South Gloucestershire Council has announced that it is to build a new £6.5 million Sort It centre and waste management complex at a site off North Way in Filton.

The new facility, which should be operational from 2023, will improve recycling services for residents and increase capacity to manage household waste from the growing communities in the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood, which includes Charlton Hayes and planned new developments on the former Filton Airfield.

Back in 2016, the council disclosed that it was in talks to acquire land on the former Rolls-Royce East Works site (now known as Horizon 38) to use as the site of a new waste facility for the North Fringe. However, a recent report to Cabinet revealed that this plan had now been dropped and permission was sought, and duly granted, to instead purchase the Viridor waste processing plant on the nearby North Bristol Park industrial estate, which is also home to the NHS Blood and Transplant facility and a Safestore self-storage warehouse.

Initially, Viridor will continue to operate from the site, but after they vacate in 2021, the council will demolish the existing facilities and deliver:

• A new transfer station – where collection vehicles can drop off waste collected from households
• A new Sort It centre – to serve residents who currently use the Little Stoke site; providing an improved facility as well as meeting the needs of expanding local communities
• A depot for waste vehicles – allowing collection trucks to be based closer to the areas they serve, reducing traffic movements and their impact on local roads and the environment

The council says it will also explore the option of a ‘reuse shop’, whereby certain unwanted but serviceable items can be safety tested by its staff and made available for sale second-hand.

Once the new facility is complete, to modern standards similar to the recently redeveloped and improved Sort It centres at Mangotsfield and Yate, the existing Little Stoke Sort It centre will be closed.

More: Council has a target of recycling 60 percent of waste »

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A local railway campaign group has staged an event to mark the completion of a major infrastructure project which will help provide more reliable services for rail passengers travelling to and from local stations in the Bristol North Fringe.

On Friday 22nd February, Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) held a ‘party’ on the platform at Filton Abbey Wood Station to celebrate the success of the four-tracking of Filton Bank.

Network Rail completed the bulk of the engineering work in November 2018. The extra two tracks have resulted in a substantial improvement in recent reliability of local services as local stopping services now run on separate lines to the faster intercity services.

At the event, FOSBR chair Rob Dixon thanked Network Rail representatives for their successful delivery of the project Network Rail were represented by Andy Spencer (senior programme manager, West of England) and GWR by John Lanchester (regional stations manager).

Those present shared a ‘four-track’-themed cake and sang Morningtown Ride accompanied by a ukulele – “Rocking, rolling, riding, via Abbey Wood, all bound for Temple Meads, not so far away” (with apologies to The Seekers).

Tim Bowles, West of England mayor, attended and said:

“I’m delighted with the new platform at Filton Abbey Wood, which supports my ambitious plans to improve our rail network, including direct services between Severn Beach and Bath, re-opening Henbury station and a brand new station at Portway. I am also working with North Somerset Council on plans to re-open the line to Portishead. I am committed to working with all partners to ensure the West of England has a railway service that is fit for the future.”

More: FOSBR wants a half-hourly service to all Bristol local stations »

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Engineering giant GKN Aerospace has announced plans to build a £32 million research and development facility on the former Rolls-Royce East Works site south of Gipsy Patch Lane.

The Global Technology Centre (GTC) will be built on a plot fronting onto the A38, immediately south of the new Village Hotel which opened it doors in December.

A planning application for the new centre was submitted in November by Horizon 38 developer MSF Filton Ltd, who will lease the building to GKN Aerospace on completion.

Expected to open in 2020, the new centre is funded by a £17m commitment from GKN Aerospace and a £15m commitment from the UK government, through the Aerospace Technology Institute.

Once open, the 10,000sqm facility will host 300 highly skilled engineers, and will include space for collaborative research and development with universities, the UK’s Catapult innovation network and GKN Aerospace’s UK supply chain.

The centre will focus on additive manufacturing (AM), advanced composites, assembly and industry 4.0 processes to enable the high rate production of aircraft structures. The GTC is intended to help maintain GKN Aerospace’s position at the forefront of technology development for the next generation of energy efficient aircraft. The facility will serve as a base for GKN Aerospace’s technology partnership in the Airbus ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ technology programme as well as new additive manufacturing programmes.

GKN Aerospace’s chief executive Hans Büthker said:

“GKN can trace its engineering heritage back to the 18th century and we are proud of our role as a leading player in the UK’s world leading aerospace sector.”

“The GTC will ensure we continue to develop new technologies that deliver for our customers, making aircraft more sustainable and economical. It will also support our 4,000 strong workforce in the UK, ensuring they remain at the cutting edge of the global aerospace industry.”

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A new 153-room ‘concept’ hotel has opened at Horizon 38, the new business park that is rapidly taking shape on the former Rolls-Royce East Works site in the Bristol North Fringe.

Village Hotel Club Bristol, located on the corner of the A38 and Gipsy Patch Lane, also houses a state-of-the-art gym, a pub/restaurant (known as the Village Pub and Grill) and a Starbucks coffee shop.

Tailored to the needs of modern workers and travellers, the new development also offers a unique hot desking Business Club, VWorks, creating flexible and convenient co-working spaces for both small and medium-sized businesses. Smaller meeting pods are also available to accommodate private meetings for just two to six people.

The hotel’s large state-of-the-art gym features ‘The Trip’, a spin studio which creates digital worlds to cycle through using a cinema-scale screen and sound system for a completely immersive experience. The Village Gym is also home to a 20-metre indoor swimming pool and whirlpool with a range of relaxation facilities, including a luxury steam room and sauna.

The gym also offers a timetable of over 100 fitness classes a week.

Guests staying at the hotel can choose a high-spec standard room, or opt to upgrade to a Club room, which includes access to the Village Gym, classes, swimming pool and exclusive Village Business Club.

Designed to enhance every aspect of the guest experience, the hotel is equipped with smart technology throughout. Huge TVs, high power showers and big comfy beds are a standard at Village, while each Club bedroom is fitted with a virtual concierge, the Amazon Alexa, and includes free access to the Village Gym and the VWorks facilities.

More: "A place where people want to come and spend the day" »