Local mum Leonie Hart has launched a petition to try to stop First Bus from axing the X2 service.
She says: “It’s hard to begin to express the impact that the loss of the X2 will have on my life. I have a chronic health condition, ME which has a considerable effect on my mobility, and thus the bus to Yatton is a lifeline to get to the dentist, doctor, vet, shops and the station plus social groups. I have primary aged children and often use the bus with them as my mobility means it’s impossible to get any further than the immediate Congresbury village amenities otherwise.
“There needs to be more focus on sustainable transport options for environmental reasons plus the rising cost of fuel especially with such limited transport options already serving rural areas. The loss of this service would not only mean that local people are more dependent on their cars to access local amenities, but that those for whom driving isn’t an option will be increasingly isolated and unable to live independently.”
Congresbury Parish Council will discuss the matter at its next meeting.
If you want to join Leonie and sign the petition click on this link https://chng.it/jKqZhGgjsc
A celebration of the transfer of land from Strongvox to Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group (YACWAG) was held on Friday 18thMarch on site at Cobthorn Way, Congresbury, with the Chair of North Somerset Council, Cllr Richard Westwood, unveiling the site interpretation board with Bill Richardson, Planning Manager for Strongvox , and Tony Moulin, Chair of YACWAG.
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YACWAG’s new Cobthorn Reserve in Congresbury is being created especially for bats. This ground-breaking new project has been facilitated by North Somerset Council working with Natural England through the planning process, and has resulted in the developer Strongvox giving a field of about two and a half hectares to YACWAG to manage for bats forever.
When 38 new houses were built in Furnace Way, a larger area of farmland was lost as a feeding ground for bats. In order for Strongvox to gain planning permission on this sensitive site, North Somerset Council ruled that the developer had to compensate for lost habitat by creating a nature reserve on part of the site to give the bats continuity. There are only about 12,000 Greater Horseshoe Bats in the UK – which is their stronghold – and amazingly 500-1000 of them are living close to Congresbury. Their preferred landscape is one with grazing animals and tall, wide hedges with scattered flowering trees that attract insects. The Cobthorn Reserve will provide this kind of habitat. Grazing by livestock is especially important in this project because young bats need a particular kind of dung beetle to feed on. YACWAG members have been busy thickening up the hedges with additional hedge plants and their graziers, Jo and Andy Milward, will be providing the animals to produce the essential dung.
Councillor Mark Canniford, Executive Member for Business, Economy and Employment at North Somerset Council, said: “I’m pleased to see the Cobthorn Reserve in Congresbury come to fruition. It’s a fantastic example of how planning can be used to have a positive impact on wildlife. This type of protection is important to North Somerset Council and is carefully considered throughout our Local Plan.”
YACWAG Chair, Tony Moulin, said, “We are very excited and immensely proud of the achievement for wildlife at Cobthorn. Local people can be assured that the nature reserve will never be built on, that they will always have ‘nature as their neighbour’. We hope that more such schemes will follow this excellent example of planning gain for biodiversity. It is exciting that we will be able to give these rare bats a handy ‘eat-in restaurant’ on our new reserve with plenty of dung beetles on the menu.”
Local people will be able to find out more about the reserve at an Open Day to be held on Saturday 14th May.
For more information please contact Tony Moulin 01934 834282 or 0744 384 35
Jagtar and Sukhvinder Seehra provided us with our Post Office for the last 35 years, and have now successfully negotiated with the Post Office for the village to have a continuing service. To mark their retirement, villagers are planning to make a gesture of gratitude in the form of a gift and some kind of presentation event towards the end of April (date to be decided).
If you would like to contribute a small amount to this, there is a collecting box for cash in the Community Cafe in Broad Street (open Wednesdy and Friday mornings). If you are not able to get to the Cafe, the treasurer has kindly offered to handle donations made by BACS.Please pay Congresbury Community Cafe Ltd 08 92 99 65923326 and put POSTIE in the reference box to identify the payment.
Alex Ballard
We have received this message from the Seehras who retired earlier this month after running the Post Office in Congresbury for 35 years.
“We are overwhelmed by lots of lovely responses and kind words. We would also like to thank everyone for the cards, flowers and generous gifts they personally brought to the Post Office.”
Message from CRAG: ‘Here’s an important date for your diary, which could be of special interest to residents of Park and Mulberry Roads.
