The South Glos Post

Two new purpose built centres that bring together health and council services for children and young people opened on Monday (5th September) in Kingswood and Patchway.

The Hubs, in Alma Road, Kingswood, and Rodway Road, Patchway, will bring essential services to the heart of these communities. Parents and carers of children of all ages can receive advice, support and a range of services under one roof.

The services delivered from the new Hubs are primarily those currently provided by both the council and NHS health providers, in particular North Bristol NHS Trust.

The Hubs will provide a central base for the range of professionals who work with children and young people.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Swimmers will be welcomed back to Kingswood Leisure Centre from Monday 18th July following the completion of the first phase of a major £2.8 million refurbishment by South Gloucestershire Council.

Carried out over six months, the improvements include remodelled and refurbished swimming pools, brand new changing facilities and new spectator seating. This is all in a light, bright modern pool area.

The refurbishment also comes with increased energy efficiency measures, such as improved insulation and energy efficiency lighting, which is set to reduce running costs of the building significantly.

Phase two of the programme of investment at the Centre will begin in July, focusing on the new gym area, dry changing and reception.

Executive member for Communities and Housing, Cllr James Hunt said:

“I am delighted with the refurbishment of Kingswood Leisure Centre. The investment made demonstrates the continued commitment of the council in improving on the already fantastic leisure facilities across South Gloucestershire, and improving the health and wellbeing of our residents”.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Longwell Green residents, MP Chris Skidmore and local councillors Christine Price and John Calway are celebrating after saving the local Green Belt from being bulldozed by developers after a hard-fought community campaign.

The long-running campaign collected nearly 1,000 petition signatures and a protest demonstration was held with over 200 local residents turning up to show the strength of support for their local Green Belt.

The victory comes as an independent Planning Inspector dismissed an appeal for 83 houses on a Green Belt site at Williams Close, Longwell Green, following a four-day appeal hearing.

Cllr Christine Price (Con, Longwell Green), who attended the appeal hearing, welcomed the news:

“The tireless efforts of local residents made a huge difference in terms of demonstrating the strength of local feeling that there was against this hugely inappropriate application.”

“The Green Belt is there for a reason and I am pleased to see that the inspector has exposed as nonsense the developer’s claim that special circumstances existed for such a damaging development.”

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Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Tree Life Centre has just been awarded a prestigious Planting Places Award. The Centre is a volunteer-run tree nursery based at Grimsbury Farm in Kingswood, which is owned by South Gloucestershire Council.

The BTCV volunteers, who come from many different backgrounds with people aged from their late teens through to sixty plus, have turned the site from a scrubby patch of land located close to the busy ring road into a green oasis of potted plants, raised beds, potting sheds, polytunnels, tool stores and compost bays.

They grow trees and shrubs from seed collected in the area and the plants are then sold on to help fund the project and are planted out into the local community. The council works alongside BTCV and try to support and promote the work they do.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council