Alex Woodman's Cabot Blog

Cabot eNews - January 2012

2012-01-29T09:22:00.000Z

Dear Resident,

Happy New Year, and we hope you had a happy Christmas!

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local e-newsletter
from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright. Cabot eNews is sent
to those who have expressed an interest in what is happening in Cabot
ward and central Bristol. If you're receiving Cabot eNews for the first
time, we hope you find it useful and informative. If not, please let us
know and we will remove you from the distribution list.

In this edition:

1. College Green camp to leave
2. Bristol successful in all 3 major transport bids!
3. Park St bus-stop improvement works
4. Bristol secures further £19m funding for new primary places
5. Bristol primary schools consolidate progress
6. Redcliffe Residents Parking consultation
7. Kingsdown Residents Parking update
8. £50 million investment for Bristol's priority infrastructure
9. £1m for Bearpit transformation
10. £0.5m million investment for Stokes Croft gateway to Bristol
11. 50% recycling rate first dividend of new waste contracts
12. New Cut clean-up by Friends of Avon New Cut
13. Exhibitions at M Shed 2012
14. Spike Island Gallery Exhibitions
15. Safety is the priority for Bristol's first mobile enforcement car
16. Kings Arms pub planned conversion to student flats
17. Future of Bristol Ice Rink
18. Friends of Brandon Hill AGM
19. Persistent illegal fly posters to pay over £1,000
20. Bristol's first Rickshaw company
_________________

1. College Green camp to leave

In the New Year the Council and the Cathedral (as the landowners)
jointly decided to proceed with legal action to recover possession of
College Green. There was a court hearing on Friday 13th, at which the
bulk of the protesters chose not to contest the case and not to attend -
having previously decided that it was time for the protest to move on. A
small number of protesters did attend and did not help their case by
their behaviour towards the judge. The judge then ruled in favour of the
Council and Cathedral.

A spokesman for the camp has said that they intend to leave within a
couple of weeks and to try to clear the park to the best of their
ability. Talks are continuing between the camp, the Council and the
Cathedral to finalise how and when the camp will move on. Alex and I
welcome that this appears to be a peaceful conclusion to the protest and
hope the park will be back to its former glory soon.
_________________

2. Bristol successful in all 3 major transport bids!

Over the Christmas period the Government announced that - to the
surprise of quite a few - Bristol had been successful in all 3 of its
major transport bids:

* Ashton Vale to Temple Meads Rapid Transport Line - £50m
* South Bristol Link (new road and Rapid Transport Line) - £45
* North Fringe to Hengrove Rapid Transit Scheme - £102m

This £200m will have a transformative effect on Bristol transport over
the next decade, and is an indication of how seriously the Coalition
government takes Bristol's chronic transport problems.
_________________

3. Park St bus-stop improvement works

As part of the new bus scheme along Whiteladies Road, the two existing
bus stops on College Green will be combined into a larger single stop,
with a larger shelter providing better weather protection and an
upgraded real time passenger information (RTPI) display providing
predicted departure times. In addition, the pavement will be widened to
create more space for pedestrians, and passengers waiting at the stop.

As well as the bus stop improvements, the works also include the upgrade
of the pedestrian crossing across Park Street. Works will last for
approximately ten weeks and will be carried out in four stages so that
disruption is kept to a minimum.
_________________

4. Bristol secures further £19m funding for new primary places

Bristol City Council has secured a further £19 million funding to create
more new primary places in the city. This follows a recent allocation of
£18.3 million emergency funding from government this financial year, in
recognition of the scale of the challenge Bristol faces in creating new
primary places.
_________________

5. Bristol primary schools consolidate progress

Test results for children in their final year of primary school show
there has been continued progress in raising standards, according to the
latest figures released by the government today. The percentage of
Bristol children achieving level 4 or above, the level of appropriate
for their age, at Key Stage 2 is:

English 80% (78% 2010, 72% 2007)
Maths 80% (80% 2010, 69% 2007)
_________________

6. Redcliffe Residents Parking consultation

Informal consultation in Redcliffe begins on Wednesday 11th January 2012
and closes on Friday 10th February 2012. Alex and I have been
campaigning for this for a couple of years, including a petition
submitted by Alex last year, so we are very happy to see this at last!

Full details of the proposals can be found online at
www.bristol.gov.uk/redclifferps and the plans will also be available for
inspection at Bedminster Library from 11th January. There will be a
drop-in session at Bedminster Library on Tuesday 31st January from
3.30pm-7.30pm.
_________________

7. Kingsdown Residents Parking update

The proposals to make some minor amendments to the Kingsdown Residents'
Parking Scheme went out to statutory consultation in December. The
consultation period has now closed and a decision on whether or not to
proceed with the changes will be made next month. The council promised
to make tweaks to the scheme after a review was carried out in July last
year.
_________________

8. £50 million investment for Bristol's priority infrastructure

The Lib Dem Council Cabinet has announced a budget proposal for an
additional £50 million to be invested in priority infrastructure across
the city.

The Investing in Bristol's Future package will help stimulate the city's
economy and create new jobs. It will focus on urgent investment needed
in services such as school places, transport and elderly care. More
details here:
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/press/council-and-democracy/%C2%A350-million-investment-bristol%E2%80%99s-priority-infrastructure

_________________

9. £1m for Bearpit transformation

Most important for Cabot in the £50m identified above is the prospect of
£1m towards the transformation of the "Bear-pit" at St James Barton
roundabout, to expand on the great work done by the Bearpit Improvement
Group. Details:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-16484476
_________________

10. £0.5m million investment for Stokes Croft gateway to Bristol

Work has started on £190k improvements to Stokes Croft. The work will
include:

* the complete replacement of the existing poor quality footpath from
City Road to 51'02
* removing and relocating signs and street furniture to 'declutter' the area
* provision of new bins and cycle stands
* widening the footpath outside the Full Moon
* changing the end of Moon Street to make it more pedestrian and cycle
friendly.

These works were prioritised by the local community from the vision set
out in the St Paul's Neighbourhood Plan. Further improvements are
planned for Stokes Croft later this year with £300k from the
Government's new Local Sustainable Transport Fund. The Stokes Croft
Traders group has agreed this money should be focussed on the widest
section of Stokes Croft below the City Rd junction.
_________________

11. 50% recycling rate first dividend of new waste contracts

Bristol's recycling rate has soared in the last month, thanks to new
waste contracts put in place this year beginning to yield results.
Provisional figures show Bristol's recycling, composting and reuse rate
for November was over 48% - that's 12% higher than this time last year,
and around 7% higher than the previous month.

The landfill rate for November was down to around 28%, compared to 63%
last November (and 88% before Bristol's weekly food & organic kerbside
recycling were introduced in 2006). And the preliminary figures suggest
Bristol will be the #1 council in the country for the smallest
"residual" (i.e. un-recycled) waste per head!

However, there have been a number of teething troubles in some areas
with the new collections teams, including missed collections and other
issues. We are working with the Council and May Gurney to try to get
these sorted as quickly as possible. Please contact us with details if
you are experiencing problems.
_________________

12. New Cut clean-up by Friends of Avon New Cut

Their next event is the Coronation Road riverbank clean-up on Saturday
28th January, 10.00am to 12.00 noon. Meet at Gaol Ferry Bridge (south
side). Wear warm, waterproof clothing and strong shoes and bring
protective gloves if you have them. They will supply spare gloves and
litter-pickers. Free coffee and cake will be your reward afterwards!
_________________

13. Exhibitions at M Shed 2012

Resistance: Which way the future? 5 Jan - 5 Feb
Immersing you in drama, documentary film and audio-visual 'whispering'
voices, Resistance takes you on a journey and time for reflection on a
little-known but significant moment in history.

Norman Parkinson: An Eye for Fashion 21 Jan - 15 Apr
Featuring over 60 vintage fashion photographs, from Norman Parkinson -
one of Britain's most significant portrait and fashion photographers of
the 20th century. Admission charge of £4/£5 applies.

Chinese New Year: 28-29 Jan
2012 marks The Year of the Dragon and both M Shed and Bristol Museum &
Art Gallery will be celebrating.

Bristol Urban Sport: 23 May - 9 Sep
The exhibition will look at the range of sports that take place using
the city's infrastructure - both the natural landscape and the urban
environment.

In addition, M Shed has been short-listed for European Museum of the
Year Award 2012!
_________________

14. Spike Island Gallery Exhibitions

Haroon Mirza: 21 Jan to 18 Mar
Winner of the Silver Lion Award for 'Most Promising Young Artist' at the
2011 Venice Biennale, Mirza merges techniques, approaches, methodologies
and materials from both art and design cultures.

Suzanne Mooney, The Edge of Collapse: 21 Jan to 18 Mar
Spike Island presents a solo show of new photographic work by Bristol
based artist Mooney.
_________________

15. Safety is the priority for Bristol's first mobile enforcement car

Dangerous and inconsiderate illegal parking - at schools, hospitals and
bus stops - is the target for a new camera enforcement car in Bristol.
The car system means that officers can reach multiple schools in the
morning peak to deter motorists from illegal and dangerous parking on
zigzag lines which puts pedestrians - and particularly small children -
at risk.

The car is due to begin operations on 30 January, following a 'warm-up'
period from the 17 to 29 January when motorists who break the rules will
be sent polite warning letters. The car will operate from 0700 to 2200
Monday to Saturday, 0900-1700 on Sunday. It will be deployed to
specific locations at specific times, such as schools during weekday
arrival and exit times.
_________________

16. Kings Arms pub planned conversion to student flats

A set of plans first circulated in 2010 to convert the Kings Arms pub in
High Kingsdown into student flats has returned. Back in 2010 I told the
developer that I would oppose any plans that involve demolishing the pub
building, which is in a decent state and fine for re-use; and that I
would oppose it being converted for student flats because High Kingsdown
is already over 50% converted to multi-occupancy flats and HMOs, which
is harming the sustainability of the local area. If residential is not
possible, then it should be "key worker" accommodation for the local
hospital staff. Since the plans have not changed since 2010, I have
submitted the same objection as before. As chair of the central planning
committee, Alex can't comment on the application in advance.
_________________

17. Future of Bristol Ice Rink

The owners of the ice rink on Trenchard St - the Bristol student
accommodation company Unite - have unveiled plans to partially rebuild
the site as student flats. The plans include a space for "leisure" uses,
which could be a new ice rink, but the space is not as big as the
current rink. However, this issue is more complex than it has been
presented in the media.

