Poo-Shaming - Pick up your dog waste

 Unfortunately residents have noticed an increase of dog fouling on our streets and have urged the Parish Council to bring this to the attention of dog walkers. Where as a vast majority pick up their dogs' waste and deposits in the dog waste / litter Bins which are provided around the parish by your Parish Council there is a smameful minority who do not dispose of dog waste appropriately and leave it to be stood on or at worst to be a hazard which could induce illness. 

It has been noted that a minority use the Jubilee and Lime Kiln Field to walk their dogs and residents must be aware that a bye-law which was a condition of donating the land to residents insists that fields must not be used as a facility for dog walking and is strictly for sport, recreation and childrens' play. When councillors request that dogs be taken off the fields the stock answer is that there is nowhere for dogs to exercise. The Down Greenspace CAN be used to allow dogs to exercise

Land owners / farming community have recently advised us that  they dare not put sheep out in the fields due to massive quantities of dog mess. Farmers have received abuse from a number of people when challenged about their dogs running around, people not picking up or leaving the bags in the hedges. Police and council dog wardens have been informed! 
 
This is well known to be a national problem but if everyone plays their part and acts responsibility in our Parish we can ensure that this remains a pleasant place to live.

New Councillors Co-Opted

The Parish Council is delighted to announce four new Councillors to the Parish Council team after a co-opting process performed during the Parish Council meetings in September and October. Welcome to; Cllrs Valerie Williams, Lisa Emerson, Carmen Vazquez and Jasmine McGregor. The new Councillors will attend a series of training courses and experience the workings of the Parish Council prior to determining roles and responsibilities at the next Annual Meeting of the Parish Council which is scheduled for early 2021. 

During a n extraordinary Annual Meeting of the Parish Council which took place in September Cllr John Graham was unanimously elected as Chair to the Parish Council after the resignation of the preceding chair Marcus Fry.

Thank you to outgoing Councillors

The Parish Council formally sends a thank you to Marcus Fry and James Sumner for service to the Parish Council over the many years they held office. During this time there have been many changes both to Councillors and Structure but thanks to their long service a level of consistency and experience has been passed on which will ensure enduring long-term benefit. There have been many challenges over the past 10 year period (the time both Marcus and James spent as Parish Councillors) and these have been tackled and resolved effectively leaving the Parish a better place to work and live.

The Parish Council Councillors wish Marcus and James every success in the future.  

Alveston Transformed at Night

The Parish Council is delighted to announce that South Glos. Council have completed the update to the street lighting within the Parish replacing the old for new LED streetlights. The purpose of this is to improve the night lighting at the same time reducing maintenance and most importantly CO2 emissions. The lights are fitted with automated dimming to control usage at peak and off-peak times, as between 11PM and 6AM the lighting output is reduced by half. The benefits of the new lights are to; reduce maintenance, greater control and flexibility of light emissions, reduced “sky-glow”, a reduction by 70% in energy consumption and co2 emissions and a better more direct light source.

Play Area with new Play Frame

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The Parish Council is proud to announce the completed installation of a new play frame. 

The  "Cross Hands" Play Area, the timber trail and other equipment in the Lime Kiln Field are also open (the Zip Wire remains closed). The Parish Council request that residents observe the following guidelines as laid out by The RPII (Register of Play Inspectors): 

1. If the playground facility you visit has not yet officially been re-opened, please do not attempt to use, or access the equipment or area.
2. Do not remove any temporary barriers to the playground or plastic fencing or unravel any swing seats or cables that may have been secured to put them out of use – this must be done safely by the owner or operator of the facility.
3. Follow the current social distance guidelines when visiting and encourage your children to do the same.
4. If the playground is busy, consider coming back at a later time. Talk to your children about this possibility before visiting.
5. Wash your hands and your children’s  hands before and after visiting. Take hand sanitiser with you and consider taking a bottle of water for  use if your children’s hands get covered in mud. Ensure your children are using hand sanitiser frequently.
6. Follow and adhere to all current government advice in addition to the above guidance.

Neighbours Wanted

We are still looking to recruit new councillors as although we now have nine councillors are allocation is eleven. We therefore encourage you to consider joining this small group of local people who help to make the Parish a better place to live. This is a very good time to become involved in developing our community as there are many challenges and new and exciting opportunities for the year ahead.

