Thornbury Voice March 2023

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

New council budget delivers quality services and invests in future

South Gloucestershire Council’s new budget for 2023 to 2024 sets out investment plans of more than £838 million (gross) on services, over £132 million on capital and infrastructure projects, and allocates more than £267 million to schools, training and early learning in the district. These are tough financial times for the council, as they are for all residents and businesses. Global forces have driven an increase in costs, reduced income and growing demand for services but thanks to sound management of public money in recent years with a focus on delivering efficiencies and value for money, South Gloucestershire is better placed than most other councils to deal with these pressures. That’s why parking remains free in all council-owned car parks across the district and why an extra £1million is going into ensuring the road network is properly maintained.

Investing in priority areas

Investing in schools and educational attainment has been the council’s top priority over the past few years, and the measures contained in the budget will enable this to continue in 2023 and beyond. The budget also commits to taking decisive action to tackle the climate crisis, invest in South Glos high streets to support local businesses, and to deliver vital infrastructure projects.

Your council is investing in:

• an extra £1 million for highways maintenance to improve some local roads earlier than planned.

• continuing the new Street Enforcement Service for a further two years to tackle environmental crimes, such as littering and dog fouling, following a successful pilot

• £1.5 million to deliver further progress on the council’s response to the climate emergency

• supporting some rural bus services to continue while work is done across the region on transport options

• allocating a further £500,000 to help local people with the cost-ofliving crisis. It has also made money available to deliver a fast-tracked affordable housing delivery service.

View from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Toby Savage

WELCOME to this special edition of The Voice in which we bring you news of our new budget, the upcoming local elections, and details of cost-of-living support.

These are difficult financial times for the council and for our residents and businesses. I am very pleased that we have been able to produce a budget that continues to deliver the quality services that local people appreciate and rely upon. We will receive more than we anticipated from Government. This means that we can limit Council Tax rises and continue to deliver on our top priority, for all our young people to have the best possible start in life. It’s great to see our schools’ performances going from strength to strength. There will be local elections in South Gloucestershire this May for district along with parish and town councillors. If you are not already, you must be registered to vote. For the first time, you’ll also need to take an accepted form of photo identification to vote at a polling station. Find out more and how to get help on page 3.

I’d like to thank The Voice, a wonderful local business, for a great partnership over the past few years. If you would like to get our latest news by email, please sign up for our weekly newsletter. You’ll find details on how to do this on page 3.

Cllr Steve Reade with the Road Maintenance team

Street Enforcement team and street cleaner

Investment in major projects and in young people

As well as delivering day-to-day services and support, your council will continue to invest in major infrastructure programmes and providing the best start in life to our young people. This includes:

• More than £37 million towards new primary and secondary schools in Lyde Green

• Over £14 million to improve Castle and Marlwood school buildings

• £3 million to increase the number of new homes for children in care to help them stay close to their local communities

• Nearly £3 million for a new community centre at Ladden Garden Village in Yate

• £2.7 million for community facilities in the east of Emersons Green

• More than £6.7 million to continue the re -

Services maintained

Public consultation took place on draft budget proposals, which helped refine the plans to ensure they reflect community priorities.

Combined with work by council officers, the following services will continue:

• the proposed increase in the garden waste subscription, from £30 to £55 will no longer happen

• the council will support Christmas light

generation of Kingswood High Street and surrounding area, including the Whitfield Tabernacle restoration

The council’s direct funding to local schools will increase by £15.2 million (8.1 per cent), with funding for children with additional needs rising by £5.2 million (11.5 per cent). The minimum funding for each pupil will be at least £4,405 for each primary school pupil and £5,715 for each secondary school child.

The continued investment in South Glos’s young people’s education, both at primary and secondary, is getting results. In December 2017, 72 per cent of students attended a good or outstanding school. By December last year (2022) this figure had risen to 90 per cent of students.

displays next year for areas that will become parished this year

• StreetCare Operations & Support Team which carry out road and grounds maintenance will not be reduced

• Members’ Awarded Funding and Area Wide Grants, which provide support to many local community groups and activities, will not be cut

• the Carers’ Grant will be maintained next year while work continues on a cross-party basis to develop an improved package of support

Improving education in

for carers

• planned CCTV upgrades in Chipping Sodbury will be brought forward to next year

• funding for the Taxi Marshal service will be maintained in response to local concerns about community safety.

Balancing the budget

All local authorities in the country are facing financial challenges and the council will implement changes to services to reduce costs by more than £24 million. This will in part be met by increasing income through fees and charges for services that are eligible.

Preserving some bus services

The council is also preserving some bus services using council reserves, much of which can only be spent on certain activities. These services include the 84/85 and 622 routes on an interim basis while work across the region continues on transport options

Cllrs Toby Savage, Erica Williams and Ben Burton with members of South Gloucestershire Council’s Community Learning & Skills team.

March, 2023 Issue 71

FREE EVERY MONTH IN THORNBURY AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES

Inspector says yes to 595 homes

Shop closing

THORNBURY'S M&Co clothes store is set to close after administrators sold the brandbut none of the company's 170 shops.

PAGE 7

'Appalling' jail

EXTRA staff are being moved into Eastwood Park women’s prison after a damning inspection report found some cells were “appalling and dilapidated”, with walls splattered with blood.

PAGE 6

CCTV call

THORNBURY'S Rock Street car park needs CCTV coverage, says a town police officer.

PAGE 18

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 595 homers on the outskirts of Thornbury have been approved by a government inspector after a long planning battle.

Christina Downes ruled in favour of Barwood Development Securities, who want to build the homes on land west of Park Farm, saying the “very substantial benefits” of the new estate outweighed the harms to nearby listed buildings and loss of farmland.

The decision was described as "disappointing" by South Gloucestershire Council, which opposed the scheme but failed to determine it within the legal time limit, leading to the appeal and seven-day public inquiry.

Campaigners say they are "furious" with the way the council handled the application, accusing it of failing to prepare its case properly.

Full story: Pages 4 & 5.

Digging in village

A HISTORIC ruin unearthed by a retired Olveston teacher and amateur archaeologists from Thornbury has featured on popular BBC history programme Digging for Britain.

PAGE 13

Property experts working in the Thornbury property market since the early 1980’s, coping with fast markets, slow markets, boom or recession but always working our hardest to achieve the absolute best for our clients.

Please contact Rowena Moncrieffe for further details…

How the developer says the housing estate will look

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Defence of town was 'ill-prepared'

CAMPAIGNERS say they are furious at a "lack of preparation" by South Gloucestershire Council in its case against the 595-home development approved by a government inspector.

Pressure group Thornbury Against Poorly-Planned Development (TRAPP'D) said the decision to allow Barwood Development Securities to build 595 new homes west of Park Farm was "a body blow to Thornbury’s environment".

But they criticised the case South Gloucestershire Council made at the planning inquiry, held in the town last autumn.

A spokesman for the group said: "At the heart of the inquiry was the question of whether the council could show that it had enough new housing in the pipeline to meet a planning test called the five-year housing supply.

"Following the inquiry, TRAPP’D have twice written to the South Glos chief executive, Dave Perry, to express our view that its team was not properly prepared to defend their case, and so it proved to be, with the Inspector discounting more than 1,100 houses from the council’s case - largely, she states, because of the lack of evidence presented to the inquiry.

Local information

South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk

01454 868009

Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk

01454 868009

Anti social behaviour team

asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk

01454 868582

Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

Environment/trading standards

01454 868001

Police

www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

NHS Health

"We are deeply disappointed with the outcome of this case, which results in yet another major loss of green space to the builder’s bulldozer.

"It will have a detrimental effect on services and congestion, and we are furious at the council’s lack of preparation that has contributed to this outcome.

"Perhaps more worrying is the encouragement that this decision, together with a similar judgment in Old Sodbury, will give to would-be speculative developments, including Buckover, that surround Thornbury."

Call 111

Well Aware health & social care information www.wellaware.org.uk

Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Thornbury Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Thornbury Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Richard On 01454 800 120 or contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

Complaints

Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Thornbury Voice, contact the publisher using the details above. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

A member of the

South Gloucestershire Council said it would review its assessment of the district's housing supply but insisted its case was sound.

A council spokesperson said: “We are naturally disappointed with the outcome of this appeal.

“A review of our approach to this appeal, which included engaging King’s Counsel legal support to lead the council’s case, has not revealed any shortcomings.

“The appeal turned on two main issues, one of which was the impact on local heritage assets, and despite a robust case being presented, the inspector’s judgement was that the scheme did not cause sufficient harm to warrant its refusal on those grounds.

"The other issue related to an assessment of the supply of new homes over the next five years. The developer argued that with regard to a number of specific sites, the council’s assessment of future delivery was over-optimistic.

"The supply of new homes - which is the hands of private developers, not the council - is dynamic, being affected by a number of factors including economic conditions, new sites coming forward during the year, and delays in delivery of sites already in the pipeline.

"After careful assessment, the inspector in the most part favoured the developer’s more cautious assessment of future delivery.

“We will be reviewing our housing supply assessment in the light of this appeal and will be publishing a revised five-year forecast in the near future."

The acting chair of the council's development management committee, Colin Hunt (Con, Emersons Green), told a meeting on February 16 that planning inspector Christina Downes' decision ignored the will of the "vast majority" of people in Thornbury.

PLANS for 595 homes on the edge of Thornbury have been approved on appeal by a planning inspector.

The government-appointed inspector concluded that the “very substantial benefits” of the new housing estate on a greenfield site west of Park Farm, Butt Lane, outweighed the harms, including to nearby listed buildings.

A seven-day public inquiry was held last year after developers Barwood Development Securities launched an appeal.

South Gloucestershire Council had failed to determine the application in time and the appeal took the decision out of its hands, but planning committee members said they would have refused permission if they still had the power to do so.

A total of 134 residents, Thornbury Town Council and Oldbury-on-Severn Parish Council objected to the outline application for the two- and three-storey houses, of which 208 or 35% will be classed as affordable.

However, planning inspector Christina Downes has now ruled in favour of Barwood and granted consent for the scheme, which includes a primary school and nursery, shops and community hub, a new bus link and open spaces including parkland, footpaths and allotments.

In her report, published on February 13, Ms Downes said: “It seems to me that the appeal proposal would offer a wide range of public benefits.

“There would be harm to the significance of a number of heritage assets by virtue of the appeal development being within their setting.

“These include the Thornbury Castle assemblage, the church of St Mary the Virgin, the Sheiling School and Thornbury Conservation Area.

“The church and parts of the castle are Grade I heritage assets, which are considered to be of exceptional interest and rarity.

“However, there would be a package of public benefits to which I have attributed very substantial weight.

“In my judgement it would clearly outweigh the harm that would arise to the significance of the heritage assets.”

New homes' benefits 'outweigh harm', inspector says

“The council cannot at the present time meet its housing need and it has limited opportunities to provide for such growth.

“Also, there is no evidence that integration cannot satisfactorily be achieved.

“The Housing Register also indicates that there are many families in need of a home at the present time and there is little reason to believe that this situation is going to improve.

“Indeed, the council’s website indicates that there is a high demand for social housing in the district and a shortage of properties.

“It states that many applicants will never receive an offer of housing.”

The inspector said the loss of 25 hectares of “best and most versatile” agricultural land would be “harmful” but that the amount of land was relatively small.

She wrote: “In my judgement these adverse impacts would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the very substantial benefits.”

Her report said the council did not have a five-year supply of land to meet its housing needs.

It said: “I conclude that the appeal site has the potential to become a relatively accessible location, where new residents will have the option to choose a number of sustainable travel opportunities rather than rely on car journeys for their trips.

“That is not to say that the car will not be used, because that would be unrealistic.