I have long supported the building of more purpose built student
accommodation in the city centre (as opposed to Kingsdown - see above),
but like many others we are concerned about the future of ice skating in
Bristol. Alex and I met with the developers to discuss the plans, and
during that meeting I put it to them that there was enough room on the
site to create leisure space that would be just as big as the current
rink. We will see how the developers respond to this proposition at the
end of the public consultation.
_________________

18. Friends of Brandon Hill AGM

If you love Brandon Hill and would like to be involved with taking care
of it, the Friends of Brandon Hill Annual General Meeting will take
place on Tuesday 31st of January starting at 7pm, in the University of
Bristol Systems Centre, Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Rd, BS8
1UB. The meeting will take place in the Knowledge Exchange Suite on the
bottom floor. Please attend if you are interested!
_________________

19. Persistent illegal fly posters to pay over £1,000

Two Bristol men who persistently posted flyers illegally were found
guilty of five charges in magistrates' court in December and were
ordered to pay £1,150 between them. Evidence supplied included CCTV
footage of them posting events adverts illegally from April to June
2011. They pleaded guilty. The posters were pasted in the Gloucester
Road, in Stokes Croft and in the centre. These posters were put up
without the permission of the planning authority on property hoardings
and street furniture.
_________________

20. Bristol's first Rickshaw company

Pedal Walla was created in June 2010 with a simple mission - to bring a
completely new form of green pedal-powered transport to the UK's first
cycling city and make travelling by bicycle rickshaw a part of Bristol's
identity. They have just launched Street Art Tours to attract people to
Bristol to enjoy our fantastic Street Art Culture. If you are interested
in this human-powered mode of transport, visit their website:
http://www.pedalwalla.com/
_________________

If you know of people who would be interested in any of Cabot eNews,
please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a
friend and like it, email us to get added directly to the distribution.
We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local
businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make
Cabot a better place.

Housing Help

2011-12-22T15:58:00.003Z

One of my longstanding concerns has been the lack of affordable housing in Bristol. There are many aspects to this problem - probably too many to go into in a short blog post - but some of the main ones are the difficulties first-time buyers have saving a deposit for a mortgage, the shortage of affordable properties, ever-increasing private sector rents, and the chronic shortage of social housing.

Full Council debated the housing crisis last month (webcast here: http://bit.ly/tcdjoK) and there is a clear recognition by the fellow councillors of the importance of tackling it. I was pleased therefore to learn today that the Council's Cabinet have agreed a Local Mortgage Scheme, which will help first-time buyers get on the property ladder. The Council's press release about the scheme is below:

Bristol City Council with its partners Sector Treasury Services and Lloyds TSB is looking to launch a Local Authority Mortgage Scheme in order to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.

The scheme has been approved by the council’s Cabinet and will be launched in January 2012

The authority will join forces with Lloyds TSB, and potentially other national lenders, for the scheme which will offer loans to approved borrowers who have a five per cent deposit. Most lenders require at least a 25% deposit. Applicants will be assessed by Lloyds TSB.

The scheme will help people who are able to afford monthly mortgage repayments but not the deposits currently required by mortgage lenders.

Just as importantly it will also stimulate the local housing market by relieving the pressure on council, social and private rented sector housing.

Councillor Anthony Negus, Cabinet Member for Housing, Property Services and Regeneration, said: “We know that only a small proportion of the city’s younger households, just over a third, can afford to buy their own home now.

“Mortgage lenders are demanding considerable deposits which the majority of first-time buyers are unable to find, leaving them unable to get on to the property ladder. The national average age for unassisted first time buyers is now as high as 37.

This scheme will make a major difference to the lives of a number of young people across the city and help boost the sluggish local housing market. We know that times are tough for many people at the moment and the authority is doing all that it can to find ways in which it can support those who need help.”

Coffee Shops on Gloucester Road

2011-09-09T11:58:00.009+01:00

Earlier this week, I took part in a planning committee meeting, which was discussing an application for a new coffee shop on Gloucester Road (Costa, as it happens, though that's not really relevant). Despite the planning officers' recommendation that the application be granted, the committee refused it, and it was me who proposed the refusal.

I know that many of the objections to this application (and a petition submitted against it) related to the fact that this was Costa, a national chain, rather than an independent trader, and I know that many are now seeing this as a victory against chain stores. However, my principal concern was about the Council's planning policy which urges against new coffee shops on Gloucester Road (whether chains or local independents). To help understand the policy, it's necessary to understand the different 'use classes' which are relevant:

A1 - Retail

A2 - Financial and Professional Services

A3 - Restaurants and cafes

A4 - Drinking establishments (pubs, wine bars etc)

A5 - Hot food takeaways

When talking about shopping centres, the Bristol Core Strategy (the city's main planning policy) says:

"Policy BCS7 - Uses which contribute to maintaining the vitality, viability and diversity of centres will be encouraged...Retail shop uses will predominate in the designated primary shopping areas of the City and Town Centres, supported by a wider range of appropriate uses in the other parts of these centres."

In effect, this means that shopping centres will have properties which are mostly in A1 use above, with a mixture of the A2-A5 classes. Allowing the balance to slip too far in favour of one particular use class will start to undermine the diversity of provision, which then will threaten the viability of the existing traders.

Policy BCS7 is expanded upon in Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) which assesses food and drink (i.e. A3/A4/A5) uses on Gloucester Road. It says:

"6.13 The retail character of this area is very strong and its retention is of prime importance

in considering the balance between retail and other uses...The existing balance between

these uses is considered appropriate and has created an attractive, diverse shopping

centre. The need to maintain the right balance is crucial to ensuring that the character

and attractiveness of this part of Gloucester Road remains"

and

"6.15 Within the primary frontages however, it is unlikely that further A3 uses of any kind would be acceptable. This is because the existing balance of uses within the primary frontages allows for a good level of diversity whilst maintaining a strong retail character. It is considered that further loss of existing retail units through their conversion to A3 uses would upset this balance and weaken the retail character of these parades."

To put this policy in the context of the application, this site is currently in A2 (financial/professional services) use, and the application is to convert it to a mixed A3 (cafe)/A1 (shop) use. The reason for A1 is that takeaway drinks and cold food (e.g. sandwiches) are not strictly a cafe, but are A1 retail for planning purposes. The argument advanced by the officers therefore was that the loss of an A2 unit is acceptable because NEW a new A1 use is being created, thus strengthening the retail character of the area, in accordance with the BCS7 policy which says that retail uses should predominate.

I take the opposite view. Although there will be a small amount of new retail (possibly as low as 20%), I felt that allowing a new A3 use would be contrary to the Council's policy, and would tip the balance too far towards cafe/restaurant uses (from 25% of local sites to 27%), thus "upsetting this balance and weakening the retail character of these parades" as the Supplementary Planning Guidance puts it. Although 2% might not sound like very much, I believe that, at some point, a tipping point is reached, and I felt that this application marked that tipping point.

Furthermore, there are only four A2 (financial/professional services) units in the vicinity of this application site. The loss of this would, in my opinion, be directly contrary to the Core Strategy goal of having mainly retail uses, "supported by a wider range of appropriate uses" and would therefore jeopardise the diversity which policy BCS7 seems to be striving for.

This application was very much an 'on balance' decision, by which I mean that it is quite difficult to decide whether it does indeed mark a tipping point to too many A3 cafes, and whether the harm of the additional A3 use outweighs the small benefit of the new A1 retail. I felt that it did, but there will no doubt be an appeal leaving the final decision to be made by a Planning Inspector. I wait with interest to see whether that Inspector, having considered all of the facts, would reach the same conclusion as the committee...

Cabot eNews - August 2011

2011-08-03T12:01:00.000+01:00

Dear Resident,

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local e-newsletter
from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright. Cabot eNews is sent
to those who have expressed an interest in what is happening in Cabot
ward and central Bristol. If you're receiving Cabot eNews for the first
time, we hope you find it useful and informative. If not, please let us
know and we will remove you from the distribution list.

In this edition:

0. Spike Island Bus update
1. Harbour Festival a resounding success
2. WOW! Gorillas
3. M Shed celebrates 100,000 visitors
4. Pink Fountains?
5. Plastic doorstep recycling coming this winter
6. Bristol's hydrogen ferry wins sustainable shipping award
7. Bus Network works on Whiteladies Rd
8. Spike Island Art Studio this summer
9. Bristol Open Doors day
10. Playing in the Streets
11. Bristol Green Capital
12. Street Trees in Bristol
13. Core Strategy
14. Council crackdown on unlicenced HMO landlords continues
15. Police consultation on priorities
16. Westmoreland House/Carriageworks Consultation
17. And finally: Ramadhan Mubarak, and otters in the Harbour!
_________________

0. Spike Island Bus update

As reported in a previous Cabot eNews, after much frantic work a bus
service for Spike Island has been salvaged following the unexpected cut
of the subsidised 500 service.

The new extended 506 service from Broadmead and Temple Meads to the
Create Centre then goes on to Old Market, Easton and Southmead Hospital,
stopping at the same stops on Spike Island as the old 500. It will be a
30 minute frequency service run by Wessex Connect and will run from 7am
around until just after 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday, and will start on
the 4th September. (We will provide timetables when they are ready.)

For those wanting interchange with the hospital bus, this will be
possible at Temple Meads Station on journeys from the BRI. For journeys
to the BRI it will be necessary to get off the 506 at the General
Hospital in Commercial Road and then walk round the back to Guinea
Street where the hospital bus starts/terminates.
_________________

1. Harbour Festival a resounding success

As it celebrated its 40th birthday, organisers of the Bristol Harbour
Festival say it was the best year yet, with a record number of visitors
- more than 250,000 people attended. This year there was a major effort
during the planning stage to ensure that the water itself was the
focal-point of the event - taking the festival back to its roots. This
was judged a great success by many.

More Harbourside info available here:
http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/about-bristol/destination-bristol/harbourside
_________________

2. WOW! Gorillas

If you've been on Mars for the last month and have only just noticed
that there are painted gorillas dotted around the city, they are a
celebration of Bristol Zoo's 175th birthday. They are sponsored by local
businesses and are around until 7 September, and most of them seem to be
in Cabot ward! How many can you find? More details here:
http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/wow-gorillas

_________________

3. M Shed celebrates 100,000 visitors

M Shed - Bristol’s new museum and now one of the region’s leading
tourist attractions has just welcomed its 100,000 visitor - only six
weeks after opening. Museum staff estimated M Shed would attract 250,000
visitors in its first year. Now that visitor numbers are exceeding all
expectations, those figures may have to be revised. As a comparison, the
former industrial museum attracted an average of 150,000 visitors per
year.

