The Weekin

The Week inBITTON, CORSTON, DOWNEND, EMERSONS GREEN, HANHAM, KEYNSHAM, KINGSWOOD, LONGWELL GREEN, MANGOTSFIELD,

OLDLAND COMMON, PUCKLECHURCH, SALTFORD, STAPLE HILL, STOCKWOOD, WARMLEY, WHITCHURCH, WICK & WILLSBRIDGE

Issue no 288 - 26th September 2013FREE COPY to take away EVERY THURSDAY

Public meeting over Webbs Heath . . . page 4Residents mobilise against land claim

Saltford homes plans called in . . . page 5Minister to decide on Manor Road project

Autumn of discontent ahead? . . . page 18 & 19Public service workers threaten strikes

In this week’s issue ......

Your FREE local newspaper that’s BIG on news

2 The Week in • Thursday 26th September 2013

The Week in • Thursday 26th September 2013 3

Such are the restrictions of a weekly newspaper, by the timeyou read this B&NES Council's Development ControlCommittee will have considered the application by TaylorWimpey to redevelop Somerdale.The hybrid application is for full permission to build 157houses, 113 apartments and the new Fry Club as well as outlineconsent for the rest of the scheme. This includes 430 newhomes, an infant school, care home and local retail centre.

When the planning officer's report was published last week inanticipation of Wednesday's committee meeting (25thSeptember) many were shocked to find that the initial plan for asingle access and egress point for the development had been

accepted. When the proposal was first put forward in May,residents, local councillors and even B&NES Cabinet Memberfor Homes and Planning, Tim Ball, made clear that a singleaccess would not be acceptable under any circumstances, (seealso p21)The Development Control Committee was due to meet onWednesday afternoon. You can find out more about theirdecision by visiting our website www.theweekin.co.uk fromWednesday evening onwards or follow us on Twitter@theweekineditor.

Keynsham

Committee recommended to acceptsingle access for Somerdale

Seamus StauntonIn Issue 286 we printed a letter from Seamus Staunton regardingthe public art project for Keynsham town centre. On pages 3 & 4we also included an article about the scrapping of the project inwhich we mistakenly concluded from comments in Seamus' letterthat acknowledging Keynsham's history and heritage was not partof his brief. Seamus has told us: "The brief - although non-prescriptive thematically - included the requirement that theartwork should develop from research and exploration of itscontext in the town; and that it should be informed by ideas arisingfrom the community consultation events which includedKeynsham's history and heritage."We are happy to correct this point.


Publisher ISSN 2052-9767Keynsham & Saltford Times Ltd8 Temple Court, Keynsham, Bristol. BS31 1HAT: 0117 986 0381 e-mail: [email protected] Director: Stephen Rodgers, Advertising: Jodie Deason, Tracy BroderickAdvertising sales e-mail: [email protected] Bristol Correspondent: Christine Rogers T: 07818 031328

The Week in

A public meeting has been called for Thursday 3rd October todiscuss preserving common land in Siston.It follows a private application made to the Land Registry overthe summer to register the freehold interest of land aroundWebbs Heath in Siston parish.Some 60 households in the area were sent letters by the LandRegistry, telling them about the bid by Jonathan TippettSeymour Williams and his sister Alexandra Graves for the“manorial waste” land.Local people wrote to the Registry with concerns about accessto their properties and fears that the land might be developed ifthe application to register the freehold interest was approved.The meeting on the 3rd will be at Siston Village Hall at 7.30pmand is under the umbrella of the Warmley & Siston CommunityGardens Group. Now that the Warmley Signal Box has beenfully restored and reopened, the group is set to become a widercommunity group incorporating a number of projects in theparish.Also on the agenda on the 3rd will be plans to create a parishplan to determine the future of community and how it canchange for the better.

@theweekineditor

Public meeting toprotect commonland in Siston


Saltford

Housing plan called in bythe Secretary of StateA decision on whether up to 99 housescan be built on Green Belt land offManor Road in Saltford will be madeultimately by Eric Pickles, Minister forCommunities and Local Government. The planning application by CrestNicholson was refused by B&NESCouncil's development controlcommittee earlier this year but the casehad already been sent to appeal by thedeveloper on the grounds that thecouncil had taken too long to make adecision.The public inquiry took place at the FryClub in Keynsham last month (picturedright) and the Government appointedplanning inspector was due to havepublished his decision by this week. But on 18th September the PlanningInspectorate said that the Secretary ofState considered that he should be theone to make the final decision.

The inspector will prepare a report andrecommendation, which will beforwarded to the Secretary of State.The statement from the Inspectoratesaid: “The reason for this direction is thatthe appeal involves proposals forsignificant development in the GreenBelt.”The call in is understood to have comeafter local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg wroteto the Minister, expressing the concernsof local residents should thedevelopment go ahead. Inhis letter, Mr Rees-Moggsaid: “The ramifications ofproceeding with this will notonly affect members of theSaltford community but willalso have an impact upon theconstituency as a whole.Ultimately, I am worried thatit will set a precedent and

encourage developers to seek to buildon Green Belt land which for North EastSomerset is especially perturbing in theabsence of a Core Strategy. “It is my view that the Green Belt oughtto be protected and is one shareddeeply by most constituents.”There is no indication as yet as to whenthe Secretary of State will make the finaldecision.


Keynsham

Town councilto discuss keydevelopmentsKeynsham Town Council will consider four key developmentslikely to affect the town in coming years when it holds a specialmeeting on Monday 1st October. Representatives from BarrattHomes will give an update on proposals following the recentpublic exhibition on plans for the K2 West site. This will be priorto submitting a formal application to build up to 285 homes offCharlton Road. Related to that project, Police Beat ManagerLisa Hawtin will also give her views on the proposal to redevelopthe Holmoak Road Play Area.Moving to the river, Christopher Whitehouse from Next PhaseDevelopment will give an update on proposals to apply forplanning permission for a 300 berth marina at Keynsham andthe River Regeneration Trust will also make a presentation onthe economic development blueprint for the BroadmeadPeninsula. Both items were first reported in The Week In Issue285. The Council meeting starts at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber,3rd Floor, Riverside North (entrance between the CitizensAdvice Office and Leisure Centre). Members of the public aremore than welcome.

The Week in • Thursday 26th September2013 7

Staple Hill

Bridge safety andimprovement works

National success forKelston-basedcheesemakers

People are being invited to have their say on plans to widenTeewell Hill bridge in Staple Hill.South Gloucestershire Council says that the railway bridge, builtin the 1840s to carry traffic over what is now the Bristol & BathRailway Path, was notdesigned to carry thenumbers and size ofvehicles we have today. “As a result of this, theparapet walls andrailings have beenstruck by vehicles onnumerous occasionsand received repairs,”says a council report.“The existing railingsand parapets are of a substandard design compared to modernstandards, which creates a risk to the public.“There is also a separate steel pedestrian footbridge alongsidethe road bridge. The steel footbridge has come to the end of itsdesign life and requires costly maintenance. Therefore, theproposal is to remove the steel footbridge and provide 2.5 metrewide footways to both sides of the road bridge. “The road bridge will also be widened from 5.3 metres into two3.9 metre lanes. This will provide better visibility and animproved bend for road users from Teewell Hill to Station Road.”People have until the end of the month to comment. Ifapproved, work will start next March and will involve temporaryclosures of the road and the railway path below. Find out morein the consultation section on South Gloucestershire Council’swebsite.

Bath Soft Cheese, based at Park Farm in Kelston, scooped fourprizes at the British Cheese Awards held in Oxfordshire earlierthis month.The annual awards were established almost 20 years ago tocreate a recognised symbol of excellence for all British cheese.The organic firm’s Bath Blue cheese won gold in the Bluecategory, while in the Modern British category, the Wyfe of BathAged cheese won silver. In the Semi-Soft category, the Wyfe ofBath took bronze, and the Kelston Park cheese won bronze inthe Soft White category.Bath Soft Cheese products are available to buy at the farm’sshop in Kelston or online at www.parkfarm.co.uk as well as atNewton Farm Foods at Newton St Loe and Farrington’s farmshop at Farrington Gurney, recently voted in The Times’ Top 20Britain’s Poshest Farm Shops.


Saltford

Station public consultationto take place next month?

Hanham Stars of the Red Carpet Party

A public consultation on the possibility of reopening Saltford trainstation is likely to begin in October, Bath &North East SomersetCouncil has confirmed.The announcement comes following pressure from Saltfordcouncillors for the council to state when residents in the village willbe given the chance to give their views on the proposals. The idea of holding village-wide consultation on the possibility ofreopening Saltford’s train station was first put forward by theFrancine Haeberling and Mathew Blankley at a public meeting heldlast year to discuss the proposals.The village’s two councillors have said it is important for residents inSaltford have their say on the proposals at an early stage so that thecouncil can test the level of support for a reopened train station andgauge its likely level of usage, as well as address any concernsresidents may have.

A charity fundraising evening for the Breast Cancer Unit SupportTrust (BUST) at Southmead Hospital is being held at HanhamCommunity Centre on Friday 11 October at 7pm. The Stars of the Red Carpet Party Evening will feature live musicfrom Simon Cawthorn and the Diagnostics Band, as well as Rockin’Gerry. Tickets cost £15, which includes a buffet supper, and are availablefrom the community centre or by calling Sue on 07903 047401.Fancy dress is optional.


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CHEMISTSWEEKEND

Sunday 29th September

Co-operative Pharmacy, Superstore,Broadmead Lane, Keynsham(10am-4pm)

Boots, Gallagher Retail Park,Longwell Green (10.30am-4pm)

Asda Store Longwell Green(10am-4pm)

Boots, Emersons Green Retail Park(10.30am-4pm)

Sainsburys, Emersons Green(11am-4pm)

Co-operative Pharmacy, Halls Road,Kingswood (10am-4pm)

LettersCycle pathsDear Stephen,Following your article in The Week Inedition of 19 September, I am pleased tocongratulate Keynsham Town Councilfor offering their unanimous support for acycle path running alongside theKeynsham bypass. Although appearing a little bizarre of thecouncil to encourage people to bypassthe town, they recognised the safetyneed for such a track as cyclists risk theirlives venturing down the fast and busybypass. Following the cycle path, whichruns parallel to the dual carriagewayfrom Twerton to the Globe, this would beanother significant step in creating asafe route along the A4 from Bath toBristol and would mean a complete pathfrom Salford right into the centre ofBristol.Following a question I asked of theB&NES Cabinet, I know that they haveappointed Sustrans to conduct a cycleaudit across the region which will includethree public consultation events and aweb-based mapping tool in order to findout the preferred route of any new cyclepaths. It is my hope that through this audit it willbecome clear that a cycle path along the

Keynsham bypass would be a popularand safe choice which may give accessto the recent Government allocation of£150 million in safer cycle tracks.Regards,Andrew Wait

Dear Stephen,As a regular cyclist, I fully support theidea of a cycle track along theKeynsham Bypass and if possible tomake the path from Saltford to TheGlobe as dual use (cycles andpedestrians). However, having cycledthe new path from The Globe toNewbridge along the dual carriageway,which should of been a safer route thanthe main road, I have serious doubtsabout Bath and North East SomersetCouncil's ability to mange thedevelopment of cycle tracks. This newlytarmacked track is very uneven in placesand already has numerous cracks andweeds growing through tarmac. Forcyclists there is a hazard from theovergrowing brambles and other foliage.Both the start and finish positions ateither end of the track require moving tomake them safer. These problems, withgood management should never haveoccurred, even worse, since they havebeen brought to the attention of theCouncil, nothing has happened. In view of this performance, I suggestthat we should all seek the assurance of

our councillors that this type of "botchedjob" will not be repeated on any othercycle tracks and that those responsibleare called to account.Reg Williams, Saltford

Photos of Temple StreetDear Sir,Years ago, my aunt lived at 4 ProspectPlace, Temple Street, in Keynsham. Hername was Mrs Elizabeth Cox.My niece would like a photo of the rankof cottages. Could I please through yourpaper, ask if anyone has a copy of thesame. Thank you.Mrs A Perrett, Oldland Common

If you can help, call The Week In on0117 986 0381 and we’ll put you in touch

The Week In is independent of any political orcommercial interest. We aim to produce abalanced and accurate view of local news andwelcome comments from our readers. Normally, we will publish letters in full butreserve the right to shorten or clarify thecontents or to refuse publication. Please try tokeep letters under 300 words and supply yourfull name and address for reasons ofauthentication. Only the name and districtwhere you live will be reproduced. Anonymity ispossible under certain circumstances.

Copy can be sent by post or, preferably,e-mail and should arrive at our offices nolater than 5.30pm on the Monday of eachweek. E-mail to:[email protected]

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LettersThe Green Belt Policy - isthere one?Dear Editor,Well, well, well, we have a local MP whoworks for some people and not for others!Just like the council.The very place where 80 to 100 newdwellings would not go amiss, that willhardly affect anyone, a percentage ofwhich would help ‘up-and- coming’ localyoung people of that area to get on thehousing ladder, Mr Rees-Mogg has nowacknowledged how wrong it is to build onour Green Belt. On behalf of the Saltford community he hasgot his ‘mates’ in higher authority - EricPickles MP Secretary of State - to concludethe inquiry and deter the inspector of apossible determination in accordance withGovernment policy, in favour of CrestNicholson’s planning application that wouldbe detrimental towards the wishes of someof Saltford’s residents.The statement given in his intervention forthe 80-100 dwellings: “The reason for thisdirection is that the appeal involvesproposals for significant development inthe Green Belt.”He also said in his letter that “theramifications of proceeding with this will notonly affect members of the Saltfordcommunity but will also have an impactupon the constituency as a whole.Ultimately, I am worried that it will set aprecedent and encourage developers toseek to build on Green Belt land which forNorth East Somerset is especiallyperturbing in the absence of a CoreStrategy. It is my view that the Green Beltought to be protected and is one shareddeeply by most constituents.”Has Mr Rees-Mogg conveniently forgotten

how a large majority of Keynsham and thesurrounding area spoke out against 285dwellings that were recently approved onappeal by Taylor Wimpey, and of a further300 dwellings being built on the same siteknown as K2, which was also in the GreenBelt at Keynsham, without as much as a‘wimpey’ (excuse the pun) or sign ofopposition from himself?His assistance had been specificallyrequested by those residents to protect ourGreen Belt land at that time, and morerecently to prevent unnecessary health andsafety hazards and excessiveenvironmental damage from over-exposure from heavy site traffic, traffic fromup to 300 dwellings and additional trafficfrom school runs to an enlarged primaryschool, all of which will go through a singlecarriageway access/egress to the site.Therefore, there is NO ‘precedent’ here, asMr Rees-Mogg or the SaltfordEnvironmental Group make out of buildingon Green Belt land, as this has alreadybeen established. Why didn’t our local MP request theSecretary of State to intervene on ourbehalf in Keynsham to prevent dwellingsbeing inappropriately built on Green Beltland that is not suitably accessible andliable to flood?All we get from Mr Rees-Mogg is astatement like: “Many thanks for taking thetrouble of keeping Jacob up to date. I hopethat you receive a satisfactory response.”But of course, B&NES planningdepartment do not respond with answers toour queries, instead they ignore us orrespond with poor inappropriate excuses,or have been completely devious and non-transparent in their actions.If this ‘appeal’ is decided in favour of theSaltford residents against this developmenton a so-called ‘principle’ of not building onthe Green Belt, it will bring planningprocedures, principles and policies into

disrepute. A process of a required result by who youknow and influence, and not by the benefitof localism, to which this will be claimed.What will then happen to the other largehousing developments in Keynsham onGreen Belt land that are proposed underB&NES new Core Strategy that a differentGovernment inspector is presentlypresiding over?If the appeal is dismissed and new housingrefused here, then new developmentsproposed within the Green Belt musttherefore be removed from the CoreStrategy leading up to 2026.Is this being hypocritical? There is noreason to refuse this appeal other than itbeing in the Green Belt, and as the K2appeal was also in the Green Belt, andwas approved in favour of the developer,then there is only one answer to beconsistent, for Saltford’s development. G Fear, Keynsham

Welcome Millie MoonDear Stephen,Can I just say how good it is to read apositive feelgood story for a change. I referto the opening of Millie Moon’shaberdashery (what a lovely good old-fashioned word) in Temple Street. This should provide a much-needed boostto this rather forgotten street. Theincreased footfall this shop will create canonly benefit everyone. The closure ofFabric Plus left a huge void for many, onewhich Millie Moon should have no problemfilling. If it gets half the support of FabricPlus then it is destined to do very wellindeed. Welcome to Keynsham, I wish you everysuccess for the future. Where we can, keepit local, support local.John Howlett. Keynsham

Keynsham public artsprojectDear Editor,I refer to the recent letter by Cllr TonyCrouch regarding the Keynsham publicarts project and wish to set the recordstraight.Bath & North East Somerset Council hasalways been very clear that the keydecisions about this project lie with thepeople of Keynsham, not with councilofficers or the Cabinet. We have takenevery possible step to support businessrepresentatives, community members, andthe town council to come together andassisted in the appointment of a specialistpublic art project manager. The Public ArtsAdvisory Group are local people who, quiterightly, are driving the project forward withdecisions about what type of art isselected. I welcome the recent announcement fromthe Public Arts Advisory Group that theyhave listened to the recent consultationand decided to adopt a single piece ofpublic art – a freestanding clock withreferences to local history and heritage. Itis also good news that the group has madechanges to improve communication linkswith Keynsham residents, conductmeetings with an elected chair, and recordminutes for publication on the KeynshamTown Council website.The money provided by the council tosupport this project is £112,000 (not£160,000 as incorrectly stated by CllrCrouch). We do not view this as a frippery– the opportunity for the community tosymbolise this once-in-a-lifetimeregeneration of their town is an importantpart of the overall £34 million project.Keynsham’s DNA must be reflected in the

revitalisation of the town centre as much aspossible. Lastly, Cllr Crouch refers to keeping openpublic conveniences. In Keynsham, thetoilets in Memorial Park will benefit fromthe proposed 15-year, £3.4 million externalcontract for maintaining publicconveniences across the area that will seean improvement in the quality of thesefacilities. The toilets in Ashton Way willclose, but only once the new facilities are inplace as part of the town regeneration fromautumn 2014.Yours sincerelyCouncillor Paul CrossleyLeader, Bath & North East SomersetCouncil

River Avon RegenerationDear Sir,It’s such a shame that Irene and MauriceHanson are dismayed at the plans beingput forward for the “so-called” regenerationof the Broadmead Peninsula alongside theRiver Avon (Issue 286 - 12th September).Please, Irene & Maurice, come along at7.30pm on the evening of the 1st Octoberto the special meeting of the KeynshamTown Council in the council chamber,where the River Regeneration Trust will begiving a presentation of their proposals forBroadmead Peninsula.As your elected River Champion and along-term river crusader, I would be onlytoo pleased to discuss your concerns.Cllr Dave Laming, by email

20 mph speed limitsDear Sir,I could have just about stomached thewhole 20mph saga if I hadn't read that acouncillor had been quoted as saying it isto make the streets safer for people onbicycles. As a regular cyclist I have neverexperienced a safer ride in a 20mph zone.

In fact, I have encountered more frustratedand bizarre behaviour by drivers thananywhere else. Their driving when theyleave the zone is also far worse as well. Allthe close calls I’ve had in the last sixmonths have been on a section of 20mphon my way to work! Drivers! I didn’t want this, I really didn’twant this. Especially as any regular cycliston a reasonable bike will break 20mph onthe flat and definitely downhill. So thankyou B&NES for adding to my journey timesif I want to stay within the law as a roaduser (I take the Highway Code veryseriously!), frustrating the drivers I share aroad with even more - and making acriminal out of me in my own town if I wasto continue to cycle like a I have been. And one last thing, if you really think slowdrivers are safe drivers, then follow one toa local car park and watch their level of carcontrol. It is quite frankly horrifying. Slowdriving is not the same as safe, attentiveand skillful driving.Martin Corfield, by email


Letters

The Week In is independent of any political or

commercial interest. We aim to produce a

balanced and accurate view of local news

and welcome comments from our readers.

Normally, we will publish letters in full but

reserve the right to shorten or clarify the

contents or to refuse publication. Please try to

keep letters under 300 words and supply your

full name and address for reasons of

authentication. Only the name and district

where you live will be reproduced. Anonymity

is possible under certain circumstances.

Copy can be sent by post or, preferably,

e-mail and should arrive at our offices no

later than 5.30pm on the Monday of each

week. E-mail to:[email protected]

Write to us


South Gloucestershire competitors did well in the SpecialOlympics held in Bath and Bristol recently.

Entrants Jasiu and Stasiu Kuchcinsky, who are twins, and KateWood were awarded bronze medals for their success at Boccia.This is a form of bowls which has a specifically marked-outcourt.

Other local sportsmen who train at Kingswood Leisure Centreare swimmers Adam Osborne, Tom Jeal and ChristopherYeoman. All three athletes earned medals - Adam won silver inthe 25m freestyle and silver in the 4x25m relay. Tom also wonsilver in the 4x25m relay, and also silver in the 50m backstroke.Chris won gold in the 4x25m mixed relay and silver in the 25mfreestyle.

