The final stages of a safety scheme to encourage sustainable travel in Yatton are set to begin in February The project will see the installation of a 20mph speed limit across much of Yatton as well as pedestrian improvements and traffic calming The scheme is part of North Somerset Council’s commitment to improve road safety and sustainable travel The council has worked closely with Yatton ward members and the parish council to devise a package of improvements designed to improve safety and perceptions of safety for people walking cycling and using other forms of active travel between North End and Yatton village centre The work follows other improvements already introduced including footway widening a raised zebra crossing and kerb realignment near Barberry Farm Road The 20mph scheme will be the 29th introduced since 2000 with recent zones including Hutton Weston (Baker Street) and Pill and Easton-in-Gordano A further 20mph is also planned for Kenn following consultation with residents this autumn The Yatton work was due to be finished before Christmas but contractor delays have meant the scheme has been pushed back North Somerset Council’s executive member with responsibility for sustainable travel said: “We have worked closely with our ward members and Yatton Parish Council to devise a scheme that improves safety encourages sustainable travel and links the new developments with the rest of Yatton “I am delighted that work will soon begin on the final stage of the project.” North Somerset Council’s ward members for Yatton added: “While Yatton High Street is very busy at peak times the key issue for most residents is safety.  "The 20mph limit is set to make the village streets better places to be for people walking Clerk to Yatton Parish Council said: "Yatton Parish Council is pleased that Yatton will shortly be getting a 20mph speed limit bringing it into line with many other places in North Somerset and also the country as a whole It will make the roads and paths safer for everyone “The widening and raising of the pedestrian crossings will also contribute to these very positive measures." Whitehall and Yatton are the featured Club Connexion clubs for the visit of Exeter Chiefs to Bear Country for Community Day on Saturday The four local rugby clubs from the Foundation’s Club Connexion programme take centre stage on Community Day as for the West Country derby (5.30pm KO) Club Connexion is our local club partnership offer which supports the community clubs with coach education workshops player development camps and many other benefits All 30 local rugby clubs will enjoy a featured Bristol Bears home game at Ashton Gate throughout the 2024/25 season as part of the Club Connexion programme and you can find out more about Cheddar Valley Cheddar Valley RFC is a fully inclusive rugby club that welcomes players of all ages and abilities From the club’s minis teams to its family-oriented atmosphere Cheddar Valley pride themselves on creating a supportive and fun environment for everyone Hayley Keates-Porter says: “The club wanted to get involved in Club Connexion because it provides a fantastic opportunity to offer children new experiences and help them develop their love for rugby It’s a great platform to create excitement around the sport and encourage more young players to get involved.” “We’re incredibly excited for our Club Connexion featured game against Exeter Chiefs at Ashton Gate this will be their first time attending a live sports game so it’s a great opportunity to create lasting memories “We’re thrilled to share this experience with both our players and their families and it fills us with pride to have our club featured It’s a special moment for everyone involved and we can’t wait to see the excitement it brings to the whole community.” founded in 1931 by a teacher at what was then Whitehall School The club is still embedded in the local community with a membership of senior players and members who have been part of the club since they were kids.  The club’s minis and junior section has grown massively in the last few years and welcomes players of all abilities throughout the season to be part of Whitehall Sarah Pascoe said: “Until recently our Minis and Juniors has been small in number but we have seen a massive growth in numbers recently and being involved in Club Connexions allows our members to become more involved in the sport premiership fixtures and other events that Bristol Bears facilitate in the city.  “It’s an exciting programme for all our members and volunteers to feel part of the wider rugby community Our U9s are very excited to be on the pitch playing touch rugby before the featured game and we have a lot of new players who have never been flag bearers who also can’t wait to get on the pitch and enjoy the atmosphere.” Yatton RFC aim to make everyone feel welcome Whether it is hosting the Somerset Cup Final or welcoming touring side the club offers a warm welcome to everyone says: “We feel rugby brings huge personal joy to those involved and this has been a focus for our Minis & Junior section for a number of years We are blessed with brilliant coaches who not only give up their Sundays to train everyone interested in rugby but we also attend the local primary schools “Being a Club Connexion club was very important to us it has enabled us to benefit from the Bristol Bears Community Foundation’s coaching expertise as well as giving local kids opportunities they wouldn’t normally have Our kids are buzzing ahead of our featured game it’s good to have Premiership rugby back – we’ve missed it!” Ashton Gate StadiumAshton RoadBristolBS3 2EJ To continue please log in with your personal details Logging in will give you access to ticketing If you have not yet set up a Bristol Bears account just click Create Account below Britain’s railway stations are set to compete in the World Cup of Stations 2024 a competition that celebrates the importance of rail and its role in supporting communities this year’s focus is on the businesses that make stations vital community hubs driving local economies.    