Now, local people with Bristol memories and those with special Bristol
objects, artefacts and photographs are invited to 'My Bristol: show and
tell' sessions at M Shed this summer. On Wednesday August 10 and 17
visitors can help staff from M Shed's archives to identify people and
places in some of the hundreds of photographs currently held in store.
And visitors can also bring along their own objects and photos that tell
their own personal B10.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm. Drop-in sessions at M Shed. Info:
www.mshed.org
_________________

4. Pink Fountains?

You may have noticed that the fountains in Bristol City centre have been
pink in the last week. This is for Bristol Hippodrome, which features
the plays "Legally Blonde" and "Dirty Dancing" this summer. More
details:
http://www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=2423&VenueID=90
_________________

5. Plastic doorstep recycling coming this winter

Bristol City Council and May Gurney have signed a flagship contract
worth around £14m a year that will see May Gurney responsible for
Bristol’s waste collection, street cleansing and winter maintenance for
the next seven years.

Under the new contract, within three years, we’ll have no untreated
waste going to landfill and two mechanical biological treatment (MBT)
facilities to deal with it instead. Starting this winter, mixed plastic
will be collected from the doorstep, as will "tetra packs".
_________________

6. Bristol's hydrogen ferry wins sustainable shipping award

Bristol Hydrogen Boats has won SustainableShipping.com's inaugural
Environmental Innovation of the Year Award. The Award recognises Bristol
Hydrogen Boats for their pioneering work to deliver tangible
environmental benefits and solutions through the development of the UK's
first hydrogen ferry. The ferry will run in Bristol's harbour from
September this year.

Bristol Hydrogen Boats is a consortium formed between No 7 Boat Trips,
the Bristol Packet, and Auriga Energy Ltd, and supported by Bristol City
Council. Their Award was announced in front of 170 industry experts
from across the globe who had gathered to celebrate those companies who
have made a significant difference in helping the reduce the carbon
footprint of shipping.
_________________

7. Bus Network works on Whiteladies Rd

Some parts of the Greater Bristol Bus Network that don't require further
consultation will be starting this week on Whiteladies Rd. The 6-week
long works commencing now includes the enhancement of the bus stops
outside the BBC between Tyndalls Park Road and Belgrave Road. The bus
stop enhancements include:

- bus stop clearways and red surfacing to indicate the extent of the bus
stop;
- new bus shelters providing enhanced weather protection and better
seating;
- real time passenger information displays;
- raised boarding platforms providing level access between the footway
and bus.
_________________

8. Spike Island Art Studio this summer

Exhibitions: Until 4 September 2011

* Structure & Material
Claire Barclay, Becky Beasley, Karla Black - Bringing together for the
first time the work of artists Claire Barclay, Becky Beasley and Karla
Black, Structure & Material takes a fresh look at current British
sculptural practice.

* The speed and eagerness of meaning
Richard T. Walker - San Francisco based artist Walker works with
photography, film, performance, text and music to highlight the gulf
that exists between our experience of the world and our capacity to
articulate it.

* Faded Paper
Sara Mackillop - Mackillop’s quiet, understated work reconfigures
everyday objects in ways that realign our perception of the world. For
Spike Island she uses paper reclaimed from disused notice boards to
stage a work that slowly evolves throughout the period of the
exhibition.

Saturday 17 Sept - Sunday 9 October 2011

* Again, A Time Machine
A Book Works touring exhibition in five parts - Featuring Laure
Prouvost, Dora Garcia, The Happy Hypocrite, Jonathan Monk, Slavs and
Tatars, and a Book Works archive.

More info: http://www.spikeisland.org.uk/events
_________________

9. Bristol Open Doors day

Saturday 10th September is Bristol's Open Doors day, when many buildings
are open to the public for free. For some places it's the only day they
are open. More details here: http://www.bristoldoorsopenday.org/
_________________

10. Playing in the Streets (and event on Wed 3rd Aug)

The green light has been givhours after school by groups of neighbours and communities, without
having to apply each time. Until now, residents have been allowed to
apply for three formal road closures a year for street parties or other
community activities. Instead they will be able to do one annual
application as long as all the neighbours are consulted.

This will be the theme of this year's popular Bristol Playday on College
Green tomorrow (Wednesday 3 August) between 12 noon to 4pm.

Residents wanting to organise 'playing out' sessions should contact
aliceandamy@playingout.net or visit www.playingout.net. Residents
wanting to organise play-friendly street parties should see:
www.streetparty.org.uk or www.streetsalive.org.uk.
_________________

11. Bristol Green Capital

If you're interested in living in a more environmentally friendly way
there is a great deal of useful info at the Bristol Green Capital
programme website: http://www.bristolgreencapital.org/
_________________

12. Street Trees in Bristol

The Forest of Avon Trust is working in partnership with TreeBristol
(Bristol City Council), the Woodland Trust and Trees for Cities, to
prepare a grant bid as part of the Big Tree Plant to increase tree
planting across the city. The bid is due to be submitted in August so we
are on a tight timescale.

They are working with community groups and interested individuals
throughout Bristol so get in touch if you want to work with them to
increase tree planting in your area - on streets, green spaces or
anywhere in your neighbourhood where the public will benefit. For more
information please contact Emma Whitaker, Big Tree Plant Bid
Co-ordinator at the Forest of Avon Trust on 0117 963 3383 or
emma.whitaker@forestofavontrust.org
_________________

13. Core Strategy

Bristol City Council has adopted its "Core Strategy" planning policy -
an important document that will guide planning in the city for a decade
at least. The Core Strategy can be viewed on the council's website:
www.bristol.gov.uk/bdf
_________________

14. Council crackdown on unlicenced HMO landlords continues

A Bristol landlord who frustrated attempts by the council to inspect two
properties that he rented out has pleaded guilty to failing to license
two Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and was fined a total of £8,000.
_________________

15. Police consultation on priorities

Avon and Somerset Police are running an online consultation to gauge the
public's view on what their priorities should be. The survey is
available on their consultation website until Friday, August 19:
http://www.consultation.avonandsomerset.police.uk/aspola/priorities2011/consult_view
_________________

16. Westmoreland House/The Carriageworks Consultation

A community consultation will take place later in Aug/Sep regarding the
future use of Westmoreland House/The Carriageworks on Stokes Croft.
There have been consultations before on this, but this time there is the
unified political and community will to make sure it is "for real". We
will post details when they are available, but start thinking now!
_________________

17. And finally: Ramadhan Mubarak, and otters in the Harbour!

Ramadhan Mubarak ("Happy Ramadhan") to our Muslim neighbours!

One of the best-loved creatures on our waterways, the otter, has
appeared in Bristol’s Floating Harbour. Nature officers at the city
council first became aware of the discovery late last year when they
discovered otter droppings. They then commissioned a survey including
placing a hidden camera, which has confirmed that otters are indeed
living in and around the floating harbour.
_________________

If you know of people who would be interested in any of Cabot eNews,
please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a
friend and like it, email us to get added directly to the distribution.
We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local
businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make
Cabot a better place.

Best wishes

--
Cabot eNews is produced by Dr Mark Wright and Alex Woodman
Liberal Democrat Councillors for Cabot ward

www.cabot-liberals.org
www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com

This list brings you local community news and information about Cabot ward. If you have been forwarded this email from a friend, please don't rely on them to always do so - just email us and say "Send me Cabot eNews". If you no longer wish to receive Cabot eNews, email us to let us know.

alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk - mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk

Cabot eNews - April 2011

2011-04-22T17:15:00.000+01:00

Dear Resident,

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local

e-newsletter from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright. Cabot

eNews is sent to those who have expressed an interest in what is

happening in Cabot ward and central Bristol. If you're receiving Cabot

eNews for the first time, we hope you find it useful and informative.

If not, please let us know and we will remove you from the distribution

list.

In this edition:

1. Local elections and Referendum on Thursday May 5th

2. Election on May 5th - polling station changes

3. Are you able to help?

4. Council switch to white street lights to save money and cut energy

use

5. Bristol "Free Bus" to start in city centre in June

6. Studio Upstairs 'Open Studio' exhibition 30th April - 2nd May 2011

7. Get composting this spring with the council's bin offer

8. Upcoming Spike Island Gallery events

9. Avon New Cut events

10. Beautifying vacant shops

11. £1.4m cash boost for Bristol's M Shed

12. Latest Harbourside eBlast

13. A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to Brandon Hill

14. Renovation of the old bowling green area on Brandon Hill

15. Brandon Hill Community Orchard and Herb Garden

16. Brandon Hill Volunteer Days

17. Brandon Hill Blog

_________________

1. Local elections and Referendum on Thursday May 5th

In case you weren't yet aware, there are local elections in Bristol on

Thursday May 5th. Two thirds of the city's wards are up for election,

including Cabot, where Alex is standing for re-election.

There is of course also the voting-reform referendum at the same time.

The last UK-wide referendum was on the UK's continued membership of the

EEC 36 years ago in 1975 - so this one coming is a big deal! The

deadline for registering to vote was Thursday 14th, so if you're not

registered now, sadly it's too late for you.

Here is a short article on the proposed change to the "Alternative

Vote" by the Electoral Reform Society:

http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/article.php?id=55

_________________

2. Election on May 5th - polling station changes

Please note your polling station may have changed this year. To find

out where your polling station is please:

1. Look at your poll card.

2. Look at our web site www.bristol.gov.uk/vote

3. Go to a library and ask for information about finding out about your

polling station.

4. Ring Bristol City Council Electoral Services on 0117 9223400.

_________________

3. Are you able to help?

If you support the work of your local Lib Dem team, and would like to

see Alex re-elected on May 5th, then why not volunteer some time to help

with the campaign? We need help to deliver leaflets, stuff letters into,

and write addresses onto envelopes, as well as with a range of other

administrative work. If you can help, please get in touch by e-mail

alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or call 0117 942 8773.

_________________

4. Council switch to white street lights to save money and cut energy

use

Bristol City Council is to convert all of its street lighting to more

energy-efficient white lights in a move which will improve the quality

of lighting, save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year and cut the

city's carbon footprint.

Around 34,000 sodium lights will be replaced with new white lights over

four years at a cost of £4 million, saving more than £338,000 in the

first full year. The work will get under way in mid May.

The total CO2 saving is estimated to be just over 4,000 tonnes per year

following completion of the works. The cost of the work will be funded

by borrowing which will be repaid from the energy savings realised over

a period of just seven years.

_________________

5. Bristol "Free Bus" to start in city centre in June

The FreeBus project aims to provide a community run, non-profit bus

service for Bristol which is free at point of use. The principle goals

of the project are as follows:

* To demonstrate the economic case for free public transport in

Bristol.

* To demonstrate the travel behaviour change potential of free public

transport.

* To provide a non-profit alternative to Bristol City Council supported

bus services.

* To reduce the environmental and social impacts of car use.

The initial route will run on an express loop between Temple Meads,

Cabot Circus, Broadmead and the City Centre. It will be on Saturdays

only, 10am to 6pm every half hour. The FreeBus service will then expand

with its membership to serve residential routes around the city. We

think this is a great idea, so please support them! More details at

their website: http://www.freebus.org.uk/

_________________

6. Studio Upstairs 'Open Studio' exhibition 30th April - 2nd May 2011

It is that time of year again when Studio Upstairs is transformed from

a working arts community into a beautiful exhibition space, showcasing

the work of our members, staff and volunteers.

For more information on the exhibition and events happening in the

Studio throughout the weekend go to their website:

http://www.bristol.studioupstairs.org.uk/

They are based at units 1 & 2, Albion Dockside Estate, Hanover Place,

Bristol BS1 6UT

_________________

7. Get composting this spring with the council's bin offer

This spring, the council is offering subsidised compost bins to

encourage residents to give home composting a go. Home composting is one

of the most environmentally friendly ways to deal with food and garden

waste. It's easy to do and it produces a nutrient rich compost that can

then be used on flowers and plants.

Up to a third of your household waste can be composted at home, and not

only does it cut the waste going to landfill, which saves hundreds of

thousands of pounds in landfill taxes, it also reduces the amount of

harmful methane gases that are given off by the waste when it's in

landfill. Composting at home for just one year can save the equivalent

of all the CO2 your kettle produces annually.

To order a bin online or find out more, go to

www.bristol.gov.uk/composting or call the customer service centre on

0117 922 2100.

_________________

8. Upcoming Spike Island Gallery events

Spring is in full swing at Spike Island Galleries. Upcoming events

are:

Tue 26 Apr, 6pm - Artist's Talk: Marjolijn Dijkman

Fri 29 Apr, 7pm - Open Studios and Exhibition Preview and Party

Sat 30 Apr, 2pm - Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Exhibition Tour

Sat 30 Apr till Mon 2 May - Open Studios 2011

Sat 7 May, 2pm - Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Exhibition Tour

Mon 9 May, 6pm - Write Club

Tue 10 May, 6pm - Artist's Talk: Stuart Whipps

Thu 12 May, 8pm - Ignite Bristol

Sat 14 May, 7pm - Pre-colonial Dinner and Exhibition Tour

See http://www.spikeisland.org.uk/events for full list.

Spike opening hours -

Galleries: Tue to Sun 11am-5pm

Spike Cafe: Mon to Fri 8.30am-5pm; Sat & Sun 11am-5pm

_________________

9. Avon New Cut events

The next two Friends of Avon New Cut (FrANC) events are:

Redcliffe Evening Stroll - Thursday 12th May

Led by Roy Gallop, learn about parts of Redcliffe and the waterway

around Bathurst Basin. Meet at Bathurst Basin alongside the Louisiana

pub at 7.00 pm. Finish at the Ostrich pub at around 8.30pm. There will

be a charge of £1.50 per head for this event, payable on the day. No

need to book, just turn up on the day.

Wildflower Discovery Walk - Thursday 9th June

Led by Pam Millman from the Bristol Naturalists Society, learn about

the wide variety of wild flowers growing on the riverbanks. Meet at

7.00pm at Gaol Ferry Bridge (Cumberland Road side). Finish by 9.00pm.

There will be a charge of £2.00 per head for this event, payable on the

day. No need to book, just turn up on the day.

Email: contact@franc.org.uk

Website: www.franc.org.uk

_________________

10. Beautifying vacant shops

The "Capacity Scheme" aims to turn Bristol's underused buildings and

spaces into creative places for local artists and organisations to use

in the interim - they have supported many projects around the city and

more information can be found here www.capacitybristol.wordpress.com

Since last September, 2 council owned shops on 31 College Green have

been run as temporary exhibition spaces. 'Positive Protest' is running

in The Showroom up until May Day and is a show which explores politics

and protest through painting, film, performance, prints and toys. It is

open 16 April- 1 May Tues-Sun 12-6pm.

_________________

11. £1.4m cash boost for Bristol's M Shed

News from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) that M Shed - Bristol's new

museum, has received a massive £1.4m financial boost. The cash injection

will help to cover unforeseen costs of the £26m flagship museum as well

as providing a valuable contribution towards fundraising targets and the

completion of the learning studio.

The decision by HLF underpins M Shed's standing as a museum of regional

and national significance and is in addition to the £10.2m of HLF

funding received at M Shed's inception.

The unforeseen costs include:

- The removal and disposal of contaminated waste on the site, which was

far worse than expected

- Piling costs - the substructure had to be redesigned which had an

impact on pile positions causing extensive foundation redesign work.

Piling loads significantly increased necessitating use of an alternative

heavier piling rig

- More extensive repair works to the original concrete frame/shell of

the building and the internal columns.

_________________

12. Latest Harbourside eBlast

Latest edition is out and available here:

http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/about-bristol/destination-bristol/harbourside

_________________

13. A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to Brandon Hill

Shakespeare's famous play is coming to Brandon Hill! Open air theatre

company 'The Lord Chamberlain's Men' is bringing the play to the old

bowling green on the hill on Friday 27th May at 7.30pm. For more

details, visit www.tlcm.co.uk/emailer/ or contact mark@tlcm.co.uk

Box Office: 0117 9020344

Adult £14.50 Child £8.50

_________________

14. Renovation of the old bowling green area on Brandon Hill

The Friends of Brandon Hill have been working on producing a design for

the renovation of the old bowling green area on Brandon Hill. After the

completion of questionnaires, talking to people in the park, and

receiving feedback from many throughout the community, it is apparent

that the wish is to keep the only flat area on the hill available for as

many activities for as many people as possible. An outline plan for

improving the area has been produced based on the feedback received to

date. The plans can be found online at

http://www.bristolparksforum.org.uk/brandonhill

FoBH would appreciate your comments and feedback on this outline plan.

They can be contacted by email on info@friendsofbrandonhill.org or

Fraser on 0791 901 5774. You can also speak to Darren the park keeper to

let your views be known.

_________________

15. Brandon Hill Community Orchard and Herb Garden

Would you like to be part of a city-centre orchard? Help with the

planting and maintenance of the trees and benefit from the fruit of your

labours? Friends of Brandon Hill are currently planning a Community

Orchard and Herb Garden for Brandon Hill and are looking for people

interested in getting the orchard up and running.

They have now secured some initial funding for the project. They intend

to purchase trees over the next couple of months so they can mature over

the summer. They are looking for help in determining species and

varieties of fruit trees that will do well in the park and whose fruit

can be used by all. The planting is now planned for November. More funds

are being sought to create the herb garden.

The next meeting planned for those interested in helping with the

project is Tuesday 10th May at 18:30 next to the depot on Brandon Hill.

If you have an interest in orchards or their produce and would like to

be part of this exciting city centre project then please contact the

Friends.

_________________

16. Brandon Hill Volunteer Days

Throughout the year Friends of Brandon Hill have regular volunteer

days. The Friends help out with border planting, bramble bashing, pond

clearing and other activities to make the Hill a better place. If you

are interested in taking part on these days or would like to organise a

group to help on Brandon Hill at times to suit yourself or your group

please contact the Friends or speak to Darren the park keeper.

Friends of Brandon Hill can be contacted by email on:

info@friendsofbrandonhill.org or Fraser on 0791 901 5774.

_________________

17. Brandon Hill Blog

Topping off an exceptional flood of Brandon Hill activity - it is

spring after all! - here is a link to a new nature blog that a local

resident has set up for Brandon Hill. Full of information about the

wonderful variety of wildlife to be found on the hill:

http://brandonhillnature.wordpress.com/

_________________

If you know anybody who would be interested in Cabot eNews, please

forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a friend and

like it, email us to be added to the distribution list. We also welcome

feedback. We are happy to help residents, local businesses and voluntary

agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make Cabot a better place.

Finally, if you have any items you would like to be included in a future

edition of Cabot eNews, please get in touch! You can call/e-mail Alex

at 0117 353 3381/alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or Mark at 0117 914

2559/mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk. You can also follow Alex on Twitter

- www.twitter.com/cllralexwoodman and read his blog at

www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

Cabot eNews - March 2011

2011-03-19T00:35:00.000Z

Dear Resident,

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local
e-newsletter from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright.
Cabot eNews is sent to those who have expressed an interest in what is
happening in Cabot ward and central Bristol. If you're receiving
Cabot eNews for the first time, we hope you find it useful and
informative. If not, please let us know and we will remove you from
the distribution list.

In this edition:

1. Upcoming Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting
2. Westmoreland House Progress
3. Minor Traffic Schemes in Cabot
4. Accolade for Broadmead Police Team
5. New Tree Planting in Cabot
6. News from Brandon Hill
7. Cabot councillor Sleeps Rough for Charity
8. Changes to city centre parking arrangements
9. Parks Refreshment Kiosks Update
10. The Census is Coming
11. Crime in Kingsdown
12. Free Street Play Workshop
13. Council Budget Update
14. March Cabot News Out Now
15. Happy Birthday, Cabot eNews!

_________________

1. Upcoming Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting

The next meeting of the Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood
Partnership will be on 29th March 2011 at The Pavillion (above Jack's
Brasserie), Hannover Quay, Bristol, BS1 5JE - a map to Jack's
Brasserie can be found at http://bit.ly/dgMXmm. The Neighbourhood
Partnership is the committee of councillors, local residents and
representatives of the community organisations which makes decisions
about services in our local area, e.g. street cleaning and minor
traffic schemes. It also has a 'wellbeing' budget which can be used
for improvements to the area.

Members of the public are welcome to attend, and may make a statement
at the meeting. Statements must be submitted by 12 noon on 28th March
- details of how to do this, as well as the agenda for the meeting can
be found at www.bristol.gov.uk/meetings.

_________________

2. Westmoreland House Progress

Local councillors held a public meeting on 18th February to discuss
the future of Westmoreland House in Stokes Croft, a monstrous eyesore
which has blighted the area for far too long. The Council has been
promised £900,000 by the Homes and Communities Agency to look at the
possibility of securing a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to buy and
redevelop the site. However, for any redevelopment plan to be
successful, it is vital that it has the support of the local community
from an early stage.

