THIS commuter town on the northern fringe of Bristol sprang up in the late 1980s to cope with the growing number of owner occupiers with young families.

But when there was an economic downturn in the late 1980s, there was a slowdown in the community facilities which were completed.

Since then, the town, which now has a population of about 25,000, has been playing catch-up.

There is only one doctor's surgery in the town, for example, and although it has been expanded, it is so busy that sometimes people have to queue outside.

Now there is talk among town councillors of trying to provide a shelter outside the surgery so people waiting to see a doctor don't have to stand in the rain.

Young people have had precious few facilities for years although this situation is now changing with the youth club next to the surgery becoming increasingly popular. Indeed, it is proving so popular, the town council has organised a minibus to ferry teenagers from the southern part of the town.

Most of the houses in the town are owner occupied or privately rented and so issues such as unemployment and crime are relatively low.

Some local employment is provided by business parks in the north of the town and Aztec West, an industrial and commercial centre next to the M5.

The town's close proximity to the motorway gives good transport links by road although many commuters face the daily nightmare of getting stuck in peak hour jams.

The traffic problem is getting so bad that highway experts are now looking at the possibility of widening Bradley Stoke Way, one of the main arterial roads.

The town is served by a shopping centre called Willow Brook which includes a large Tesco supermarket as well as smaller shops and restaurants. In addition, there are two Tesco Express stores and an Aldi.

One of the bugbears for many residents is a lack of broadband connectivity for their computers.

The slow internet connections are due to the nearest telephone exchanges at Filton and Almondsbury being too far away for new cabling. A campaign is currently under way, supported by the main political parties, to see the town fast-tracked for upgrading.

There are six primary schools and a secondary school, Bradley Stoke Community School, which opened nearly six years ago with a sixth form centre opening last year.

Walking is very popular among residents and the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve is well used. It's an area of about 150 acres which includes bluebell woods, rough grassland, brooks, ponds and a man-made lake.

Fly-tipping has become an issue in the northern part of the town with supermarket trolleys, microwaves and old sofas dumped on areas designated for car parking behind residents' homes.

For several years, a community festival has been held in the town every June. Bradley Stoke is twinned with Champs-sur-Marne on the outskirts of Paris. The town is split into three district wards, north, south and central.

Results in 2007, Bradley Stoke Central and Stoke Lodge

Brian Harry Hopkinson (Con): 936 (elected)

Sarah Lynn Pomfret (Con): 906 (elected)

Sandra Valerie Hobson (Lib Dem): 612

Andrew Terence White (Lib Dem): 556

Anna Joy Clarke (Lab): 267

Rob Clarke (Lab): 261

Results in 2007, Bradley Stoke North

Jon Williams (Lib Dem): 480 (elected)

Julian Graham Barge (Con): 475

David Michael Addison (Lab): 86

Results in 2007, Bradley Stoke South

John Howard Ashe (Con): 989 (elected)

Robert Anthony Jones (Con): 965 (elected)

Heather Mary Anne Williams (Lib Dem): 633

Saifi Hashmi (Lib Dem): 589

Judith Ann Hutchinson (Lab): 262

Helen Pomroy (Lab): 247

Christopher Mark Lees (UKIP): 91

Jalix Awino Lees (UKIP): 56

Polling stations

Bradley Stoke North;

Holy Trinity Church, Broad Croft.

Bradley Stoke Central and Stoke Lodge

Brook Way Activity Centre, Brook Way; Patchway Baptist church hall, Amberley Road; Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road.

Bradley Stoke South

Baileys Court Activity Centre, Baileys Court Road, Bradley Stoke Evangelical Church, Baileys Court Road, St Joseph's Centre, Juniper Way, Church of Christ the King, Mautravers Close