From the Wiltshire Times:

Bradford hall to host health fair in March From Wiltshire Times

A health fair and workshop will be held in Bradford on Avon in March to provide healthcare information to the public and encourage people to take responsibility for their own well-being. The event, starting at 10am in St Margaret’s Hall on March 6, will feature an array of stalls from the NHS, local sports providers and health charities.

Secret Gardens 2010 – Sunday 30th May, Sunday 27 June and Sunday 25 July – A great community event and if you are local and would like to become involved garden please let the TIC know.

Triathlon and Sports weekend – 22nd/23rd May – For more details and to register visit www.dbmax.co.uk

Bungee Jump – being planned for 22nd/23rd May – A great opportunity to do something you have always wanted to do or raise money for charity. We need to register interest a.s.a.p so if you think you may like to have a go please email hello@phia.co.uk.

Residents of Bradford on Avon are invited to comment on Wiltshire Council’s proposals for a town cycle network.

The proposals have been drawn up by County Transport Planning Officers in consultation with Bradford on Avon Town Council and a small group of interested residents in the town. The proposals can be viewed at the Tourist Information Centre or Town Library, just ask at the counter to see the file. They are also online – click here to see them.

Cycling plays an important role in Wiltshire Council’s Local Transport Plan, particularly in terms of promoting sustainable transport and improving accessibility. Cycle routes have already been established in many of the larger towns throughout Wiltshire, including Chippenham, Trowbridge and Wootton Bassett and Wiltshire Council are keen to develop cycle networks in smaller towns such as Bradford on Avon.

In addition, initiatives led by local people in Bradford on Avon, such as Priority for People, are exploring ways of reducing the impact of traffic to make it a safer, more pleasant place for pedestrians and cyclists. Set against the current background of health concerns and the increase in obesity, encouraging cycling (and walking as many of the proposed routes will benefit pedestrians) is an important priority.

Traffic and speed surveys have been undertaken to help identify the type of facilities that will be most appropriate for each link on the cycle network. Route widths and gradients have also been assessed in terms of suitability for cycling. In addition, information such as route/path classification and land ownership have been gathered. The hilly nature of the town, particularly north of the river, has created a challenge as it is only possible to propose routes where gradients fall within the recommended guidelines. Accordingly, there are fewer routes in the north of the town.

The consultation closes on February 15th.

– Richard Craft

With the General Election so close that you can almost smell it, we’ve started a new section for local politics on bradfordonavon.com.

We’ve done this because we started getting submissions from local politicians – elected and standing for election – and weren’t sure what to do with them.

We want to make completely clear that this web site does not support or endorse any single political party. We are allowing those standing for election to have their say here, if they wish. All parties will be able to submit articles, which will be moderated and checked against the house rules in the usual way.

– Giles and Rich, site editors

Spotted in the station car park this morning: