Bradley Stoke residents will not face a rise in the town council’s portion of this year’s council tax.

They voted to accept a budget which features a 0% change in precept for 2009/10.

The council also approved plans for a new cleaning operative to work in Bradley Stoke.

Draft minutes for meetings will also be published on the council website within 10 working days.

For other news from the meeting click below for our live coverage from the Jubilee Centre.

10.16pm: Other than a bit of Freedom of Information discussion and fixing future meetings, that is it. Scroll down if you want to read back what happened in chronological order.

10.13pm: The planning committee, apparently, wrote to first bus over the recent axed services. First replied and said “tough”, according to David Chandler. More to follow at planning next week.

10.12pm: Four Towns Transport meeting in on 26 January at 10am – the council have encouraged representatives to attend.

10.10pm: The discussion moves on to the lack of bus services full stop in Bradley Stoke and how some in Mayor Jones’ part of town now can’t get into work after First recently axed services.

10.09pm: Apparently it costs £35-per-person on the current usage – around the cost of a taxi from the city centre to Bradley Stoke.

10.08pm: Mark Forsyth asks if it should be routed to avoid areas that do not pay for it. It turns out a survey on who uses it was held on just one night.

10.06pm: Jon Williams asks if the service could be suspended during university holiday times.

10.03pm: Next, an update on the night bus. David Chandler says there will be a meeting on 26 January. Filton and Stoke Gifford have not subscribed to the scheme and UWE are withdrawing. Patchway and Bradley Stoke are the last left funding it. It is possible the bus could now only run on Friday nights. Bradley Stoke puts £8,000 into the scheme which costs £31,000.

10pm: They vote for him to write advice in a forthcoming Bradley Stoke Town Council meeting.

9.45pm: He’s suggesting getting residents to pay £20-per-house towards a residents’ association.

9.41pm: David Cole is here to talk about fly tipping in communal areas. he says one of the problems here is the fact we have a lot of short-term tenants here who just dump rubbish on the way out. He’s now outlining the problems with getting people to move rubbish.

9.40pm: It’s now ten working days and subject to confidentiality. It’s passed.

9.38pm: Brian Hopkinson says the minutes should be put up as soon as possible with a caveat that they are draft. David Chandler says a week or 10 days could be realistic for publication. Mark Forsyth wants assurances that private discussions are kept off the minutes.

9.37pm: Councillor Ben Walker asks if there’s any way approval for minutes can be made via email. David Chandler says it has to be done with the council there.

9.36pm: They’re now comparing how neighbouring councils operate and showing how open they believe they are.

9.30pm: Mark Forsyth tries to explain a example using the remaining members of the public as fake contractors. The long-and-short is how they would mark private and on-going discussions in a public documents.

9.29pm: Robert Jones says he can see the benefit of publishing them for the sake of openess and showing what the council does.

9.27pm: Jon Williams points out South Gloucs does publish draft minutes so queries the advice. He says they should provide information to the press and public “as speedily as possible”.

9.25pm: Now on to policy over draft minutes on the town council website. Town Clark David Chandler says the district has said he has been advised they should not be published “under any circumstances”.

9.23pm: Next is the location of the compound for the development of the Brook Way Surgery – but it has been withdrawn as a contractor has been found who does not require the space.

9.22pm: They vote to pay the bills.

9.18pm: Bills and direct debits are circulated for approval. Vandalised bins and and vandalised shower at the Jubilee Centre among items queried.

9.17pm: Still talking about petty cash …

9.10pm: Petty cash regulations.

9.03pm: Talk about financial auditing matters.

8.59pm: The budget is passed – only one abstention from Jon Williams.

8.57pm: The new cleaning operative is one of items in the new budget along with a 0% rise in the town council precept.

8.55pm: Mark Forsyth says he has spent some 100 hours on the bowls club. Jon Williams says he should “sharpen up his negotiating skills” which causes a few gasps. Robert Jones has to bring the meeting back to order. Nobody backs going back to Northavon Bowls Club.

8.50pm: Councillor Mark Forsyth says the club is “indecisive” and “works to its own agenda” and if they gave them favourable terms it would infuriate the cricket club who signed up to the terms offered to the bowls club.

8.48pm: Councillor Jon Williams asks if there has been any response from the Northavon Bowls Club. Mark Forsyth says their offer has been rejected without negotiation – which leaves them homeless. He says it is now “on its last legs” with 24 members left. He points out how much it will cost to maintain the green with little public use. Cllr Williams asks if an offer of £4,000 would be acceptable.