A total of 1,700 athletes came from all over the UK to take partin the 12 sports included in the Special Olympics and around7,000 people took part in the opening ceremony at the RoyalCrescent in Bath.

Choices 4 U is an organisation which supports adults withlearning disabilities, enabling them to access community andleisure opportunities which promote independence and control.It has been training and supporting athletes at KingswoodLeisure Centre for four years.

The organisation was formed when day centres in the locality

closed. At that time there was an interest by the council andusers alike to form sports community and leisure centredfacilities.

Choices 4 U also has two other schemes running in SouthGloucestershire - at Yate and Bradley Stoke. The KingswoodChoices 4 U opens Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from9.30am to 4pm and opening times at Yate and Bradley Stokeare 9.30am to 4pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To find out more about Choices 4 U go [email protected] or call 01454 864616.

Kingswood

Success for local athletes at Special Olympics

Medalists Jasiu and Stasiu Kuchcinsky (front) with AdamOsborne and Christopher Yeoman



School run parents have come under fire for parkinginconsiderately in Dunster Road where beleagueredresidents are also having problems with disruptionfrom the K2 development.

Any motorists caught committing parking offences this week ranthe risk of getting a ticket from PCSOs who were being sent topatrol Dunster Road at drop-off and pick-up times.Local residents have taken pictures of the bad parking by someparents who leave their vehicles as near as they can to CastlePrimary School.They say the situation has got worse since Bath & North EastSomerset Council introduced signs outside the school, advisingno parking between 8am and 8pm on weekdays in markedzones.In a letter sent to local councillor Alan Hale, local resident LisaHowlett said: “The rules imposed are leading to some seriouslycareless parking - up on pavements, blocking driveways,parking on blind corners. “The point of the signs is to protect the children from being runover, but they are having the opposite effect and there will bean accident because of them. My husband parked his vanoutside our house in the summer holidays and at 4.50pm (so inboth cases outside school opening times) to be given a parkingticket by a traffic warden for parking near the school. Whenhave any traffic wardens ever been present in school times to

enforce these rules?“So, all in all, the residents of Dunster Road are being penalisedfor parking outside their own homes, having driveways blockedand trouble everyday by inconsiderate parking, and the council are doing nothingabout it. Same old story as the council not helping residents inDunster Road with regard to the KS2 development and when

Castle School is developed in the future to accommodate thechildren living in KS2, there will presumably be more traffic, withparents dropping their children off and more conflict, danger tochildren and no consideration to the residents of DunsterRoad.”Cllr Hale said: “The photos reflect what sadly happens atschools in too many areas, inconsiderate parents onlyconcerned about their own convenience and not concernedabout the overall safety of the children.”He said there was nothing that the council could do aboutobstruction as that was a matter for the police, but has askedthe council’s parking services to send civil enforcement officersto the site and take “robust enforcement action regarding yellowlines”.He has also alerted local beat manager PC Lisa Hawtin to theproblem. She thanked him for sending her “clear evidence” ofparking offences and has asked the school to highlight theproblem with parents.She said: “These vehicles do appear to belong to parents whoare being selfish.“I have directed the PCSO patrols to issue tickets at thislocation in the morning and afternoons.”

Keynsham

Police tackle ‘selfish’ school run parents

Drop-in sessionAge UK Bath & North East Somerset is holding a drop-in advicesession on Tuesday 1st October at Keynsham Baptist Church Hallfrom 10am to noon)Free confidential information and advice will be available on a rangeof topics, including benefit entitlement, pensions, care, housing,debt, finding local services, and many other issues that affect olderpeople. For further information call 01225 466135.



PETS CORNER

Free neutering offerWoody, a five-month-old Golden Retriever, beat 46 other caninecontestants to become Best in Show at Compton Dando’s DogShow on Saturday 14th September. He also won the ‘PedigreeGun Dog Class and the one for Best Puppy.The show was sponsored by Taylored Pet Care and raised£1,250 for the Compton Dando Community Association.

Woody is seen here with his proud owner Gill Brown. On the leftof the picture is Roger Taylor. of Taylored Pet Care, and on theright his partner Jennifer Ball (Photo: Emily Dunford, WaterReed Photography)

Following the article published in The Week In last monthregarding the number of kittens that Bristol & Wales Cat Rescue

has waiting for good homes, a Bristol charity is offering to coverneutering costs.Animal Affairs promotes the neutering of animals to preventunwanted litters.This offer applies to neutering at The Vet surgery at RomanFarm Way in Hengrove and isfor any kitten rehomed before31st October and verified byBristol & Wales Cat Rescue.

Woody beats all-comers


Staff at HorseWorld in Whitchurch are urging visitors to takeadvantage of an ideal opportunity to talk to local pet careexperts. On Saturday 12th October they will have the opportunity tomeet a range of different types of animals, including rabbits,guinea pigs, dogs and ferrets at the Care for a Pet Day. HorseWorld staff will be joined by various small animal

organisations fromaround the Bristol andBath area. It is the thirdtime the charity has runthis type of event,which will providemembers of the publicwith a day of fun andpet education.