with the winner being announced on 22 October.  Four stations feature in the Bonus heat where you can vote for Wilmslow Petersfield or Shawford stations when voting opens on Wednesday 16 October at 8am and finishes at midnight.  This year’s competition will showcase the best stations in the country which have amazing local businesses either in their station or the surrounding area Petersfield and Shawford stations have been included which are based on suggestions made by Community Rail Network which work to engage local people with their railways These stations have been recognised for their role in promoting local engagement and supporting their communities.   Petersfield and Shawford stations in the Bonus category:  Join the fun and vote for your favourite station at raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations The competition will unfold in a series of online public votes with three semi-finals on 17 October and a final on 18 October.  Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group said: “Local businesses in stations up and down the country are proving to be at the very heart of the communities they serve and we want to shine a light on the very best stations in England “All of the stations nominated are making a positive impact on their local community and the variety of businesses at stations is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff as well as the importance placed on supporting local businesses.”  said: "This amazing café has been created in a previously disused area of Shawford Station cake and real gelato but it has provided a new communal space and facilities for rail users the local community and visitors to Shawford This partnership approach has delivered a new business and venture for the station which is welcomed by the community and everyone who uses the station." said: "The Petersfield hub has been instrumental in delivering schemes that have made a real difference to the community it serves I have seen the impact this has made locally through all the hard work and support of the volunteers resulting in making the hub the centre of the community."    National Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses said: “Railway stations up and down the country are home to a huge range of small firms regular commuters and day trippers on a daily basis These businesses contribute such a lot to our local economies and are a great source of employment “Not only do railway stations house an array of businesses they are vital for providing visitors with easy access to local high streets This competition is a great way to shine a light on the excellent and varied small firms based in and around transport hubs across the UK showcasing the products and services they have to offer.”       said: “The community rail movement is constantly striving to promote enhance and transform stations for the benefit of local communities including using half of Britain’s stations as sites for volunteering providing spaces for community initiatives running locally-led arts and nature projects or improving sustainable travel confidence and connections Last year’s competition saw over 72,000 votes cast across 12 heats with Wemyss Bay in Scotland taking the crown stations from all over the UK will compete showcasing the best local businesses that make our train stations more than just places to catch a train.  Don’t miss your chance to have your say in the World Cup of Stations 2024 and support the station that brings the best of local businesses to your community.   Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ A SCHOOL in Yatton which was partly destroyed in a fire last year has had plans approved to rebuild the school Yatton Infant School’s classrooms and half of the building’s roof were devasted in an accidental fire during the May Bank Holiday of 2023 no one was inside the building at the time The school has now had plans approved to replace the six classrooms damaged by the fire which would include three classrooms for Year 1 and three for Year 2 a library and group rooms would also be rebuilt with a small extension to the existing hall along with external teaching spaces around the new building One of the new classrooms will be fitted out as a nurture room with a kitchenette and living space The temporary classrooms that were set up following the fire will be removed and the temporary school will be relocated to the playing field The all-weather pitch installed with the temporary school will be retained The proposed site plan Picture: Lighthouse SchoolsPartnership The rebuild is being funded by the Department for Education on the basis it would be a like for like replacement “A courtyard provides a central focus linking infant and junior school buildings aiding transition from infants to juniors,” said the plans “All classrooms have direct access to an external teaching space “It should be noted that the number of pupils and capacity of the school remain unchanged from the original capacity before the fire.” The plans were approved by North Somerset Council on November 15 log on to planning.n-somerset.gov.uk and search 24/P/1748/FUL Follow us on Facebook Subscribe to the Newsletter The New Blackmore Vale Magazine The New Stour & Avon Magazine Salisbury & Avon Gazette Developers Persimmon want to build hundreds of new homes at Yatton Batch(Image: Richard Croucher)An inquiry has ruled that 190 homes can be built on a North Somerset flood