SOUTH Gloucestershire Council looks to support the most vulnerable whilst continuing to successfully balance the books, with its recently agreed 2022 -2023 budget. At a time of rising living costs, the council is supporting residents by tackling inequality and giving children the best start in life. It is also investing more in improving the district’s much-loved communi- ties including major enhancements to the road network. This will be delivered through a balanced budget for the next four years and with a lower council tax rise for the coming year - 2.99 per cent – which is less than inflation and well below previous increases. Best start in life The top priority for the council is giving children and young people the best start in life. The budget plans include: • Continuing record investment in new schools and school mainte- nance • Increasing funding for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities by £5million • A new initiative to help improve children’s literacy and access to libraries, with a library card for every school age child and a programme of free activities to encourage families to connect with their local library • Investing a further £300,000 on the successful Youth Employment Hub, allowing it to continue over the coming year– the hub has helped the district’s young people into work over the past year • Extending support for a further three years for the Holiday Activ- ity and Food Fund that provides free activities and meals for eligible children during Christmas, Easter, and summer holidays - a lifeline for some families • Extra £15million investment in children’s social care to protect the most vulnerable by improving the way it works and recruiting additional qualified staff. Continued support for those impacted by Covid-19 The council is also extending its Community Resilience Fund which provides support to those who continue to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including people not eligible for previous Government support (for details of how to apply see page 2). In addition, there is investment in improving wellbeing with a £1million Prevention Fund to sup- port residents’ mental and physical health. Improving roads and streets More than £12million will be spent on maintenance and improve- ments to roads, including funding to tackle potholes which will bene- fit drivers and cyclists alike. The council is also investing an additional £639,000 in street cleaning to expand the successful team, ensuring our communities are clean and attractive places in which to live and work. Tackling the climate emergency There is additional funding to expand the council’s work in this critical area by continuing to lead on the local response to the climate emergency and become carbon neutral by 2030. The council will progress initiatives View from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Toby Savage WELCOME - We’re very pleased to partner again with The Voice, a great local business, for this special edition focusing on our new budget for 2022 to 2023. This budget has supporting the most vulnerable at its core, while improving our communities for everyone. We are supporting those who feel the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, through our Community Resilience Fund. We are helping people to live healthier lives through our £1million Prevention Fund. We’re investing in the future too - spending on roads, infrastructure and schools, and taking direct action to respond to the climate and nature emergencies. I’m proud to say that we have achieved all of this while limiting the annual council tax rise to well below inflation through prudent financial management. New Council budget to support the next generation and improve communities such as delivering low carbon schools, continuing to convert its fleet to electric powered vehicles and installing new electric vehicle charging points across the district. In addition, there are plans to improve biodiversity and better connect important habitats for nature and plant over 6,000 new trees. This will include 67 green spaces across the district and the project also seeks to raise awareness and encourage use by residents to bring health and wellbeing benefits. Continued on next page Cllr Toby Savage next to solar panels in YateLooking after our environment Tackling the climate and nature emergency Climate Emergency UK recently ranked South Gloucestershire Council in the top 10 councils in the UK for taking action on the climate emergency. Since declaring the emergency in 2019, the council has been taking steps to address the climate and nature emergen- cies. With your help, it can make even more difference. Supporting The Wave’s plans to go off-grid The Wave, a unique inland surfing experience based at Easter Compton, has ambitious plans to generate their own power and ultimately go off-grid. Since The Wave opened in South Gloucestershire in 2019, they have always had sustainability at their core, for example they use 100% renewable energy, have planted thousands more trees on the site, avoid single- use plastic, and the products in their shop are based on a reduce, reuse, recycle approach. The council welcomed this major tourist and sporting destination to the district, especially given their approach to