Even more organisations have signed up to attend the eventthis time around, including RSPCA Bath Cats and Dogs Home,Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary, Mutts with Friends Dog Rescue,the Pupcake Princess, Husse, Chapel Farm Rehab and JanetNorth Healing. Visitor Centre assistant yard manager, Vicky Greenslade , said:“As a charity, we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses,ponies and donkeys in need. We often give advice to peoplelooking to become a horse owner; however, many of our visitorsare more likely to want to take on a smaller animal. We hopethat people will take advantage of this opportunity to ask theexperts and gain a realistic view on what is involved caring for

this type of animal. It also gives people who are not in a positionto have a pet the opportunity to get up close to these animals.”For more information about opening times and admissionprices, visit www.horseworld.org.uk or call 01275 540173. Anylocal pet charity or organisation who would like to join in on theday can call 01275 893024.

Small animals make a bigimpression at HorseWorld

Public urged to take extra care duringfirefighters’ strike

Firefighters were due to go on strike for four hours today(Wednesday 25th September) in an on-going dispute with theGovernment over pensions.The Fire Brigades’ Union’s walkout was due to begin at midday– and in the lead-up to the strike there was a warning from AvonFire & Rescue Service for people to reduce the risk of fire in

their properties, forexample, by takingextra care whencooking, making suresmoke detectors arefitted and disposing ofcigarettes safely.A skeleton service was

due to operate during the stoppage, with cover provided in themain by firefighters who are not part of the union, workingalongside a small number of auxiliary firefighters who havereceived training to provide basic support.AF&RS said it would prioritise calls to emergencies where therewas a risk to life. Chief Fire Officer Kevin Pearson said: “This isa national dispute over which Avon Fire Authority has nocontrol. Although we have contingency arrangements in place,the reality is we will not be in a position to provide the excellentemergency response we usually do.”

Industrial action at South Glos Councilover wage cuts

A ballot of nearly 190 South Gloucestershire UNISON membershas resulted in an overwhelming vote to take industrial actionover a “massive reduction in their wages”.The workers who were balloted included library assistants,residential care staff at the Vinney Green Secure Unit forChildren at Emersons Green, care assistants and other staff inthe two local authority elderly people's homes, and civicenforcement officers. On 1st October the council plans to introduce new contracts forstaff who have to work weekends, cutting pay rates forSaturday working by 33%. The council says Saturday shouldnow be regarded as a "normal working day". In addition therewill also be changes to allowances for working at night.


Autumn of Discontent? Industrial action by public service workers

The council has said that the move followed a lengthy reviewwhich included feedback from trade unions, service managersand staff consultations, and that like all local authorities, it isfacing ”intense financial pressures”.UNISON argues that for many staff, the cuts will be up to 10% oftheir total wages and some will have more to lose, depending onwork patterns.Huw Williams, South Gloucestershire UNISON branch secretary,said: “The results of this industrial action ballot show the depth ofanger our members feel at having a massive reduction in theirwages."UNISON says all these groups earn significantly below nationalaverage earnings and are already facing massive reductions inreal living standards due to having only received a single 1% payrise during the last four years.Dates and details for planned industrial action, and for actionshort of strike, will be notified in due course.

Teachers’ strike set to close schoolsacross B&NES and South Glos

Teachers in SouthGloucestershire, Bath &North East Somerset andBristol will be among thosestriking on 17th October.

They will join colleagues from the National Union of Teachers(NUT) and NASUWT in other parts of the South West, North East,

London and the South East in a protest over pay, pensions andworkloads. Unions say Michael Gove’s failure to acknowledgeteachers’ concerns has forced strike action.Details of the likely disruption to schools will be revealed nearerthe time.Andrea Arlidge, head of one of the area’s biggest, Wellsway,which has some 1,300 pupils, told parents: “I do not know howthis will affect Wellsway yet but I wanted to alert parents/carers tothe possibility of a full or partial school closure on this day.”Kingswood’s Conservative MP Chris Skidmore tweeted earlierthis month: “Just 22% of NUT members voted for potentialteacher strikes. Should parents of schools that could be affectednot be balloted too?”

More strike action by localpostal workers?

Last Friday (20th September)the Communication WorkersUnion served formal legal noticeto Royal Mail of the intention toballot members for strike action. The ongoing dispute is over pay,

pensions and the impact of privatisation on job security, terms andconditions. There has already been industrial action this year atpost offices, including Keynsham High Street and Hanham Roadin Kingswood.Ballot papers will go out this Friday, 27th September and theresult will be announced on Wednesday 16th October. If there isa ‘yes’ vote, the earliest strike action could take place would be23rd October.


l action by public service workers



Calls for an overarching transport plan to be developed forKeynsham have received a boost after Bath & North EastSomerset Council agreed to look into the idea.At a recent meeting of the Cabinet, Conservative councillorspressed the council on the need for a transport plan to ensure thetown does not grind to a halt as a number of new developmentsget under way.In response to a question from Keynsham councillor MarieLongstaff, the authority’s Cabinet Member for Transport CarolineRoberts, agreed that a transport plan was needed and committedthe council to looking into how such a plan could be broughtforward and the costs involved.Over the next few years work is due to start on a number ofdevelopments in and around the town, including new housingdevelopments to the south of the town and the regeneration of theformer Somerdale Cadbury factory. In addition, work is alreadyunder way on redeveloping the old town hall site, with plans alsobeing developed to rebuild the neighbouring Riverside officecomplex in the town centre.Reacting to the statement, Cllr Longstaff said: “It will be extremelyimportant in the years ahead for there to be a properly developedlong-term transport plan for Keynsham as a number of newdevelopments get under way in and around the town.“We’re therefore very pleased that the council has agreed to look

into the possibility of creating an overarching transport plan for thetown. Such a transport plan will need to do detailed trafficmodelling to assess what the impact will be of new developments,both in the town centre and on the edge of the town, and whatnew infrastructure will be required as a result. It should also lookat what public transport improvements could be achieved and athow to make the town centre more pedestrian-friendly.”