‘This Thursday, 17 March, North Somerset Council is starting its local plan consultations with a drop-in event at Hangstones Pavillion, Yatton from 3pm to 7pm.
‘This event is specifically for residents of Congresbury and Yatton, where concerned villagers can quiz council officers on how the local plan will shape the development of our villages over the next 15 years.
‘Social media will be used to publicise the events which will take place at various venues around North Somerset over the next six weeks. Formally known as the Preferred Options Local Plan, it is the council’s way of best meeting the development needs for North Somerset up to 2038.
‘Meanwhile, residents of Wrington Lane are still awaiting a response from Vistry/Bovis to CRAG’s legal challenge to their controversial scheme.’
John Mills
So the battle lines are drawn. An application to build up to 90 houses on land behind Park and Mulberry Roads has been submitted to North Somerset Council.
The application has been made by consultants Lichfields on behalf of developer M7 Planning Ltd and M7SW LLP with a planning fee of £12,536.
CRAG will be supporting residents who wish to object to the plan on the grounds that the village and surrounding areas have had too many new houses in the past eight years. Apart from the obvious extra traffic generated (which ludicrously is not regarded as a planning matter) North Somerset is losing countryside at an alarming rate.
Accompanying the application are reports covering ecology, transport, flood risk, community involvement, heritage and a tree survey, so there will be many aspects for CRAG to evaluate over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, residents who wish to comment on the notion of another 90 houses, plus at least another 180 cars on our roads, can visit the North Somerset Council website, find planning applications and key in the reference 22/P/0459/OUT.
John Mills
Police are appealing for information following a catalytic converter theft in Congresbury.
On Monday 28 February, the catalytic converter was stolen from a black Honda Jazz while it was parked in the car park at Cadbury Garden Centre, close to the store entrance.
It’s believed the theft took place between the hours of 3.20 and 5.20pm.
Police would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the theft or noticed any suspicious activity.
If you can help, please call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5222052711, or complete the online appeals form.
Catalytic converters contain precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium. The sharp rise in the value of these metals over recent years has driven up the rate of catalytic converter theft.
They can take less than a minute for a thief to cut and remove.
Avon & Somerset Police are urging motorists to help protect their vehicles from becoming an easy target by taking these steps:
For more information on catalytic converter theft visit Crimestoppers: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/keeping-safe/home-property-safety/catalytic-converter-theft
A new delicatessen opens in Broad Street on Saturday.
Ziggy’s Deli & Kitchen is owned by John and Fiona Anderson who have lived in Congresbury for 26 years and say that they both felt the time was right for a career change. John is currently a primary school teacher and Fiona has worked for the NHS for the past 32 years as a midwife and nurse.
Prior to his teaching career John trained and worked as a chef and restaurant manager in London and Bath. “We both enjoy food and drink so thought it was time to go back to his roots.” said Fiona. “We spend a lot of time choosing all the foods and drinks you will find on our shelves and specialise in high quality local produce, aiming to support small local businesses.”
Ziggy’s will be opening on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 10.00 – 18.00 serving take out homemade sweet and savoury treats and hot drinks.
Later in the year Ziggy’s plans to provide sit-in small plate or tapas style dishes in the evening.
Stockists will include Somerset Charcuterie, Bristol Cheesemonger. Marks Bread, More Wine Co Ganley and Naish Cider, Moor Beer, Arbor Ales and Wiper and True Ales,Naked Wines and The Community Farm.
Find out more on www.ziggysdeli.com and on Instagram and Facebook.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy is running an online consultation about renewable energy on behalf of North Somerset Council. The centre held a public workshop in January when residents supported the possible development on wind turbines and solar farm expansion.
Have your say on this in this short survey: https://communityenergyplan.commonplace.is/proposals/congresbury-and-puxton/step1
Renewable-energyA tree has come down in the Community Café courtyard and the café will not be opening on Saturday February 19.
Storm Eunice has been declared a major incident by the Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum due to the potential for severe disruption.
A red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for extremely strong winds between 7am and midday on Friday 18 February.
The storm has the potential to cause significant disruption and dangerous conditions along the length of the west coast of Somerset through the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary into Gloucestershire.
The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for Severn Beach and flood alerts for Porlock Weir, along the Severn between Avonmouth and Sharpness and along the Avon into Bristol. You can check your area’s risk of flooding on their website.