the environment. More recently, South Gloucestershire Council has supported The Wave’s plans to go a step further with their climate ambitions, providing a loan to help The Wave become self-sufficient for its own energy. This will see the installation of a solar farm on an area of unused, poor quality agricultural land within The Wave site, a Solar Smartflower which uses sun tracking technology, and other energy harnessing measures. This installation will produce more energy than the surfing lake and its surrounding facilities use every year - making the business net zero carbon in terms of its operational energy. Find out more about The Wave and their sustainability ethos at www.thewave.com Join in the spring clean The council’s annual spring clean is happening from 25 March to 10 April. If you would like to get involved and organise a litter pick in your area, contact the waste and recycling team. They will lend you free litter picking equip- ment and can arrange to collect the rubbish. Visit southglos.gov.uk/springclean Meet our new street enforcement team The council’s new street enforcement team is helping to combat issues such as littering, dog fouling and graffiti to keep our spaces greener and cleaner for everyone. The team is reminding people to take litter home or bin it and will fine those who continue to act irresponsibly. Cadbury Heath resident Cheryl, who runs courses at the Juice Community Project, told us: “The litter and dog poo left on the green space near our centre is a real problem. Before the children’s stay and play sessions on a Monday, we have to go out and try and pick mess up so the children can play. These officers will help with this problem and get the message across to stop it happening.” The team is part of the council’s plans to improve South Gloucestershire and help keep our streets tidier with £639,000 investment in its street cleaning service over the next four years. If you have concerns about where you live, you can go along to one of the community engagement forums where you can request support from the street enforcement and cleansing team, along with other council services. Find out more at www.southglos.gov.uk/CEF Financial help for you Many people have struggled financially during Covid-19. With the increase in energy prices and rising inflation, more households are under pres- sure. If you need financial help, there are several grants currently open. Find out more and apply online at www.southglos.gov.uk/financialsupport or speak to the council’s customer services, in confidence, on 01454 868009 or by visiting your nearest One Stop Shop. BUDGET CONTINUED Street enforcement officers with Cheryl from Cadbury Heath Street cleansing team with Cllr Rachael Hunt A new jubilee park A brand-new park in Cadbury Heath will mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and provide a green space for everyone to enjoy. The council is spending £500,000 on this unique project to enhance an existing open space in the community. As well as new landscaping, paths and planting, the new park will focus on wildlife and biodiversity to enable residents to reconnect with nature. Bringing Tour of Britain to South Gloucestershire The council will invest in bringing the Tour of Britain, the country’s national cycling tour, through the area in September, to support the growth of tourism and boost the local economy. www.southglos.gov.uk2Yate on the move Yate’s new £4.5mil- lion park and ride is now open. Located on Badminton Road, the facility is already helping to reduce traffic by providing attractive alternative travel options such as public transport, cycling or car sharing. The park and ride is open seven days a week (excluding bank holidays) and includes 198 parking spaces, cycle parking for 46 bi- cycles, and improved bus stops. The car park will also be available for rail users at Yate Station. Looking ahead, a new masterplan, which sets out the aspira- tions for developing Yate, could see around £600million invested in the town over the next 15 to 20 years. Produced with partners including the town council, local business and residents’ groups, the Town Improvement Masterplan for Yate’s vision sets out how organisations can work together to help the town change. During public consultation last summer on the draft vision, local people fed back that they wanted to see more investment in Yate and a modernised town. Their responses shaped the final masterplan which you can view on the council’s website at  www.southglos.gov.uk/yatemasterplan Helping Thornbury Thrive The council has secured a further £4.577million to progress its plans for Thornbury’s historic high street to create a welcoming destination. The scheme is also set to boost the town’s economy. The investment will create dedicated blue-badge parking, loading and drop off bays, stopping through-traffic, widened footways, increased cycle parking and new seating, planting and wayfinding along the much-loved high street. The next steps are for the council to complete a detailed design, taking on board views expressed so far by the community, and prepare the full business case. It will then engage again with local people and stakeholder groups. In further good news for the town, the council has bought the former Thornbury Hospital