Heavy snow forces Yate and Chipping Sodbury to slow down for the day (From Gazette Series)

Heavy snow forces Yate and Chipping Sodbury to slow down for the day

5:42pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News By Alexandra Womack

YATE and Chipping Sodbury is bracing itself for more snow this weekend after a day of school closures, transport delays and sledging.

Many stayed at home as most of the district’s schools announced they were closing following heavy snow since 4am.

All four secondary schools, Yate and Winterbourne international academies, Brimsham Green School and Chipping Sodbury School, closed to pupils along with the majority of primary schools in the area.

The closures meant a ‘snow day’ for hundreds of children who took to parks and hills across the two towns on sledges and sleighs.

Wapley Bushes were packed with families enjoying the 15cm of white stuff which fell overnight and amateur photographs were out snapping the wintry scenes from sunrise.

But for those who did venture to work there was misery on the roads as the eastbound carriageway of the M4 at Junction 18 (Tormarton) had to close due to a broken down lorry and heavy snow.

There were also problems on the A46 from the M4 junction into Bath and many local roads were treacherous in the snowy conditions.

Yate Shopping Centre opened as usual with people queuing to buy sledges in Argos and The Entertainer.

In Chipping Sodbury, most shops opened as normal and the town’s cafes were with packed with people enjoying a hot drink out of the cold. Swagger was closed all day, Yate and Chipping Sodbury libraries closed at 5pm and the Ridgewood Community Centre was closed. The Mall at Cribbs Causeway closed early at 4pm instead of 9pm and Westonbirt Arboretum and National Trust property Dyrham Park were both shut for the day.

Yate’s Sort It recycling centre was closed all day because of the weather.

Sodbury Players said it was going ahead with tonight’s sold-out performance of its pantomime Snow White. Some returned tickets will be available on the door before the show starts at 7.30pm.

A workday at Wapley Bushes, due to take place tomorrow, has been postponed.

South Gloucestershire Council cancelled all bin collections today. They will resume on their normal day.

The authority’s website has been struggling to cope with demand for information.

A spokesman said: “Due to the volume of traffic on our website, we are experiencing a slow down of the system. To help you find the information you need during this period of severe weather a page, http://essential.southglos.gov.uk/holding.htm, has links to the key services and information you may need.”