Parish Councillors must be over 21, a British National or a Citizen of the Commonwealth or European Union and fulfil a local residency requirement. You are not a paid employee of the Council as the law forbids it and you don’t have to have a political affiliation.
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If you are interested and want to find out more, contact any Parish Councillor or the Clerk at the Parish Office (contact us). 

Corona Virus

The Parish Council is delighted to announce that Parish Council meetings will resume in the Jubilee Hall as from 17th May.

​Alveston Police Matters 

The general message is to ask residents to be vigilant and to raise awareness of anything suspicious through the local Police and Neighbourhood Watch.
Police will always attend upon request from residents to give crime prevention advice.
Police have been advised that people are sometimes too worried to phone 101 or report online for fear others will find out. Residents can be assured that everything is treated with absolute confidentiality and do not disclose the caller information Police will most likely speak with the caller first to get more information before taking any action. If however you are still not confident you can always report to police as ‘anonymous’ and not give your details. Crimestoppers is another option, online or phone 0800 555 111 this too can be anonymous.
Visit the Severn Vale team page to find out who's fighting crime in our area, along with their calendar of events, current policing priorities, and tweets.

Alveston Parish Council – Community Grant Payments

Each year Alveston Parish Council is empowered to award grants to organisations or groups operating within the Parish of Alveston. At the Parish Council meeting in November The Parish Council resolved to award the following grants. 
                                *  Helmet Community Magazine - £400
                                *  Alveston Charities - £500
                                *  Four Towns & Vale Link Community Transport - £500
                                *  Alveston Allotment Association - £500
                                *  Alveston Defib Group - £130
  At previous meetings the Parish Council awarded -
                                *  Alveston Community Forum - £213.80 (Parade Christmas Lights)
                                *  Jubilee Hall Management Committee - £7,500  (Toilet Refurbishment)

Potholes & Resurfacing

At a recent Parish Council meeting our district Councillor Matthew Riddle informed the Parish Council that South Gloucestershire Council are undertaking works to repair potholes within the Parish.
Several have now been identified however, if you are aware of dangerous potholes in your street / road these can reported to your Clerk who will pass your information onto South Glos. Council

The Parish Council is delighted to announce that resurfacing works have been completed at Rosewood Avenue and Old Gloucester Road. 

Tree Planting

At the Parish Council meeting in January Councillors agreed to support the Community Forum with additional tree planting at available space on Parish Council land.
The Parish council has set aside £500 for the planting of new saplings scheduled for later in the year.
Councillors have requested that we all look to trying to take action on climate change by tree planting in our gardens and if any landowners within the Parish have space for the Council to plant trees then please contact the Parish Clerk.

Update on progress with plans with the Alveston Down Road Space

The installation of the bund designed to prevent vehicular access onto the Down Road Space was completed in Spring 2020. South Gloucester Council had seeded the bund with wild flowers but due to a prolonged period of hot weather with little rain the seeds did not germinated and therefore the Bund remains bare. However this was reseeded in October and we hope that this will see benefit next Spring

Greenhill Parade Telephone Box

The Parish Council is delighted to announce that it has secured the Telephone Box situated at Greenhill Road from BT for community use.
The Parish Council has now handed the maintenance and use of the box to the Alveston Community Forum who have now transformed this to a book exchange. 

​St Helen's Speed Reduction Measures

Members of the Alveston Parish Council Working Group observed the arrival of school children at St Helen's School and the surrounding traffic movements on 20th and 22nd of November from 8am onwards. (Homeward bound observations are due), a summary of observations and comments from the working group were discussed and reported at the Parish Council meeting on the 16th December.
School Governors have also set up a school working party; (students, governors and staff), to draw up a new “Green” Travel Plan.
Further information will be published on alveston.org as it arises.

Parking Issues

[September 2019, Parish Clerk] Alveston Parish Council recognise residents’ concerns relating to both the issues of parking at Quarry Road and those of parking at St Helens School at pick up and drop off times, along with speeding traffic coming off the A38 through Greenhill Road.
In conjunction with South Gloucestershire Council councillor representatives it was decided that two separate working groups be set up to investigate the issues and work toward solutions to these problems which are a cause of concern to residents.
Updates of progress will be posted onto Alveston.org on a regular basis as and when the working group meetings have taken place.