“The important point is that there would be reasonable alternatives available in this case for many journeys.”

She said the scheme would produce “considerable” net gains to the site’s biodiversity.

Her report said: “There is local concern that Thornbury has been subject to a large amount of development in a relatively short period and that it has been difficult to absorb such rapid growth into the existing community.

“Whilst I understand this

concern, it is difficult to see how it could be a reason for objecting to the scheme.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

How developer Barwood says the site could look. Picture: Barton Willmore

EXTRA staff are being moved into Eastwood Park women’s prison after a damning inspection report found some cells were “appalling and dilapidated”, with walls splattered with blood.

Inspectors said acute staff shortages at the jail near Falfield meant prisoners were spending “far too little time” out of their cells.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor, who lead the inspection team, said: "No prisoner should be held in such conditions, let alone women who were acutely unwell and in great distress."

He said one experienced inspector described the treatment and conditions of women in one houseblock as the worst that he had ever seen.

Eastwood Park houses 348 adult female prisoners and young offenders, ranging from women on remand awaiting trial to inmates serving indeterminate or life sentences.

The 11-day unannounced inspection in October last year was carried out by a team of 21 inspectors, including

'Appalling' conditions at women's jail slammed

educational, health and social care experts.

In a 70 page report published in February, Mr Taylor listed 20 concerns, including rating the prison at the lowest possible grade for safety.

He said: "There had been four self-inflicted deaths since

our last inspection and rates of self-harm were very high and increasing. Many women told us they did not feel well cared for.

"The number of times force had been used against women had increased significantly, and we were not confident it was always used as a last resort.

"Leaders had been too slow to reintroduce support to help women maintain relationships with their children, families and significant others."

He highlighted Houseblock Four, which he said in effect housed, in segregation, women who could not be placed elsewhere in the jail due to their mental health needs or associated behaviour.

Mr Taylor said: “The criteria for why women were sent to the unit were unclear and its role was not properly established or overseen.

"The cells were appalling, dilapidated and covered in graffiti, one was bloodsplattered, and some had extensive scratches on the walls which reflected the degree of trauma previous residents must have experienced."

He said he was also "deeply concerned" for the welfare of staff working in a challenging environment.

The report said: "They were dedicated and courageous, but were not adequately trained or qualified to support the women on the unit.

"They received no clinical supervision, despite being exposed to prisoners in great distress, some of whose levels of self-harm were extreme.

"Neither the leadership team nor, in their recent visits, the prison group director’s staff, had noticed the severity of this situation."

The previous inspection in 2019 made 10 recommendations about key concerns.

Since then only three had been achieved, two had been partially achieved and five had not been achieved.

A Prison Service spokesperson said the report was “deeply concerning”.

The spokesperson said: “We are already addressing the serious issues it raises.

“We are providing additional staffing, creating a new taskforce dedicated to improving the safety of women at the prison and are performing maintenance work of the areas mentioned by the Inspectorate.”

Extra staffing would include moving staff from other local prisons, the spokesperson said.

The taskforce had already recruited psychologists to assist delivery of enhanced support to women with the most complex needs, funded better support women in the early days of custody, and piloted a new model of staff training.

The spokesperson said that since the inspection the prison authorities had been performing maintenance work including repainting and repairs.

Reports on all prisons, including Eastwood Park, can be found online at

The full report can be found online at bit.ly/41abqVx, on the www.justiceinspectorates.gov. uk website.

Inspectors shared pictures of 'dilapidated' cells at Eastwood Park

Clothes store to close

THORNBURY'S M&Co clothes store is set to close after administrators sold the brand - but said there had been no viable offers for the company's chain of 170 shops.

The future of the shop was thrown into doubt in December, when the Scottish-owned retailer went into administration for the second time in two years.

Shortly afterwards the St Mary Centre shop, occupying one of the units with frontage on the High Street, put up posters advertising a 'closing down sale'.

However no official announcement was made on its future at that point, despite another M&Co store, in Yate, closing permanently.

On February 6 it was confirmed that administrators from Teneo Financial Advisory Limited had sold the M&Co brand and intellectual property rights to a Cambridgeshire-based online clothing seller, AK Retail.

But the deal did not include taking on any of M&Co's 170 shops or 2,000 staff, who are now facing redundancy.

Teneo has declined to confirm the number of staff at the Thornbury store who would lose their jobs when the branch shuts.

The BBC reported that several stores across the UK had published posts on their Facebook pages, which said: "Unfortunately we haven't received the news we would have hoped for during our administration period, and would like to share this news with you.

"As we haven't received any funded, deliverable offers that would result in the transfer of the company's stores or staff to a potential buyer, this means that all of our stores will close."

The Thornbury store had not published the post, although the administrators have confirmed that all M&Co stores are set to close.

The branch shared a post advising customers that the company's gift cards would no longer be accepted after February 12 and a further post advertising a closing down sale for the company's online sales business.

No dates have been given for store closures - the Voice understands that each shop will continue to trade while its sales are contributing revenue that can be passed on to creditors, with the administrators monitoring performance on an ongoing basis.

Stores are expected to be shut when they can no longer trade, either because they have run out of stock, their leases have ended, or they are costing more to keep open than they are taking in sales.

The administrators expect each store to announce its own closure date and estimate that most will close in a matter of weeks, but were unable to say when the process will finish.

AK Retail owns specialist online retailers Yours Clothing, Long Tall Sally, BadRhino and Pixiegirl, which sell plus size, tall women's, tall men's and 'petite' clothing ranges respectively.

Thornbury's M&Co store in the St Mary Centre

Work for Sirona and make a difference in your community

Sirona care & health is recruiting Community Support Workers to join its teams and support people in the place they call home.

Home first is a team-led rehabilitation service which aims to get people back to where they usually live as quickly and safely as possible.

As a Community Support Worker, you'll play a vital role within the service by working closely with colleagues to provide ongoing clinical activities, support with daily routines and personal care.

Sirona, which is one of the largest providers of NHS community adult and children’s services in England, is holding dedicated events to support its recruitment but is also looking for people to get in touch directly.

On 16 March 2023, together with health and care partners from across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, Sirona will be part of a Healthcare Support Worker Recruitment Event.

Taking place at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (Nevil Road, Bristol, BS7 9EJ), it will be an opportunity for people to find out more about Support Worker roles available in their area. Prospective employees can even book an interview and potentially walk away with a

conditional offer of employment on the day.

The event is open to those who are looking to begin a career in healthcare, ready to take their next step or looking for a change.

Full details and booking for the event will be available soon on the Healthier Together website:https://bnssghealthiertogether.org.uk/

Mary Lewis, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “Community Support Workers are at the heart of our community services, working with people and their families to enable individuals to be as independent as possible and to stay in their homes and achieve the outcomes they wish for.”

Whether you are supporting people in their homes or in one of our rehabilitation units, we also offer great support and training across all areas, to ensure our colleagues can achieve their own goals within a caring and supportive environment.

Laura Al-Faraj, Community Support Worker, explains how it suits her family in a video to highlight the work the team does. She said: “I’m able to work locally. It works out much better for my family because I get that work-life balance.”

Molly Dursley, Community Support Worker, said: “One of my favourite things about working here is the team that we’ve got…we genuinely

help and support each other. It’s a bit like a second family!”

If you enjoy working with individuals to support them to achieve their goals, improving quality of life and independence, then Sirona, which offers NHS pay and benefits wants to hear from you, email sirona.recruitment@nhs. net or call 0300 124 5444 to talk about the opportunities available in your area.

Flexible working to fit around you and your commitments.

A commitment to your development and wellbeing – receive training and support to equip you with the skills you need to succeed.

Access to a range of full NHS benefits

(including generous holiday allowance and pension).

We’re here to support you - Health and wellbeing for our colleagues is at the forefront of everything we do.

Families win battle for new path

FAMILIES living on a new housing estate in Thornbury have won their battle to reconnect their homes to the town centre.

But some are still unhappy that a gateway that has been in use for more than 30 years has been blocked off.

Young mum Domonique Latham, whose story in the Voice highlighted the problems after she slipped and fell on muddy tree roots in the gateway, says the new route won’t be any safer.

Pedestrian access from Park Farm to the town centre was effectively cut off in January after the Voice made enquiries following Domonique's fall, which left her in need of hospital treatment for a back injury.

South Gloucestershire Council blocked it off with a plastic barrier and told owners Taylor Wimpey to close the gap permanently.

The gateway had been widely used by school children, parents with prams and others to cross a five-metre stretch of grass from Barley Fields to Victoria Close.

Residents said alternative pedestrian routes to school, doctors and town centre shops involved either long walks across muddy fields, or a one kilometre detour.

Now Thornbury town and South Gloucestershire councillor Jayne Stansfield says David Wilson Homes, who built the Barley Fields development, are to put a footpath across a grass area 50m away, close to the

medieval fishponds, restoring the link between Barley Fields and Victoria Close.

She said the idea needs final approval by South Gloucestershire planning officers, but she hoped the work would go ahead in the spring, and that it would include improvements to the muddy area beside the ponds, and street lighting.

Jayne said: “I can't see any point in doing it at all unless it connects properly to the existing path. That's why I will be monitoring it carefully.

“Let’s hope they get it in place quickly to avoid any more distress to the residents.”

But Domonique, who runs Little Legs Dog Grooming in Thornbury, and used the gateway to take her three year old daughter Rei to preschool every day, said she believed it was “lazy” of South Gloucestershire

Council and the housing developers to block off the gateway, rather than reinstate a path that had been used for many years.

She said a yellow footpath sign on the gateposts had been removed after her fall.

Domonique said: "I can’t understand why they can’t just flatten the old gateway entrance and put in a path. It seems very simple.

"The idea of a pathway by the fishponds is dangerous. There is no fence around the ponds to protect little children, and no street lighting.”

David and Colleen Paviour, who live next to the blocked gateway said it had been in constant use since they moved in 32 years ago.

But after it was blocked off in January, they had seen countless people climbing over it, and mums lifting prams over.

Resident Steve Whiteside has been leading calls for the developers and South Gloucestershire to resolve the issue for months.

He said the planned new footpath did appear to give residents of the three-yearold phase four of Park Farm the connection they had been campaigning for.

He said: “It’s a shame that it’s taken eight months of constant badgering, a resident falling and hurting their back and some really hard work from many residents to get a solution forward for planning.

"I’m grateful to those at the town council who have supported residents throughout the journey and met with residents regularly.

"We now just need to hope that Barratt David Wilson South

West, who are funding the path, do deliver within a reasonable time frame, as it is still a daily struggle for many parents and children getting to school."

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: "The gap in the hedge between Victoria Close and the Park Farm development is not maintained by the council and isn’t recorded as a public right of way.

"A kissing gate was installed some time ago, but we have no record of who by.

"We were made aware of health and safety concerns relating to the kissing gate and contacted the landowners, Taylor Wimpey to make them aware.

"We installed a temporary barrier to prevent further accidents and asked Taylor Wimpey to fence-off the gate while alternative access was being explored with local landowners."

Barratt David Wilson Homes South West head of customer care Adam Jones said: "The gateway that connects the footpaths in Barley Fields and Victoria Close is outside of our boundary, however we understand how important it is for residents to enjoy easy access into Thornbury.

"While we aren’t responsible for that area of land or legally obliged to carry out any improvements, we are looking at ways that could provide residents with an alternative route into the town centre from phase 4 of the development.

"We’re working closely with planners at South Gloucestershire Council so that residents can benefit from improvements as soon as possible."

Domonique and Rei Latham by barrier at spot where she fell and was injured

Steve Whiteside by muddy path roughly where the new path will be

A map of the proposed new path between Barley Fields and Victoria Close. Picture: Jayne Stansfield.

