Open Spaces in Downend and Bromley Heath

The Open Spaces in our Parish are owned by South Gloucestershire Council but the Parish Council works very hard to support local people to enable them to share in the management of these spaces. The Open Spaces Committee has responsibility for parks, footpaths, dog bins and litter bins.

The Skate Park at Bromley Heath Playing Field Skatepark

The Skate Park was set up in 2004 through the hard work of a group of local young people called BHRAG. They worked with South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) and the Parish Council and raised grants to install the equipment. The site can be accessed from the playing fields off Queensholm Crescent in Bromley Heath or from the cycle track alongside the A4174 Ring Road.
The Parish Council now leases this site from SGC and pay for maintenance and to have the equipment safety checked. It was painted in the summer of 2008 and has had an extra litter bin installed to try to reduce the litter problem at the site.
It is generally a very well used resource, well positioned and much enjoyed.

Bromley Heath Park

Bromley Heath Park, off Queensholm Crescent is managed by a Friends Group. This group is well supported and well led by Kevin Chapman who can be contacted on bromleyheathpark@aol.com
The Friends Group helped to get the play equipment improved and is to be congratulated on raising money for the new kick about football area. It has been well used from the day it was put in. Some new trees have also been planted around the Children's Play Area.
The Friends have improved accessibility of the park from the cycle track by putting in a sloping path to replace the steep steps. This was funded by a Lottery Grant. There have been ongoing issues of litter and maintenance which the Friends regularly work with SGC about.

Leap Valley Leap Valley looking West

Leap Valley is a hidden Open Space off Badminton Road. It is owned by South Gloucestershire Council and managed by the Friends Group. It forms part of a wildlife corridor linking the River Frome through to Emersons Green. The best ways to access it is through footpaths from Badminton Road (just along from the Methodist Church), Aintree Drive/Beverley Avenue on the David Wilson Estate or from Fouracre Crescent/Bury Hill View.
The Friends of Leap Valley have published a Nature Journal for this local site of nature conservation interest. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful and interesting open space in our parish. This site is important for wildlife because it has such a variety of habitats - woodland with bluebells in the spring, wetland with snipe and water rail, a pond and stream, as well as lots of grassland and hedgerows. In the summer it is buzzing with life and on sunny days lots of bees and butterflies can be seen feeding on the flowers.
The Nature Journal is for all age groups and all users of the valley but particularly for families and children. It contains 'I-Spy' pages and 'Things to do' pages as well as lots of information about the habitats, the seasons and all the animals and plants that can be found there.
Several local schools and cub groups are visiting the site and using the Nature Journal to help the children get familiar with the wildlife and wild places they will find there.
The Friends have held Bird Box Making Events Some of these nesting boxes have been put up in the valley. Bat Walks are also organised from time to time.
In 2010 the Friends worked with South Gloucestershire Council to raise the money to resurface the main path running through the valley.
For more information watch the notice board in the valley or contact Mary Lewis marylewis@blueyonder.co.uk .
Visit their website where you will find a PDF of the Nature Journal - http://www.simplesite.com/friendsofleapvalley

Lincombe Barn Park and Woods Bat Walk

This open space can be accessed from Lincombe Barn car park off Rockland Road.
There is an enthusiastic Friends Group helping to manage this site (e-mail contact astley52@btinternet.com).
They have held a Bat Walks attended by 50 people and the bats turned up on cue! They have had an Autumn Clean and a Spring Clean and spent a morning clearing brambles and planting young hazel whips. They have also held a Dawn Chorus Walk and 2 Fungus Forays.
They are working on access issues and had a new path put in to get down to the board walk which was installed last year. They have high hopes of further access work. They have also installed 3 seats.
They have a Management Plan produced for the woods, giving guidance for future maintenance of the area to enhance it for the benefit of wildlife and local people.
The Parish Council put in a notice board at Lincombe Barn which can be used by the Friends, the Barn and the Parish Council.
The children's play area was replaced in 2011 as part of the second year of the SGC Playbuilder Government Grant after working with local children and parents on what they would like to see there.
The Mud Pie Explorers, a fun environment group for children, meets in the woods once a month. For further information, contact Nickie on 07753 636705 or visit their website www.mud-pies.co.uk.

