Sandy Lane will be closed to all traffic on Monday 30th March between the hours of 8am and 5pm from its junction with Manor Lane to its junction with Oxhouse Lane.
Please see the attached road closure notice.
Dear Residents,
Council Tax demands are being issued for the 2026-27 financial year, and all council tax payers in North Somerset will be learning how much council tax they will be paying. The Pill and Easton in Gordano Parish Councillors would like to explain the increase in the council tax precept that all residents will be paying to the Parish Council.
As your elected representatives, we are committed to delivering essential local services, maintaining our valued community facilities, and continuing to support local initiatives through grants to groups such as the Pill & District Children and Young People’s Partnership (P&DCYPP) and the Community Foundation. A major part of that commitment is the long-overdue revamp of the pavilion at The Chestnuts Playing Field. We have now received quotes to bring the building up to modern standards with fully accessible changing rooms and a proper access ramp. This work (estimated at around £50,000 over the next few years) is unavoidable: without it the facility would no longer be fit for purpose and would have to close. We are determined to keep this vital community asset open and inclusive for everyone, but projects of this scale are exactly why the council needs a strong financial safety net.
We also have a duty to ensure the long-term financial stability of Pill & Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council.
We want to be completely open with you about the draft budget and precept demand we agreed at Full Council last night (24 November 2025) for the 2026-27 financial year, and why a significant increase is needed.
Why reserves have fallen and why we must now rebuild them
Like many parish councils across the country, we have faced several years of rising costs – inflation, energy prices, and new responsibilities passed on to us without extra funding from North Somerset Council. These pressures have steadily reduced our unearmarked (general) reserves.
National guidance recommends that councils hold unearmarked reserves of between 50% and 100% of annual expenditure (roughly 6–12 months of core running costs) to protect against unexpected events – such as emergency repairs, sudden staff absences requiring expensive locum cover, or further service cuts from North Somerset Council.
Right now our unearmarked reserves give us less than three months’ cover. This isn’t enough coverage.
There are currently 1,771 council tax paying properties in Pill and Easton in Gordano. If a resident is claiming the 25% discount for single person occupancy, this is recorded as 0.75 of a property.
Pill and Easton in Gordano Parish Council’s precept demand will be £167,400 for 2026-27.
This represents an increase of £41,900 (33.39%) on the current year.
For a typical Band D property the parish council precept element of the council tax will rise from £5.91 per month this year to £7.78 per month in 2026-27 – an extra £1.87 per month (£22.44 per year).
This is the first stage of a responsible two-year plan that will:
We believe this staggered approach strikes the right balance: it protects vital services and starts to restore the financial safety net we need, while spreading the increase over two years rather than asking residents to absorb a single larger rise.
Our promises to you
Serving this community is a privilege, and we do not take decisions that affect your council tax lightly. By taking firm but measured action now, we are safeguarding those local services and facilities you value for the years ahead.
Thank you for your continued support.
Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council
Please see this update from North Somerset Council.
Following the successful trial at Weston-super-Mare, the booking system went live at Portishead and Backwell recycling centres on Monday 2 March 2026.
Feedback from Weston-super-Mare residents and staff has been very positive. Visitors have found the booking process quick and easy, and the lack of queues has made trips more manageable and stress-free.
Staff have also reported that the booking system has improved safety on site and given them more time to support residents during their visits.
We recognise that fly-tipping was a concern for many people. This has been closely monitored, and we have not seen any increase in fly‑tipping since the system was introduced. Monitoring will continue now that the system has expanded to Portishead and Backwell.
We are also collecting data across all three sites, including:
If plans change and a visit is no longer needed, please cancel your booking so the slot can be offered to someone else.
Full details about the booking system, including FAQs, are available here:
Book to visit a recycling centre | North Somerset Council
You can read and share the full news release here:
New booking system extended to Portishead and Backwell recycling centres | North Somerset Council
Please see the attached notice giving details of the temporary closure of two bridleways in Marsh Lane. This commences on 5th May 2026 and is anticipated to last for 32 days.
Pill and Easton in Gordano Parish Council invites tenders for a three-year contract, commencing 1st April 2026 and possibly renewable after this period, to carry out mechanical weed and detritus removal on the streets and pavements in the parish. The successful contractor will use their own equipment, supply materials, and hold all appropriate licences for working adjacent to the highway. A current public liability insurance will be required. It is anticipated that approximately eight to ten hours work per month will be required. Anyone interested in tendering for this work should submit their tender to clerk@peig-pc.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 16th March 2026.