Average council tax bills rise by £130

A TYPICAL council tax bill in the Thornbury area will rise by around £130 in April.

South Gloucestershire Council has agreed a 4.99% increase - the maximum allowed without calling a referendumto take its charge to residents with homes in the average Band D tax bracket up by £87.47 to £1,752.11.

Council tax bills also include charges for the region's police and fire services.

The Avon & Somerset police precept for Band D taxpayers is rising by £15 (just under 6%), from £251.20 to £266.20, and the Avon Fire Authority charge will rise by £5 (6.4%) in Band D, from £77.95 to £82.95.

The remainder of the charge comes from the precepts charged by town and parish councils, and the 'special expenses' charges made for any maintenance of neighbourhood parks, open spaces and bus shelters and similar neighbourhood facilities carried out by South Gloucestershire Council.

The parish precept and special expenses charge varies by area - the more local facilities provided, the higher it is.

Thornbury has the highest charges for both precept and special expenses, with the result that the overall council tax bill in the town - £2,277.36 for Band D residents - is higher than in surrounding parishes as it includes £156.22 in precept charges and £19.88 special expenses.

Thornbury also has the highest overall rise in council tax bills for residents in Band

D homes, of £130.95 from April. However the precept has only risen by £3.54 and special expenses by £2.96.

The lowest Band D charge in the area is for Hill - the £2,110.88 total bill includes a precept of just £9.62 to fund the parish meeting and no special expenses.

The smallest overall rise is in Almondsbury, where overall bills are up by £121.84.

South Gloucestershire Council's spending plans comprise £287 million for day-to-day services, £132m on major capital and infrastructure projects and £267m to schools, skills and early learning.

They include an extra £1m for road repairs, solar panels for all council buildings and funding for a new Street Enforcement Service to tackle environmental crimes.

Council leader Toby Savage said: "I am pleased that we are able to set a budget that builds on our hard work in previous years and which continues to deliver on our priorities for residents and businesses across South Gloucestershire."

The Conservative administration accepted ideas from opposition groups at the budget-setting meeting on February 15, with Labour securing a dedicated enforcement officer to ensure private rented homes are brought up to minimum standards and the Liberal Democrats winning backing for action on climate change and the cost-of-living crisis with initiatives to help residents and

businesses cut emissions. Plans to increase green bin charges from £30 to £55 and cut the streetcare team and Chipping Sodbury taxi marshals were withdrawn ahead of the meeting.

But some council services are being reduced and charges increased, to plug a £24m shortfall and balance the books for the next three years.

Opposition councillors warned that many of the savings are “hidden” behind reviews that need working through rather than finalised proposals.

Capital schemes include £37 million for new primary and secondary schools in Lyde Green, £14m to improve the Castle and Marlwood CSET schools in Thornbury and £3m for more children’s homes.

Labour group leader Pat Rooney said the new enforcement officer would ensure

that 5,700 houses and flats in South Gloucestershire which would fail new environmental regulations are brought up to standard.

She said: “We want residents to be healthy and happy, and being in a warm home is key to that.

“But it’s also about the environment and making sure homes aren’t producing any more carbon than they need to."

Lib Dem spokesperson for corporate resources Jon Lean said: "In a time of rising prices for all and even the increasing use of food banks, this budget removes support for some of the people most in need in our area – cuts to the preparingfor-adulthood service, cuts to the opening hours of One Stop Shops, cuts to well-being services that promote healthy lifestyles."

Band D council tax bills

2023/24

*Total bill is parish and special expenses charge, plus South Gloucestershire, police and fire charges.

Figures from South Gloucestershire Council

Wanted: councillors

THE Thornbury area's councils need a key ingredient this year - the councillors who will make the decisions.

In this year's local elections on May 4, all 61 seats on South Gloucestershire Council and a total of 492 town and parish council seats across the district are up for grabs.

The elections come around every four years and are a chance for adult residents of an area - whether a member of a political party or independent - to win a place representing their community and helping decide how public money is spent.

Anyone who would like to be a parish or South Gloucestershire councillor can get nomination papers now - they can be submitted between March 27 and 4pm on April 4.

To be nominated as a candidate, you need the signatures of two residents on the current electoral register for the ward.

Unlike parliamentary elections, you do not need to pay a deposit to stand as a candidate.

Thornbury Town Council has 16 seats to be filled - four each in its North East, North West, South and South East wards.

Almondsbury has 13 seats to be elected, while there are five to fill in Rockhampton, seven each in Cromhall and Falfield, nine in Charfield, nine in both Oldbury-on-Severn and Olveston, 11 in Alveston and seven on Tytherington and Itchington Parish Council. There are 10 seats to fill on Frampton Cotterell Parish Council.

Further afield, newly-created parish councils for Charlton Hayes, Stoke Park and Cheswick, and Staple Hill and Mangotsfield, along with a new town council for Kingswood, will elect their first ever members.

There are fewer seats but more power and responsibility for members of South Gloucestershire Council, where three seats up for grabs in Thornbury, along with two in the Severn Vale ward covering the villages to the north, west and south of the town, one in the Charfield ward to the north east and three in Frampton Cotterell to the south east.

South Gloucestershire Council is encouraging anyone who wants to make a "real difference" to consider standing for election.

A spokesperson said: "People from all backgrounds and experiences who can reflect the communities they serve are needed.

"You do not have to be a member of a political party to stand for election - you can also be an independent councillor.

"Being a councillor is a varied and highly fulfilling role where you help make decisions on the issues that matter to local communities."

The council is holding briefing sessions for prospective candidates at Kingswood Council Chamber on March 6 and 9.

For more information about becoming a candidate, visit beta.southglos.gov.uk/ stand-for-election, call 01454 863030, email electoral.services@southglos.gov.uk or write to Electoral Registration, PO Box 1953, Badminton Road, Bristol, BS37 0DB.

Picture: Local Democracy Reporting Service

n NEWS

Another bus service under threat

A TRANSPORT campaigner says two councils need their heads banging together, after a row over funding left buses connecting Thornbury and Alveston to hospitals and workplaces in North Bristol facing the axe.

Bus services across the region are being hit by driver shortages, increased costs and local council budget cuts affecting subsidies.

A raft of cuts to 42 subsidised services was agreed by councillors at a meeting of the West of England Combined Authority in late January.

Some were later thrown a lifeline with temporary extensions funded by individual councils, until the end of the school year in some cases but only until May in others.

But now it has emerged that a row between South Gloucestershire and Bristol City councils will affect the Stagecoach number 10, which connects Thornbury and Alveston to Southmead Hospital,

Bristol Parkway, Filton, Aztec West and Avonmouth.

From April 1 the bus will stop inside the Bristol city border at Southmead Hospital – and will not come into South Gloucestershire.

That’s because the city council has agreed to subsidise buses within the city boundaries, but no further. South Gloucestershire has voted not to fund the route.

Transport campaigner Dave Redgewell said: “These are very important social economic bus services which are not commercially viable, but require subsidy from the West of England Combined Authority, through funding by the local councils.

“I thought Bristol would do something sensible instead of this. It’s pretty devastating really.”

Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who is in charge of coordinating the region's transport, said: “Bus funding is a complicated jigsaw.

Unfortunately local councils decided to reduce spending on council-subsidised buses via the transport levy. That’s why these services have been cut."

South Gloucestershire

Liberal Democrat group leader Claire Young said “conflicting information” about the funding the 10, which serves Marlwood and Castle Schools, was unsettling for passengers.

She said: “Local bus users aren’t interested in arguments about who funds the services, they just want those services to run – and not only until the elections are out of the way in May.

“The new Demand Responsive Transport service won’t have the capacity to replace the buses that are being lost.

"We all need to work together on this.”

A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said the authority had increased funding for buses through Weca,

but contract prices had more than doubled.

Quarry House in Fishponds offers safe and nurturing care

We are now enabling close contact visits in the home, every resident is able to have an essential care giver, and there is no isolation required for new residents from the community. We still have a varied activity schedule which keeps life interesting and happy.

We also ensure:

• Strict Infection Control measures approved by Public Health England are fully implemented

• Care staff wear PPE at all times and we have ensured a high volume of supply

• Skilled nurses are on site 24/7 and respiratory equipment is at hand

• Safe face-to-face visits where possible

They said: “Given the critical nature of these supported bus services, the council has been working alongside Weca to mitigate the impacts of service reductions.

David Redgewell

"South Gloucestershire Council have also provided Weca with an additional £435,000 over the last two years to retain these vital services.

“South Gloucestershire Council proposed an amendment to the Weca budget last month to divert £800,000 in their spending to support more local bus routes and we look forward to the outcome of their urgent review into how this money can be spent to ensure that local people can continue to rely on local bus services to help them get to work, hospital appointments and to travel around the area.”

A HISTORIC ruin unearthed by a retired Olveston teacher and amateur archaeologists from Thornbury has featured on popular BBC history programme Digging for Britain.

The TV show, fronted by Professor Alice Roberts, joined local archaeologists and Bristol University experts unearthing the mystery of a 12th century hunting lodge, and its role in a period of history described as "19 years of hell" by an academic.

John Wilson-Smith, a former teacher at Castle School in Thornbury, bought the woodland site near the village when he retired, because of his love of nature.

He was intrigued by maps that showed an old chapel there, and in 2011 asked Thornbury Museum Archaeology Research Group, headed by Roger Howell, to take a look.

They realised it was an ancient hunting lodge – used by wealthy people 700 years ago.

John said: “The archaeology team from the museum have been working hard for 12 years – and have unearthed more than 5,000 items.

Lodge's dark history in the TV spotlight

“It is a key Norman site that fell into disrepair after 1300 AD, and has been undisturbed since.

“I am keen local people know this was a hugely important place at one time, with a lot going on.”

The dig site has been adopted by Bristol University academic Dr Stuart Prior, who also features on the Digging For Britain TV series as one of their expert investigators – replicating some of the ancient skills linked to archaeological finds, like making old coins and producing salt.

Dr Prior said that, over the years, finds at the site have included coins minted for kings Henry I, Stephen and Henry II, along with spearheads and cannon balls.

He said: “It all suggests it was a high-status building involved in the Anarchy period of history, in the 1100s.

“This was 19 years of hell – when battles raged across the country between Henry I’s daughter Matilda, and her cousin Stephen, who were rivals for the throne.”

The site has won three years' funding to continue being used by Bristol University’s HARP programme, which provides undergraduate students with

practical archaeological skills and experience.

Dr Prior said the university’s public engagement programme also meant that in the future more amateur archaeologists could become involved in the dig.

The site appears on Digging for Britain series 10, episode 4, which is available to view on the BBC's iPlayer service.

Digging for Britain presenters Prof Alice Roberts and Dr Stuart Prior at the archaeological site near Olveston. Picture: Dr Stuart Prior

Prof Roberts talks to a student team working on the site. Picture: Dr Stuart Prior

New bike lanes for A38 revealed

PEOPLE are being asked to have their say on new bus and bike lanes, shared paths and bus stop improvements on the A38.

South Gloucestershire Council says it wants to make travelling by bike and walking or wheeling safer, make travel by public transport more attractive, encourage more people to switch to "sustainable" travel options and thereby take vehicles off the roads and reduce congestion.

It has launched a consultation on a new, two-phase scheme to improve the main road between Thornbury and Bradley Stoke.

Proposals for the road between Thornbury and Almondsbury include:

• A two-way cycle track between Almondsbury and Alveston

• A new bus lane southbound approaching Hortham Lane

• Improvements to bus stops

• Improved walking, wheeling and cycling facilities

• Speed limit reductions to 30mph at Almondsbury and Rudgeway.

Further works are planned south of the M4 on Bradley Stoke Way.