King George V Playing Fields

These playing fields between Westerleigh Road and Farm Road/Sutherland Avenue are well used by sports teams.

Tree planting at King George V In 2010 the children from St Augustine's Catholic Primary School planted trees and shrubs and installed a new bench in the park as part of their 40th Anniversary Celebrations. A second bench was put in by the Parish Council.

Table tennis at King George V The Parish Council worked with South Gloucestershire Council in 2011 to install new play equipment in the park. This includes a zip wire, basket swing, table tennis table and exercise equipment. The new additions have been enthusiastically received by all ages.

The next project is to get the fenced Children's Play Area refurbished and some new equipment installed for the younger children. Further consultation with residents will be taking place in 2012 and we hope to form a Friends Group for the play area.

Yellow litter bins The litter bins in the park have been painted yellow in the hope that they are seen better and used more, especially by young people using the park as a way through to school.

Hill House Park Hillhouse Park Gate

This is a new park open to the public. It is the old playing field that belonged to Downend Lower School site situated off Hill House Road, behind the new Willow Surgery. An access gate has now been installed and it is hoped to plant some trees there in Autumn 2012. Further work will have to wait for a few years as there is a 10 year rule which prevents any change of use of ex school playing fields. It is hoped that further play equipment and games facilities may be installed and that part of the site might become allotments.

Footpaths

Footpath - Farm Road to George V Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council has been focusing on paths not recorded on the Definitive Map nor on the List of Streets within this area and have been putting together applications to get these added, so they will not be lost.

In June 2009, the long process began to add the first path, Farm Road to George V, to the Definitive Map and Statement of Public Rights of Way for South Gloucestershire. The application made was based on both user and documentary evidence. Thirteen user evidence forms were sent to the District Council stating frequent use spanning from 1960 to the present day. This is now on the Definitive Map.

Applications are also in process for the footpath between Oakdale Court and Heath Court, Four Acre Avenue to Badminton Road, Baugh Gardens to Fouracre Crescent, Croomes Hill to Overndale Road through Britannia Woods and Sutherland Avenue through to Westerleigh Road via Kimberley Close.

We succeeded in getting the resurfacing of some paths, such as the ones between Badminton Road and Oakdale Court and between Badminton Road and Fouracre Crescent.

Dog Bins

The Parish Council paid for the installation and continued maintenance of 3 dog bins within the parish. All are well used! The others are maintained by SGC. We are always glad to hear of places where new dog bins are needed.

Litter bins Fouracre litter bin

At the request of local residents we have put bins at the end of Oakdale Walk, on the path between Badminton Road and Fouracre Crescent and on the path from Queensholm Crescent to the Cycle track. We continue to maintain 4 other bins at Quakers Road, Fouracre Road, Co-Op car park and North Street.
Several other locations are being monitored and we welcome suggestions from members of the public about where bins are needed. However it does cost over £400 to install a litter bin and £160 a year to have it emptied!

Easy Access Trails

The Easy Access Trails booklet, part two, is available to download from the South Gloucestershire Council website. This includes circular walks around Alveston, Charfield, Downend & Bromley Heath, Marshfield, Pilning & Severn Beach, Siston, Stoke Gifford, Thornbury, Wick & Abson and Wickwar.

The Parish Access Trails have been brought about by a publicly funded project through which Parish Councils were given the opportunity to create an easily accessible circular walk in their parish that reflects the character and heritage of the area. The main focus of the trails is to remove physical barriers such as stiles and replace them with kissing gates and hand gates to allow a larger user group to enjoy the countryside.

To view the walk through Downend & Bromley Heath, click on the link below. http://hosted.southglos.gov.uk/acrobat/easyaccess2/downend.pdf