Improvement work to a pedestrian crossing outside the Willow Brook Centre in Bradley Stoke has been completed.

Previously, the white markings on the crossing between the centre and the access point to Manor Farm Crescent has become faded during the building work.

During the past week the lines were repainted, an island in the middle installed and new crossing lights added.

New rumble strips have also been added through the centre access road and car park to encourage motorists to observe the 10mph speed limit.

Motorists driving along the busy Brierly Furlong on the way out of Bradley Stoke could face delays in the coming weeks.

A new bus lane is to be installed past Parkway railway station along New Road – allowing buses to skip queuing traffic.

The lane will meet Brierly Furlong near the Harry Stoke roundabout and will have prioritised traffic lights.

The work is likely to take until the first week in June and is another project to complete Bristol’s showcase bus routes.

South Gloucestershire Council says the work is scheduled to take place during off-peak hours.

A burst water main on Gypsy Patch Lane, near Bradley Stoke, flooded the road on Saturday.

The break happened outside Rolls Royce HQ leaving motorists, heading to and from the A38, driving through water.

By 9.30am the water was cascading down the road towards Little Stoke. It appears that residential supplies were not affected.

The first meeting of a residents association, formed in the wake of the row over Bradley Stoke’s porn house, will meeting on Monday.

The Lakeside Association, which was formed with the help of Councillor Ben Walker, will help foster a “sense of community”.

Cllr Walker spoke to residents of Sherbourne Avenue, Brake Close, The Dell, The Coppice and The Bluebells following the row over a house used to shoot adult movies.

He told us: “The association has been formed so residents can discuss issues directly affecting their locality as a group, thus speaking as a group to organisations who can combat thoses issues.

“It’s also been devised to generate positive feeling for their area and help build a sense of community and a local network.”

The first meeting will be held at the Bailey’s Court Activity Centre on Monday, 20 April 2009.

The meeting will take place in the Cherry Room between 7pm and 9pm.

This week is your last chance to win £1,000 of sports equipment for your primary school – the prize must be won!

Our exciting competition, for Bradley Stoke school pupils, could see you grab a grand if you can tell us what’s so important about exercise.

All we want you to do is ask your child, who must be of primary school age, to write down on a sheet of A4 paper why we should exercise.

A panel of judges will then sift through the entries and pick the winner – whose school will get boost to its PE kit.

Make sure you get your entry is as soon as possible – this amazing prize must go to one of Bradley Stoke’s primary schools.

• Full competition details can be found by clicking here.

A litter-picking day is to be held at the end of April in Bradley Stoke in a bid to clean the town up.

The Clean Sweep day will be held on Thursday, 30 April 2009 from 2.30pm.

Bradley Stoke Town Council is encouraging residents to organise groups to clean their own areas, the activity centres or open spaces.

All the equipment needed for the day – along with refreshments – will be provided by the authority.

The initiative is the latest in a long line, including hiring a mobile cleaning operative, to help tidy Bradley Stoke.

Over the past few months, this publication has highlighted some of the problem areas.

Anybody interested in helping out on the day is asked to contact Vicky at the town council on 01454 868082.

A Sure Start centre for toddlers could open alongside a new school hall development at Bowsland Green Primary School in Bradley Stoke.

South Gloucestershire Council has applied for permission for the revamp because their current hall is “undersized for the population of children catered for”.

The new hall would provide space for school meals, sports activities and plays.

The school says once the new hall is open the current one would be fitted out for the new toddler centre.

Central government has committed to providing a Sure Start centre – to help with “early years provision” – in every community by 2010.

The centre would also provide health services for children, advice for parents and links to local training opportunities.

The development would also resolve a long-running parking issue at the school which currently does not have enough spaces for staff.

The application says: “Currently staff that cannot park within the school grounds park in adjacent residential areas, which is causing issues with neighbours.”

A consultation on the plans will run until the end of April and a decision on the development could be made in the summer.

• Bowsland Green Primary School
• More on Sure Start announcement
• New Sure Start centres for South Gloucestershire