The council has launched a consultation on phase one of the project during March, asking for people's views on the proposals.

A second consultation will be held on phase two later in the year, with feedback used to "finalise these designs to ensure that they meet the needs of users and the local community".

A full business case will then be submitted to the West of England Combined Authority, with a view to starting work next

year.

England Combined Authority through its £540 million City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement Fund.

What new bike lanes could look like in Almondsbury. Picture: South Gloucestershire Council

Council cabinet member for transport Steve Reade said: “It’s really important that we get the views of people who live, work or travel through the area as they will influence the steps we take to encourage sustainable travel.

“We are preparing for the local impact of climate change and an important part of our response is to provide improvements for walking, cycling, wheeling and public transport."

The project is set to be funded by the West of

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: "It needs to be as easy as possible for residents to be able to hop on a bus or walk and cycle their way around Thornbury, Bradley Stoke, and across our brilliant West of England region. I hope measures like these will help cut traffic jams and enable us to make progress towards our really ambitious net-zero targets locally.”

A drop-in session will be held at Jubilee Hall in Alveston on March 8 from 4-6pm so people can view the plans and ask questions.

An online session will be held on March 9 from noon to 1pm.

The consultation is open until midnight on March 19.

For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/a38phase1.

More details: Page 34

Major roadworks for M4 and M5

A SIX-mile section of the M4 and M5 around the Almondsbury Interchange will be subject to roadworks for the rest of the year.

National Highways is replacing four miles of steel crash barriers around the Almondsbury Interchange with concrete and is also building three new emergency areas, upgrading traffic signs, adding CCTV cameras, renewing lighting and carrying out drainage work as part of the improvement plan.

The work is due to start at the end of February and finish towards the end of the year.

A reduced speed limit of 50mph, temporary 24/7 roadworks CCTV monitoring and a free recovery service will be in place while work is being carried out.

The government agency says the work will be "closely coordinated" with forthcoming work to refurbish two bridges on the M5 between the M4 and A38 junctions.

Paul Unwin, who is overseeing the upgrades for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority. Upgrading these barriers will improve journeys and significantly reduce the risk of vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion.

“During the work we will do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum, but we expect that delays could be severe at peak times, so we are encouraging drivers to plan their journeys to avoid peak times if possible. Getting it done at this time of year means the concrete can set just right and the contractors have a longer working window with more light.”

New fire engine for Thornbury

THORNBURY'S firefighters have taken delivery of a brand new Volvo fire appliance. The new Volvo vehicle, which arrived at the end of January, is based at the fire station in Gloucester Road and will soon be joined by a second appliance currently in service in Kingswood.

Announcing the new arrival on the station's Facebook page, the firefighters said: "It has a slightly different set up from our last appliances and has stowage with slightly different equipment but the main difference is a locker for us to put dirty fire kit and breathing apparatus sets after a 'working job' incident, so that we can keep contaminated items away from the crew cab for our crew’s health and well-being."

The Volvo appliance. Picture: Thornbury firefighters/Avon Fire & Rescue Service

More than 100 objections to solar farm plan

VILLAGERS in Cromhall say the area is in danger of being overrun by solar farms.

British renewables developer RES is applying to put up 125 acres of solar panels at Varley Farm in Talbots End.

It follows approval last year for another large solar farm near the village.

More than 100 objections have been lodged against the Varley Farm plan on South Gloucestershire’s online planning portal, with 14 people writing in support.

One resident said there were already eight large scale solar farms with five miles of the proposed site.

Paul Sadley said in his online objection: "The closest is a site with approved planning permission for a 167 acre solar farm, 1km south of this proposed site.

“Material consideration needs to seriously be given to the cumulative effect and impact that

this scheme would have when combined with the approved scheme in Wickwar.”

Cromhall Parish Council has also opposed the plan, saying it takes a huge area of land out of farming production, and would

affect wildlife.

Objector Julie Cragg said the solar panels would be “an ugly encroachment on our rural landscape” and result in the destruction of wildlife habitats.

Another, Sophie Contractor, said it would affect the setting of the village, changing it from a rural landscape to industrial.

Developers RES say that after a public exhibition in July 2022, they made changes to the design to meet local concerns, including reducing the impact of construction traffic.

A spokesperson said: "A number of changes have been made to the design to ensure the solar farm fits sensitively into the existing landscape, whilst maximising the low-carbon, low-

cost electricity generation.

"Changes made include siting infrastructure further away from residential properties, and increasing the hedgerow height in areas to reduce potential visibility."

RES says Varley Solar Farm would produce green electricity for nearly 10,000 homes and contribute £80,000 in business rates every year.

The company says the plan includes planting native trees and over 1km of new species-rich hedgerows, plus the installation of bird and bat boxes, hedgehog houses, reptile hibernacula and invertebrate hotels.

Among the comments supporting the application, Lauren Taylor said it was a great opportunity for a renewable energy source, which was needed in the current economic climate. Supporter Isabel Flawn said a solar farm was a great move for the community.

She said: “Based on the location of the proposed solar farms, only a few houses will even be able to see the panels, compared to the many that can probably see, smell and hear the cows currently there.

"It's obvious that the benefits grossly outweigh any possible, small and temporary negatives.”

The application can be viewed on the planning section of South Gloucestershire Council's website, by searching for the reference P22/07114/F.

A solar array similar to the one planned at Varley Farm. Picture: RES

A map submitted with the application shows the farm between the B4058 Bristol Road and Wickwar quarry

Striking teachers picket Thornbury schools

MORE than a thousand teachers in South Gloucestershire left their classrooms for the picket line as part of a national strike over pay and education funding.

Members of the National Education Union walked out on February 1, with many schools closing to all but vulnerable pupils or those in care.

Picket lines were set up outside many primary, secondary and special schools, including the Castle School and New Siblands School in Thornbury.

Many strikers then went to a regional rally in Bristol city centre, which was joined by other public sector workers and supporters. Organisers estimate it was attended by up to 6,000 people.

The strike left thousands of parents having to make arrangements to look after children given an unexpected day off school.

NEU South Gloucestershire representative Lee Everson said: "We understand parents are in a difficult position, because it's particularly inconvenient to provide childcare, but many can see this is not just about teacher pay, it's about providing enough resources for their children's education.

"People who went out on the picket lines were surprised by the level of public support."

He said many teachers were "at the end of their tether", with pay not keeping up with the cost of living and "scarily high" rents facing younger teachers in the area.

Lee said the latest pay offer of 5% was not funded by the government, which meant it

would have to come from school budgets already under pressure due to rising costs.

He said: "Expectations have never been higher, with the pressure of Ofsted reports, exams and league tables, but there's no resourcing to justify the pressure. People are being asked to do more with less."

Lee said teachers hope negotiations with the government can be reopened.

The Department for Education said offers of 8.9% for new teachers and 5% for experienced staff were made on the recommendation of an independent pay review body and are "the highest pay awards in 30 years" for teachers.

The government says it has answered union calls for increased funding, claiming that "by 2024-2025 schools will be funded in real terms at their highest level in history".

A DFE spokesperson said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and unions had recently discussed issues including workload reduction, recruitment and retention, adding: "The Education Secretary instructed officials to hold further detailed talks with unions and committed to more talks ahead of planned strike action."

Further teachers' strikes are planned on March 2, 15 and 16.

Staff at the University of the West of England, including administrators, cleaners, library, security and catering workers, walked out over three days in February over a 3% pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

The picket line at New Siblands School in Thornbury. Picture: NEU South Gloucestershire

Teachers on a picket line at the Castle School. Picture: NEU South Gloucestershire

Police call for CCTV cameras at Rock Street

POLICE in Thornbury have raised concerns that the town's Rock Street car park needs more CCTV coverage.

The issues was raised by during a meeting of the town's Community Engagement Forum in February during a presentation by South Gloucestershire Council's regeneration team on ongoing changes to the town centre.

The presentation did not include any firm details of the permanent designs for the High Street, which were expected to be announced at the end of February.

But the six-month project to revamp Rock Street car park, which started in November, was referenced in the discussion and neighbourhood constable PC Marc Maddox, who had made a report on crime in the area, highlighted deficiencies in CCTV

in the area.

PC Maddox said the car park was often used by criminals visiting Thornbury to shoplift, and had also been the scene of drug dealing and muggings.

But he said the car park was not covered by CCTV, which meant officers missed out on the chance to identify which vehicles criminals were using.

PC Maddox said: "This would seem like an ideal opportunity to put in some quality CCTV and actually provide some protection.

"This is a multi-million pound project but it seems like big things are being missed.

"At the moment we rely on the St Mary Centre to record inside, but once people get into vehicles at Rock Street we've got nothing, and that's a real problem."

The Voice contacted South Gloucestershire Council to ask

if CCTV could be installed at Rock Street to add to the three monitored cameras on the High Street.

A spokesperson said: "There are no current plans in place to expand the Community Safety CCTV in Thornbury, as the system there continues to prove effective providing adequate coverage of the night time economy.

"As part of the early scoping of the work to improve Rock Street car park, the possibility for installing CCTV cameras was considered.

"There are rightly strict rules around setting up CCTV, and any proposals would need to include evidence of higher crime rates, for example, which is not something currently highlighted by Avon & Somerset Police.

"Furthermore, in order to meet the regulatory threshold to

set up new CCTV coverage you also need to demonstrate that other less invasive solutions to prevent crime have been tried and not succeeded. These could include increased police patrols and/or increased lighting, for example.

"If Avon & Somerset police do raise concerns about crime levels in this area, we will of course look to work with them and other stakeholders to take action and play our part in keeping local people and businesses safe. We have regular discussions with Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner and others where these matters can be raised."

Providing CCTV for the car park could cost between £50,000-£100,000, in addition to maintenance and monitoring, it is believed.

Parents bid to save education centre

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save a centre for children with special educational needs and disabilities that is set to close.

The unit at Chipping Sodbury School serves families from across South Gloucestershire whose children have autism.

A 10-year contract with South Gloucestershire Council expires next year and the Athelstan Trust, which runs the school, says it cannot renew it because its funding has been slashed.

In a letter to parents, head teacher Katherine Turner said the £40,000 the school used to receive per pupil had not increased over the last decade and that it now faced being left with a base of just £15,000 per pupil, which is not enough to meet the children’s needs.

The council is blaming the academy trust for the closure, but opposition groups say the fault lies with the council's administration.

Parents campaigning to save the unit at Chipping Sodbury School appealed directly to

political leaders at a council meeting on February 15, and spoke passionately about how vital it was for their youngsters.

They were joined by local child psychologist Sean Rhodes, who works with children with autism and communication difficulties, who said: "Where will these children go for their education? We already know that there is no space at other bases and centres, or in our special schools."

A petition aimed at keeping the centre open has received more than 900 signatures.

It says the unit is set to be hit by new "Banding and Safety Valve agreements", aimed at increasing “value for money” in specialist provision.

Athelstan Trust chief executive Tim Gilson said it was a “horrible situation” caused by a lack of funding to the council from central government for pupils with special needs and disabilities.

The council's cabinet has blamed the trust for the closure.

Cabinet member for education Erica Williams said: “This decision by the trust came

totally out of the blue.

“We asked the trust to come to the table. The trust refused to come to the table.

“We don’t see why there is any reason for it to close –through the banding changes there will still be sufficient funds for that access centre to remain open.”

But opposition groups say the the fault clearly lies with the council administration.

Liberal Democrat group leader Claire Young told the meeting: “The parents will have almost certainly had a long battle to get their child into the centre, and now when they thought they had the answer they see it being snatched away.

“It’s a disgrace that this council is risking the education of some of its most vulnerable children and I urge a rethink.”

