.

A temporary footpath will be in place and access will be maintained at all times.

Heavy construction plant and machinery will also have access to carry out the work. This will be achieved via a temporary access point on Bradley Stoke Way, close to the bridge over Stoke Brook.

A Wessex Water spokesperson said:

“While we carry out the work we will take care to protect the natural habitats and environment of the local wildlife. Once our work is complete we will return the local nature reserve to the condition we found it.”

“We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this work may cause.”

Further information about the work can be found on the Wessex Water website at www.wessexwater.co.uk/FromeValley

More: Cross-sectional diagram of sewer tunnel route »

Share this article:

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

Wessex Water has submitted a planning application for permission to construct a temporary vehicle access point into the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve from Bradley Stoke Way.

The access is needed to allow vehicles to reach a works compound that is to be set up near the ‘duck pond’, from where a tunnel for a new sewer is to be dug to a point on the other side of the M4 motorway.

The work forms part of a new 5km-long addition to the Frome Valley Relief Sewer (FVRS), which was started in the early 1990s.

The access point is on the east side of Bradley Stoke Way, close to where it crosses over the Stoke Brook. It will link Bradley Stoke Way with Concorde Way, the shared used footpath and cycleway which leads down into the nature reserve near the road bridge.

Permission is being sought to create the tarmacked access point for a period of 20 weeks, after which the highway verge will be restored to its current condition.

Public consultation on the planning application runs until 17th March.

In related news, South Gloucestershire Council has posted notices in the nature reserve stating that scrub clearance work associated with the FVRS project will commence this Monday (6th March).

A plan on the notice shows the area of work as being along the track between the Bradley Stoke Way road bridge and the ‘duck pond’.

More: Temporary pathway to be constructed in nature reserve. »

Share this article:

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Work to construct part of a major new sewer link is expected to get under way in Bradley Stoke’s Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve in April, Wessex Water has announced.

The new 5km-long link will run from Frampton Cotterell to Bradley Stoke, where it will join up with an existing section of the Frome Valley Relief Sewer (FVRS) that was constructed in the early 1990s.

Once the “missing link” is completed, the FVRS will divert waste water flows from Yate to the Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth via a route around the north of Bristol, rather than alongside the Frome Valley and through the centre of Bristol.

The work within the nature reserve, which is expected to last for approximately six months, will involve setting up a work compound centred on the triangular area of grass near the ‘duck pond’, where two picnic tables were recently installed by Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC). Here, a six-metre deep underground chamber will be constructed from where a tunnel will be bored to accommodate the new 1.8m-diameter sewer pipe. The tunnel will run from the chamber near the ‘duck pond’ to a point on the other side of the M4 motorway.

Wessex Water’s project manager Mike Bryant informed the January meeting of BSTC’s Planning Committee that the work at the nature reserve site will be carried out using 12-hour daytime shifts for five days per week. The first five to six weeks of work are expected to create the most noise, while the tunnelling shaft is constructed. Thereafter, there will be much less noise as the work will be going on underground and equipment on the surface (such as generators) will be “almost silent”.

More: New vehicle access point to be built off Bradley Stoke Way »

Share this article:

Discussion is open - 1 comment (view) - click here to respond.

Details of an application made by local representatives of parkrun UK to hold two weekly running events in Bradley Stoke’s Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve have been published on the town council’s website.

The application has been made to South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), which owns the nature reserve and will make the final decision on whether or not to grant permission, but the town council, along with other interested parties, has been invited to submit comments.

Consultation on the application was originally due to end on 20th June, but has been extended so that the town council can discuss the matter at its meeting this Wednesday (22nd June).

In its application, parkrun UK says it seeks “shared use of the course”, with runners being instructed to “respect other park users and give way if necessary”.

A 5km timed run for adults would take place at 9am every Saturday, with a 2km run for children being held at 9am on Sundays. If attracting similar numbers to the recently closed Little Stoke parkrun, the Saturday event might be expected to see as many as 300 runners using the nature reserve.

Both runs would start on the path beneath the bridge where Bradley Stoke Way crosses over the Stoke Brook and finish nearby on the path that leads down into the nature reserve on the north-east side of Bradley Stoke Way.

The routes would see participants running in both directions along the path between Brook Way and the ‘duck pond’, with the adult runners additionally using the path between the ‘duck pond’ and a point just short of the footbridge behind Bradley Stoke Community School.

The application states that parkrunners are encouraged to walk, jog, cycle or take public transport to events, or car share where possible. Those driving to Bradley Stoke parkrun will be directed to the Willow Brook shopping centre, with the agreement of the centre management. Participants will be asked not to use the leisure centre car park or residential streets for parking.

More: Town councillors concerned about potential damage to paths »

Share this article: