Network Rail has informed the Parish Council about upcoming work in Pill as part of their project to rebuild the railway between Portishead and Bristol.
They will shortly begin vegetation management and preparation for their site compound off Monmouth Road.
Details are in the attached letter, that has also been sent to local residents.
Please see the attached final notice for the temporary phased closures of the A369 Junction 19 Interchange. which includes these road closures:
A369 Junction 19 Interchange from the M5 Southbound entrance slip to the M5 Northbound exit slip – For the full weekend from 6 March 2026 at 21:00 to 9 March 2026 at 06:00
A369 Junction 19 Interchange from the M5 Northbound entrance slip to the M5 Southbound exit slip – For the full weekend from 13 March 2026 at 21:00 to 16 March 2026 at 06:00
There are two contingency weekends for the same hours between 20 – 23 March (Southbound exit slip to Northbound exit slip) and 27 – 30 March (Northbound exit slip to Southbound exit slip) if the work is not completed during the first closure sessions.
The Parish Council was pleased to welcome the Community Payback team to our villages for the first time in a long while.
Last Saturday the team worked in several areas, focusing on clearing overgrown vegetation and scraping back mud from pavements. As you can see from the “before and after” photos below, their hard work has started to make a significant difference in keeping our local area accessible and tidy.
Over the coming months the team will continue their work on pavements and paths around the Parish (they cannot generally work near roads).
The Community Payback scheme allows individuals to make a positive contribution to the local area through supervised manual labour. This partnership helps the Parish Council tackle labour-intensive maintenance tasks that might otherwise be delayed, ensuring our public spaces remain safe and pleasant for all residents.
We are looking to identify further projects within Pill and Easton-in-Gordano that could benefit from this scheme. Do you know of a public footpath that is becoming overgrown? Is there a community area that needs a thorough tidy-up?
If you have a suggestion for a future Community Payback project, please let us know by emailing the Parish Clerk.
For more updates on Parish Council initiatives, subscribe to our mailing list.
An outline planning application for up to 186 houses on land off Marsh Lane has been submitted to North Somerset Council. The application can be viewed on this link.
Some residents will have received a letter from North Somerset Council telling them that they have until 10th February to submit their comments to the application. The planning officer who is dealing with this application has confirmed that comments can be submitted up until 16th February.
The Pill and Easton in Gordano Parish Council Planning Committee will be meeting on Monday 16th February at Christ Church to consider its response to the application. Members of the public are invited to attend this meeting.
We are delighted to share that North Somerset Council’s Cabinet report recommends retaining Pill Library as a council-run service (Option B) – a significant victory for our community following strong local support during the consultation process. Read the full report here:
We recieved the following email from them today
Dear Town and Parish Councillor,
We are writing to update you on the publication of the Cabinet report setting out the recommended approach for the future of North Somerset’s library services, following a 12‑week public consultation held between 31 July and 24 October 2025.
The report is now available on the council’s website as part of the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on 11 February and available to view at: Committee Report NSC
As you will be aware, the council is required to deliver £433,000 of savings from the library service as part of the Medium‑Term Financial Plan. The recommendations put forward are based on a detailed assessment of community needs, equality impacts, financial considerations, operational sustainability and, crucially, the views and suggestions received through the consultation.
Almost 5,000 responses were formally submitted, with further feedback gathered through drop‑in sessions across the district. If implemented in full the recommendations will ensure that North Somerset Council continues to provide a library service, that meets its statutory requirements.
Summary of recommended approach:
The Cabinet report recommends implementing Option B, which received the highest level of support from respondents and was assessed as having fewer equalities impacts prior to mitigations. The recommended actions include:
Library sites
Opening hours
A reduction in staffed hours across all other Council run libraries, including:
Budget changes
Collectively, these changes achieve the full £433,000 savings requirement if implemented in full.
Next Steps:
Thank you for your continued interest and involvement in shaping the future of library services in North Somerset.
Best wishes
The Communications Team
North Somerset Council has given advance notice that Marsh Lane will be closed to vehicular traffic for essential works to Marsh Lane bridge. The closure is scheduled for 8 weeks, from 7 April 2026 to 7 June 2026, as part of the MetroWest Phase 1b project to reopen the Portishead line to passenger trains.
The works will include increasing the height of the bridge parapets, and carrying out other necessary repairs to the structure. In addition, the public right of way that crosses Marsh Lane just north of the bridge will be slightly diverted to avoid conflict with construction traffic using Bristol Port’s access track. Pedestrian and cyclist access across the bridge will be maintained throughout the works, but there will be no vehicular access during this period.
A plan is attached, which shows the location of the works and road closure.
North Somerset Council adds ‘we understand the importance of keeping the community informed and engaged. There will be local public engagement sessions in Pill regarding the MetroWest Phase 1b works and we will be in touch with details of this’.
North Somerset Council has advised the Parish Council of two road closures.
For further information please see the attached notices.
Dear residents
We are writing to update you on the ongoing works on Heywood Road in Pill.
The scheme is progressing well. We will now focus on the opposite side of the precinct (south
side of Heywood Road), working on the new bus shelter. This move is to incorporate an
unexpected supply issue of additional slabs for the precinct area.
Work on the southern bus shelter section will begin on Monday 2 February, during which time
the remaining parking bays will be suspended in accordance with a Traffic Regulation Order.
Please note that the existing bus shelter will be out of use while it is disconnected and replaced
with a new one. A temporary bus stop will be installed for the duration of these works (see
attached map, purple area).
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience. These
improvements form part of our commitment to delivering a new transport hub for Pill.
If you have any questions, please email: bsip.engagement@n-somerset.gov.uk.