National Highways has provided further information about the roadworks which will be taking place at Junction 19 during weekends in March 2026.
Please see the attached document.
The Parish Council has been provided with the following update from Network Rail.
Main construction begins this spring and we’re holding two public drop-in sessions for anyone to come and learn more. Members of the project team from Network Rail, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, North Somerset Council and GWR will be available with more information and to take any questions.
The sessions take place on:
Please find attached a poster to advertise the events. You’re very welcome to share the information in your areas and online.
Preliminary work began last autumn and continues in the coming weeks. Further temporary traffic lights will be in use on Harbour Road and Quays Avenue in Portishead from 2-6 March as part of work to divert utilities. This is to allow Quays Avenue to be realigned to create space for the new Portishead station. Please note dates are subject to change.
We’ve begun to build our site compound off Monmouth Road in Pill. Vegetation is being cleared to make space for the compound and to allow surveys of the railway to be completed. Fencing will shortly be installed. We have written to local residents to let them know.
Work to divert utilities at Station House in Pill is also underway. This is in preparation for the building to be demolished to create space for the new station forecourt.
Please see the attached notice, which gives details of the new parking arrangements at Pill Hub which North Somerset Council are introducing.
The notice includes:
Any person who desires to question the validity of, or of any provision contained in the order on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 as amended, or on the grounds that any of the relevant requirements of that Act has not been complied with in relation to the order, may within six weeks after the date on which the order was made, apply to the High Court for this purpose.
No booking required – just come along and have your say!
To book your free place, contact PCSO Aisha at SomNorthNPTNailsea@avonandsomerset.police.uk or scan the QR code on the event poster. For more details, scroll down to “Contact the Team” on the Avon and Somerset Police website.
The Pill & Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council has reviewed the amendments submitted on 17 December 2025 for the outline planning application proposing up to 186 residential dwellings at Court House Farm.
The changes are minor and do not resolve our fundamental objections from July 2025.
The proposals still present unacceptable risks to highway safety, pedestrian and cycling accessibility, noise levels, ecology and the openness of the Green Belt, contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework, the North Somerset Core Strategy and Local Transport Note 1/20. We maintain our strong objection and request refusal or deferral pending independent verification.
Highways and Traffic
Updated drawings are minor. National Highways recommended delay until cumulative effects on M5 Junction 19 are modelled. The amendments did not supply this evidence. The Local Highway Authority required further information on vehicle tracking, gradients, crossings, queue lengths, Road Safety Audit issues and ten-year modelling, none of which appear fully addressed. They seek over £2.2 million in Section 106 contributions, reflecting significant local impacts.
Pedestrian and Cycling Safety
Minor footway improvements have been made, but problems remain: virtual footways where kerbed ones are possible, steep gradients, inadequate crossings, no safe link to the Avon Cycleway, narrow lanes and Road Safety Audit concerns over visibility, lighting and bus proximity. These have not been resolved.
Noise and Amenity
Refined condition wording for noise is noted, but exceedances remain in the Noise Assessment. No additional barriers or thermal modelling have been added. Harm to residential amenity persists.
Ecology and Biodiversity
Amendments include habitat loss calculations, Biodiversity Net Gain data, lighting contours and the amended Shadow Habitats Regulations Assessment, which claims no significant effects on the North Somerset and Mendips Bats Special Area of Conservation with mitigation. These respond to Ecology Officer requests, but remain applicant-prepared and unverified independently. Risks to bat corridors persist, especially given nearby priority woodland and Sites of Special Scientific Interest zones shown on MAGIC mapping. A 10 per cent net gain is insufficient; we seek at least 20 per cent.
Green Belt and Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land
No changes to site boundary, dwelling numbers or Green Belt status. Loss of Grade 1/2 farmland and erosion of openness remain unaddressed.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The original objection from the Lead Local Flood Authority was strong but was later removed subject to conditions after the amendments. Residual risks in this low-lying area can still be argued.
Conclusion
The amendments are incremental and do not overcome the core concerns: cumulative highways pressure, pedestrian and cyclist safety, noise, ecology and Green Belt/agricultural land loss. If approved, robust Section 106 obligations and conditions must be imposed, including independent audits, buffers and higher Biodiversity Net Gain. We request re-consultation on any further changes and remain available for discussion.