The South Glos Post

South Gloucestershire Council is lending its support to celebrations to mark the centenary of aircraft production in the area.

In 1910 the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company was founded in Filton, and later became known as the British Aeroplane Company, or more commonly as ‘BAC’ to generations of local people.

The leader of the council, John Calway, and the chairman of the council, Shirley Holloway, are attending a special event being hosted at Filton today (Friday 19 February) as part of the ‘BAC 100’ anniversary celebrations.

Councillor Holloway said: “I am delighted to help represent South Gloucestershire Council and be part of these centenary celebrations. Filton is world renowned for its aerospace engineering and technology expertise, and BAC has played a vital role in this.

“I think it is important to mark the rich history of aviation in the area, which has made such an important contribution to its reputation and prosperity.”

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Mangotsfield councillors and residents have handed hundreds of petition signatures to the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council in defence of the local Green Belt.

The petitions are in response to a planning application for 180 new houses on Green Belt land at Cossham Street in Mangotsfield.

The developers – Taylor Wimpey UK – have submitted the plans on the back of the government’s controversial Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) that calls for 32,800 new houses to be built in South Gloucestershire through a series of sprawling ‘urban extensions’ on Green Belt land.

Efforts to scrap the RSS are being stepped up in an effort to discourage speculative planning applications, which have followed the government’s confirmation that its RSS planning blueprint has ‘substantial weight’ in planning terms – even though it is yet to be finalised.

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Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

Police are appealing for people who may have seen a handbag snatch in the car park of a supermarket in the Kingswood area.

The incident happened in the Somerfield car park in Halls Road between 2-2.15pm on Wednesday (February 10).

The victim, aged 70, was sat in her car – a blue Volkswagen Polo – when a man male ran up and opened the passenger door and grabbed her handbag.

The victim grabbed at the bag but the straps came off in her hands. The suspect ran away and the bag was later found discarded in a garden in nearby Derek Road.

Police have confirmed that the suspect had been spotted by the victim before the incident leaning against the wall in the car park of the store, near to the recycling bins.

He has been described as a tall, thin white man aged between 20-30 years, who was wearing a brown coloured duffle-style coat with a hood.

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Source: Avon and Somerset Police

Police patrolling Warmley in response to recent burglaries of sheds, garages and homes arrested a man and a woman for going equipped to steal.

The arrest happened at about 4.30am on Friday February 12 2010 after South Gloucestershire officers spotted a man and a woman carrying a bag of tools, wire, gloves and Stanley knives.

A 17-year-old man from Kingswood and an 18-year-old woman from Bristol remain in police custody.

Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Thatcher said: “Although South Gloucestershire is a safe place to live, we’re not complacent about crime. We target our patrols according to recent criminal activity in order to disrupt offenders and bring them to justice.”

Source: Avon and Somerset Police