Bee a Winner

Bee a winner on the South Gloucestershire high street trail

A chance to win a share of £10,000 and support local traders A swarm of bright and beautiful outsized bees will be buzzing about South Gloucestershire’s high streets from Saturday 24 July as part of a major new campaign led by the Council to support local independent traders. To take part in the South Gloucestershire Bee Trail Challenge, all you must do is ‘collect’ the 16 individual fibreglass bees by taking a selfie with them and then entering the photos for a chance to win a weekly prize draw of £150 vouchers for each high street. The Challenge runs until Saturday 18 September with two bees in each of the eight local high streets: Chipping Sodbury, Downend, Filton, Hanham, Kingswood, Staple Hill, Thornbury, and Yate – Station Road. Currently there are almost 80 traders taking part, ranging from arts and crafts and gift shops to pubs and cafes, with more joining the scheme every day.

All the bees have been decorated by local artists and each one is very different – from Astronobee, inspired by space and the world of the unknown, to Pablo Bee Cazzo, with his rainbow wings and honeycomb centre. Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Toby Savage said: “Everyone at the Council is extremely proud that we are funding the Bee Trail Challenge. I am so grateful to the local artists who have come up with such original designs that will become a colourful, vibrant part of our high streets and community spaces.

“Ultimately, the challenge is about supporting our high streets to thrive. They were already changing before the pandemic. Covid-19 has simply accelerated that change and we are supporting them in that reinvention.

“Shopping is part of the picture. But following the pandemic, people increasingly use high streets for leisure, learning, meeting up with friends, family, and work colleagues.” When the Bee Trail Challenge is complete, the bees will be auctioned for charity at an event hosted by the Council Chair later in the year.

Chair of the Council Cllr Ruth Davis said: “We have so much to offer both people who live here and visitors and I hope this trail will enable as many as possible to discover not just what’s on their doorstep but further afield – and of course have a lot of fun while doing so.”

For full details on how to enter the South Gloucestershire Bee Trail Challenge, a map of each of the bee locations, information on all the artists and a full list of traders taking part visit www.southglos.gov.uk/shopsouthglos

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Possible development surrounding Weston Big Wood

A campaign to stop future development around a site of environmental and historical importance on the outskirts of Portishead has been gathering momentum.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn up at two separate gatherings that will be held simultaneously on Sunday, to demonstrate support for protecting Weston Big Wood and put a stop to any future building on land around it.

While no definite proposals are on the table at this stage, North Somerset Council has received a number of expressions of interest from landowners willing to sell their land for development. One of the sites is in North Weston, between Clevedon Road and Weston Big Wood and another is Tower Farm, also adjacent to the ancient woodland.

Drilling works carried out back in May on the fields next to the Clevedon Road, to explore any possible drainage issues, provoked significant opposition from people living in Portishead and North Weston, who said they saw this act as a sign of intent to develop.

Wild Portishead, a community service which works to protect, preserve and conserve the town’s green spaces, said Weston Big Wood should be allowed to expand, not have its status threatened by building on the surrounding fields, which it said provides a crucial protective buffer zone to the Site of Special Scientific Interest. 22 Portishead Town Council vice chairman, Paul Gardner, said in a online statement: “Residents are extremely concerned about any possibility of housing development around this important woodland and do not want to wait until a planning application is submitted to let their views be known.

“Feelings are very strong and local people want their voices heard. Portishead Town Council has agreed to support this campaign and help residents protect the area.”

The meetings on Sunday, one on the North Weston fields off Clevedon Road while the other is at Merlin Park, on the edge of Tower Farm, will both take place at 3pm.

A formal public meeting has also been appointed for September 20th at 7pm at Somerset Hall in Portishead.

Anyone keen to find out more or get involved in saving the area from development can email savewestonbigwood@gmail.com, write to the town council at the Folk Hall or contact either the Friends of North Weston Woods or Portishead Down Safeguarding group via Facebook.