8.44pm: Now on to the budget for 2009/10. Mayor Jones says it is “a very good budget” and “commends it in its entirety”.

8.42pm: Winsome from Southern Brooks wonders if farmers would have the enthusiasm to collect rent for dozens of allotment owners. The council, though, votes to approach them.

8.38pm: They are now thinking of talking to local farmers to see if there’s any way they can supply land for allotments. David Chandler suggests land which could be used for travellers between Old Gloucester Road and the M4. He says the noise from the motorway might put off travellers. They should try living in my house …!

8.31pm: Allotments now, and debate over Patchway Council’s decision to raise the fees for non-Patchway residents. Bradley Stoke was to pay the difference. David Chandler says South Gloucestershire Council has a 150+ waiting list and is doing an “aerial survey” to find suitable land. A great twist on the Great Meadow Road housing story which we’ve been reporting on – there is a proposal to put allotments on it! The final decision on the housing lies with South Gloucestershire Council who will make a final decision tomorrow.

8.27pm: Now to the minutes of the Finance and Leisure Committee. First is the transfer of youth services to Brook Way Activity Centre. A future meeting will be decided amongst the councillors.

8.24pm: Next is lighting at the skate park. David Chandler says it should be open sunrise to sunset but youths are climbing the fence and using it when dark. There’s some debate over whether it should be lit or not. It is being moved to a future planning meeting pending investigations.

8.23pm: They vote to plant the trees.

8.21pm: We move on to how the site could be secured. Robert Jones suggests planting young trees could be a test case for whether the area will need any fencing.

8.16: Town Clerk David Chandler talks about fencing. They’re now discussing having a community day to support the Friends of the Jubilee Green. February 16 is discussed as a good day for tree planting but they’re worried they might get vandalised.

8.15pm: Beacon Play Scheme update now.

8.10: Mark Forsyth is having trouble working out how International Women’s Day is a Bradley Stoke thing, but the Outstanding Women sponsored award is for areas beyond the town boundaries. Councillor Ben Walker volunteers to be a judge.

8.09pm: Robert Jones brings up the example of how Southern Brooks helped out the Sticky Fingers group who found themselves in trouble.

8.07pm: Questions now. Discussion over how many groups there are in the town and what Southern Brooks does to help them out. Julie says they help a wide range of groups.

8.05pm: Interesting debate over the word Diaspora. Councillor Mark Forsyth learns his new thing for the day (yes, you learn something new every day folks! Me – I already knew what it meant. Honest.)

8.01pm: Winsome says they have applied for funding for the long-awaited Radio Bradley Stoke.

7.58: Winsome Muir, Bradley Stoke’s Community Development Worker, is going to talk to us. She tells of how the partnership works with different groups in the town.

7.55pm: Julie is talking through how the Southern Brooks partnership works, where the council’s grant money goes and what is pays for.

7.52pm: Julie is pointing out the differences between community work and development and how they support residents and plan action.

7.48pm: Julie Snelling from Southern Brooks is now talking to the council. She is bigging up the work of the Bailey’s Court youth centre.

7.43pm: Bailey’s Court Youth Club are now making points about the good work they do. They are “very concerned” about the move to Brook Way. Next a leader of the Jubilee Centre youth centre says they have increased their numbers to around 44 on a Thursday night. More stand up and support the current services telling of the “excellent feedback” they are getting.

7.38pm: The editor of The Bradley Stoke Journal is asking why the public were not invited to a meeting surrounding where the town council offices will be located. Mayor Robert Jones says an agenda was circulated to members but not the public. In that meeting, as we reported, a proposed move to a revamped Jubilee Centre was discussed – they had been planning to move to the Willow Brook Centre. He is now making points about how agendas are not published in draft form.

7.35pm: Next is the Beacon Play Area planned for Jubilee Green – Neighbourhood Watch is calling for the police to be involved in security at the site. They are worried about vandalism there.

7.31pm: Public submissions – first is an invite to the Safer, Stronger meeting on 17 February here at the Jubilee Centre. The new beat manager is due at the meeting should anybody wish to go along. Further details are in our what’s on area.

7.30pm: For a change, a well attended meeting. Around 15 members of the public here as mayor Robert Jones starts proceedings.