Review of the Year - February

February 2011:

School invited to become an academy: Gordano School in Portishead announced it would look to opt out of local authority control to become an academy. Parents, pupils and staff were to be asked for their views before a final decision was made. As the school was rated by Ofsted as good with outstanding features, it was given the option of becoming an academy by the Department of Education.

Archaeology to be ‘buried’ in new Glassworks plan: After coming up with costly proposals to expose the historical items at the Glassworks site in Nailsea’s High Street, the town council decided on alternative plans to bury the archaeology and install information boards instead. Nailsea Town Council had been working on ideas to revive the site, which had become overgrown, to allow residents to learn more about its history.

Traders want CCTV to stop shoplifters: Business owners in Pill made a call for CCTV to be installed in the central shopping area of Baltic Place after numerous incidents of shoplifting. Some traders said they felt intimidated by groups of people who caused a nuisance and tried to distract them before stealing items from their shops.

Time’s up for ‘cold caller’ rogues: No cold calling zones were rolled out across 40 different areas in Pill and Portishead in the hope of preventing doorstep callers plaguing residents. PCSO Deborah Charman worked on the initiative in an attempt to safeguard vulnerable people from the perils of salesmen, rogue traders and distraction burglars.

Sell-out audiences rocked out at an impressive stage show put on at St Katherine’s School in Pill. The Ham Green pupils performed the West End hit musical, We Will Rock You, to a full house every night.