10 minute read
Property
Claims of a cooling housing market may be premature
Sally Killen looks at the Chew Valley housing market
6, South Parade, Chew Magna on the market with Killens at £600,000
INthe early stages of the pandemic, there were widespread suggestions that the housing market would collapse as a consequence. Instead, over the past 18 months we have seen a period of extraordinary growth as some households found they had increased savings coupled in many cases with a desire for more space.
Values are now 13% higher with the average house price over the past year in the Chew Valley standing at £554,617.
In August, according to Nationwide, nationally house prices grew by 2% but this slowed in September to 0.1% with the looming end of the stamp duty holiday being blamed for the slowdown.
Whilst some economists consider that rising inflation is likely to dent house price growth, other economists believe prices are likely to be sustained in the coming year by continued low interest rates and constraints on supply from the lack of new housebuilding.
Rightmove have reported that there is the “hottest ever competition to buy, with buyer demand per property for sale more than double pre-pandemic levels” and throughout our area we are still seeing continuing demand for homes and sales being achieved quickly.
Prices are being sustained due to an incredibly low number of properties on the market. If you are considering moving but are reluctant to put your property on the open market, we encourage you to talk to us.
With known buyers seeking the right property and others seeking to sell, we may be able to help you sell and find your dream property quickly.
The Chew Magna office of Killens can be contacted on 01275 333993 chewmagna@killens.org.uk
Geni Printing of the Chew Valley
GENI Printing, based in Chew Stoke, prides itself on providing a high-quality in-house design, print and publishing service. Always conscious of competition, Geni makes every effort to keep prices affordable.
Geni is an accredited member of The Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce and The British Association for Printing & Communication (UK).
Established for over 50 years, the business naturally has many customers, many of whom have enjoyed Geni’s excellent service and customer support over the years.
Their specialities include paperback and hard back books, booklets, wedding and funeral stationery, brochures, leaflets, programmes, posters, greetings cards, labels, frozen food sleeves, tickets and invitations.
They also specialise in printing exercise and year books for schools both local and further afield.
They offer a wide range of various stocks, including silk, textured, linen, satin, pinstripe, hammer, pearlescent and parchment paper and card.
“State of the art” Konica Minolta digital colour presses ensure a 1300 dpi, high resolution print quality. All inks are vegetable based. Wide format printing and signage is also available.
So try them out! – they’re local and almost zero miles for any Chew Valley customer!
Help for Edie
CHELWOODBridge Rotary Club is again supporting Edie Browne, aged nine, from Chew Stoke, who has many health issues and disabilities.
We first reported on Edie in 2016 when the club agreed to help get her a special Hart walker, which transformed her quality of life. She used the unit on an almost daily basis and in February 2017 she stunned everyone by taking some independent unaided steps.
Now the club is helping to fund a Vanraam specialised wheelchair bicycle, which costs £8,000. It is organising crowdfunding through the GlobalGiving platform.
Details: www.chelwoodbridgerotary.com • http://goto.gg/54324
Pumpkin challenge
Pictured (l to r) Julia Young, Claire Brooks, Cherryl Taylor and Jenny Harris
THE latest challenge of Bishop Sutton & Stowey WI was to see who could carve the best pumpkin. Members now look forward to December when it is their turn to set up the Chew Valley Group of WIs’ carol concert.
This will be held at Holy Trinity Church in Bishop Sutton on Monday, December 6th at 7pm and will be a service of carols and readings.
A simpler way to extend your home
CHEWValley Garden Studios are a local business, combining over 60 years of experience in design expertise and construction.
As a small business, their reputation is of utmost importance and they only produce finished products that they are proud to call their own and are happy to put their name to.
This includes creating contemporary garden buildings that not only increase
the value of your property but also stand the test of time. They are passionate in ensuring that each build has longevity of use.
Designed from the ground up, they control every step of the process. They will work with you to create your ultimate garden studio, from initial concept and design, to build and installation.
They even offer a full decorating service, complete with a choice of floor coverings.
All their garden studios and buildings are bespoke and they pride themselves in offering a professional and personal service. They hand make their garden studios in their workshop to reduce build times on-site, using their in-house skilled master carpenter and joiner.
They use an exceptionally strong and robust framework, finished in either a choice of timber cladding or PVC composite cladding in a choice of colours for zero maintenance.
Fully insulated, with “A” rated double glazed windows, your finished garden studio will be ready for you to simply move in and start enjoying your additional space.
RH
Windows
THE CHEW VALLEY’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED WINDOW COMPANY WITH A REPUTATION BUILT ON QUALITY AND SERVICE FOR CONSERVATORIES, WINDOWS AND DOORS IN HARDWOOD OR UPVC HARDWOOD JOINERY SPECIALISTS www.rhwindowsltd.co.uk
Telephone: 01761 452171 Fax: 01761 453342
East Harptree challenge
CHEWValley Cycling Club held its annual hill climb race up Smithams Hill, East Harptree, with 47 riders competing.
The event raised £200 which will be donated to East Harptree Primary School, as in previous years. In the past the school has used the money to provide “bikeability” cycling proficiency training for the children.