Pedestrianised High StreetAt the same Cabinet meeting, fellow Keynsham councillorCharles Gerrish asked whether the council had consideredrunning trials of making the High Street either one-way or fullypedestrianised. In her reply, Caroline Roberts, said: “We are currently undertakingmodelling of the proposed developments in Keynsham, includingthe impact of the new town hall development, which will allow usto consider what improvements we can bring forward for the HighStreet. “Once we have fully understood the impact of thesedevelopments I will ask officers to develop improvements to theHigh Street which could include a trial of a one-way system. Irecognise that a trial of full pedestrianisation would be veryattractive but would need significant traffic managementmeasures to be successful.”

Council gives hope forKeynsham Transport Plan

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Corston

£20k of rare winestolen from house

2386 KeynshamSquadron Air Cadets

North East SomersetMP Jacob Rees-Moggattacks Nick Clegg’splastic bag taxPolice are today appealing for information

about the theft of 36 cases of rare wineworth £20,000 from a house at Corston.The wine taken from the cellar includes tworare Champagnes not available in thiscountry and a vintage Bordeaux red.They also stole a wallet containing someforeign currency and a credit card andcheque book.The burglary was overnight on August 29-30 but details have only been releasedtoday. Police say the thieves must haveused a vehicle to transport the cases ofwine, and are appealing for anyone whosaw anything suspicious that night tocontact them.

The 5p charge for plastic bags inEngland that is to be introduced in2015 has come under fire fromNorth East Somerset’sConservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has branded it “anabsurd little issue”.Deputy Prime Minister Nick Cleggunveiled the plans at the LiberalDemocrat party conference. The charge will only apply tosupermarkets and other large stores, with small corner shopsexempted. The proceeds will go to environmental charities. The move will bring England into line with Wales and NorthernIreland, where a 5p charge has been in force since 2011. Waleshas seen a 76 per cent fall in plastic bag use since theintroduction. A bag tax will begin in Scotland next year.Mr Rees-Mogg, writing in The Telegraph last week, said: “NickClegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, announced with pride: ‘This isnot a new problem. We’ve waited too long for action. That’s whyI am drawing a line under the issue now’. “Apparently these bags ‘can kill animals’ and ‘take hundreds ofyears to degrade’. It may be reassuring that a line is beingdrawn under these animal-murdering bags, but it is a misuse ofthe tax system and shows entirely the wrong attitude togovernment.“Mr Rees-Mogg says supermarkets were good at providing whatconsumers wanted, rather than what politicians thought wasgood for them, and free plastic bags was a small part of thisconvenience.He concluded: “It is hard to see taxing plastic bags as one of thegreat issues of our time that merits the foremost place in ourfinest statesmen’s minds. It is an absurd little issue, a picayuneproportion of household waste and a pointless inconvenience inpeople’s lives.“It is the wrong way to use the tax system and a ‘man inWhitehall knows best’ approach to Government. As it will comein before the election, perhaps it could be sent to a landfill forLiberal Democrat policies.”

If you are aged 13 to 17, would like to meet new people, enjoyaviation, adventure and sports, you are invited to the Air Cadets’Open Evening at the TA Centre, Ashmead Road, Keynsham, onFriday 27th September from 7.15 pm to 9.15pm.For more information visit www.2386atc.com


Keynsham

Another weekend at K2Local charities will no doubt be lookingforward to even more donations fromTaylor Wimpey once they've dealt withthe latest 'breaches of site rules' bycontractors. Picture 1 shows a lorryparked on double yellow lines at 7.45amon Friday 20th September. From its

position it can only be assumed that thevehicle either arrived in the oppositedirection to the one set out in theconstruction management plan orreversed around the corner from ParkRoad. Pictures 2 and 3 show a lorrydelivering to the Meadows site on

Sunday 22nd September, incontravention of the constructionmanagement plan and then reversingout unguided along Park Road. Thepolice and council have been informed.

1 2 3

Longwell Green Probus Club celebrated its 25th anniversary lastWednesday at Saltford Golf Club. A thriving and vibrant association of retired professionals andbusinessmen (hence Pro-bus), the club organises many eventsfor its members. A special celebration cake baked by member’swife Jean Amesbury was cut during the evening.The club is based at Longwell Green Community Centre andmost members live in Longwell Green, Hanham, Kingswood orKeynsham although there are a few from further afield.A coffee morning is held on the first Wednesday of each monthand a lunch on the third one; where there is a fifth Wednesday,there is an extra coffee morning. Partners are invited to some of the lunch meetings and speakers,covering a wide range of topics, are arranged. The club has awelfare committee to keep in close touch with members whoexperience health problems, and a social and outings committeeto arrange holidays, day trips and social evenings. If you arenewly retired or approaching retirement you can find out moreabout the club from secretary Glynn Breddy on 0117 949 0791.Pictured are the current president, Brian Deeley with threefounder members, Dennis Jones, Dennis Noble and Pip Walter


First World Warremembered

St Keyna Townswomen's Guild meets on the second Tuesday ofeach month in the Fear Hall, Keynsham, between 9.45am and11.45am. The guest speaker on Tuesday 8th October will be Mr R Thomaswho is involved with Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue. The friendly group of ladies enjoy interesting speakers andnumerous sub-group outings and activities. New members arewelcome to go along to the meetings.