​​SGC Protocol for unauthorised traveller sites

With the advent of further traveller incursions onto the Down Road green space the Parish Council remind residents that this land belongs to South Gloucestershire Council who have recently updated their procedures and protocol.
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Click here for more information. 

​​Parish Council Audit & Accounts

AGARThe internal audiit and accounts for 2019-20 have been completed and was discussed and approved at the Parish Council meeting on 15th June 2020.
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Click here for further details of the 2019-20 Governance and Accounts Return.

​​South Glos. Council - Local Plan Consultation

SGC are developing a new Local Plan for South Gloucestershire, called the Local Plan 2020. This will need to include a new strategy and policies to guide and manage growth and change in our areas over the next 15 years.
The Local Plan is an important opportunity to:

• shape the places that we live, work and socialise in
• have a direct impact on quality of life, the natural and built environment
• have positive impacts on climate change, inequalities and encourage a green economy
• discuss choices and make decisions about where significant levels of growth for new homes and jobs might be located, and which areas should be protected

https://consultations.southglos.gov.uk/consult.ti/LocalPlan2020/consultationHome
 
Link to SGC Local Plan Consultation Page on SGC website.

​​Timber Trail

Installed in 2018 our new Timber Trail is located at the far end of the Lime Kiln Field under the trees (perfect for a hot sunny day). This play equipment is now officially open for use. The Timber Trail is a professionally designed and manufactured wooden trim trail for a variety of ages of children between 3 - 10 years old, (although ideally for the very young (3 – 5 years) we recommend that supervised play on the Clatterbridge, Weaving Beam and Balance Beams). 

Over the coming years the Parish Council will be looking to upgrade other equipment beginning with a new play frame within the Lime Kiln play area however, if residents have ideas for further investment in play / exercise equipment for our recreation areas please pass any comments to the Parish Clerk via email: clerk@alvestonpc.co.uk. 

​​New Structure for Your Parish Council

It was decided by Councillors at their last meeting that the Parish Council focus on a number of community projects and to this end use the first Monday of the month, usually devoted to committee meetings to focus on projects.
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It was decided that the Parish Council sub-committees be disbanded and be replaced with a “Responsible” Councillor to oversee issues within their areas and to head discussion groups which will report their findings to the Parish Council Meeting on the third Monday of every month in the Jubilee Hall. The Planning Committee will continue to meet at 7PM on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month as usual. 

​​Parish Council Public Surgeries
(cancelled until further notice)

After the success of the previous surgeries held by the Council Clerk and a Councillor it has been decided to make the Surgeries a permanent feature. In view of the restructuring of the Parish Council it has been decided that a Parish Surgery be available the first Monday of every month (excluding Bank Holidays) between 7.30 – 8.30PM at the Bush Room at the Jubilee Hall.
Any resident wishing to raise any concerns or issues informally and out of meeting or confidentially with the Clerk or Councillor may turn up to this session. Or just come along for a chat about your community. 
(If during the period of Caronavirus lockdown residents wish to raise issues with the Parish Council please contact the Parish Clerk Direct)

​Dog Fouling and Vandalism

​The Parish Council is disappointed to report that they have received several complaints relating to both dog fouling and vandalism.
It is obvious that neither individual Councillors nor the Parish Clerk have resources available to rectify this problem but would please ask residents to be responsible and proactive in maintaining Alveston‘s wellbeing.
Dog fouling and Graffiti can be reported to South Gloucestershire Council on the “report it” section of their website or alternatively inform the Parish Clerk and he will do this for you! 

​​Courtesy to Disabled Pedestrians

It has come to light recently that residents’ cars and delivery vans have been parking entirely on the pavement causing an enormous inconvenience to wheel chair users, blind pedestrians and other disabled residents as they are required to divert their route onto the road and in some cases (for wheel chair users, where a drop kerb does not exist) a lengthy detour is required.
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Could residents please show courtesy, respect and some common sense and ensure that free access to our pavements is available to all.