Proposals to help small businesses and defend the district against over-development are to be put in front of Ministers. In the summer, Conservative councillors drew up proposals that would see the government pay small business rate relief automatically and abolish regional planning, including the controversial Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) document that calls for 32,800 new houses to be built in
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A joint operation to check on South Gloucestershire registered taxis took place on Saturday 12 December. The operation was carried out by South Gloucestershire Council licensing enforcement officers, Avon and Somerset Road Policing Unit and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Designed to protect taxi users over the busy Christmas season, the operation included checks on tax, vehicle insurance,
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Residents are being reminded that there will be changes to their refuse and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period. As collection teams will not be working Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, changes have been made to the collections schedule (full details here). Normal collections will be resumed the week commencing Monday 18 January. The
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Police are warning those that travel across the old Severn Bridge to reduce their speed, especially as the winds are picking up this winter. CI Polly King said: “We are particularly concerned for the pedestrians and cyclists that use the track that runs alongside the main carriageway. “Motorcycles under 125cc are also allowed to use this track, but a number
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South Gloucestershire has been awarded a coveted ‘green flag’ in a new national report on how well public services are working together to improve the quality of life for residents. The Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) – published today (Wednesday 9 December) – found that organisations such as South Gloucestershire Council, NHS South Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset Police and Avon Fire
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A former police officer has been given a suspended jail sentence after being convicted on shoplifting while on duty in uniform. Peter Cokell, aged 34, received a 12 week jail term, suspended for 12 months, this week. He was also ordered to do 70 hours unpaid work in the community, contribute £400 towards the costs of the case, and pay
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South Gloucestershire Council in conjunction with Bristol City Council is undertaking consultation on the development of a major transport scheme – the North Fringe to Hengrove Package. The Package was identified in the South West Regional Funding Advice with a total allocation of £168m and comprises of a proposed rapid transit network with two branches in South Gloucestershire. One in
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South Gloucestershire Council has taken legal action over a house in Coalpit Heath which has been empty for over 16 years. The action coincides with a National Week of Action on Empty Homes which runs from 23 to 27 November. The property is being made the subject of an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) as part of the council’s Empty
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South Gloucestershire Library Service has launched a new online resource available in libraries across the district to help both individuals and community groups identify funding from grant-giving organisations. The online database is provided by the charity FunderFinder which specialises in information and advice about grant-giving charitable trusts and foundations in the UK. The database holds the details of over 4,500
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Conservative councillors have slammed the Government after it revealed plans to slash South Gloucestershire Council’s bus budget by £340,000. The funding cut is proposed as part of plans announced recently by the Department for Transport (DfT) to change the distribution of funding for the national concessionary travel scheme for the 2010/11 financial year. At £340k, this is the biggest loss
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