This site will soon be updated into a community blog for the Twerton area in Bath for political commentary form Councillor Tim Balll go to http://cllrtimball.org.uk/

Cookery Class  Tuesday 18 October here at Time Bank Plus.  11 am to 1 pm – Spaces available so please let me know asap if you would one.

Cookery Circle  Is there anyone interested in joining a Cookery Circle?  The idea will be to share favourite recipes and take turns to cook simple, healthy dishes which will then be eaten.  Proposed time is Thursday lunchtime, here at our premises.

Training Course Available  Free training is available through us in conjunction with Age Concern for volunteers who will then visit elderly people to advise on energy efficiency and keeping their homes warm.  This is a great opportunity to add to your CV – anyone interested will be interviewed and an enhanced CRB check will be undertaken.  The course will start at the beginning of November so please get in touch if you would like to be considered.

Social Hour  We are thinking of starting a Social Club on Monday afternoons here at our premises. The idea will be possibly to play board games or exchange skills over a cup of tea. Please let me know if you would like to join in or even be the Leader/coordinator.

Guitar Tutor  Help!!  We are still looking for someone who would like to give beginner tuition.

Can you Crochet?  I have a lady who attends the Knit and Natter group which meets on alternate Mondays at Rose Cottage – 11 am to 12 pm.  She would love someone to give her one-to-one tuition in how to crochet.  Are you able to help?

Gardening We would like to extend our very grateful thanks to Molly Ricketts who is finishing as Gardening Team Leader at the end of November. We will be recruiting for this paid position in the New Year but  you are welcome to register an interest now.  Applicants must have gardening knowledge, people skills and their own vehicle to transport volunteers and equipment.

Sarah Teather MP - Liberal Democrat Children's Minister

Liberal Democrats have always believed that education is the engine of social mobility, now we are making it happen.

Today the Government released the final Pupil Premium figures for every English local authority, constituency and school. I am delighted to announce that every school this year will receive an extra £488 for each child on free school meals they have on their roll.

Schools in your constituency of Bath are getting an extra £576000 from the Pupil Premium to improve the education of the most disadvantaged children.

This is a real milestone for our party. The Pupil Premium is a policy we devised and campaigned for, and put at the heart of our Coalition negotiations. Now it is more than good policy, it is a reality making a difference to the school down your road. It goes directly into classrooms and will benefit all pupils.

It is also a milestone in breaking the link between poverty and achievement, tackling Labour’s shocking legacy where the richest 16-year olds are three times as likely to get five good GCSEs as the poorest.

This is just the start. We know that some families eligible for free school meals don’t claim them, for example, because some don’t know they can, and so their schools are missing out on funding. We also need to find out what schools are doing that’s really making a difference.

If you’d like to help, you could contact your local school to find out how they are using their Pupil Premium funding, and how they are making sure they are reaching every child.

Together, we can ensure every child is able to fulfil their potential.

Don Foster MP has paid tribute to Bath manufacturers following the launch of British Manufacturing Week by Liberal Democrat Business Minister, Vince Cable MP.

Under the guidance of the Business Minister, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has pushed for record numbers of apprenticeships to help manufacturing and give young people valuable skills for their career. The South West alone saw 8,470 new apprenticeships created in the first year of this Government, an increase of 31% to 35,810.

Commenting, Don said:

“I want to start by praising some of the excellent work of our local manufacturers, including Rotork, Bath Institute of Medical Engineering and BMT Defence Services. They form the backbone of our economy and will bring jobs and growth to our community.

“Vince Cable is right that we should be proud of the “Made in Britain” mark, which is a sign of quality the world over. Our country’s industry should not merely be a proud past, but also a proud future.

In addition, the Government has announced that it is committing more than £200 million over four years to develop an elite network of Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs). These centres will specialise in different technology areas such as high value manufacturing, digital media and resource efficiency.

Don added:

“The set up of TIC’s coupled with the creation of apprenticeships and investment in the Regional Growth Fund shows the Liberal Democrats in Government are working hard to re-balance our economy, away from the financial speculators in the City of London, towards sustainable growth all over the country.”

The week commencing Monday 17th October 2011 is ‘National Rogue Trader’s Week’ where the Police and Trading Standards pro-actively target the criminals who con people into paying high prices for low quality work.  