The 2km time trial involved riders setting off at one minute intervals to see who could set the fastest time. Phil Stonelake (Bristol Road Club) was the men’s winner in a time of five minutes, two seconds.
Lucy Driver (Bridgwater Cycling Club) was the women’s winner in six minutes 51 seconds. National champion Andrew Feather also took part and set a course record of four minutes 51 seconds but unfortunately incurred a time penalty for missing his start time, so did not win!
Great support was shown by local residents who came out to cheer on the event.
Team prize went to Bristol Road Club (l to r) organiser Mark Jerzac with Phil Stonelake, Harvey Thomas and Steve Thomas
Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce
FORthe last 20 years Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce has provided members with the two key services of a forum for meeting up and a representative voice for the business community.
We have not met face to face since early in 2020 but are planning an in-person social in the next few weeks to get back to having some fun.
However, we’ve kept in touch through Zoom meetings and have continued to keep members informed with relevant information, such as what business support funds were available.
Those meetings have been really useful, allowing us to keep up with the issues affecting our members and understand what was going well and what was more of a challenge.
We’ve discussed matters of concern, such as the impact the Bristol Clean Air Zone could have on our area and only recently heard from a new employment service in Bath and North East Somerset which was able to provide useful information about a range of topics.
Sandy Bell President
Details: www.chewvalleychamber.co.uk or email tintinna@aol.com
Choral society is back with November concert
CHEWValley Choral Society is back with its first live public concert of choral masterpieces since 2019.
On November 27th the generous acoustic of St. John’s, Keynsham will resound to Haydn’s joyful Nelson Mass and Fauré’s elegiac and atmospheric Requiem.
Under its director, the composer David Bednall, the society has established a reputation for excellent performances of the masterpieces of the classical choral repertoire supported by outstanding soloists.
The soloists are soprano, Emma Huggett, alto, Naomi MacLeod-Jones, tenor, Iain MacLeod-Jones and bass, Christopher Sheldrake.
Tickets £15, students and children £7.50 from the Parish Office 1, The Park Keynsham BS31 2BL, from members on the door or phone 01275 333014.
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Free festive parking
MENDIPshoppers, visitors and businesses can enjoy free parking during the run-up to Christmas and on New Year's Day.
Free car parking will be available in all Mendip-owned pay and display car parks during the holiday period, for one week, from Saturday, December 18th until Friday, December 24th.
There’s also a fee-free day planned to support Small Business Saturday, December 4th in car parks at Cranhill Road in Street, St John's car park in Glastonbury, Union Street in Wells, Great Ostry in Shepton Mallet and the Cattle Market in Frome.
Details: https://www.mendip.gov.uk/carpark
Festive grants available
Santa at a community Christmas meal at Heads Up, Wells in 2019
SOMERSET Community Foundation (SCF) would like to support community groups in Somerset that can help to reduce loneliness and share some Christmas cheer through food and festive activities.
The Festive Fund for Somerset offers up to £300 to groups if they can tell SCF how their work can combat the isolation and loneliness that many people can feel in the winter months.
Applications close on Friday, October 29th.
Details: www.somersetcf.org.uk/festivefund
Collecting Christmas gifts
CHRISTMAS gifts will be distributed by Wells Foodbank thanks to Hannah Wall, who is collecting new or preloved items for people in need.
Last year Hannah ran a shoebox appeal which was so successful that gifts were provided for the foodbank, the Salvation Army, Fusion Somerset and YMCA Wells.
Hannah said: “Christmas is all about giving – especially for children. By giving a gift to a child who might not otherwise have much, or who might have been through a difficult time due to cancer, you are making a huge difference to someone at this special time of year.”
Items can be dropped off at LA Moore Demolition, Old Railway Yard, Haybridge, Wells, BA5 1AH. Alternatively you can choose items from as little as £2 on an Amazon wish list, which you can find by visiting the Foodbank’s Facebook page.
Sue Marland, pastor of Wells Vineyard Church who runs Wells Foodbank said: “Demand for the foodbank has risen during the last two years and is nearly six times higher than in 2019.
“That means there are a lot of families in the area who will find it almost impossible to celebrate Christmas this year without your help. In addition to this year’s shoebox appeal, we are also in need of financial donations which used to purchase fresh food stocks and purchase items in short supply.”
Financial donations can be made to Wells Vineyard Christian Fellowship’s HSBC account: Sort code: 40-46-06, Acc No: 31387170. Please use “Wells Vineyard Church” as the reference. Money donated will be used to purchase fresh food stocks and purchase items in short supply.
Christmas boxes
Pictured (l to r) Penny Savill, Mel Jameson, Maggie Bone and Sheila Dobbs
CHILDREN and parishioners across the Chew Valley are busy packing shoe boxes with Christmas gifts for those less fortunate than themselves.
They do this through Operation Christmas Child, which is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, run by the Christian relief and development organisation Samaritan’s Purse.
Chew Stoke resident, Mel Jameson, who has been collecting boxes for more than 12 years, launched this year’s collection with a coffee morning which raised £360.