The petition can be found at change.org/p/save-chippingsodbury-access-centre.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

STROUD AUCTION ROOMS

A campaign poster produced by parents of children at the centre in Chipping Sodbury

NHS dental services in 'death spiral', councillors warn

DESPERATE people are performing their own dental work because of a chronic shortage of NHS provision in the region.

Councillors said the system was in a “death spiral”, with an increasing number of practices going private and dentists leaving the area or the profession altogether.

A family of Ukrainian refugees had even travelled back to their war-torn homeland because they could be seen there quicker, a council meeting heard.

NHS bosses admitted there was a “workforce crisis” but said they were trying innovative ways to improve the situation, including offering more favourable contracts to dentists.

South Gloucestershire Council health scrutiny committee members said they were not reassured and that wholescale changes were needed.

Kingswood ward councillor Andrea Reid said: “In terms of people performing their own treatment, we are way past that

point. It’s not a future tense we are trying to avoid, it’s already happening.

“The NHS dentist students are staying for a year, realising they can make more money in the private sector and they leave.”

New Cheltenham ward councillor Sandie Davis said she had heard of a foster carer looking after a child who had to travel back to her former home town of Swindon after being unable to find a dentist anywhere in South Gloucestershire and the surrounding area.

She added: “There is a family who took in some Ukrainian refugees and they couldn’t find a dentist so they travelled at Christmas back to war-torn Ukraine to see a dentist. It’s just shocking.”

Frenchay & Downend ward councillor James Griffiths said: “We’ve had local dentists go private and send a letter to all the residents saying,‘you’ve no longer got an NHS dentist and if you’ve got a family of four,

Swan up for national award

A THORNBURY pub is one of 15 to reach the finals of a national award.

The Swan has been picked out from among 200 entrants to the Community Pub Hero Awards, organised by PubAid, a working party dedicated to promoting pubs as a force for good in their local communities, and the AllParty Parliamentary Beer Group.

Entries were judged by a panel of industry experts and the overall winners will be announced in March, with all finalists invited to a presentation at the House of Commons.

The competition, sponsored by drink producer Matthew Clark, first ran in 2018 and has been expanded this year to offer two categories for pubs: Community Support Hero or Charity Fundraising Hero, and a new Community Regular Hero where pubs nominate a supportive customer.

The Swan has been

nominated for its fundraising activities including afternoon teas, fish and chip suppers, a knitathon and a 24-hour dart marathon, to help causes including Thornbury Stroke Group.

The work of staff to run a local collection for Ukraine last year was also cited.

PubAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan said: “Our heartfelt congratulations go to The Swan.

"Choosing the finalists from a very strong set of entries was a real challenge and those pubs who have reached the shortlist should be very proud of their achievement.

“Judges were hugely impressed by the stories from so many pubs, who have raised astonishing sums for charities, or provided incredible support for local people. The awards demonstrate, once again, that pubs are a force for good in their communities.”

please can we have £600 a year’, depending on the package.

“It’s a death spiral because as more and more people go over to the private sector, they can then pay them more, the NHS service gets worse each year and it will slowly degrade and more people will go over.”

Cllr Griffiths said dentists had told him they got paid between £30,000 and £60,000 a year more to treat the same patients privately than on the NHS.

NHS South England head of stakeholder engagement Lou Farbus told councillors there was a "workforce crisis" across all clinical and social care in the region.

NHS England South West director of dental, specialised and health and justice commissioning Steve Sylvester told the meeting in late January: “A lot of work has been done nationally in terms of the contract where you get paid one rate for NHS and another for private provision.

“Our ability to control and

influence practices is hampered. They are independent businesses in the main.

“This is a big tanker to turn around. It’s been sailing in the wrong direction for a number of years.

“The challenge we face is we don’t have a right to be registered with a dentist – it’s not a GP practice.

A report to members said the percentage of adults with NHS dentists in South Gloucestershire had fallen steadily in recent years and stood at 36.7% last June, a 5.9% drop in 12 months.

This was lower than the access rate for England as a whole, at 37.4%.

The number of children who saw a dentist rose by 12.3% to 42%, although this was still below the national average of 46.9%.

It said the figures were affected by the pandemic when routine check-ups were cancelled.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Alun Cairns MP, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: “Congratulations to

The Swan on reaching the finals in a very tough competition.”

Landlady Sandra Davies and Leanne Knapman

Festival wins for Journeyman Theatre

THORNBURY-based Journeyman Theatre Productions picked up three awards, three other nominations and an overall runnerup prize at this year's Bristol One Act Festival.

The group's play, Even Numbers, won the awards for Best Actor (Phil Domaille), Best Actress (Sarah Wiggins) and Best Moment of Theatre (Sarah Cully Morgan) at the festival on February 18 at the Olympus Theatre, Stoke Gifford.

There were also award nominations for Best Original Script and Best Director (Tony Domaille) and for Supporting Actress (Sarah Cully Morgan), as well as the Festival Runner-up award.

Even Numbers - the story of a serial killer with a strange obsession - is also entered in the Avon Short Play Festival on March 11 at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, and will have a four-night run at the Alma Theatre, Clifton from March 28 to 31.

Elgar remembered

ACTOR and pianist

Michael Lunts will bring a one-man musical drama about the life of Edward Elgar to Thornbury in April.

Focusing on the complex relationship he had with his beloved wife Alice, the friends who inspired the famous Enigma Variations are also brought to life as, following the death of Alice, Elgar’s senior by a number of years, the composer muses on the origins of his first acknowledged masterpiece.

The performance is being promoted by the Armstrong Arts Group and takes place at the United Reformed Church in Chapel Street, Thornbury, at 7.30pm on April 22.

It is the latest in a series of acclaimed one-man shows about key moments in the lives of composers including Chopin, Schubert and Rachmaninov, in which Michael integrates the music that emerged from critical events into the action.

Tickets are available by emailing AAGThornbury@gmail.com or calling 01454 850933.

Thornbury Jazz Festival

There are still tickets available for this year's Thornbury Jazz Festival, which takes place at the Drama Hall at Marlwood School, Alveston on March 25 from 4-9.30pm.

Top of the bill are the Storyville Strutters, recreating the roots of jazz in the Storyville Quarter of New Orleans, early in the 20th century.

The three supporting bands cover a broad spectrum of jazz, including the 16-piece Thornbury Swing Band and vocalist Shairon Lloyd, The Class Act Quartet and Mood Indigo Trio.

For tickets email AAGthornbury@gmail.com.

Journeyman Theatre Productions members celebrate their latest success

n WHAT'S ON

March 3

n ST PETERS HOSPICE SEVERNSIDE SUPPORT GROUP 30th and final annual quiz, Tytherington Village Hall, 7.15p.m. Tables of four, to include light supper, £32 per table. Bring your own drinks. Plenty of parking available. For more call Mary on 01454 412567.

March 3

n WORLD DAY OF PRAYER at Thornbury Baptist Church, 7.30pm, with service prepared by women of Taiwan. All welcome.

March 4

n CASTLE SCHOOL table top sale in aid of Castle School Friends, Park Road, Thornbury. Sellers arrive from 10am, buyers 11am. Finish 3pm. Tables £5, entrance 50p per adult, children free. Refreshments, pre-loved uniform sale. See Facebook or email enquiries@ castleschoolfriends.org for more details.

March 6

n SEVERN VALE FLOWER CLUB flower arranging classes, St Mary’s Hall, Eastbury Close, Thornbury. Starting on March 6, 2-4pm and continuing on March 20 and April 3. Basic flower arranging classes suitable for beginners and improvers alike, covering posies, triangles, table arrangements, parallels and foamless designs. More details from Brenda at b.cook@tinyworld.co.uk or Sally at ssjjtaylor@hotmail.co.uk.

March 6

n ALVESTON GARDENS ASSOCIATION meeting, Jubilee Hall, Alveston, 7.30pm. Talk on the Spring Garden, by Duncan Coombes. New members and visitors welcome.

March 10.

n THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE presents Minari, Thornbury Methodist Church Upper Hall, doors 7pm. Members free. Guests £5. More information at www. thornburypicturehouse.org.

March 11

n THORNBURY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 65th Annual Spring Show, Turnberrie's Community Centre - opens to the public at 1.30pm. Classes include spring bulbs and daffodils, plants, floral art, cookery, crafts, photography for adults and children's baking, colouring and creating. Collect schedules from Owens’ Florist, Jolie Fleurs or Thornbury Library. For more information contact Ruth Kitson on 01454 261049.

March 14

n EASTWOOD GARDENERS' CLUB, Turnberrie's Community Centre, doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Dr George Hargreaves will give an illustrated talk about our Garden Club's visit to RHS Bridgewater in 2022. Visitors are welcome.

March 18

n THORNBURY & DISTRICT BRANCH ROYAL BRITISH

LEGION breakfast at The Swan, Thornbury High Street, 9-11.30am. Serving HM Armed Forces personnel, veterans and supporters welcome.

March 18

n THORNBURY AND DISTRICT CANCER RESEARCH UK Committee quiz night with fish & chip supper. Manorbrook Primary School, Park Road, 7.15pm. Tickets £12.50 from Gill Blackborough on 0786 658 0608 or any other committee member. Include food and entrance but please bring your own drink, as there will be no bar.

March 22

n ALVESTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY meeting, Alveston Methodist Church, 7.30pm. ‘Gutenberg to Gates’, talk by Roy Ackerill about printing. Visitors and newcomers welcome - nonmembers £5.

March 25

n ST PETERS HOSPICE SEVERNSIDE SUPPORT GROUP Spring Forward coffee morning, Falfield Village Hall, 10am. Homemade cake stall, books, raffle. Entry £3, includes tea/coffee and cake.

March 25

n THORNBURY JAZZ FESTIVAL, Marlwood School Drama Hall, 4-9.30pm. Headliners Cass Caswell and the Storyville Strutters. Tickets £25: email AAGThornbury@gmail. com or call 01454 850933.

March 31

n THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE presents Top Gun Maverick, Thornbury Methodist Church Upper Hall, doors 7pm. Members and guests £5. For more information visit www. thornburypicturehouse.org.

April 1

n THORNBURY VOLUNTEER CENTRE Easter table top sale and pop-up cafe, 10am-12.30pm, Thornbury Methodist Church Hall. Local community groups and charities selling a variety of goods including cards, produce, crafts and vintage items. Tea, coffee and home-made cakes, Easter raffle.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n SEVERN VALE FLOWER CLUB meets on the second Monday in the month at 2pm in St Mary's Hall in Eastbury Close, Thornbury, for classes, demonstrations and competitions. For more information contact Sally on ssjjtaylor@hotmail. co.uk or Hazel on 01454 885213.

Tuesday

n THORNBURY ART CLUB hosts live talks and demonstrations by established artists on the fourth Tuesday of the month at St Mary's Church Hall, 7.30pm. Nonmembers welcome: £5 entry. For more information call Mary Drown on 01454 414433 or email mary. drown@blueyonder.co.uk.

n CITIZENS ADVICE South Gloucestershire sessions at Turnberries Community Centre, Bath Road, Thornbury, Tuesday from 10am-noon. No appointment needed.

n JUST SEW IT SEWING CLUB, every Tuesday 6.30-9.30pm at the Chantry Community and Arts Centre Castle Street, Thornbury. Come along and sew with others bring your sewing machine and materials/pattern. To attend, call Carrie in advance on 07753 236095.

n THORNBURY MEMORY CAFE is open on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (except August) from 10.15am until 11.45am. Methodist Church Hall, High Street, Thornbury. For information contact Sue Rowley on 01454 412941 or Louise Wright on 01454 260371.

n SUNBEAMS TODDLER GROUP, 1.30-3pm every Tuesday in term time, Thornbury Methodist Church Hall (off Castle Court). All families welcome, no need to book, £2 per family includes snack and drink.

