Council tax in South Gloucestershire will increase by 4.99 percent from April 2024 after councillors approved next year’s budget. The financial plan includes “investing in cost-of-living support”, as well as taking action on climate change and helping residents cut down on their energy bills. The latest increase follows on the heels of an identical hike of 4.99 percent that took effect from April 2023.
Continue readingGreen bin fee to double and car parking charges on the way in South Glos budget
Council leaders are set to rubber-stamp plans to double the cost of garden waste collections and introduce car parking charges in South Glos despite huge opposition from residents. Cuts to the council tax reduction scheme (CTRS) – benefits that help the poorest households pay the bill – and shorter library opening hours are also included in the local authority’s annual budget.
Continue readingBadminton Road to remain closed for TWO YEARS to allow M4 overbridge replacement
National Highways has announced that the A432 Badminton Road bridge over the M4 motorway will need to remain closed for a further two years to allow the structure to be demolished and replaced. Demolition is planned for summer/autumn 2024 following work to divert utilities and it’s hoped that construction of the new bridge will be completed in 2025.
Continue readingSouth Gloucestershire schools can’t afford to turn classroom heating on
Children are having to wear coats during lessons because schools in South Gloucestershire are so cash-strapped they cannot afford to turn the heating up. Headteachers say the financial situation has hit crisis point because the district is the worst-funded of all 151 education authorities in the country. Both council-maintained and academy schools are affected.
Continue readingCouncil publishes draft 15-year plan for homes, jobs & infrastructure in South Glos
A 15-year blueprint for more than 20,000 new homes, 25,000 extra jobs and infrastructure across South Gloucestershire has been published. The draft Local Plan includes a huge expansion of Bristol’s ‘urban edge’ onto swathes of countryside to the east of the city, including green belt land.
Continue readingSouth Glos Council warns of “incredibly difficult” choices ahead for next year’s budget
South Glos Council’s joint Lib Dem & Labour Cabinet will meet next week to consider proposals for next year’s budget that include details of “incredibly difficult” decisions to reduce spending and increase charges. The new draft budget does not propose to make new savings, but does provide details of cost-cutting that was approved in the Conservatives’ last budget agreed in February.
Continue readingFree shuttle bus to ease chaos from closed A432 bridge over M4 motorway
A new free shuttle bus is being laid on to try to ease traffic chaos and delays from the long-term closure of a bridge over the M4 in South Gloucestershire. The half-hourly service will start on Thursday 14th September, to take passengers from Yate Park & Ride via Coalpit Heath to the Cuckoo Lane junction on the A432 Badminton Road, from where it is a short walk to…
Continue readingWhat’s working well and what needs to be improved at your GP surgery?
Healthwatch South Gloucestershire is running a patient survey to gauge levels of satisfaction with GP services in the district. The survey, run in conjunction with the corresponding Healthwatch organisations in Bristol and North Somerset, has been launched after trends in patient feedback “indicated a number of concerning themes”. The survey has 19 questions and will take about 10 minutes to complete.
Continue readingSouth Glos bin strikes called off as union members vote to accept 10% pay increase
A long-running strike by waste and recycling operatives across South Gloucestershire is officially over after union members voted to accept a new, improved 10 percent pay increase. Kerbside collections had been disrupted since Monday 12th June as around 150 employees of SUEZ, the council’s waste contractor, took industrial action in support of a 15 percent pay claim.
Continue reading‘Birthday Bus’ scheme launches, offering residents one month of free travel
Residents in the West of England can now apply for free bus travel throughout the whole month of their birthday under a new scheme designed to radically grow passenger numbers. All the main bus companies, including First and Stagecoach, have signed up to the first-of-its-kind initiative, and the region’s WESTlink bookable minibuses will also offer free travel.
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