There was a good turnout of over 100 people at the meeting. Since then
the Counci's Cabinet has agreed to progress a twin track approach of
exploring options with the building's owners AND pursuing a CPO. In
the meantime, Council officers are reviewing all ideas and suggestions
from the meeting, and are developing a list of people interested in
having further direct involvement in the consultation planning.

_________________

3. Minor Traffic Schemes in Cabot

The Neighbourhood Partnership meeting (see item 1 above) will be
considering proposals for how to spend its minor traffic schemes
budget in the forthcoming financial year. Minor traffic schemes
include things like the installation (or indeed removal!) of zebra
crossings, dropped kerbs or yellow lines, amongst other things. The
Partnership will be given a list of suggestions received from
residents and community groups.

If you have any views on issues which might be addressed by a minor
traffic scheme, please get in touch with Alex
(alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk) or Mark (mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk) as
soon as possible.

_________________

4. Accolade for Broadmead Police Team

There was good news for Broadmead at the Avon and Somerset Community
Policing Awards on the 8th March. The Broadmead police team received
the 'Neighbourhood Team of the Year' award. We wish them our
heartiest congratulations on recognition of a job well done.

_________________

5. New Tree Planting in Cabot

Some new tree news in brief. The Council is planting seven new
Turkish Hazel (Corylus colurna) trees on Anchor Road, near to
@tBristol. They'll be planted by the end of this month, and are a
result of the Greater Bristol Bus Network project. The Council has a
target of increasing the amount of tree canopy cover in the city from
the current 13% to 30%. If you have any ideas for places where new
trees might be planted, please get in touch with Alex or Mark.

_________________

6. News from Brandon Hill

The Friends of Brandon Hill have asked us to circulate the following news...

Renovation of the old bowling green area on Brandon Hill

Friends of Brandon Hill are currently looking for ideas for the future
use of the area on the hill that once was a bowling green as we are in
the process of applying for funding to improve the area. This area is
the only sizeable flat area on the hill and has been quite derelict
for a number of years with the grass area worn and flooded, walls
extensively gratified, and remaining pathways in very poor condition.
We are interested in hearing your views and ideas for the future use
of this area.

Creation of Brandon Hill Community Orchard and Herb Garden

Would you like to be part of a city centre orchard? Help with the
planting and maintenance of the trees and benefit from the fruit of
your labours? Friends of Brandon Hill are currently planning a
Community Orchard and Herb Garden for Brandon Hill and are looking for
people interested in getting the orchard up and running. If you have
an interest in orchards or their produce and would like to be part of
this exciting city centre project then please get in touch.

Brandon Hill Volunteer Days

Throughout the year Friends of Brandon Hill have regular volunteer
days. The friends help out with border planting, bramble bashing, pond
clearing and other activities to make the Hill a better place. If you
are interested in taking part on these days or would like to organise
a group to help on Brandon Hill at times to suit yourself or your
group please contact the Friends.

Friends of Brandon Hill can be contacted by email on
info@friendsofbrandonhill.org or Fraser on 0791 901 5774.

_________________

7. Cabot councillor sleeps rough for charity

Councillor Mark Wright spent the evening of 4th March sleeping rough
to raise money for the Julian Trust, a homeless charity which runs a
night shelter in St Pauls. It is the second year he has supported the
charity in this way, and he writes below about his experience...

"I decided to do this again this year, buoyed by my wife saying that
she would join me this time! This year 4th March was a clear and cold
night. The good news was that no rain was forecast - last year it
rained heavily, which was very unpleasant. The bad news was that it
would be frosty. I wrapped up extra warm, but was reassured by the
knowledge that I would have someone next to me for comfort this year.
Is that cheating, I wondered?

"I actually managed to get a handful of hours sleep this time. After
waking at about 5.30am I noticed frost on the sleeping bag and shoes!
The cold hadn’t got through my layers though, and sleeping out on the
grass instead of concrete made a huge beneficial difference to the
amount of discomfort and aches - an advantage of knowing it wouldn’t
rain. That's the lesson I've learnt this year: what a huge difference
the weather makes for the homeless - when it's pouring with rain just
be thankful you're not sleeping out there.

"This year, Cllr Anthony Negus (Cotham ward) and I raised over £1,000
for the Julian Trust homeless charity. Many thanks to those who
sponsored us."

_________________

8. Changes to city centre parking restrictions

The re-development of the former Cabot House site on Deanery Road, and
the associated stopping up of Brandon Street and remodelling of the
off-street car park, has given rise to a requirement for a review of
the on-street parking and loading arrangements in the adjoining roads.

In addition, as part of its scheme for the enhancement of College
Square, the City Council proposes to review the on-street waiting
arrangements within the square.

A statutory consultation is will be under way shortly for both areas.
The plans will be published online in the near future, they can be
seen online here: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/consultationfinder

_________________

9. Parks Refreshment Kiosks Update

The last edition of Cabot eNews reported the installation of
refreshment kiosks in Castle Park to provide a more welcoming and more
complete service to the park's users. The kiosks are now nearly
complete, and will be formally opened on 24th March.

_________________

10. The Census is Coming

"Census Day" is 27th March, and most Bristol residents will by now
have received their census forms through the letterbox.

It is vitally important that as many people as possible complete and
return the census form (or indeed complete it online!) The results of
the census will be used for the next ten years to plan public
transport, education, healthcare and a whole range of other things.
In addition, the outcome of the census will directly affect the amount
of money Bristol receives from central government (from your taxes!)
to spend on local services. Please ensure therefore that you fill it
in and send it back, particularly as failing to return the form is a
criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1000!

You can find out everything you need to know about the census at
http://www.census.gov.uk/

_________________

11. Crime in Kingsdown

There have been three burglaries in the Kingsdown area in the past
week. The first was in Sydenham Road at 4.30pm on 11th March where a
male entered a property and threatened the victim with a knife. The
victim was not harmed and the offender left stealing a mountain bike.
The offender was a white male, 5'8" tall of medium build with short
dark hair. He wore a blue hoody and had his face covered with a red
and white bandana. The second was in Kingsdown Parade on 12th during
the morning and entry was gained by kicking in the front door.
Property stolen includes an Xbox console and a television. The third
was also in Sydenham Road on 13th during the daytime. It is unknown
how entry was gained or what property was stolen.

If you have any information please contact the Police on 0845 456 7000
and ask for your call to be tagged 'NHW'.

It appears that the houses that have been targetted by burglars were
those that were insecure. To avoid becoming a victim of crime
yourself, please make sure that your home is secure - front and back
doors should be shut and locked if you are not near to them, and
windows should also be shut or prevented from opening.

_________________

12. Free Street Play Workshop

Free workshops are being held on how to run a street play event, using
funding provided by the Neighbourhood Partnership to promote outdoor
play by children.

The workshops will be on Tuesday 22nd March at 10am, upstairs at the
Spring Gardens tavern in Hotwells, and Thursday 24th March, 10am in
the Hamilton House Community Room, Stokes Croft. To book a place
please contact aliceandamy@playingout.net, or call Alice on 07896 957
141.

_________________

13. Council Budget Update

Since the last edition of Cabot eNews, the Council's budget for
2011/12 was approved with no increase in Council Tax for the
forthcoming year. The Lib Dem administration has sought to protect
front-line services, avoid compulsory redundancies and reduce
bureaucracy. We opposed budget amendments for tokenistic spending
increases in some areas paid for by making several staff redundant,
increasing bus fares on Park and Ride services, stalling the Council's
transformation programme (which will be delivering savings in coming
years) and stopping the Council's investment in green projects.

_________________

14. March Cabot News Out Now

The March edition of Cabot News (the paper version of Cabot eNews!) is
out now and being delivered to 6,000 homes across the ward. You can
download it here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/50942061/Cabot-News-Spring-2011

If you support the work of your local Lib Dem team, and would like to
see Alex re-elected, then why not volunteer some time to help with the
campaign? We need help to deliver leaflets, stuff letters into, and
write addresses onto envelopes, as well as with a range of other
administrative work. If you can help, please get in touch by e-mail
alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or call 0117 942 8773.

_________________

15. Happy Birthday, Cabot eNews!

Our last edition of Cabot eNews neglected to mention a birthday - at
the start of February, Cabot eNews was two years old! Since the start
of 2009, Mark and Alex have worked hard to try and keep local
residents up to date with local news and information every month, both
from within the Council and around the local area. We hope you enjoy
reading it, and will forward it on to anybody else you think might be
interested in receiving it! And if you have any suggestions or
requests for items to be included in future editions, or if you have
any feedback, please let us know.

_________________

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

---
Cabot eNews is produced by Alex Woodman and Dr Mark Wright
Liberal Democrat Councillors for Cabot ward

alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk - mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk
www.cabot-liberals.org
www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/CllrAlexWoodman

This list brings you local community news and information about Cabot
ward. If you no longer wish to receive Cabot eNews, email us to let us
know.

--
Cabot eNews is produced by Dr Mark Wright and Alex Woodman
Liberal Democrat Councillors for Cabot ward

www.cabot-liberals.org
www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com

This list brings you local community news and information about Cabot ward. If you have been forwarded this email from a friend, please don't rely on them to always do so - just email us and say "Send me Cabot eNews". If you no longer wish to receive Cabot eNews, email us to let us know.

alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk - mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk

Severn Beach Line News

2011-03-18T11:06:00.001Z

The following press release has just been sent out by the Council's press office. This is fantastic news about the Severn Beach line...

NEW SEVERN BEACH LINE CONTRACT: MORE TRAINS AND NEW TICKET MACHINES, with LESS TAXPAYERS MONEY

The future of the Severn Beach Line is looking better than ever following a new agreement between the city council and First Great Western.

The agreement reduces the cost of the city council’s annual contribution to the agreed service by hundreds of thousands of pounds whilst also including even more service improvements. That leave a substantial sum free – either to commit to even more improvements on the Severn Beach Line – or to invest in restoring other well-loved but struggling public transport services to better commercial health.

The new contract has been agreed in light of new franchising rules which allow local councils to reinvest the money saved from renegotiated contracts rather than giving it back to the government. Bristol City Council lobbied government to achieve this.

Despite the leaner financial support, the new contract will contain an important improvement to the Sunday service. The 18:53 from Temple Meads to Severn Beach and the 19:43 from Severn Beach to Temple Meads presently operate in the summer months only. They will now operate throughout the year.

The agreement confirms the continuation of the enhanced service that the Council has been funding since early 2008 and recognises the substantial growth in passengers that this enhancement has generated.

The new contract will run from 21 May 2011 until 31 March 2013 when the current FGW franchise terminates. Both FGW and the City Council wish to maintain the enhanced service but a contract beyond this date depends on decisions concerning the extension or replacement of the franchise.

Gary Hopkins, Bristol’s Executive Member for Strategic Transport, Waste & Targeted Improvement said, “More for less is not just talk. With proper service planning and business-like negotiations we can get a good deal for tax payers and users of a service, which still makes sound commercial sense to a professional operator. I am delighted that we have managed to secure this service for the foreseeable future, in a way that recognises the significant passenger growth that our money has generated up to now.”

Passenger journeys on the Severn Beach Line have increased by 80 per cent over the last four years. This spectacular passenger growth is great news, but it has led to difficulties for passengers trying to buy tickets on busy trains, particularly if they are making short journeys. Passengers arriving at Bristol Temple Meads without tickets are often faced with queueing to pay their fare.

To address the difficulties facing passengers, new ticket machines have been installed at Montpelier, Redland and Clifton Down stations with funding provided by the City Council. The machines will enable passengers travelling in the direction of Temple Meads to buy tickets before boarding their train.

The following inner – zone tickets will be available from the new machines.:

Weekly season ticket £6.00
Adult single £1.50
Adult return £2.00
Child/ Railcard Single £0.75
Child/ Railcard Return £1.00.

Payment is by cash only given the relatively low fare values and the need to avoid creating queues by accepting card payments.

The installation of ticket machines complements other measures already in place to maximise the collection of fares on the Severn Beach Line: additional ticket examiners now travel on many trains and revenue protection staff will be at station exits.

Since 2008 Bristol City Council has invested £400,000 per year into providing a more frequent service on the Severn Beach Line including trains on Sundays. The new contract reduces this amount to just over £200,000 even though the services level will be higher than previously.

The Council has also been working in partnership with the Severnside Community Rail Partnership and First Great Western and to carry out station improvements on the Severn Beach Line. Improvements include new shelters, web based customer information systems, environmental improvements, community art projects and poster cases to display bus interchange information. These initiatives have been successful in substantially reducing vandalism and graffiti.

Councillor Hopkins, added: “When we’re talking about investment in public transport, this is the way to do it. Public money must work hard and get results. Extra trains and proper investment in safe and welcoming stations have transformed the Severn Beach Line into an attractive and cost effective travel choice for commuters, shoppers and school children. And there is more good news to come in the form of newer trains and larger carriages later this year.

“We are confident that the route will remain sustainable. The Severn Beach Line success story is a shining example which should inform the way we continue to do business in the future.”

Police Webchat - 22nd February

2011-02-17T13:43:00.003Z

Police Sergeants Mark Alderton and Matt Parfitt, who cover the Cabot and Clifton Neighbourhood Area, will be holding a live webchat on Tuesday 22nd February at 7pm. You can find details at http://bit.ly/eU7Wfv

Avonmouth Biofuel Plant News

2011-02-16T12:35:00.003Z

Last year, I sat on the planning committee which refused planning permission for the biofuel plant at Avonmouth. I didn't blog about it at the time, but you can find news coverage here: http://bit.ly/dFTYmm

W4B, the company who wish to build the plant, submitted an appeal, which they have won. On the face of it, this seems like bad news. BUT, there is actually some good news in there, both for Bristol, and for the whole of the UK. Rather than repeat what others have written about, perhaps I can refer you over to the blog of Neil Harrison at http://cotham.blogspot.com/2011/02/pyhrric-victory-for-biofuel-plant.html.

(Neil is councillor for Cotham and Assistant Executive Member for Sustainability, and submitted well-argued and persuasive arguments to the committee about why the initial application should be refused....)

New Trees on Anchor Road

2011-02-15T13:08:00.004Z

Some brief tree news...

The Council plans to plant seven new Turkish Hazel (Corylus colurna) trees on Anchor Road, near to @tBristol. They'll be planted by the end of March, and are a result of the Greater Bristol Bus Network project.

Cabot eNews - February 2011

2011-02-10T22:54:00.001Z

Dear Resident,

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local e-newsletter from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright. Cabot eNews is sent to those who have expressed an interest in what is happening in Cabot ward and central Bristol.

In this edition:

1. Westmoreland House Public Meeting

2. Upcoming Neighbourhood Forum Meeting

3. UK's First Hydrogen Ferry in Bristol

4. New Cut Riverbank Clean-Up

5. Progress on the 'Bear Pit'

6. 9 King Square Avenue

7. Cheltenham Road Tesco Licence

8. Street Play Events

9. New Catering Kiosk in Castle Park

10. Story Telling at the Brunel Institute

11. Polling Station Changes

_________________

1. Westmoreland House Public Meeting

The Council has secured funding to pursue a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for Westmoreland House, which has blighted Stokes Croft for over two decades. The Lib Dem Cabinet was progressing this between 2005 and 2007, but lost control of the city in May 2007, after which the previous CPO scheme on Westmoreland House was not progressed.

Westmoreland House is actually in Ashley Ward (rather than Cabot), but obviously affects residents on both sides of Stokes Croft. A public meeting has been organised by Cllr Jon Rogers (Ashley ward) and Waliur Rahman for 6pm on Friday 18th February at the Salvation Army Citadel at 6 Ashley Road to discuss ideas for the site. All welcome!

_________________

2. Upcoming Neighbourhood Forum Meeting

The next Cabot Neighbourhood Forum Meeting takes place on Thursday 24th February at 7pm at The Council House. Any Cabot resident is welcome to attend the meeting to discuss local issues, or raise problems in the local area. Council officers as well as local police will be attending the meeting. Of course, if you are unable to attend, or there are any issues you would like to raise in advance, please feel free to contact Alex or Mark (details at the bottom).

_________________

3. UK's First Hydrogen Ferry in Bristol

The UK’s first hydrogen-powered ferry is set to be run in the harbour this summer. Bristol Hydrogen Boats - a consortium formed between No 7 Boat Trips, the Bristol Packet, and Auriga Energy Ltd - will showcase the hydrogen-fuelled ferry for six months from June 2011.

The ferry will carry up to 12 passengers per journey in order to demonstrate the commercial advantages of hydrogen technology to business, residents, commuters and tourists. As an alternative to petrol and diesel engines, hydrogen powered transport impacts significantly less on the environment as they produce zero direct emissions: the only waste product is water. This would mean a big reduction in air and water pollution, in addition to reduced noise, in the harbour if the technology was widely adopted in the future.

Other European cities are running or planning to introduce hydrogen-powered ferries, but here in Bristol the project is seen as an important contributor to the development of the city’s economy. As an environmental technology it is linked to one of Bristol’s five priority high growth sectors (see story 10!), which are key to the city’s ambitions to create a long term, sustainable, prosperous and productive economy.

_________________

4. New Cut Riverbank Clean-Up

Friends of the Avon New Cut (FrANC) volunteers will be clearing litter from the accessible parts of the Cumberland Road riverbank and the Harbourside Railway line alongside the Chocolate Path. Anyone with an interest in tidying up these areas is welcome to come along from 10am to 12 noon on Saturday 26th February - meet at Goal Ferry Bridge. Volunteers should wear strong shoes, gloves and warm, waterproof clothing. FrANC will provide litter-pickers and those who help will be offered a free coffee and cake at the end of the session! (More details are available on the website www.franc.org.uk)

_________________

5. Progress on the 'Bear Pit'

Progress is being made on plans to improve the 'Bear Pit' at St James Barton roundabout. There have been lots of good ideas put forward, with creative and unorthodox support from the Council, residents and other "interested parties". You can find more information at http://www.the-bear-pit.org.uk/

_________________

6. 9 King Square Avenue

Alex has been pressing the Council to take planning enforcement action against the owners of 9 King Square Avenue (former Chinese takeaway), which was converted into a massage parlour at the end of last year without planning permission. A number of local residents have, quite understandably, complained about this change. The Council is now issuing a planning enforcement notice to the owners of the building.

_________________

7. Cheltenham Road Tesco Licence

Tesco applied last year for a licence to sell alcohol from the store they plan to open on Cheltenham Road. The licence was unanimously refused by a Council sub-committee (of which Alex was a member), after the Police and local residents raised concerns about alcohol problems in the area. Tesco appealed against the decision, but in a sudden change of heart, last week they decided to abandon their appeal and offered to pay the Council's legal costs of £1700.

Alex said, "I know that alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour is a problem in this part of the city, and the licensing sub-committee felt that granting another alcohol licence in the area would only compound the problem. I am pleased to see that Tesco now appear to recognise these concerns, and do not plan to sell alcohol from their new branch."

_________________

8. Street Play Events

Last year the Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership awarded funding to help facilitate 'Playing Out' events in our local area. This followed the Partnership's 'participatory budgeting' trial earlier this year where local residents were asked to vote for the schemes which they wished to see receive funding.

The organisers of the 'Playing Out' events are looking for at least five streets to take part. Playing out events are short, after-school road closures to allow a residential street to be used for play. Adults are present but the children just do their own thing - usually resulting in a combination of active, creative and imaginative play. More information can be found at http//www.playingout.net.

It is planned that the events will happen in March and April, which means starting the process now to give time for getting neighbours on board and applying for road closures. If you are interested in taking part please contact Alice Ferguson as soon as possible at alice.ferguson@hotmail.com or 07896 957141.

_________________

9. New Catering Kiosk in Castle Park

The Council's Parks Department is planning to install a new catering kiosk in Castle Park. They currently anticipate starting work on site around the end of February and, subject to weather, do not foresee the work to take any longer than 10 days to complete. There will be some disruption on the park during the construction period as you would expect.

Notices will be put up on the Park notice boards to inform the public of the pending disruption to the park, with details of the actual start date for the work. The remainder of the Park will be open as usual. However there may be some disruption on the rest of the site for a short time due to the construction taking place. This could include mud on pathways, machinery movement, deliveries to site.

It is hoped that the new kiosk & business will be fully accessible and operating by the first week of April.

_________________

10. Story Telling at the Brunel Institute

Join professional storyteller Sarah Mooney for FREE sea-inspired storytelling, at 11:00am on the first Tuesday of each month. ‘Sea Hear’ is especially for pre-school children aged three to four (although younger and older siblings are welcome), accompanied by a parent or carer.

Held in the Brunel Institute, next to the ss Great Britain, ‘Sea Hear’ is inspired by the ship’s true stories, and original tales are intertwined with maritime myths and legends.

Expect a truly magical experience, with plenty of opportunities for children – and grown ups – to join in.

Sea Hear is managed by the ss Great Britain Trust and supported by The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust.

_________________

10. Polling Station Changes in Cabot

New rules from the Electoral Commission on polling stations mean that some residents in Cabot will vote in a different place in May, when local elections at the electoral reform referendum take place.