Wednesday

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcomefirst visit free so come along and give us a try. Contact Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@blueyonder.co.uk

Thursday

n THORNBURY GOOD AFTERNOON CHOIR, Thornbury URC, Chapel Street, 1-3pm. For more information visit www. goodafternoonchoir.org, email gac@grenvillemusic.co.uk or call 01761 472468.

WE WOULD LOVE TO PUBLICISE YOUR EVENT

Send details of your events and activities in the following format:

WHAT IT IS WHERE IT IS WHEN IT IS

in no more than 40 words. Send by email, with 'what's on' as the subject, to contact@thornburyvoice. co.uk

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR. Always been keen to sing? Come along to our rehearsal nights, 7pm - 9.15pm on Thursdays in St Andrew's Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. No need to read music, no audition, just a voice test to establish whether you are tenor, baritone of bass. We cover many musical styles, enjoy singing in a great social vibe as we prepare for our regular concerts in local and national venues. From the Beatles to Mozart, from classical choruses to classic pop. Ffi : www. bristolmvc.org.uk ; facebook; or contact Steve: secretary@ bristolmvc.org.uk;or ring 07776447699; or 07587143220

Friday

n HAVEN MEMORY CAFE, Thornbury United Reformed Church, Chapel Street, first and third Fridays of the month from 10.15-11.45am. More details from Stuart Hill on 07913 241437 or Sue Walton 07794 370903.

Saturday

n THORNBURY PARKRUN, 9am, Mundy Playing Fields. Free for everyone.

Sunday

n THORNBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION branch meeting, last Sunday of the month at the Black Horse, Gillingstool, Thornbury, noon.

n COMMUNITY NEWS

Record turnout for Friends fundraiser

THE Friends of Marlwood School held their annual quiz at the end of January to a record turnout of 126 people, raising £700 in the process.

As Marlwood School is celebrating 50 years at the Alveston site this academic year, quiz contestants were challenged with a round of questions dedicated to the history of the school.

So it was we learned that not only is Paul Helliker a fabulous quiz master, but he is also the longestserving teacher currently at the school, with 32 years of service.

Mr Helliker put together such a fun and engaging quiz - congratulations on your long service to Marlwood School.

Thanks also to Deep Blue in Thornbury who supplied over 100 portions of freshly cooked fish and chips, veggie burgers or sausages, and Racks Bar and Grill in Bristol for its terrific catering, bar and raffle prize. We are grateful to all those who donated raffle prizes and everyone who came along and supported us on the night.

Congratulations also to the winning teacher’s team “Pea Pod”, we hope to see you back next year

to defend the coveted title.

Fortunately for some of us, "Disce aut Discede" was not strictly observed at the Friends of Marlwood’s annual quiz.

Former Marlwood pupils reading this will recognise the school’s old motto, “Learn or Leave”. Thankfully, having learned this little bit of local history, those of us flunking this question were not shown the door until the quiz had reached its happy conclusion!

At our recent AGM, Sam Curry was appointed as our new chair, with Claire Kedward and Sarah Walters both staying on as secretary and treasurer, respectively.

As she steps down as Chair, all of us wish to thank Saffia Bullock for leading the committee so ably the past three years.

FOMS is also pleased to report it has been successful in gaining some community grants from both Olveston Parish Council and Alveston Parish Council.

Together these grants bring £850 funding to the school and will be used to purchase essential equipment for the design and technology department, art and music departments.

The Olveston Parish Twinning Association has also made a generous donation to the language department, which will have a big impact upon the teaching and learning of languages at the school.

For more information about FOMS visit our Facebook page or email marlwoodfriends@gmail.com.

Melinda Evans

The winners of the FOMS quiz with quiz master Paul Helliker.

Hippodrome date for talented Marienella

AN actor and singer who went to school near Thornbury is returning to the area to perform on the region's biggest stage.

Marienella Phillips has landed a role in an internationally acclaimed touring production of The King and I.

She is currently travelling the UK and Ireland with the production cast of 50, visiting 18 regional theatres with nearly 150 performances.

Reviews have described the show as “firstrate, sumptuous” and "too beautiful to miss”.

And it comes to the Bristol Hippodrome from 28th March to 1st April.

Marienella, a 28-year-old former pupil of Tockington Manor School, studied at Bristol University and the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff.

She is playing the role of Tuptim, a teenage servant of King Mongkut, in the Bartlett Sher touring production.

She said: “I'm in a very beautiful show with a company full of astonishingly talented people.

“This is Rodgers & Hammerstein gold.

"I'm honoured to be a part of this company and to follow in the footsteps of many wonderful Tuptims, including my

big-time role model Lea Salonga - you are a queen and if you like this, I will faint.”

Marienella's mum Nell, from Yate, told

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FREE SKILLS SUPPORT?

the Voice her whole family were excited that her singing career is taking off.

She said: “We are extremely pleased for her.”

Marienella auditioned last year for a role in the multi award-winning Broadway production of the show, which has been running in the UK and US since 2015.

The story is set in 1862 and features British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens who arrives in Siam to instruct the royal children.

The production by New York based Lincoln Theater Center stars Helen George, best known as Trixie in the hit BBC One series Call The Midwife, as Anna, and features songs including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance.

Last year Marienella was chosen to singing the National Anthem before 50,000 rugby fans at Twickenham for the England versus Japan match in the Autumn Internationals.

She has also performed in Shakespeare’s Henry V in London's Covent Garden, alongside Kit Harrington, who is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the TV series Game of Thrones.

Marienella Phillips in costume

Firm boosts charity

A CHARITY providing nursing and respite care for children and young people with terminal or life limiting conditions has been handed a £10,000 donation.

Barcan+Kirby, which has offices in Thornbury High Street, raised the money for Jessie May after choosing the Kingswoodbased charity to receive its fundraising last year.

The firm raised a total of £10,000 through fundraising activities including raffles, an auction, a pub quiz, bake sales, cheese sales and sweepstakes.

One member of staff ran the Great Bristol 10k and raised over £1,000.

The company picked Jessie May after a member of staff’s family was supported by the charity some time ago.

Head of marketing and business development Lucy Harttrup said: "It has been a privilege to raise funds for Jessie May with colleagues from our five offices getting involved.

"Jessie May is a wonderful charity and we really enjoyed hearing about how the money we raised would get used to help families

spend precious time with their children in their own homes."

Jessie May community engagement fundraising officer Kim James-Coggins said: "We are so grateful to all the team at Barcan+Kirby for all they have done to support Jessie May.

"They have really thrown themselves into fundraising, with lots of great activities.

"The money raised will make a huge difference to us, ensuring our nurses can continue to support our families. They are an amazing team of people who really care about local charities."

Jessie May's Kim James-Coggins with Lucy Harttrup of Barcan+Kirby and Grace Cupper.

Kassia Portas is a sports injury specialist at the Thornbury Clinic and has a special interest in working with dancers, acrobats and pole dancers.

SACROILIAC joint (SIJ) syndrome is an injury that affects the lower back.

The SI joint is made up of the coccyx (or tailbone) and the pelvis.

Dealing with SIJ syndrome

It is a very sturdy joint that moves very little, and the exact reason for pain here is still under debate - but it can be identified and managed.

SIJ Syndrome often shows as pain in the lower back, to the side of the coccyx. It most commonly affects one side at a time.

The pain can feel very localised, sometimes a ‘pinching feeling’, but it can also radiate around the buttocks area on the same side, feeling more achy, tight, warm or even numbness, or pins and needles.

The injury can be aggravated by extending the back, such as leaning backwards or going into a back bend, as this compresses the joint, causing the irritation to show itself.

Other movements such as standing on one leg, rotating towards the affected side, or walking can also aggravate it, depending on how severe the injury is.

People often complain of the

area feeling ‘compressed’ or ‘stuck’. This may cause you to want to move in the opposite direction, or even feel the urge to click the joint to try and relieve it.

If you have any concerns about pain in this area I recommend going to see a health care practitioner, especially if you are experiencing any of the neurological symptoms, such as numbness or pins and needles.

Very often SIJ Syndrome is associated with weakness in the buttocks, or glute muscles, so this is a really good place to start managing it!

Simple strengthening exercises, such as glute kickbacks and glute bridges, can be done in a non-aggravating way, usually by making the movement smaller.

Balancing on one leg is also a great way to get the glutes working.

Stretching out the opposite way can also be relieving, like leaning forward to touch your toes, no

matter how far away you might be!

This can help open the joint in a different way, and help ease your symptoms.

Stretching out your glute muscles can again help ease the compression or stuck feeling, either giving you some immediate relief or helping to reduce the symptoms over time with some consistent stretching.

Additionally, you may find that having manual therapy (manipulating muscles and joints) helps reduce your symptoms.

Manual therapy is usually a short-term solution to help reduce your pain, so that you can get on with your rehab more comfortably. It could be getting a massage or having some in your sports therapy sessions.

It is vital that you involve the strengthening element of rehab, rather than just focussing on the shorter-term benefits of stretching and manual therapy. By strengthening the muscles around the SI joint, you will be helping reduce the risk of this injury recurring in the future.

n LOCAL MP

New health centre is a step closer

SOMETIMES it feels like building a new Thornbury Health Centre is a never-ending project.

The town is growing. We have more residents and more demand for health services than ever before. Moving forward with the new health facilities has never been more important.

A redeveloped health centre will provide greater primary care and outpatient services, enhanced mental health support, more GP practices, social care and NHS beds, and a proactive ‘frailty hub’, which would focus on the elderly community receiving care in their own homes.

The community in Thornbury, Alveston, and the surrounding towns and villages will be able access the care they need closer to home, which will in turn would reduce demand on Southmead

Hospital.

A few weeks ago, I met with the new Minister for Health, Lord Markham, to push for the funding we need to rebuild Thornbury Health Centre. I made clear the need for greater out-patient care and health service expansion and pushed the minister on the renewed timeline for the redevelopment.

The minister confirmed that we have made a strong case, and that a decision on the bid can be expected in the coming months.

Even before becoming MP, I have fought to secure the redevelopment of Thornbury Health Centre.

I have raised the matter in Parliament, have written to and met with multiple Health Secretaries and ministers, and led important discussions

with members of South Gloucestershire Council, our local Integrated Care Board and North Bristol NHS Trust.

The campaign took a step forward back in 2019, when I secured a commitment from the then Secretary of State for Health, promising the government’s ongoing support to deliver this redevelopment and co-author our next bid for funding.

Since then, we have teamed up with the government’s health experts to develop a bid for £13.3 million to take the project to the next level.

We leapt another hurdle last year, when South Gloucestershire Council purchased the land of the former Thornbury Hospital site, which has paved the way for the project to commence.

If our current local bid is

successful, the project will progress to the next all-important stage, including a masterplan and outline business case, with physical work set to take place in 2025.

Redeveloping Thornbury Health Centre is a key part of our positive plan for health.

I have made the case to the Minister that our community needs this redevelopment more than ever before, and I look forward to hearing the outcome of our bid.

MESSAGE FROM SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL

Tackling fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire

AS part of our continued efforts to combat fly-tipping, South Gloucestershire Council has recently secured a number of successful prosecutions relating to waste offences that have taken place across the area.

Fly-tipped waste is unsightly and takes up council resources to clear away. The fly-tipped materials can also be dangerous and cause harm to the environment by polluting land and waterways.

South Gloucestershire Council adopts a different approach to some local authorities in tackling the problem of fly-tipping.

We prioritise pursuing prosecutions through the courts, rather than directly issuing fixed penalty notices, and our award-winning environmental enforcement team has a 100% record of securing successful prosecutions for fly-tip related offences.

