A proposal for Stoke Lodge and The Common to split from Patchway and form a new parish has received overwhelming support from residents in a public consultation conducted by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC).
The consultation was triggered after more than 500 people in the area east of the A38 signed a petition calling for the formation of a new parish that would be completely independent of Patchway.
Asked if they would prefer to form a new parish, join with another neighbouring parish (i.e. Bradley Stoke or Stoke Gifford) or maintain the status quo, more than 80% of respondents indicated their preference for a new parish.
There were 894 leaflets issued as part of the consultation and 729 responses were received, a response rate of more than 80%. One leaflet was sent to each household, although all residents of voting age were entitled to respond individually.
The three Conservative Town Councillors that represent the Stoke Lodge area on Patchway Town Council started the petition for a new parish last year because they felt that an unfair proportion of the local rates raised from their area was being spent in other parts of Patchway.
Andy Alsop, one of the Stoke Lodge Councillors, told The Journal:
“This landslide consultation result is tremendous.”
“Stoke Lodge and The Common residents have expressed, in their hundreds, how they want their own parish council to better reflect their community. This will enable the residents to have a say on how their precept is spent; which has not always been the case.”
“Labour-run Patchway Town Council charges the second highest council tax in South Gloucestershire – a household living here in a Band D property will pay over £100 more every year than the average for a South Glos Band D property.”
“We have always believed that Stoke Lodge and The Common is a distinct community that deserves fair representation and taxation and this will be achieved by the formation of its own parish council, which is why we have helped petition for this review.”
“Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far – there is still more to do to ensure that a new parish council comes into being at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Labour Councillors representing other wards in Patchway claimed the Stoke Lodge petition was only been instigated “as a result of poor election results on the part of the local Conservative Party in Patchway and their desire to seek a more favourable power-base”. They have also been critical of the fact that the Stoke Lodge Councillors refused to take up places on any of the Town Council’s Committees following the May 2011 elections.
Cllr Chris Mills (Labour), Chair of Patchway Town Council, said:
“Whilst as a Patchway Town Councillor, I would have liked to see Patchway remain as a single parish, the residents of Stoke Lodge and the common have spoken, and must be listened to, I wish them every success with the new parish of Stoke Lodge and Patchway Common.”
Submission of the petition for a new Stoke Lodge parish triggered a Community Governance Review across the whole of South Gloucestershire. The full results of the initial public consultations conducted as part of the review are contained in a report prepared for next week’s meeting of SGC’s Regulatory Committee. Whilst a second round of consultation will now be conducted in some areas, officers are recommending that a new parish be formed for Stoke Lodge and The Common without any further consultation. In the report, they state:
“In Stoke Lodge it is not necessary to proceed to a second stage of consultation. The electoral arrangements for the new parish will be relatively simple and stakeholders will have the opportunity to comment as the detailed work progresses.”
Curiously, despite the Stoke Lodge consultation leaflet stating that SGC “would need to be satisfied that any new parish council would be large enough to be viable”, the officer report makes no assessment of this criterion. With 1,713 electors, a new Stoke Lodge parish would rank mid-table in size amongst the (currently) 46 parishes in South Gloucestershire, where the largest parish (Yate) has 17,123 electors and the smallest (Hill) has 84.
Assuming the Committee agrees to the current proposals, SGC’s Full Council will be asked to approve a final set of proposals in May 2013, after the second round of consultation has been completed in other areas of the District.
The first elections to the new parish of Stoke Lodge and The Common are expected to take place in May 2015.
Stoke Lodge independence campaigners (from left): Cllr Sarah Pomfret, Cllr Andy Alsop, Tracey Harrison Ashe and Cllr Brian Hopkinson.
This is so wrong stoke lodge and PATCHWAY Common are part of Patchway ,this must not be allowed to Happen
The original version of this article stated that Stoke Lodge would become the third smallest parish in South Gloucestershire. This was incorrect as it only considered the areas included within the terms of reference of the current Community Governance Review. Thanks to Toby Savage for pointing this out.
Hmmm
Ultimately Happy this is a non-story, but no doubt it will make the Post and has been seen on the Beeb, the SL Councillors must make hay while they can.
Long term not so simple, but that’s another story, and as Chris Mills states, we must respect democracy and the wishes of the Stoke Lodge voters, they have spoken and should be heard and their will listened to, even obeyed.
It doesn’t mean I agree with what’s been said, but we must move on.
So, I hope a line can be drawn under this now, it’s an opportunity for all, Brian Hopkinson should settle up with those in Patchway he apparently refused to according to the FSA, and both him and Sarah Pomfret should now declare their true addresses to SGC as being outside the Parish, why shouldn’t they now, they have nothing to lose? Nobody in Stoke Lodge is bothered, and as long as they represent the wishes of Stoke Lodge people, then that’s all that matters.
All of us have been cleared by the standards committee of bad behaviours towards each other and residents, no one is to blame, so we must all agree to disagree, and do the best for all residents in the area, whether they are Patchway or Stoke Lodge or wherever.
This is a positive new beginning for the Former Patchway, and funnily enough, what’s in a name, Charlton Hayes is in Filton according to the ads, Stoke Lodge now isn’t in Patchway, and we await to see where they say the new Police Station is named as?
Confused? Don’t be, all that matters is that people are listened to, who knows, they might even acknowledge the views of 4,135 voters over Highwood Road now, that really would be democracy from SGC.
So people’s wishes CAN be listened to and respected by SGC. Is there an election coming up or something?!
BUT PATCHWAY COMMON is in PATCHWAY IT. HAS BEEN BEFORE EVEN STOKE LODGE WAS HERE?
I WISH STOKE LODGE THE BEST OF LUCK AS THEY ENDEAVOUR TO BREAK FREE OF PATCHWAY.
PERHAPS THE TRAFFIC COMING FROM THAT AREA USING CONISTON ROAD AS ‘CUT THROUGH’ WILL NOW CEASE AS IS THE CASE WITH ‘SHELLMOUR AVE’. THUS REDUCING THE BURDEN ON OUR ALREADY BUSY AND DANGEROUS ROAD SURFACE. NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER TO PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS THE ROAD.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD MAKE CONISTON ROAD A ‘TOLL ROAD’ TO THOSE NOT LIVING AND PAYING TOWARDS ITS UPKEEP.
THAT SOUNDS PETTY. BUT I NEVER NOTICED ANY DEPRIVATION ON THAT SIDE OF THE RAILWAY BRIDGE REGARDING ROAD SCHOOLS ETC.
WE ALL PAY TOWARDS THE UPKEEP OF PATCHWAY WHAT EVER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE YOUR ON. STOKE LODGE IS MORE PATCHWAY THAN ANYWHERE READ YOUR HISTORY. PERHAPS THIS SIDE SHOULD BE CALLED SOMETHING ELSE? I KNOW ‘THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND’ INHABITED BY OVER 4,000 VOICES THAT NOBODY HEARS.
forgotten island,i think you will find that is callicroft,hazeldene, southsea, we are the forgotten island. according to the sign by the lights at the top of callicroft you turn right for patchway, we must be called patchstoke or maybe bradley way or how about the inbetweeners,
Re: callcroft
That is why we should stay together so that all our voices can be heard. We should keep on telling SGC that we seem to be the losers in the big scheme of things.
I have sent an email to SGC asking how the increased traffic on our roads is to be monitored now that Highwood Road is closed. Still awaiting a reply.
If you have any concerns tell them. If we don’t keep on at SGC why should they bother. We pay our Council Tax, we must be entitled to some consideration. Roll on the next elections!!
Statement from the Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council:
Councillors on the authority’s Regulatory Committee gave their approval to the creation of a new Stoke Lodge parish council at their meeting today (Thursday 13th December) with final sign-off due to be given at a special meeting of all councillors in May 2013.
Stoke Lodge and The Common currently form part of Patchway parish, even though they are separated from the rest of Patchway by the A38 dual-carriageway.
Patchway Town Council charges the second highest council tax in South Gloucestershire, but Stoke Lodge and The Common residents do not feel that they are represented fairly or taxed fairly.
South Gloucestershire Conservative Councillors for Bradley Stoke Central and Stoke Lodge, Sarah Pomfret and Brian Hopkinson, who are also both Patchway Town Councillors for Stoke Lodge, said:
“We’re delighted that the committee voted in line with the landslide consultation result to create a new parish council for Stoke Lodge and the Common.”
“Stoke Lodge residents have expressed in their hundreds how they are fed up with being taken for granted and treated as Patchway Town Council’s cash cow and how they want their own parish council to better reflect their community.”
“Labour-run Patchway Town Council charges the second highest council tax in South Gloucestershire – a household living here in a Band D property will pay over £100 more every year than the average for a South Glos Band D property.”
“We have always believed that Stoke Lodge and the Common is a distinct community that deserves fair representation and fair taxation in the form of our own parish council, which is why we helped petition for this review.”
