It’s great to be back keeping you updated on what the council is doing to improve people’s lives in the Chew Valley and across our area.   

Congratulations to the newly elected MPs for our region. Our local authority now covers three Parliamentary constituencies, and we look forward to working closely with our local Westminster representatives, Anna Sabine, Dan Norris and Wera Hobhouse. The new government has many challenges to address, not least of which is the crisis in council funding. MPs and councils will work with the government to ensure our region gets a fairer deal.   

Looking ahead to the summer, our Holiday Activities and Food Programme runs until 30 August. It is available for every child and young person in our area aged 5 to 16 years old who receives benefit-related free school meals. Every session includes a free meal and offers activities such as holiday camps covering art, nature, performing arts, team games and sport. All eligible families have been contacted directly by the Holiday Activities team.  

We are also consulting on matters of interest to you and your community. Following engagement activities with residents across North East Somerset, the council is developing a new, long-term transport strategy focusing on this vital part of our district. The public consultation for this draft plan is underway and runs to Tuesday 20 August. You can take part online via the council’s website where you will find the full documentation and a questionnaire. Paper copies will be held at libraries and community libraries across the district.  

Whitchurch Village is one of the areas specifically addressed in the transport strategy. Publow and Whitchurch ward Councillor Paul May has welcomed the council administration’s responsiveness to local residents’ concerns regarding transport and active travel. A pedestrian crossing to the play area on the A37 is high on the list of residents’ priorities. 

Chew Valley ward Councillors Dr Dave Harding and Anna Box are delivering positive outcomes for residents. Some highlights include obtaining funding for a crossing on the Bristol Road in Chew Stoke, improvement of the crossing in front of the Primary School on the A368 in Bishop Sutton, securing the postponement and redesign of an inappropriate development by Wessex Water in the Mendip AONB in Bishop Sutton, and accessing the ward councillor empowerment fund to assist The Chew Valley Nature Fest and Stanton Drew Village in Bloom.  

Finally, we know that dangerous, speeding traffic is a concern to residents across our area. Please look out for a forthcoming public consultation on reducing speed limits on the A368 through Ubley, Compton Martin, Bishop and Stowey Sutton as well as 20 mph limits in some of the residential areas within the Chew Valley villages.