We favour this approach because we believe it sends out a firm message and attracts more public interest, which serves as a powerful deterrent to offenders. We also use the opportunity to help improve education and understanding in the community about how everyone can do their part to ensure waste is disposed of appropriately, safely and legally.

We are proud that our zero-tolerance approach means that anyone who fly-tips in South Gloucestershire is three times more likely to be prosecuted than anywhere else in the country.

When we are alerted to a case of fly-tipping, our Streetcare team will clear the waste away and dispose of materials appropriately, recycling wherever possible.

At the same time, our environmental enforcement team examines the waste to find clues as

to where the waste may have come from. We often find household waste containing letters or documents with names and addresses on, or other identifiable material that allows us to trace the owner of the waste and take action.

We all have a responsibility to ensure that our waste is disposed of in a responsible and lawful manner, including when a third party is involved.

It is an offence to allow your waste to be disposed of by an unauthorised contractor. If you hire someone else to dispose of your rubbish, always ask to see their waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken, otherwise you could be found liable and face prosecution if the waste is illegally deposited.

Unwanted goods and household or garden waste can all be disposed of at no cost at any of the

Thornbury Memory Cafe

council’s Sort It recycling centres. See www.southglos.gov.uk/sortitcentres for more details.

Residents who see illegal fly-tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov. uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.

THE Memory Cafe is now proving to be very popular with people who have memory difficulties, and their carers or family helpers.

We are not a clinic, but we do provide an opportunity for people with these problems to meet and socialise.

The Cafe is open on the second and fourth Tuesday each month in the Methodist Hall, which is just behind the Church on the High Street, Thornbury.

Coffee and biscuits are provided, which are free of charge, although we do have a voluntary contribution box.

We are open from 10.15am until 11.45am.

There is easy parking for Blue Badge holders just outside or in the nearby car park.

On March 14 2 we will hold our anniversary party, to celebrate 11 years since the cafe opened. New guests are always welcome, so come along and share the enjoyment, chatter and entertainment.

We have an excellent team of volunteers who make and serve tea, coffee, biscuits and fruit, and also chat to our visitors.

Contact Sue Rowley on 01454 412941 or Louise Wright on 01454 260371 for more information.

John Lee

Olveston and Tockington WI

Our meeting in January, with a fantastic talk from Phil Savage, saw 2 new members joining WI.

February's meeting was all about Hatting in Winterbourne with a talk from Peter Bruce . The talk this month will be given by Carolyn Morton 'The Scientific Detective'. Carolyn is a retired Forensic Science Lecturer at University of the West of England.

Twelve of us had a great day seeing the gorgeous snowdrops at the Rococo Gardens in Painswick at the beginning of February and our next visit is exploring backstage at the Bristol Old Vic.

Olveston and Tockington WI meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm at Olveston Parish Hall. Please contact Angela Green on 01454 615222 if you would like to know more about WI.

Julia Wood

With Rachael Hunt, cabinet member for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council

Thornbury Lions

THORNBURY Lions Club will very soon be enrolling local primary schools for entry into the Lions ROAR 2023 Competition.

This is a nationwide competition, run, financed and supported by Lions Clubs across the British Isles in partnership with 8BillionIdeas, an award-winning education organization.

The competition is specifically designed for children aged seven to 11 years old, and takes place within their own primary school.

The children are required to think of an idea that they think could today change the world for the better.

In teams of up to four, they endeavour to produce a prototype which they will present in a video in front of a panel of judges, which includes teachers, head teachers, school governors and Lions.

Fully-prepared teacher packs are provided for teachers to conform with a number of school curriculum items required by Ofsted, including literacy, citizenship, personal, social and

health education, and science technology, engineering and maths.

The children gain vital skills including how to use their imagination, work in teams, communicate, plan ahead, negotiate and problem-solve - the list goes on.

Each school runs an internal competition to decide which team they want to represent them. The successful team will progress into the district final and then the successful team will proceed into the national final.

Awards for winning team members include, a medal, a wristband and a certificate.

Full details of the competition are included in a Headteacher introduction letter which will be sent very soon to each primary school in Thornbury and surrounding area.

The district winners last year were Shirenewton Primary School, from Chepstow & Caldicot Lions, whose president said: "The six schools in my area that participated in ROAR 2022 thought it a brilliant project - not only did

the children really enjoy it, but they learned a great deal through the process."

Kevin Simpson

Thornbury Lions Youth Officer

Thornbury Baptist Church

THE World Day of Prayer takes place on Friday March 3, with a service at 7.30pm.

All are welcome.

Our sisters in Taiwan have prepared the service.

Taiwan is an island rich in natural resources and culturally diverse.

The women of Taiwan share the issues faced geographically, politically and socially and also their hopes for the future.

The Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 120 countries. It begins in Samoa and prayer in native languages travels throughout the world – through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas before finishing in Samoa some 38 hours later.

Sue Emm

Warning over cat thefts

RESIDENTS are being warned to be aware of catalytic converter thieves targeting cars in the Thornbury area.

Town police officers issued the warning at a meeting of Thornbury Community Engagement Forum in February.

Neighbourhood constable PC Marc Maddox said the town had been visited by one of a number of gangs who target the boxes, part of a car's exhaust system, for the precious metals inside.

He said that, because of the time taken to remove a converter, which often involved jacking up the victim's car, thieves often confronted anyone who challenged them, because they were reluctant to leave before getting hold of the converter, and often worked in groups.

Residents were advised not to approach anyone acting suspiciously but to call 999, and to take video or photo evidence where possible.

‘I enjoy it so much.

The girls are lovely and I feel I’m doing something worthwhile. It’s amazing!’

Tayba, leader

The FIEND

Thornbury Library news

THORNBURY Library is hosting an afternoon of tea, coffee and cake with award-winning author Rachel Joyce on March 18 at 2pm.

Tickets cost £5 including refreshments and are available from the library and online at sglibraries.eventbrite.com.

On March 3 children can meet “The Dino that Pooped” at 4pm - enjoy a story, some rhymes, and a cuddle - photo opportunities. Keeping warm and well sessions are being held throughout the day on Mondays,

For younger readers

Easier sudoku

Solution

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am-4pm: come and relax with a warm drink, use the computers or your own tablet or phone (WiFi available), read a book, newspaper, browse the shelves, enjoy a communal puzzle or just relax.

The Have You Read book club meets on March 3 from 2-3pm - no set novel, just drop in for refreshments and a chat about books.

Lego club meets every Saturday from 9.3010.30am - no booking required.

Book Focus Group, for children in Year 7 and up, takes place from 4-5pm on March 9.

Rhymetime takes place every Monday and Friday, from 9.30-10am.

A Sight Support West of England drop-in support and advice session for people with

visual impairments will be held on March 20 from 10am-1pm.

A computer volunteer is ready to help with your IT and online questions on Thursday mornings, with one-to-one sessions available from 9.30am.

The library is open 9.30am-5.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9.30am-12.30pm on Saturday.

Open access is from 8am-7.30pm every day. A Home Library Service is available for anyone who finds it difficult to get to the library for books.

For bookings and home library service call 01454 868006, email thornbury.library@ southglos.gov.uk or visit the website www. southglos.gov.uk/libraries.

Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the row, column or square.

Thornbury in Bloom

LOCAL trader, florist Jean Owen, and her workmate Fran Sparrow have stepped into the breach with a shared Thornbury in Bloom chairmanship leader team, highly experienced in all matters of the TiB annual calendar.

Long-time servant and inspirational leader Sue Aitken has stepped down from the prominent position she has held for so many years, but although her presence will be sorely missed, she has left an organisation determined to sustain her visions for Thornbury, now that her town centre business has closed, too.

The secretarial role has been filled after a three year gap by David Goldring. The schools’ liaison officers remain Hannah Powell and Vicki Williams.

Any members of the public having a need to make contact with the Thornbury in Bloom team can leave a message in calling box in Jean Owen’s flower shop at the heart of Thornbury, on the Plain corner.

Especially welcomed would be the folk who, in the past, have called-in at Sue’s now closed shop, to make generous donations.

Sue’s detachment from TiB is not total, for there are some parts of its task set that she will continue with, as is the case for the work engine of the organisation, her partner Tony Sansum. And the expansive schools’ participation of past years will be in full force, coordinated by Hannah Powell and Vicki Williams.

David Goldring

Thornbury Horticultural Society

ARE there signs of spring yet? Days are getting longer, new growth is emerging from the winter, Spring is on the way.

Join us in celebrating spring at Thornbury Horticultural Society’s 65th annual spring show on

Saturday March 11, at the Turnberries - doors open at 1.30pm.

Show schedules can be collected from Owens’ Florist on The Plain, Jolie Fleurs on St Marys Way and Thornbury Library.

Classes for adults include spring bulbs and daffodils, spring plants, floral art, cookery, adult crafts and photography.

Why not encourage your children or grandchildren to enter the range of children’s classes, for which prize money is awarded? Classes include baking, colouring and creating.

Or gather a group of family, friends or colleagues to enter our community class (Number 41) to collectively show your creative skills.

Show entries need to be submitted to Owens Florist by Wednesday March 8.

Entries are staged on the morning of the show by 10am.

The show opens to the public at 1.30pm where you can view the entries, browse the good plant stall and enjoy lovely refreshments. We look forward to welcoming you all as show participants and during the afternoon viewing. Bring a friend.

For more information contact chairperson Ruth Kitson on 01454 261049.

Sheridan Rendall

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

£15 increase will help to close the funding gap

THANK you to those of you who completed my precept survey and shared their thoughts about my proposal to increase the policing part of the council tax by £15 a year for the average band D household.

A couple of weeks ago, the Police and Crime Panel supported this proposal to increase the precept.

This funding will help reduce the impact of Avon and Somerset Police’s funding gap, but will still leave a projected deficit of £3.4 million in the year 2023/24 and £7.10 million in the year 2024/25.

Inflationary increases, combined with limited additional funding from central Government, have left a funding gap that, without the precept increase, would have resulted in significant cuts to police staff and services.

I know that many households are facing difficult financial circumstances. However, as

your PCC, it would have been irresponsible not to address the policing service’s funding gap and help reduce this deficit while I had the opportunity.

We will be using the £3.4 million reserve funding to address the shortfall so that the chief constable has capacity to develop a sensible savings programme while still delivering an effective, efficient and legitimate service.

Moving on, I want to touch on the brilliant work that Avon and Somerset Police’s fraud and cyber protection team do protecting and preventing people falling victim to fraud.

The fraud and cyber protect officers provide training, advice and guidance to individuals and businesses across Avon and Somerset and, in innovative ways, make sure to get prevention messages to people who need to know them.

Fraud is so vast and there’s so much to consider when tackling this crime. Sadly, a high proportion of fraud victims are repeat victims. By providing extra support to these residents, the aim is to prevent future crimes. We need to continue to raise awareness about the different types of fraud and what to do if you’re targeted, to ensure everyone is resilient and resistant to scammers’ methods.

I also want to acknowledge the ongoing work of Avon and Somerset Police officers in keeping our roads safe. Last December, officers took part in Operation Tonic, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s winter drink and drug driving operation.

The force has recently published the results from this week of action, which reveal that between November 21 and December 31, 346 drink and drug drive arrests were made.

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

I am shocked at the number of people who, despite warnings from the police, got behind the wheel under the influence.

There is no excuse to drink and drive at any time of the year - by doing so, you’re putting your own life and others’ at risk.

Please do tell Avon and Somerset Police if you suspect drink/drug driving is happening, and help us keep our roads safe.

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

150 years of the chocolate Easter egg

WHAT’S your favourite chocolate treat? A Mars Bar? A KitKat? An Aero, or perhaps a Fry’s Chocolate Mint Creme?