For the latest updates, please visit:
Bus Service Improvement Plan – North Somerset Council
Yours sincerely
Jackie Lower
Infrastructure Delivery Manager
North Somerset Council
‘THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN’: PILL RESIDENTS DEMAND PROTECTION FOR VITAL
LIBRARY SERVICES
PILL, NORTH SOMERSET: The Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council urges North Somerset
Council Councillors, ahead of their vote in February on the future of library services, to respect the
democratic will of its residents following the recent release of the Library Services Consultation
Summary Report on 14th January.
The report highlights an extraordinary mobilisation of concerned local people in Pill. Despite
constituting less than 3% of the North Somerset population, Pill residents contributed nearly 10%
of the total consultation responses—over three times the expected participation rate (Report page
56). This placed Pill as having the highest level of engagement across the whole of North
Somerset.
The library consultation, conducted from July to October 2025, sought opinions on how North
Somerset Council could implement £433,000 in savings. Results from the Library Services
Consultation Summary Report indicate that Option B, which retains Pill Library under North
Somerset Council management, is the most favoured option amongst North Somerset residents.
Key Findings from the Report:
The “Option B” Mandate: Option B (to retain Pill Library under North Somerset Council
management) received the highest agreement (48%) and the lowest disagreement (25%) among
all three options (A, B and C) proposed by North Somerset Council. (Report page 38)
Opposition to Library Devolution: Respondents overwhelmingly rejected potential site closures,
preferring options such as reduced and unstaffed hours, income generation (e.g., room hires) and
community partnerships over devolution from a North Somerset Council managed service to
community managed library models. (Report page 40, 41, 47, 48, 50)
Community Managed Library Concerns: Residents expressed serious doubts about
“community-managed” library models, recognising the immense pressure it places on local
volunteers and the risk of failure. The majority or respondents (49%) stated that they could not
commit to supporting or helping run a community-managed library. (Report page 50)
Social Impact: In the consultation, North Somerset Council recognised that Pill West is an area of
high community need, as identified within the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 where Pill West
is flagged as one of the most deprived areas in North Somerset. Residents emphasised in their
consultation feedback that the risk of closure would disproportionately affect low-income families,
those with protected characteristics and vulnerable groups relying on the library for improved
literacy, digital access and social connections.
A spokesperson for Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council stated:
“By overwhelmingly supporting option B of the consultation, our parishioners and wider North
Somerset residents have sent a clear, undeniable message to North Somerset Council Officers,
Councillors and its leadership: Pill Library is an vital and valued local service. The data shows that
residents mobilised in unprecedented numbers to protect this community hub and to ensure that it
continues to be funded and managed by North Somerset Council. By adopting option B, North
Somerset Council can demonstrate its commitment to the public consultation process and
democratic fairness.”
The Parish Council also noted a significant gap in the consultation data: while 17.6% of the local
population is under 20 years old, they accounted for only 1.4% of the respondents. This highlights
the need for the Council to safeguard services for young people, who are recognised as a
protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010, but who were clearly significantly underrepresented during the consultation process. (Report page 52)
A New Path Forward: “Option D”
In addition to taking note of the consultation findings, the Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish
Council hopes that North Somerset Councillors will further examine the ‘Option D’ proposal put
forward by Green Councillors Jenna Ho-Marris and Joe Tristram. This proposal aims to keep all
North Somerset libraries open by distributing necessary savings more evenly across the entire
service rather than targeting specific branches like Pill and Winscombe for closure.
This proposal reflects a similar strategy previously presented by the Pill and Easton-in-Gordano
Parish Council to North Somerset Council officers in October 2025. The recent shift in political will
was evident at the North Somerset Full Council meeting on November 11, where Councillor Joe
Tristram publicly re-evaluated his initial support for community-funded models. Addressing the
Full Council, Cllr Tristram stated:
“My point of view at the outset was that North Somerset needed to save the money… and that it
wouldn’t make much difference whether the library was run and funded by us or by the parish.
Having heard what has been said during the consultation period, I no longer believe that. It is really
important that we continue funding that library and the others…”
Through further exploration of Option D, Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council believes North
Somerset can achieve its financial objectives without dismantling the essential library
infrastructure that supports some of North Somerset’s most vulnerable residents.
Media Contact:
Tony Jay
Clerk, Pill & Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council
Email: clerk@peig-pc.gov.uk
Website: peig-pc.gov.uk
Notes to Editors:
About the Consultation: The North Somerset Library Service consultation was launched in 2025 to
address a budget shortfall of £433,000.
About Pill Library: Located in a recognised area of deprivation (Pill West), the library serves as a
primary point for digital inclusion, literacy support, community health, children’s clubs and other
vital services.
The Options: Option A: Communities will be offered the opportunity to manage Pill and
Winscombe libraries. If no viable community-led solutions are found, they may both face closure.
Option B: Pill Library would remain part of the North Somerset Library network, as community
need could be considered high. The community will be offered the opportunity to manage
Winscombe Library. If no viable community-led solution is found, Winscombe Library may face
closure. Option C: Winscombe Library would remain part of the North Somerset Library network. The
community will be offered the opportunity to manage Pill Library. If no viable community-led
solution is found, Pill Library may face closure.
Link to Library Services Consultation Summary Report: https://nsomerset.inconsult.uk/Libraries/consultationHome
Following the resignation of Maddy Thacker as a Parish Councillor, there is now a vacancy for a new councillor to represent Easton in Gordano ward. Please see the attached Notice of Vacancy. For more information about this voluntary role, please contact the Parish Clerk on clerk@peig-pc.gov.uk.
There are now four vacancies on the Parish Council, three to represent Pill ward and one to represent Easton in Gordano ward.