Residents in the Tyndalls Park area will now vote at the University Sports Centre on Tyndall Avenue. City centre residents will now either vote at the Central Library (for those living west of the Centre, or the Register Office on Corn Street for those living east.) Residents of Spike Island and Redcliffe are unaffected by the changes.

Details of which polling station to vote at are included on poll cards sent to all residents before the election, or you can find out where to vote by calling Electoral Services on 922 3790. Full details of all changes across the city can be found online at http://bit.ly/eksNpf

_________________

If you know anybody who would be interested in Cabot eNews, please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a friend and like it, email us to be added directly to the distribution list. We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make Cabot a better place. Finally, if you have any items you would like to be included in a future edition of Cabot eNews, please get in touch! You can call/e-mail Alex at 0117 353 3381 / alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or Mark at 0117 914 2559 / mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk. You can also read Alex's blog at www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com, or follow him on Twitter - www.twitter.com/cllralexwoodman

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

Westmoreland House

2011-02-07T11:10:00.004Z

Westmoreland House has blighted Stokes Croft for two decades, despite best efforts to do something about it.

However, the Council has now secured funds to progress a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) scheme again. The Lib Dem Cabinet was progressing this between 2005 and 2007, but lost control of the city in May 2007, after which the CPO scheme on Westmoreland House was not progressed.

A public meeting has been organised by Cllr Jon Rogers (Ashley ward) and Waliur Rahman for 6pm on Friday 18th February at the Salvation Army Citadel at 6 Ashley Road to discuss ideas for the site. All welcome!

Services to vulnerable people protected

2011-02-02T11:41:00.003Z

I thought I would reproduce the content of the following Council press release which was just sent to me. I know that this is an issue that many Cabot residents will be interested in:

A firm commitment has been made to protect services to vulnerable people in Bristol despite national financial pressures.

Cabinet Member for Care and Health, Dr Jon Rogers confirmed that Bristol City Council would spend £24m on Supporting People services next year. This is a reduction of £1.5m from the current year – a far smaller reduction in budget than is happening in many other cities around the country.

Supporting People funds over 170 different programmes and organisations which provide housing related support to vulnerable people.

Cllr Rogers said: “December's Local Government settlement was very disappointing. Despite this we have chosen to maintain strong housing-related support services for vulnerable people, and to limit the reduction to under 6%. We have achieved this through a combination of in-house savings, and through efficiencies identified by the organisations themselves.

“Officers had originally recommended that two services should close – The Brigstowe Project and All Nations Community Services. However following representations from the organisations and their service users, I am not satisfied that there are currently alternative services available to continue their work. We shall therefore continue to fund the work of these two projects for the coming year.

“With further savings needed in future years, we shall be working with service users, providers and other partners to review our Supporting People services. Many thousands of vulnerable people achieve and maintain independence through these services, so it is essential that this is a careful and thorough review."

My speech to Full Council on bus services

2011-01-22T17:08:00.002Z

On Tuesday, Full Council debated a Lib Dem motion relating to bus services in Bristol. My speech on the matter was thus:

I hope that, the amendment aside, which seems only to be adding to the basic motion, we will find some cross-party consensus on this. Time and time again the quality, or lack thereof, of bus services in Bristol is raised as one of the major problems by our residents and when Gary Hopkins circulated earlier the Bus Passenger Survey results, well surprise surprise to see First at the bottom of the league tables! Their excuse for the poor quality of services in Bristol is always going to be that the operating conditions aren't right, and while the council can't directly control the services, we can try and improve those operating conditions, and thanks to the investment that's gone in this has happened. Yet the passengers aren't seeing the benefits of that work. First's fares remain stubbornly high, their services remain unreliable. Poor old Peter Abraham can't get home in the evening so I gather! In fact that's probably where he's gone! So we need to send a message to First, and as a private company I suspect the only message that they're going to understand is one that affects their shareholders. Giving passengers a choice in Bristol means that they will vote with their feet and they will go to other operators if those operators offer a better service at a lower price. And hopefully that will send a message to First that they can't continue to run a shoddy service and I hope therefore that council will support the motion.

You can find the webcast of the full meeting at www.bristol.gov.uk/webcast. The debate on buses starts at 3hrs, 56mins, 32secs (Or look for item 10b in the index points!)

Cabot eNews - January 2011

2011-01-20T12:36:00.001Z

Dear Resident,

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local e-newsletter from Cabot councillors Alex Woodman and Mark Wright. Cabot eNews is sent to those who have expressed an interest in what is happening in Cabot ward and central Bristol.

In this edition:

1. Belated Happy New Year!
2. Friends of Brandon Hill Annual General Meeting
3. Neighbourhood Partnership Update
4. Work Starts on Cabot Tower
5. Houses in Multiple Occupation Update
6. Clean Up the Triangle Petition
7. Kingsdown RPZ in Operation
8. Dove Street Playground Update
9. Civic Society 'Joining Up Bristol' Event
10. Arnolfini is 50
11. St Augustine's Reach Launch

_________________

1. Belated Happy New Year!

A busy time before Christmas meant that no Cabot eNews was sent out in the final weeks of December, and so Mark and I missed our opportunity to wish all Cabot residents, and Cabot eNews readers, a merry Christmas. However, we wish you instead a (belated) Happy New Year! 2011 promises to be an interesting year in Cabot. The Kingsdown Residents Parking zone has now been in operation for almost two weeks (see item 7 below) and many other traffic and transport-related improvements, such as improved pedestrian crossings, will be underway in the coming months. Around Easter (or thereabouts) we'll see the re-opening of Cabot Tower (see story 4), and shortly after the opening of MShed, Bristol's new museum on Wapping Wharf. Plans are already underway for the 2011 Harbour Festival, with the launch event having been held just before Christmas. In terms of local politics, May will see local elections, and (hopefully) a referendum on introducing a fairer voting system for electing Members of Parliament.

Throughout the year, we'll work hard to keep you updated on what's going on in and around the ward. Of course, if there's anything you would like included, or there are any local issues you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch! You can find contact details at the bottom.

_________________

2. Friends of Brandon Hill Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Brandon Hill will be held next week on Monday 24th January. The meeting starts at 8pm in St George's C of E School - all are welcome.

_________________

3. Neighbourhood Partnership Update

The Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership meeting was held last Tuesday, with a near-record turnout by local residents. The Partnership, which is responsible for making some local decisions and budgets, has been given greater powers recently, allowing residents to be more involved in the decisions affecting their local area. To that end, we're working hard to promote the Partnership's work to encourage residents to get involved. For example, if you use Twitter, you can now follow us at http://twitter.com/cccnp

One of the issues discussed last week was the Hotwells and Cliftonwood Community Traffic Strategy (which can be found athttp://scr.bi/gjIHXg), which includes propsals for the western end of Cabot ward around the Cumberland Basin. Alex is working with the Council to try and get the document adopted as a formal planning policy, meaning its content can be taken into account when decided planning applications in the local area. Meanwhile, the Partnership agreed funding to repair stonework and railings on Brandon Hill, as well as for improvements to 'Cumberland Piazza', the park underneath the Cumberland Basin flyover.

The next meeting of the Neighbourhood Partnership will be on Tuesday 29th March (time/venue TBC). The next Neighbourhood Forum (which is an open public meeting to discuss local issues) will be on Thursday 24th Feb (time/venue also TBC).

_________________

4. Work Starts on Cabot Tower

Work has (at long last!) started on making repairs to Cabot Tower, which was closed at the end of 2007 after cracks were discovered in the building's structure. Because of its status as a listed building, and the uncertainty over what exactly was causing the cracks, it has taken some time to come up with a plan repair the building. However, work is now underway after a special scaffold was designed last year that can be erected without being fixed to the Tower. It should hopefully reopen around Easter. You can find the most recent Evening Post article about it at http://bit.ly/eAk0ni

_________________

5. Houses in Multiple Occupation Update

The Council is consulting on an 'Article 4 Direction' (see http://bit.ly/fiQ3if) which means that the subdivision of traditional family houses into multi-occupancy properties would require planning permission. This has not been the case in the past, and has led to many parts of the city, including parts of Cabot such as Kingsdown, being saturated with short-tenure houses in multiple occupation as family houses have been converted without any control or limits on their number. This can lead to big problems for the local community, with more cars parked in the street, more rubbish being left out, and the viability of local services (schools, GP surgeries etc) and businesses being undermined.

_________________

6. Clean Up the Triangle Petition

An e-petition is currently running on the Council's website, calling for improvements in street cleansing around the Triangle. This is something that Alex has raised with Council officers on a couple of occasion in the past, and so it is helpful to be able to show that there is some public demand for improvements in this area. You can find the petition at http://bit.ly/hk1rlH

_________________

7. Kingsdown RPZ in Operation

After years of planning, consulting, redesigning, etc, the Kingsdown Residents' Parking Zone came into operation on 4th January. Initial feedback from residents seems positive so far, and we hope that the scheme will finally address the problem of chronic commuter parking in Kingsdown, helping to improve the quality of life for those who live in the area. The scheme will be reviewed after six months to iron out any initial problems. However, if you live in Kingsdown and have any particular comments or issues before then, we would be very keen to hear about them - please e-mail alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk

_________________

8. Dove Street Playground Update

The last edition of Cabot eNews included information about the Dove Street children's playground behind Francis House. The Council has now received funding for improvements to parks in the local area, and Alex will be pushing for some of that funding to be spent on playground improvements. 23 local residents signed the petition calling for this to happen, which Alex will be presenting at the Full Council meeting tomorrow. Despite that, it's not too late to sign the petition - you can download it fromhttp://bit.ly/cGAFz2 - please return to Alex Woodman, c/o The Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

_________________

9. Civic Society 'Joining Up Bristol' Event

Bristol Civic Society are holding a public meeting (open and free to all!) to discuss 'joining up Bristol'. Over the last century, like many other cities, the central area of the city has been split apart by road schemes and intrusive development. This event will focus on the possibility of reconnecting Broadmead with the Temple area and to the Centre/Old City. The Speakers are:

Peter Floyd - Urban Design Consultant
Professor John Punter - Chair of Steering Group, Bristol Urban Design Forum
David Freed - Director of Deeley Freed Estates Ltd

The event will be held on Tuesday 8th February, 6:30pm at Colston Hall.

_________________

10. Arnolfini is 50

2011 sees one of Harbourside’s most iconic contemporary arts space celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Offering exhibitions, film, performance, dance, music, literature, talks and events, Arnolfini is one of Europe's leading centres for the contemporary arts.