As winter turns to spring, it’s not just budding daffodils that are appearing. No, it’s Easter eggs showing up in all good West of England shops, too!

I love seeing Easter eggs displayed every year, because we live in the place where the hollow chocolate egg was invented.

And this year there’s an eggs-tra reason to celebrate - because it was exactly 150 years ago that it happened.

When I nipped to the local shops on my travels last week and got chatting to staff busy putting a huge range of eggs on shelves, I told them that Fry’s chocolate makers - who started out in Bristol but later moved their factory to Somerdale, Keynsham, having merged with Cadbury - came up with the idea of the hollow chocolate egg.

The Fry family’s innovation was to

make chocolate by mixing cocoa fat with cocoa powder and sugar. This made a super-smooth paste, which could be poured into egg moulds.

These new eggs were just as tasty but lighter than solid continental eggs, which made them easier to afford.

People couldn’t get enough of these new egg-shaped chocolate treats, and it wasn’t long before they were selling all over the world.

I love it when something that starts out as a new idea in our great region goes global - now as well as back in 1873. It’s a tradition we need to keep going!

In acknowledging our local history of chocolate manufacturing in the 18th and 19th centuries, we also need to recognise its ugly side, for sugar and cocoa grown on Caribbean plantations exploited and abused people of African descent, who were forced into slave labour.

While it is true that Quakers in the UK, like the Fry and Cadbury families, helped

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lead the anti-slavery movement, it is also correct to say that not every Quaker held this view, particularly in America.

Despite the closure of the Fry’s/ Cadbury factory at Keynsham just over a decade ago, our region is today home to many, many independent chocolate makers - using creative talent and ethical practices including Fairtrade chocolate.

The commitment from chocolate companies to learn from the past actions, both good and bad, of their predecessors is encouraging and very important.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

RUGBY has now emerged from the desolation of waterlogged and frozen pitches that plagued December and early January matches.

Thornbury Firsts shook off the rustiness of inactivity in a comfortable win at Winscombe before clinically beating Trowbridge 46-28 at home in a fabulous game of attacking open rugby in which Mike Priday scored a hat-trick.

A 48-20 win at Cheltenham, in which Thornbury scored four tries in each half, was less comfortable than the score suggested.

Thorns were well on top in the first and fourth quarters but struggled to get out of second gear in between.

The Second XV have also enjoyed some good wins and thrashed Clifton and Dings Crusaders Second XVs. Teenage wing Jack Oakey scored four tries in a 66-31 win at Dings.

In early February Thornbury Thirds took to the road and played Chiswick RFC in London in a match staged in the memory of the late Rob Tillen, who had played for both clubs.

Priday's hat-trick is highlight of attacking display

They then followed that up with a narrow win over Wiveliscombe in a friendly at home.

In late January and early February Thornbury Colts had fluctuating fortunes. They drew with St Brendans Old Boys, beat Stroud but lost to Chippenham.

At the end of February the First XV play mid-table side Gordano then on March 4 they play Chippenham, which should determine the runner-up to Matson in the league.

On an outstanding day of old-fashioned rugby some great friendships were forged, and plans were made for a return fixture in Thornbury next season.

Thornbury won 24-12.

Thornbury Ladies continued their unbeaten league record with a hard-fought 10-5 win at Chippenham.

Thornbury Seconds are in a similar position, and a win against BAC 1sts at the end of February will do much the same, whilst the Ladies play their final league game at home on March 5 against Ashley Down, a game that could crown them champions.

Dave Fox

Mike Priday races in for the first of his three tries against Trowbridge.

Webb celebrates 400th match for Thornbury

FOLLOWING a three-week break in January due to frozen pitches, games have been coming thick and fast for Thornbury Town, who played five in a fortnight.

Two penalties from Jack Sheppard-Cozens saw Thorns go through to the next round of the Challenge Cup, winning a tricky tie against Newbury 2-1.

The win sees Town face an away trip to Royal Wootton Bassett in the next round.

Unfortunately journeys to Hereford Pegasus and Fairford Town saw the home sides take maximum points (3-1 and 2-1 respectively), despite good displays from Thorns.

At Hereford, the goal of the game was scored for Town by 17-year-old Jack Smith, a 30-yard effort that gave the goalkeeper no chance, whilst Harry Brock netted the consolation goal at Fairford.

Thornbury continued their improving form in recent home games, with a 2-0 win against Longlevens. Brock and Nathan Sage secured the three points in front of well over 100 supporters. This game marked long serving wing-back Tom Webb’s 400th game for the club, a remarkable achievement at this level of football.

Having come through the club’s junior sides, Tom made

his first team debut in December 2008 as a 16 year old, under then manager Dave Lippiatt.

Meanwhile, the home fixture against Hereford Lads Club saw Town make a superb recovery from 2-0 down to win 3-2, with second half goals from Rhys Hodgson, Brandon Benjamin and Harry Brock.

The club are also pleased to announce the return of former Gloucester City and Newport

County player Gary Kemp, as assistant to first team manager Rich Joyce.

His experience of playing at a higher level will help Town in their quest to retain their Premier division status.

The Reserves continue to challenge for League and Cup honours.

Having secured a 2-0 victory over Lion FC in the County Cup, with goals from Jacob Harper

and Matt Constable, they now face a difficult game away at St Vallier in the semi-final.

They are also maintaining their push for promotion and, following a goalless draw at home to league leaders Old Sodbury, they got back to winning ways the following week away at Chipping Sodbury Reserves.

Harrison Young and James Cooke both netted twice, and further goals from Matt Constable, Cam Drew and Ollie Wilson saw them romp to a comfortable 7-0 win.

With games in hand on the leading pack, promotion to the Bristol Premier Combination next season is very much in their own hands.

The A team’s stop-start season continues, but in a very tight division they still lie in fourth place.

A 4-4 draw at home to Nicholas Wanderers was followed by a great 3-0 win away at Oldland Abbotonians.

However the visit of AFC Mangotsfield Reserves the following week saw the league leaders and title favourites visitors emerge 5-2 victors, despite a determined display from Thorns A team.

Malcolm Carr

Young players shine at hockey festival

THORNBURY Hockey Club took part in the recent Avon Junior Hockey League under-12 mixed team festival.

On this occasion, Niamh Robinson was the sole girl taking part, as illness prevented the other girls from joining in the action. She was a constant threat up front during the event at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex.

William Ormond and Freddie Barker shared the goal keeping duties, with both making a number of fine saves when in goal.

Freddie Rimmer made purposeful runs from midfield and Gilbert Melton was solid in defence.

Other team members Arthur Robinson, Toby Rees, Adam Rees and Jacob Dean - all

aged under 10 - performed well against older opponents.

Thornbury organiser and coach Corinne Robinson was rightly pleased with the team's performance.

At senior level, the ladies 1sts gained their first win against UWE in five attempts. The 3-1 victory was well-deserved.

Wins continued over Lydney 3rds (50), Knowle 2nds (10-0) and Badminton/ Pucklechurch (9-0).

Coz Deas lead the way, with Sophie Vizzard, Alice Atkinson, Vicky Ball , Esther Jenkinson, Jo Deas and Ella Clark all getting on the scoresheet.

Thornbury 2nds continue to display promise.

A loss against league leaders Wick 2nds

was followed by a commendable 2-2 draw against Bristol Bluebirds.

The young side were complimented on the way they encouraged each other in their latest game at Westberries 5ths.

Thornbury men continue to impress: Firebrands 5ths were beaten 4-3 and Old Bristolians

4ths 7-0, with Pardeep Bhogal scoring one of the goals on his return following injury.

In their latest game the team became the first to take points from Westbury & Utd Banks 3rds, courtesy of a 4-4 draw, with Sam Amos and Steve Wyres scoring a brace each.

David Parry-Jones

Tom Webb (centre) with assistant manager Gary Kemp and manager Rich Joyce at a presentation to mark his 400th game for Thornbury Town.

RUBBISH CLEARANCE

Local elections in South Glos

Make sure you vote

Local elections will be held in South Gloucestershire on Thursday 4 May this year, for all 61 district councillors for 28 district wards, that make up South Gloucestershire Council, as well as 492 councillors for 50 town and parish councils. This includes deciding on the representatives for the newly created parish councils for Charlton Hayes, Stoke Park and Cheswick, and Staple Hill and Mangotsfield, along with the new town council for Kingswood.

Make sure you vote to have your say in how your local area is run.

Registering to vote

To vote in the May local elections, you will need to make sure you have registered to vote by the 17 April deadline.

You can register to vote on the GOV.UK website or contact the council by emailing electoral.services@southglos.gov.uk, calling 01454 863030 or visiting one of the council’s One Stop Shops where you can get a copy of the form to register or help from the customer service team.

Find out more on the council’s website southglos.gov.uk/vote

Did you know you now need photo ID to vote?

You will need to show photo identification (ID) when voting at a polling station. This is a new government requirement which will affect the South Glos local elections in May. Lots of photo IDs are acceptable, including some passports, driving licences, blue badges, and some bus passes. Check the full list of acceptable photo ID on our website. If you haven’t got one of these, or you no longer look like the photo on your ID, or the name on your photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. You will need to do this by the 25 April deadline. You can apply for the certificate using the government portal.

Alternatively, the council can help you apply in person at its Badminton Road offices where someone can take your photograph and submit your application online for you. Call 01454

863030 to make an appointment which will be during normal office hours. Find out more about Voter ID on the council’s elections and voting webpages southglos.gov.uk/vote.

date

Postal votes

If you cannot get to the polling station on 4 May or if it is more convenient, you can apply to vote by post. Anyone can apply for a postal vote, but you need to apply before 18 April. You won’t have to provide voter ID unless you have lost your postal vote and need to be issued with a new one. You will need to complete an application form on the Electoral Commission page. Postal votes can be sent to your home address or to any other address where you’ll be staying on the day of the election, including abroad.   We can’t guarantee timings of post sent abroad so you may wish to register to vote by proxy so someone else can vote on your behalf. Find out more about postal and proxy votes at southglos. gov.uk/vote.

Could you be a councillor?

Why not stand as a councillor in South Gloucestershire? It’s varied, highly fulfilling and a great way to make a real difference, whether by supporting individual residents with issues or helping your local community by driving new ideas. You could represent local people’s views on a whole range of things from planning applications through to local services. People from all backgrounds and experiences who can reflect their communities are needed.

You do not have to be a member of a political party to stand for election - you can also be an independent councillor. Councillors receive training so you will receive plenty of support. You will be paid an allowance and you can work flexibly. There are a number of eligibility criteria that need to be met by anyone wishing to stand as a candidate for South Gloucestershire Council or one of the area’s parish and town

councils. Anyone wishing to stand for election must submit a nomination by 4pm on 4 April. Details and guidance on standing for election and nomination papers can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

For more information on standing for election call 01454 863030, email electoral.services@ southglos.gov.uk or write to Electoral Registration, PO Box 1953, Badminton Road, Bristol, BS37 0DB.

Difficulties paying bills? Your council can help

Many people are worried about the rising cost of living and prices, in particular energy bills. If you are struggling to pay your bills, you may be able to get help from your council. It is allocating a further £500,000 to help people with the cost-of-living crisis.

The council’s support includes grants to help with energy, other household bills and home insulation. It can help if you are having difficulties paying council tax. And your child may be able to get free school meals if you are on certain benefits.

If you would like to talk to the council and check what financial support may be available for you, call its freephone helpline 0800 953 7778 (open 8.45am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am to 4.30pm Friday). Alternatively, you can book an appointment at one of the One Stop Shops by emailing OSSAppointments@southglos.gov.uk.

There is also lots of information on the council’s help with the cost-of-living webpage southglos.gov.uk/CostofLiving.