They added:
“Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far – there is still more to do to ensure that any new parish council comes into being at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Patchway Town Council has only been “Run” by Labour councillors since May 2011, the previous council that was a Tory/ Lib Dem dominated council from 2007 to 2011 are the body responsible for the second highest council tax in SGC, not only did they Tax the residents of Patchway they spent “ALL” of Patchways reserve funding, all three Stoke Lodge councillors where part of that council.
The Labour run council asked SGC to audit the previous councils budgets, In the Last year of the Tory/ Lib Dem controlled council, it set a precept of £525,000 but set a budget of £691,500.
£166,500 more going out then coming in, the Labour Council cut the budget by over 33% but we still had to increase the council tax by the percentage recommended SGC.
The 3 Tory councillors who care about Stoke Lodge not being represented fairly on Patchway Town Council, refused to sit on any committee last year, and have an attendance record this year that leaves a lot to be desired. Two of the councillors show so much contempt to the whole idea of Patchway Town council, that they do not even send their apologies.
These are the same councillors who followed a Tory whip and supported the closure of Highwood Road, against the wishes of a large number of the “Under represented” Stoke Lodge residents, the same councillors who didn’t let the residents of Stoke Lane have a say in the closure of Shellmor Ave because it “Didn’t affect them”. The town council called a meeting and invited all residents who were affected by the Shellmor closure.
Stoke Lodge have been let down for many years by councillors Hopkinson, Pomfret and Alsop, I fear for the future representation of the electorate of Stoke Lodge, Party politics should not play a role in local government, but unfortunately some councillors appear to take more notice of party bosses then their residents
This is so wrong Patchway Common is Part of PATCHWAY and always will be
[Click image to enlarge]
The name Patchway seems to have a bit of a stigma about it, perhaps we should rename ourselves something a bit more classy sounding, such as Callicroft Stoke, call the flats ‘apartments,’ and rename all the streets after royalty or the air industry or something…
OK so it does sound a bit rubbish when written down, but that hasn’t stopped SGC before! Personally I am very happy to say I live in Patchway, Since I settled here 15 years ago I have been made to feel very welcome by the community here and have met many wonderful people who care passionately about this part of the world.
Shame not all the people who have been voted to represent the comunity share the love for and concern of the area.
If Little Stoke residents feel they are not part of Patchway then that is their decision, but I wish the SGC would listen to our wishes too.
@Jen, It’s Stoke Lodge that is looking to split from Patchway. Little Stoke falls within the parish of Stoke Gifford and will continue to do so.
Sorry – my mistake! Please accept my apologies
Patchway has no more of a stigma about it than anywhere else I don’t know where you get your ideas from Jen
@Jen
I’m sadly inclined to agree with you and don’t understand why this is the case. It’s no worse or better than any other average place to live in modern times with current issues, but on a positive note with much to offer that many outside don’t know.
The Sports Awards Evening for local clubs and societies is a great example of just how much is on offer here, with back up for those in need offered by the community centres and the support networks we must protect and preserve as the cuts will come harder as the years go by until the next election.
We’ve had a great welcome from neighbours and clubs since moving here, and enjoy being part of a good neighbourhood of people I’m proud to call friends.
The Stoke Lodge issue is typical of local and national tory views of people not so well off as them, some are snobs, some are mean, some are selfish, some are fakers and phonies pretending to be something they are not, a strange mentality, but thankfully not all there are so judgemental.
Here’s to making Patchway a good place to live despite these challenges.
I currently live in Patchway on the ‘wrong side’ of the A38. I am personally not happy to be made part of Stoke Lodge. Council tax is minute in difference. Patchway town council have a town clerk as well as 2 permanent office staff and a town council building. Where is the ‘Stoke Lodge’ council ran from? I have never even met any councillors that supposedly represent this area.
Currently Patchway Town Council fund a lot of activities ‘this side of the A38’. There is a youth club, links with churches, events held for residents. Unless you actually get involved in your community you are always going to feel ‘left out’ free transport is provided for lots of events on the ‘other side’.
I would like to know how this new council plans on spending their budget? Will the youth group and support services for youth going to be continued to be provided? What about the events this side…..will they provide events and community activities…..my guess is a lot of money will be wasted in setting up a ‘town council’ office which is where the money will go as we’ll as paying for staff. In the long run I personally believe our council tax will be raised by this supposedly better council to fund what they believe is essential and not actually listen to us residents. A lot of people I know who live this side of the A38 believe the same as me and do not want to split from Patchway.
What happens to the twinning a currently with Germany and France.
Who will be Mayor?
What services will be provided?
What about young people in the area?
What about older immobile residents?
What about events for families?
Can we have a guarantee that our council tax won’t be increased?
I would really like these answered
Patchway is a good place to live and should be left well alone