The 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War willbe marked by many commemorative activities in 2014.Locally, the Somerset Remembers project has been set upto gather stories and documents, such as familyphotographs and newspaper cuttings, relating to those inthe county whose lives were changed by the conflict. When complete, the project will bring together thisinformation into an online archive for future reference.Keynsham & Saltford Local History Society is taking part inthe project and would like to hear from anyone in the area,including the nearby villages, who has family stories ormementoes from the Great War period.Brian Vowles, who will be co-ordinating the information forthe society, said that it was important to recognise that thelives of those at home, as well as those who left to fight,were transformed by the conflict. For example, manywomen took on roles that had previously been the preserveof men; agriculture and transport were affected as horsesand motor vehicles were taken to war. After the war, thesocial and economic upheaval continued. It was a time thatchanged lives forever. If you have any stories or documents that will help theSomerset Remembers project to pay tribute to the sacrificeand contribution made by Somerset people during and afterthe Great War, please email Brian at [email protected]

Longwell Green

Probus Club celebrates silveranniversary

Townswomen's Guild


Sudoku Solutions6 4 5 9 8 2 7 3 18 1 9 5 3 7 6 4 22 3 7 4 6 1 8 5 93 9 8 1 4 6 5 2 74 7 2 8 5 9 1 6 35 6 1 7 2 3 9 8 41 8 4 2 7 5 3 9 69 2 6 3 1 8 4 7 57 5 3 6 9 4 2 1 8

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2 -Hard1-Easy

Football

Keynsham Town areknocked out of the FA Vase

Rugby

First league winfor Keynsham Keynsham Town’s run in the FA Vase came to an abrupt end on

Saturday as they suffered a 3-1 home defeat against fellow WesternLeague Div 1 side Ashton and Backwell United in the 2nd QualifyingRound.Things began well enough for Keynsham, and they took the leadafter only four minutes with a scrappy goal by full-back ConnorKingdon. However Ashton & Backwell gradually came into the gameand in the 15th minute, Lionel Fear produced a magnificent save todeny Conor Biggins. However, the away team were soon level,when an error in theKeynsham defence on 24minutes presented anopportunity to Jack Dicker,who made no mistake.The rest of the first halfwas an even contest.Ashton keeper GaryClarke pulled off a finesave from a Rob Sheritonfree-kick, but Keynsham’sdefensive frailties fromearlier in the season soon returned to haunt them, with OliverWoolland giving Ashton the lead right on half-time.Keynsham were forced to reshuffle in the second half when centre-half Ben Stiff had to be substituted at half-time with a leg injury,being replaced by full-back Ryan Beak. They started the secondhalf in pursuit of an equaliser, and Luke Lipinski was particularlyinfluential in a more forward role than usual. It was Lipinski whooffered the most threat to a resolute Ashton back-line and a finebreak into the penalty area on 50 minutes was only thwarted by alast-ditch tackle.However, Ashton made sure of the victory on 64 minutes, whenmore slack defending gave Lee Nichols a free header at the far postand he gave Lionel Fear no chance. Keynsham’s disappointmentwas then compounded in the 80th minute, when captain AaronMarshall saw red for a professional foul. Although what looked likea stonewall penalty for Keynsham in the dying minutes was notgiven by the referee, Ashton & Backwell deservedly progressed tothe next round.It’s back to league action for Keynsham on Saturday 28thSeptember, when Barnstaple Town make the long trip from Devon,and on Tuesday 1st October Hengrove Athletic visit the AJNStadium for a Somerset FA Cup first round tie.

Keynsham recorded their first win of the season in this season'sWestern Counties (N), winning 24-16 at Midsomer Norton. Theywent ahead after 9 minutes when Ben Newman fed Joe-LucaSmith and the fullback crossed from 25 metres out. Gaz Deereadded the conversion. Two tries and a penalty by the home sidewiped that out by half time.A penalty and a converted Will Byron try put Keynsham back infront 17-13 but that became 17-16 not long after, and nails werebeginning to be chewed. Keynsham had the benefit of a luckybounce for a 2nd try for Byron, again converted by Deere, tostretch the gap to 8 points and there it stayed for the last 20minutes to give Keynsham their first win of the season.

The seconds came woefully unstuck at the Crown Field againstBristol Barbarians 1st XV losing 17-30. Individually the playersmade their effort, but there was little team cohesion. DanHarvey (2) and Rob Pine scored tries and Matt Fairless kickeda conversion.

The thirds had a convincing 31-3 win against Oldfield 2’s atBath. There were tries for Paul Williams, Callum Fennell, AndyGriffiths, Lee Tattersall and Damien Cummins with Geoff Greenadding the extra points from his boot. The stand-out playerswere 17 year old Calum Fennell and veterans Andy Griffiths andLee Tattersall; youth and experience combining well.

The 4ths were grateful for Gary Breckon to stand in when noreferee turned up for their game at home against Barbarians 2’s.They won 12-7 in a good, close encounter. Luke Anderson,playing his first ever rugby match was a revelation, not least forcreating a try and a try saving tackle.

Joe-Luca Smith in action for Keynsham at Midsomer Norton


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