There is also a risk of 90mph gusts of wind causing coastal flooding and affecting trees and temporary structures. This could cause disruption to the road and rail network, flights, power and communications systems with a high likelihood that both the M4 Prince of Wales bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge will be closed.
Members of the public are asked to avoid travelling on Friday morning wherever possible and to follow weather and travel bulletins on local radio or check on local media websites.
Travel information will also be shared by National Highways, Travel Somerset, Travel West or you can check with your local public transport provider.
Emergency services, local authorities, National Highways and other voluntary and statutory agencies are on stand-by to put well-rehearsed plans into place.
You can report trees fallen into a major road to National Highways and on local roads to your local authority.
Please call 999 if there is an immediate risk to safety such as a fallen live power cable.
Links:
https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings
https://nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/
The Centre for Sustainable Energy held a public workshop on behalf of North Somerset Council on 23rd January. At this, residents in Congresbury and Puxton gave conditional support to the possible development of wind turbines and the expansion of existing solar farms in the area.
At the workshop, participants (all residents of the local area) gave conditional support for:
Please share your thoughts on what was said and view a map of the suggestions in this short survey: https://communityenergyplan.commonplace.is/proposals/congresbury-and-puxton/step1
The workshop and this online consultation will inform North Somerset Council’s planning policies for renewable energy in the emerging Local Plan. The consultation will be open until Monday 14th March. There also will be further opportunities to comment on the Council’s emerging planning policies. Please share the consultation with friends and family so they can feed in their thoughts. I have also attached a poster to help you spread the word.
If you have any questions please email communities@cse.org.uk OR call 0117 934 1400 for a paper summary and form.
A garden shed has been broken into overnight on the 9th in Weetwood Road, Congresbury. The offender smashed the latch securing the door to establish entry and once inside nothing was stolen. It is thought the offender may have been disturbed during the attempt.
Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting reference number: 5222006990 stating NHW release. Or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
North Somerset council will increase the number of dog warden patrols in Congresbury following complaints about dogs fouling the King George V Playing Field and children’s play area.
This is the latest development since the council launched a county-wide crackdown on dog fouling and irresponsible dog ownership towards the end of 2021.
North Somerset Council is asking residents to report locations of dog fouling using the app Pooper Snooper – https://poopersnooper.app/get-started
The reports residents provide through the app will inform the council of the worst offending areas and add to the list of hotspot areas the council already has.
Targeted areas will be patrolled by the council’s contractor Local Authority Support, who will issue fines under the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for:
During the campaign officers will proactively engage with dog walkers to ask them whether they have a means to pick up after their dog. If they cannot show the officer a dog bag, they will be fined £75 for breaching the PSPO and given a bag to ensure they have one for the rest of their walk.
Cllr Mike Solomon, the council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “Unfortunately, due to a minority of dog owners who don’t clear up after their pets, dog mess continues to blight our towns, villages and open spaces. It remains a big concern for many of our residents with 90 per cent of respondents in a recent survey agreeing it was reasonable to issue on-the-spot fines to deal with the issue.
“By proactively asking dog walkers to prove they have a means to pick up after their dog we will be tackling this issue head on. We hope this campaign will change people’s behaviour and improve our local environment, helping North Somerset to become a cleaner and greener place for everyone.”
More information on dog related orders contained within the PSPO and the other offences covered can be found at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/pspo.
A motorist was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving offences after crashing in Congresbury in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was driving south on Brinsea Road when his BMW Z3 sports car hit a garden wall on the west side of the road before demolishing a front garden fence on the east side of the road. The driver was unhurt.
A home has been burgled in High Street, Congresbury on the evening of December 2nd between 5pm and 8pm. No visible signs of damage were present to suggest a point of entry and once inside a thorough search of the property was conducted, with all rooms entered and cupboards emptied. Nothing was stolen from within.
Any information please contact the police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221283758 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
A stables / store room has been subject of an attempted theft between 6pm on the 25th & 6:45am on the 26th in Langford Road, Langford. The offenders cut through the door lock but were prevented further progress because of the deadlocks and reinforcements on the other side. The offender even tried using a shovel which had been left in the yard space, again without success.
The culprits then gained access to the garage by removing tiles from the roof. At present it is unclear if any items have been stolen from within.
Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221278142 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Thank you for your support.
A garden shed has been unlawfully entered sometime between the 27th & 29th in Wrington Mead, Congresbury. The owner had placed a bin and flower pot outside of the shed door as it had opened due to the bad weather. Upon checking on the morning of the 29th, the bin and flower pot had both been moved and a DeWalt drill had been stolen from within.
Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221280630 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Police are appeal for information following damage to a motorcycle parked on Cobthorn Way, Congresbury at around 7:40am on Saturday. The motorcycle had been set alight causing around 20 per cent damage before the fire was extinguished. Any information please contact 101 quoting Ref number: 5221273403 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Police are seeking witnesses to a burglary in Congresbury at the end of October.
A safe was stolen from a residential address in the Station Road area between 6.30pm on Saturday 30 October and approximately 1.30am on Sunday 31 October.
Police are keen to hear from anyone who saw anybody acting suspiciously in the area, or noticed an unknown vehicle parked up in the vicinity, during those times.
If you can help, call 101 and give the call-handler reference number 5221255266. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Dangerous children’s play equipment on both the Millennium Green and King George V playing field has been removed by the parish council as part of plans to revamp the areas.
“We are very pleased with the removal work as the equipment was rotten and dangerous and we did not want it to deteriorate any further especially over the winter months,” said the council.
“We are gathering information on the costs of different equipment. Many of you asked for the zip wire to be replaced and climbing equipment to be included and therefore we are concentrating on looking at different options incorporating these ideas.
“There is currently a considerable lead time for the ordering and completion of any play equipment at the mpment. Hopefully we will be looking at a spring installation for new equipment.”
A home has been burgled in Station Road, Congresbury, between 6:30pm on October 30th and 1:30am on the 31st. The offender/s forced entry via the rear and once inside an untidy search was conducted with items being stolen from within.
Any information please contact the police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221255266 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
There will be a meeting between the PCSOs and the community at Congresbury Youth Club building this Friday at 6pm. Short notice, because they are very keen to show that they are taking the recent spate of complaints about anti-social behaviour by young people seriously, and to work WITH us to address them.
The PCSOs are making the point that they can’t tackle this alone, and we as a community need to be part of the solution, so it would be great to see some people showing up with positive ideas. Please publicise this widely to anyone who is interested in a positive co-operative approach. We will ensure the meeting doesn’t move into the mood of blaming either the police or young people.
Alex Ballard
| Activity | The volunteer led community café is open a couple of mornings a week and alternative Saturdays. It provides freshly brewed hot drinks and homemade cakes. The surplus profits go back into the community to support village groups and activities. |
| Contact | Ian Sheppard | communitycoffee@btinternet.com | |
| Web Site | www.congresburycoffee.org |
LOCATION: Station Rd, Congresbury, Bristol BS49 5DX
HOURS: 14:45-17:45, Monday to Friday
SALARY: £ (paid fortnightly) £8.91 per hour
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: cleaning experience would be desirable however full training will be provided. Previous Enhanced DBS certificate recommended however new certificate will be sought.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:
Cleaner Key responsibilities:
The main areas of accountability and personal specification for the position are detailed below:
To undertake general cleaning duties to the prescribed standards as detailed in the site specification including:
· Cleaning interior surfaces, furnishings, fixtures and fittings
· Clean floors and floor coverings
· Maintain the internal environment
· Service toilet areas; clean all toilet appliances i.e., toilets, sinks etc. and replenish toilet rolls, soap and paper towels
· To clear and remove rubbish and other items from areas as detailed by the site specification and ensure completion of duties.
· To maintain stocks of cleaning materials, order from suppliers where required and to control the usage of materials ensuring the cleaning cupboard is always kept tidy.
· To report any problems on site to the supervisor / account manager so they may be rectified immediately.
· To undertake any other reasonable duties/request commensurate with this position as designated by the account manager / supervisor/client/company
Contact;
| Mark Sansom Account Manager M 07874857698 E mark.sansom@churchillservices.com |
A home has been burgled overnight on the 30th September in Wrington Mead, Congresbury. The offender gained access by climbing over a side gate by using a bin. Once inside the grounds they then forced entry via a downstairs window by snapping the hinge. Inside the property a messy search was conducted where it was clear the offender was looking for jewellery. Once the search was completed the offender then made off via the same method of entry.
Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221228825 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Thank you for your support.
The Community café ran two café sessions in aid of Macmillan cancer support. The sessions raised £1106.
it was good to see so many people supporting this worthwhile cause and the café committee would to thank the café volunteers for their hard work and Debbie Fortune estate agents and local company Hearmore UK for their support.