Please be aware of any tradespersons in your area, particularly if they are working at elderly or vulnerable people’s homes.  If you have any suspicions or concerns please ring the Police on 999 in an emergency or 101 at any time other than an emergency, so that we can check them out.  If you are thinking of asking a tradesperson to work for you either use someone recommended personally to you or use the Trading Standards Approved Traders Directory available on 01225 396 753.

Between midnight on Saturday 8th and 0900 hours on Sunday 9th October 2011, unknown person(s) removed a pedal cycle from the rear garden of a property approximately half way along Poolemead Road, Bath.

If you have any information regarding these incidents please contact the Police on 101. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.  It is important that you ask for the call to be tagged ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ and quote Ringmaster Message Bath Number 642.

If you witness a crime in progress or you believe a crime has just occurred please ring 999.

Between Thursday 29th September and Thursday 6th October 2011, unknown person(s) attempted to remove a glass panel from the rear door of a property in St Michaels Road, Bath.  No entry is believed to have been gained.

If you have any information regarding these incidents please contact the Police on 101. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.  It is important that you ask for the call to be tagged ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ and quote Ringmaster Message Bath Number 642.

If you witness a crime in progress or you believe a crime has just occurred please ring 999.

With more people turning to open fires and wood burning stoves as the colder months arrive, Bath & North East Somerset Council is advising residents in Bath’s Smoke Control Area to help improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions.

The city of Bath is a designated Smoke Control Area which means that smoky fuels, such as wood and coal, must not be burned in an open fire place.

The first Smoke Control Area – covering the Oldfield Park and Westmoreland wards – was established in 1980 due to a problem with the level of smoke and sulphur dioxide from domestic open fires. A further eight control areas were subsequently introduced over a 14 year period which now cover the whole of the city of Bath, including Combe Down, Odd Down, Lower Swainswick and Bailbrook.

Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “If you wish to burn wood and coal in the Smoke Control Area then you need to purchase an approved multi-fuel or wood burning stove. The approved stoves, also known as ‘exempt appliances’, have undergone rigorous tests to show that they are capable of operating without emitting visible smoke.

“If you already have an open fire place or a standard non-approved multi-fuel or wood burning stove, then you can still burn authorised smokeless fuels. Bath & North East Somerset Council is offering this advice to residents so that they don’t end up getting a £1,000 fine for breaching the regulations.”

For a list of approved appliances including wood burning stoves or a list of authorised fuels, please visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/SmokeControlArea or contact Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Public Protection Team on 01225 396003 or environmental_monitoring@bathnes.gov.uk

A map showing the boundary of the Smoke Control Area can be found on the Council’s Smoke Control Area web page. Residents can also get in touch with the contact details above to ask whether or not their property is located within the Smoke Control Area.

Litter bugs caught dropping cigarette butts on the streets of Bath have had to stump up £285.

Bath and North East Somerset Council launched a crackdown on littering earlier this year and ordered uniformed enforcement officers to hand fixed penalty notices to those flouting the law.

So far 218 such on-the-spot fines have been handed out this year, with 98 per cent of those for dropping cigarette butts.

People who failed to pay the £75 fine are now being taking to court and the costs have mounted up.

This week three people were ordered to pay a total of £285, made up of an increased £120 fine, £150 in court costs and a £15 surcharge, after failing to deal with their initial penalty.

A further two will pay £240 after pleading guilty to the offence and so receiving a slightly lower fine of £75.

More Bath Chronicle

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/285-cost-dropping-cigarete-butt-Bath/story-13494638-detail/story.html

COUNCILS have been stockpiling vast stores of salt, as forecasters predict wintry weather could hit the Bristol area within weeks.

The Indian summer conditions which saw thermometers rise to more than 26°C ended only days ago – but with some meteorologists claiming snow could arrive before the end of the month, local authorities have moved to ensure they are not caught on the hop, as many were during the past two winters.

Already more than 11,000 tonnes of salt and grit have been put in storage to keep roads and paths passable should icy conditions take a grip. With one authority estimating that each 20g of salt can cover a square metre of road surface, the combined stores give the councils enough to cover 550 square kilometres – more than 200 square miles.

Long range forecaster James Madden, of weather website Exacta Weather, has predicted “significant snowfalls” for much of the UK from November to January, with some areas even seeing snow in October, and below average temperatures.

Local authorities have been caught on the hop over the last two winters, with low temperatures and heavy snowfall causing chaos on the roads.

More Bath Chronicle

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Forget-Indian-summer-8211-experts-predict-harsh/story-13487165-detail/story.html