zone — in a nationally significant decision which could impact how decisions are made about building in flood zones Developers Persimmon had appealed to the planning inspectorate — which acts like a court for planning applications — after North Somerset Council failed to decide its plans to build up to 190 homes in Yatton by the deadline Now planning inspector David Prentis has ruled the homes can go ahead stating: “It will be necessary to allocate some sites that are at risk of flooding to meet the housing needs of the district.” North Somerset Council has been told by the government it needs to find space to build 1,593 homes a year until 2040 The council had aimed to avoid building in flood zones but the area’s local councillor said the result of the inquiry “blows a hole” in these plans said the decision was “very disappointing.” He told the council’s planning committee on March 19: “If it stands then it has implications for how we deal with planning applications in flood zones — and potential implications for the local plan as well So we are looking at it and we are discussing it with our barrister and what our options are at this stage.” it said it would have turned it down over flooding concerns and the size of the development The council’s policy is for developments adjoining villages to only be around 25 homes Lord Charlie Banner KC — who sits as a Tory peer in the House of Lords — represented Permission at the inquiry which sat sporadically between September and January His chambers Keating Chambers hailed the result as “hugely important” and said: “This decision will be of immense interest to the planning and development sector.” Yatton’s councillor on North Somerset Council, Steve Bridger (Independent), said: “I am sick to my stomach over the inspector's decision to grant planning permission for homes that will sit entirely on the flood plain This is completely at odds with national planning policy and blows a hole in the spatial strategy that underpins the council’s emerging new local plan “We need to resist building new homes on flood plains and on that the planning guidance is clear Yet Mr Prentis has chosen to disregard this — a decision that is nationally significant So I have asked the council to urgently consider a legal challenge.” Persimmon plans to raise the land on which the houses are built to prevent them flooding Half of the homes would be affordable housing and 70% of the site would remain open space with orchards Mr Prentis said: “I have found that the wider sustainability benefits outweigh the flood risk.” in a theoretical one-in-200-year-flood event the planned homes would not increase flood risk or neighbours of flood themselves — but in a scenario where future high tides breach the sea defences and flood the North Somerset levels modelling suggests it would take 42 hours for the water to reach the site on the edge of Yatton Mr Prentis said: “Future residents would not be taken by surprise." Mr Bridger said: “Let’s be clear. We do need new houses - and Yatton is getting them in spades – but we can't only build houses - and not at any cost. We need supporting infrastructure like better roads, employment opportunities, more school places, more NHS appointments and more frequent and reliable public transport the NHS has recently confirmed it has no intention to deliver a new medical facility in the area and our bus service will be reduced from April Government funding to enable the council to do anything other than manage a deteriorating road network is sorely lacking.” Mr Bridger said: “Many of my constituents have lost faith in the planning system to deliver the housing we urgently need and I share that view.” He warned that the government’s new housing target for North Somerset was “frankly impossible.” The council has been told it needs to hit a mandatory target of building 23,895 new homes by 2040 — although it might not have enough builders to build them all With large parts of the district either falling within the green belt the council is looking at taking areas out of the green belt to build thousands of homes as an extension of Bristol It delayed submitting its new local plan — the document which sets out the council’s planning policies for the next 15 years and where developments should go — to accommodate the larger housing target But while it has a housing land supply shortage and no up-to-date local plan the power of the council to control developments is limited A MAJOR developer has donated £2,000 to Yatton Junior Football Club. Persimmon Homes Severn Valley presented the cheque to players and volunteer club officials at their training ground in the town before a training session. Established in 1969, the club currently welcomes over 350 players and their families from around Bristol and North Somerset to develop their love of football by promoting the values of inclusivity, fair play and fun. Its ten mixed teams cater for players aged between 6 and 16, with teams spanning three different leagues, while the thriving girls’ sides now offers opportunities for players six to 14, playing in the Woodspring, Bristol Girls, Bristol Saturday, Avon Youth leagues. The five-star developer is shortly due to open its Redworthy Orchard site off Moor Road in Yatton. The development will have 60 properties ranging from two to four-bed homes available for local people with green space and animal boxes included as part of the plans. Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme sees £700,000 donated to good causes and much-valued organisations across Britain every year. Last Christmas, Yatton Rugby Club secured funding through the programme. Persimmon Homes Severn Valley Sales Director, Carly Spear said: “Our Community Champions scheme is for great causes and organisations that do wonderful work in the areas in which we build, so we are delighted to be lending a helping hand to Yatton JFC. “Persimmon has a particular record of catering to first time buyers so the new, sustainable community we will be bringing to Yatton will be home to many a local young family over decades to come, and I’m sure many of its residents will go on to play for this brilliant club. “We wish all of the club’s teams the very best of luck for the rest of the season.” Drew Wale, Co-Chair of Yatton Junior Football Club, added: “We’re grateful to Persimmon for their donation. While we cater to a wide range of children – shown in the many teams we have for both girls and boys – it is a huge undertaking to make sure everything runs smoothly. “Funding like this is always welcome to ensure that young people in our community have chances like this to be part of a team, to look after their physical and mental health, and get the opportunity to develop their skills, build friendships, and have exciting experiences. “We would love to hear from any other organisations who would like to contribute to our worthy cause.” Comments Tel: 01761 258030[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 Developer Persimmon had appealed to the planning inspectorate – functioning as a court for planning applications – after North Somerset Council did not make a decision on its plans to build up to 190 homes in Yatton by the deadline Planning inspector David Prentis has now ruled that the development can proceed stating: "It will be necessary to allocate some sites that are at risk of flooding to meet the housing needs of the district." North Somerset Council has been instructed by the government to find space for 1,593 homes annually until 2040 The council had intended to steer clear of flood zones but the local councillor for the area said the outcome of the inquiry "blows a hole" in these intentions The council's head of planning Jason Beale described the decision as 'very disappointing' The fields at Yatton Batch on the west side of the village which are only five metres above sea level and fall entirely within 'flood zone 3a' – the most severe flood risk category before being deemed a "functional flood plain." The council indicated it would have rejected the proposal due to worries about flooding and the scale of the project their policy stipulates that developments adjacent to villages should be limited to approximately 25 homes North Somerset Council's planning committee voted in favour of a 150-home development on the outskirts of Nailsea despite similar concerns that it could become 'cut off' by flooding The committee was informed that developers planned to include an emergency exit if the sole access road flooded and that emergency services would be able to navigate through the floodwaters Commenter Chubsley says: “They tried this in Salisbury a few years ago Locals protested and said the houses would flood because it wasn't called a 'flood plain' for no reason They built the houses anyway and to nobody's surprise Some people just need to learn the hard way.” Avonlady states: “Wait till they all start complaining about having no flood defences and the cost of insurance It's absolutely ludicrous that they are allowing this to happen will the new residents be able to get insurance against flooding as it is a known flood risk who will pay and look after people if/when that happens either the Planning Inspectorate or the housebuilder be responsible?” KaptainVon agrees: “'Flood zone' Presumably therefore developers will be equipping each and every house with its own life raft and flares Or will it be the usual case of "Oops Lessons will be learned!" when the inevitable happens as it already has elsewhere where homes were built on floodplains.” Shadower responds: “The developers don't care so long as they can sell the houses and move on the only beneficiaries will be the lawyers.” they just need to get them built and sold before they flood!” everyone will be crying out that it's down to ‘climate change.” Junius1 thinks: “This is what happens when local authority planning committees which have greater knowledge of local conditions are weakened to allow central departmental or ministerial overrules for meeting overambitious central housing targets Interesting that North Somerset's housing development plans will lead to a sizable extension to (greater) Bristol it is now time for serious consideration of a Greater Bristol city region to replace the historically troubled West of England mayoral combined authority?” Rolandrp replies: “North Somerset Council failed to reach a decision within a given deadline They didn't object to the plan when it was first put to them If the flood risk was that significant surely they should have acted sooner and not required the Planning Inspector to become involved?” I’m trying my hardest but all I’m hearing is NIMBY.” What do you think about building houses in a flood zone? Necessary or a recipe for disaster? Have your say in our comments section. 28 Dec 2024Crowds were left wowed as tractors came out in force to put on a show in aid of a good cause The annual Charity Tractor run saw the lit up farm vehicles take to the streets Taking to Facebook one person said: “Today was the Charity Tractor run put on by George Knowles and George Atwell “Some truly amazing decorating and illumination on the tractors lots of work going into many and there certainly seemed a lot more people at the start to see them on their way then previous years.” Another added: “Charity Tractor Run in Yatton Bristol heading to Nailsea and Backwell shortly raising money for a fantastic cause prostate cancer …… To donate to the charity, click here. So far more than £4,000 has been raised