THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset FREE Issue 618 11th March 2020 Read by more than 40,000 people each week Fresh fears of Green Belt development at Warmley South Gloucestershire Council this week said it does thousands of new homes on Green Belt land to the east of not support any further large-scale development east Kingswood, including Warmley, Siston, Oldland Common of Bristol amid local concerns that a vision for 2,500 and Mangotsfield. The RSS was abolished in 2010 by the houses on the Green Belt at Warmley could be Coalition Government. resurrected in the wake of the failed Joint Spatial Plan. Then came the ‘Warmley Vision’ for housing on more Local people including members of the Friends of Siston than 360 acres of farmland, including a local centre with Commons are currently trying to stop plans to build a shops and a primary school, plus an employment area for church at the top of a single track lane and have told The 3,000 people, which was produced four years ago by Week In that they fear that if it gets the go-ahead, it could developers Barratt and Bloor Homes on behalf of make it harder to fend off any attempt by developers in landowners. They had wanted the concept to be included Green Belt land off Webbs Heath the future to build over green fields which could be in the JSP as a “logical urban extension to East Bristol” devastating for the commons and their wildlife. with good transport links. Course/woodland and agricultural land to the north and Warmley has lived under the threat of development for The area is bordered by the Avon Ring Road (A4174) to north east. many years. Land was earmarked as part of the previous the west, Warmley and the A420 to the south, Webbs However, the land was not included in the JSP as a South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) to build Heath/Siston Lane to the east and Shortwood Golf Strategic Development Location (SDL). In total 12 major sites were identified in the West of England for housing including five in South Gloucestershire - Thornbury, Buckover, Charfield, Coalpit Heath and Yate. The SDLs in Bath & North East Somerset were North Keynsham and Whitchurch, while in Bristol land off Bath Road in Brislington was selected. North Somerset’s SDLs were Backwell, Banwell, Churchill and Nailsea. Last year the JSP was scuppered after planning inspectors said the proposed housing locations had not been selected against reasonable alternatives on a robust, consistent and objective basis. But they also said: “We have not definitively reached the view that any of the individual SDLs proposed in the JSP could not, in principle, form a sound part of a plan for the West of England or for any of the individual local authority areas.” Continued on page 3 Also in this Fixing 18/19 bus service More concerns over Hanham pharmacy Plans revealed for needs more than money church on the common closure plan Grange school site week’s issue . page 5 . page 6 . page 13 . page 17 2 The Week in • Wednesday 11th March 2020 Fresh fears of Green Belt development at Warmley Continued from page 1 And this week Cllr Steve Reade, South Gloucestershire’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport & Strategic Environment, stressed that although the JSP had not meet the criteria of the inspectors, it doesn’t mean that the basic principles are “dead and buried”. He said the council is currently looking very closely at the process of identifying and confirming locations. He said there is very little land east of Bristol that isn’t under some sort of option from speculative developers but that does not mean it will come forward for development and that South Gloucestershire currently has more than a five-year land supply. A council spokesperson added: "We do not support further large-scale development east of Bristol and recognise the importance of the Green Belt in this general location. Bristol has historically grown north and eastwards and further growth in this area would significantly add to the impression of urban sprawl, undermining the objectives of the Green Belt.” Church plan ‘threat’ to parish’s ancient commons – pages 6 & 7 Developers have long been eyeing up land in the Warmley area The Week in • Wednesday 11th March 2020 3 Bunting project as part of VE Day anniversary celebrations As part of Staple Hill’s efforts to mark the Finished pieces can be delivered to Fabric 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday 8th Plus in Badminton Road, Downend, and May, people are invited to get involved in the WI will piece them together. a community bunting project being led by The party in Page Park on the 8th is being Downend WI. organised by the local branch of the Royal Community groups, businesses, schools British Legion and will run from 11am to and individuals are encouraged to make 5pm. their own section which could include a There will be fun, food, dancing and school emblem, business logo or any other singing plus a fancy dress competition, image that celebrates community or the 1940s military vehicles, local business end of the war in Europe. stands and a dog show. The day will Templates and more information are include a fly-past from the Royal Air Reader’s suggestion for available at http://www.staplehillrbl.org. Force. uk/ve-bunting Everyone is welcome. No 17 is taken up by First First’s 17 bus service from Southmead have to change at St John’s Church if they Keep in touch, let us know what you think, Hospital to Keynsham via Eastville, are going to Bristol. send us your news Fishponds, Staple Hill, Kingswood and Mr Hutt wrote: “There are a total of nine www.facebook.com/theweekin Hanham, is thriving, with new buses recently hourly No 17 buses that come through introduced on the route. Keynsham on a Sunday from Southmead and “It’s a vote of confidence in the 17,” says nearly every single one of them seems to me MD James Freeman. to be just about empty. How difficult would THE WEEK IN And he says First has taken up the suggestion it actually be to re-route two or three of them from Week In reader Lionel Hutt last up and back down to the estate during the Barrs Court, Bitton, Brislington, October (Issue 596) and will be introducing day?” Cadbury Heath, Compton Dando, a Sunday service to the Park Estate in Mr Freeman says that B&NES Council is Corston, Downend, Emersons Green, Fishponds, Hanham, Hillfields, Keynsham from 5th April. Passengers will putting in a small amount to make it work. Keynsham, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Mangotsfield, Marksbury, North Common, Oldland Common, Pucklechurch, Saltford, Staple Hill, Stockwood, St George, Warmley, Whitchurch, Wick, Willsbridge. 16,000 copies are distributed through retail outlets, libraries, pubs, community centres each week. Verified pick-up rate of 97%. Publisher Keynsham & Saltford Times Ltd, 8 Temple Court, Keynsham. BS31 1HA 0117 986 0381 www.theweekin.co.uk ISSN: 2052-9767 Managing Editor Stephen Rodgers [email protected] News Editor Becky Feather 07403 273967 Contributors Christine Rogers Advertising Jodie Deason and Tracy Broderick 0117 986 0381 [email protected] @theweekineditor No material in this publication, nor its associated website (www.theweekin.co.uk) may be reproduced without the written permission of Keynsham & Saltford Times Ltd. All rights reserved. Keynsham & Saltford Times Ltd. t/a The Week In is regulated by IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor for the Press CIC. As such, we adhere to the IMPRESS complaints procedure. A copy of this procedure can be found on our website or can be sent upon written request to the address above. 4 The Week in • Wednesday 11th March 2020 Money alone won’t solve 18/19 bus service problems The boss of First bus welcomed the prospect of more available cash for just one service and First is not the only funding for the 18 and 19 bus service but warned it would bus company operating in the West of England. not solve all the problems of it being a very long and He believes the route ideally needs to be split up into two or congested route. even three bits to make it work properly – but more buses Last week we reported on hopes that some of the three would mean more costs and therefore more fares would be quarters of a million pounds given by the Department for needed. Transport to the West of England Combined Authority The 19 goes via Bitton, Cadbury Heath, Kingswood, Staple (WECA) to improve bus services and restore those lost could Hill, Downend, the University of the West of England be used for the 18 and 19 (formerly the 19/19A) which go (UWE)) and Bristol Parkway, while the 18 stops en route at from Bath to Cribbs Causeway. Saltford, Keynsham, North Common, Kingswood, Staple The withdrawal of the evening 19 bus service, along with the Hill, Downend, UWE and Bristol Parkway. reduction of Saturday services to one an hour (the 18), has Mr Freeman says that changes to a more modern fleet will been a major topic of debate in this publication since the be coming to the 18/19 in the summer which should cut the James Freeman changes were introduced in January as a result of the services incidence of breakdowns, which people complain about, and failing to cover their operating costs and South achieve a deliverable timetable. of England Bus Strategy drawn up by WECA, which we Gloucestershire Council saying it is not in a position to Responding to claims on our letters pages about bus drivers featured in last week’s issue, and which members of the provide any further financial support.