site with a focus on developing a much needed new health centre and at least 70 extra care homes. Demolition of the hospital buildings will start later this year. The council is working closely with the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group to progress plans for the replacement health centre. Improving our places South Gloucestershire communities will see yet more exciting improvements and a boost to our local economy thanks to the new budget’s spending plans. Have Your Say: Your Local Plan The council is consulting on Phase 2 of its new Local Plan preparation. You can help shape South Gloucestershire’s future by sharing your views on possible locations for new homes, business growth and change, new green networks, and areas for renewable energy. View the plans and respond online at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplan or call 01454 868004. Regenerating Kingswood In a major step towards the regeneration of Kingswood’s town centre, the council completed a £10million acquisition of the Kings Chase Shopping Centre and car park last year. Alongside the funding in place to pedestrianise Regent Street, and the restoration of the Whitfield Tabernacle, the acquisition will transform the town. Options for redevelopment of the Kings Chase centre include leisure, housing and community services to complement shopping. As part of these plans, the council is also looking at reviewing the parking charges. The acquisition, and other regeneration plans, are funded by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund. Following extensive public consultation last year, the council will be bringing a final masterplan for Kingswood before its Cabinet in March. Feedback from local people included the potential for new leisure centre facilities in the town centre. Others commented that the council should prioritise connecting the green and open spaces across the area. Cribbs Patchway Metrobus Extension on track Work on the Cribbs Patchway Metrobus Extension (CPME) is making great progress. The project will provide an alternative, fast and direct bus route between Parkway Station and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. Work along Gipsy Patch Lane has included a new railway bridge, improved paths for pedestrians and cyclists and carriageway widening for new bus lanes. Gipsy Patch Lane is set to be fully open by September this year, with metrobus services then commencing on the CPME route in spring 2023. For further information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/cpmetrobus New bridge in place at Gipsy Patch Lane Cllr Steve Reade at the new park and ride www.southglos.gov.uk3Keep in touch Sign up for our weekly enewsletter at  www.southglos.gov.uk/newsletter If you are not online and would like a printed copy, please call us on  01454 868009 Follow our social media channels at  southglos.gov.uk/twitter  southglos.gov.uk/facebook To find details of how to contact us visit  southglos.gov.uk/contactus or call  01454 868009 www.southglos.gov.uk Digital Champions here to help get online The council’s digital champions can help if you, or some- one you know, needs help to get online or would like to learn more. The digital champions run free one-to-one support sessions to help you feel more confident using the internet and online services. Based in seven South Gloucestershire libraries - Downend, Emersons Green, Hanham, Staple Hill, Thorn- bury, Winterbourne and Yate - digital champions can help you complete specific tasks such as applying for a blue badge, setting up an email account or learning how to make video calls. You can book a session and bring your own device along (such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone), or use one of the library computers on the day. To book your session, visit the library during staffed hours and speak to library staff or phone 01454 865022 (lines open Monday to Fri- day 10am to 4pm and Saturday 9.30am to 12pm). With 12 libraries, a mobile library and many communi- ty libraries open throughout the week, the council is here to help. Find your nearest library at www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries Charlton Hayes, Kingswood, Staple Hill & Mangotsfield, and Stoke Park & Cheswick have taken a further step towards getting their own new parish and town councils, following responses from the public and approval from the council’s regulatory committee. The council will consult with people again on further details in the coming months. The new parishes will give the areas more of a voice and provide a structure for taking action on local needs. Once the town and parish councils are set up, the Special Ex- penses will be reviewed and reduced if the new parish councils take over the running of services. To receive the latest news from South Gloucestershire Council direct to your inbox, including when the town and parish council consultations start, sign up at www.southglos.gov.uk/newsletter Town and parish council proposals update Find your nearest vaccine clinic at  bnssghealthiertogether.org.uk/ COVID Over time, two doses do not give enough protection against Covid-19. WE'VE BEEN BOOSTED JOIN US LET'S GET PROTECTED www.southglos.gov.uk4Next >

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