As a reminder, entry to the galleries is free. A full programme of events is planned for the year, with the Cosima Von Bonin opening weekend and preview show (Friday 18th February, 6pm-8pm) an early highlight.

_________________

11. St Augustine's Reach Launch

It was in the 13th century that Bristol’s rivers were modified for use as docks, including the diversion of the River Frome in the 1240s into an artificial deep channel known as "Saint Augustine's Reach". The Reach became the heart of Bristol's docks, with its quays and wharfs and warehouses built for storage and trade.

This significant history has inspired local businesses from the Harbourside Forum to work together and create reasons for people to re-visit the Reach this February Half-Term and give the area something of a re-launch. The weekend coincides with the opening of one of Arnolfini’s 50th Anniversary launch events (see above!).

From Friday 18th through to Sunday 20th February, a host of things will be happening at venues up and down the Reach including the Arnolfini, At-Bristol, Bordeaux Quay, No 1 Harbourside, Shore Café Bar, The Architecture Centre, The River Grille, The Tourist Information Centre and Watershed.

There will be a treasure hunts, hot apple cider, music, boats, markets and plenty more! Mark the date in your diary now! For more information, contact: john.hirst@destinationbristol.co.uk or Mark_Roche-Garland@doylecollection.com

_________________

If you know anybody who would be interested in Cabot eNews, please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a friend and like it, email us to be added directly to the distribution list. We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make Cabot a better place. Finally, if you have any items you would like to be included in a future edition of Cabot eNews, please get in touch! You can call/e-mail Alex at 0117 353 3381 / alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or Mark at 0117 914 2559 / mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk. You can also follow Alex on Twitter - www.twitter.com/cllralexwoodman

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

Queens Road Post Office Update

2010-12-08T11:48:00.002Z

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about my most recent letter to Post Office Ltd about the closure of the Queens Road Post Office in October 2008. (See here).

As a consequense of my letter, this morning I met with somebody from the Post Office to talk about the situation. Key points from that meeting, in summary:

The branch closure is still classified as 'temporary' - i.e. the branch still exists, but only on paper for now.
The option of installing a temporary branch in a temporary building was impossible because the only suitable site was too 'slopey'
Post Office Ltd don't purchase new premises, so if they are to open a replacement branch, it has to be in partnership with an existing property owner (probably/preferably a business, but could be a public building or similar)
The political situation was difficult until May 2010 because the Labour government were not willing to finance the (re-)opening of branches. The uncertainty over the future of the Post Office network (because of the national political situation) meant that the Post Office were uncertain about the future of the Queens Road branch.
This uncertainty is fast fading away as it becomes apparent that the coalition government is committed to supporting the Post Office network
This in turn means that new national chains (e.g. Sainsbury's) who to date have been unwilling to be retail partners for Post Office branches are warming up to the idea
In light of the above, PO Ltd are going to have another look for a new retail partner in the Queens Road area, and will get back to me with some ideas.

Massage Parlour at 9 King Sq. Ave.

2010-12-03T18:09:00.003Z

A few residents have contacted me recently about the conversion of the Chinese restaurant at 9 King Square Avenue to a massage parlour, apparently without planning permission. The planning enforcement team are investigating - you can track progress at www.bristol.gov.uk/publicaccess - click 'Enforcement Search' on the left and use reference number: 10/30774/COU

Kingsdown Parking Permits

2010-12-03T18:03:00.002Z

The deadline to apply to the Council for parking permits for those living in the Kingsdown Residents' Parking zone is 10th December. Those living in the zone will need a permit to be able to park in the streets when the scheme becomes operational on January 4th. You should have been sent a paper version of the form, with a unique reference number for your property. If you have lost the form or did not receive it, you can contact the permits team on 0117 922 2600 and they will send out a replacement form with the reference number on it.

Please pass this message on to your friends and neighbours, including those who don't have a car - they will still want the opportunity to apply for visitors' permits!

Train Service Alterations

2010-12-03T18:02:00.001Z

Here's some useful information I received from First Great Western for anybody planning on using their services over Christmas:

-----

Major changes to rail services over Christmas.

27 December - 3 January inc

Reading Station and railway line will be closing from the 27 December to 3

January to begin a programme of multi-million pound improvement works.

While this will be of benefit to customers in the long term it does

unfortunately mean that there will be periods where we are unable to run

services on the Reading line. This means anyone planning on travelling over the

Christmas period to, from or through the Reading area will be affected and

should try to plan their journey in advance.

We are doing everything we can to get you to your destination. We are running

trains via diversionary routes and when this is not possible replacing trains

with a bus replacement service.

Travelling from the West of England? Trains will run into London Waterloo

Travelling from South Wales and Bristol? Trains will run via Banbury and Oxford

To check your journey or find out more, click here

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4888&utm_source=Reading&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Readingv2Email

*Limited services will be in operation from 31st Dec to 3rd Jan.

The First Great Western Team

-----

Cabot eNews - November 2010

2010-11-23T12:49:00.001Z

Dear Resident,

In this edition:

1. Parks and Green Spaces Strategy

2. Cabot Wins 'Purple Flag' Award

3. Street Play Events

4. Redcliffe Residents' Parking Zone

5. Houses in Multiple Occupation Update

6. Changes to Zebra Crossings

7. Kingsdown Parking Scheme Update

8. Queens Road Post Office

9. Police Neighbourhood Newsletters

10. Dove Street Playground Improvements

11. Recycling Update

12. Bus Users Surgery Comes to Bristol

13. And finally...bay windows!

_________________

1. Parks and Green Spaces Strategy

Local media has given much attention in recent days to the Council's Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. The strategy, which was adopted in 2008, is to sell some low-value green space (none in Cabot, where there is a shortage of green space) to fund investment in parks throughout the city. It is supported by the independent Bristol Parks Forum (see http://www.bristolparksforum.org.uk).

The process to date has been for officers from Council's Parks Department to draw up a list of possible sites, followed by a consultation on those suggestions. The consultation has now finished, and with over a thousand responses, the officers are now diligently analysing the responses to come up with a revised set of proposals. The outcome of this work will be presented to the Council's Cabinet in December for a decision on which sites to proceed with.

The issue was debated at a Full Council meeting this week, where Lib Dem councillors (including Alex and Mark) voted in favour of keeping the strategy. We acknowledge that there is opposition to the sale of some of the sites (around 15 of the 60 proposed) but we do not believe that scrapping the entire strategy at this stage, having just completed a comprehensive consultation is the right way to react to that opposition. Instead, the Cabinet will listen carefully to the outcome of the consultation and make a decision on that basis.

_________________

2. Cabot Wins 'Purple Flag' Award

Bristol City Centre, which is part of Cabot ward, is one of the first in the UK to be awarded the prestigious national 'Purple Flag' as a well-managed and vibrant place to visit and enjoy.

The Purple Flag Award scheme is run by the Association of Town Centre Managers. A team of experts recently visited the city centre from 5pm through the night until 3am to assess a range of criteria including personal safety, cleanliness, transport, attractiveness and appeal, arts and cultural on offer, how welcoming it felt, as well as the strength of partnership working. Both of Cabot's councillors added their support for this visit by meeting the assessors and taking part in some of the activities organised for them.

Alex said, "The judges recognised Bristol has an attractive, vibrant and well-managed city centre. The award clearly demonstrates to visitors that our city centre offers a high standard and wide choice of entertainment with the support of well co-ordinated services for a welcoming night out."

"Having said that, I know from local residents that there are still improvements to make, in areas such as a street cleaning, and so we will not be resting on our laurels. However, Bristol should nonetheless be proud to have won such a prestigious award."

The city's application for the Purple Flag stressed the wide choice of entertainment and leisure attractions and the huge range of restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs. Included in the bid too are the numerous festivals, prestigious theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls.

_________________

3. Street Play Events

The Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership recently awarded funding to help facilitate 'Playing Out' events in our local area. This followed the Partnership's 'participatory budgeting' trial earlier this year where local residents were asked to vote for the schemes which they wished to see receive funding.

The organisers of the 'Playing Out' events are now looking for at least five streets to take part. Playing out events are short, after-school road closures to allow a residential street to be used for play. Adults are present but the children just do their own thing - usually resulting in a combination of active, creative and imaginative play. More information can be found at http//www.playingout.net.

It is planned that the events will happen in March and April next year, which means starting the process now to give time for getting neighbours on board and applying for road closures. If you are interested in taking part please contact Alice Ferguson by 21st January at the latest (sooner if possible!) at alice.ferguson@hotmail.com or 07896 957141.

_________________

4. Redcliffe Residents' Parking Zone (RPZ)

Many Redcliffe residents have asked whether a residents' parking zone can be implemented in the area to tackle the problem of uncontrolled commuter parking. Funding was provided as part of the Holland House Hotel development, but disappointingly, Council officers have been reluctant to get on with the scheme while resources are directed towards to implementing the Kingsdown RPZ.

Now that the Kingsdown RPZ is almost complete, Alex feels that pressure should be put onto the officers to make Redcliffe the next priority. He has written to all local residents to ask them to sign a petition in support of an RPZ, and has so far received an encouraging response. If you want to add your support, you can download the petition slip at: http://bit.ly/d3Pifu. Please return it to Alex Woodman, c/o The Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

_________________

5. Update on Houses in Multiple Occupation

Many parts of the country, including parts of Cabot, suffer from the problems associated with the excessive concentration of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Therefore, after much lobbying by councillors and MPs from all parties, the government agreed in April 2010 to change planning rules on HMOs, so that the conversion of a traditional family into an HMO would require planning permission, which was not previously the case.

Unfortunately, the new Conservative Housing Minister believes that planning permission for conversions should only be required in local authority areas where there are problems with HMOs. Therefore, on 1st October he again changed planning rules meaning that councils such as Bristol will effectively have to 'opt in' to the new arrangements, and will have to give twelve months notice of this intention to avoid the possibility of costly compensation claims.

The central area planning committee, which Alex chairs, resolved last month to 'opt in' with effect from next year. This means that the Council will have had control over HMOs for 6 months (from April to October), before losing it for 12 months, only to regain it again at the end of 2011. Hopefully at that point we can begin to finally get a grip on the problem of excessive HMOs in certain areas, and finally start to move towards having more balanced and sustainable communities in those areas affected.

_________________

6. Changes to Zebra Crossings

The Council recently completed the statutory consultation on a new zebra crossing for Cotham Road. The crossing was given the go-ahead after Alex successfully lobbied our local Neighbourhood Partnership to provide funding. It will help residents as well as pupils from local schools to cross the road safely.

Meanwhile, the zebra crossing on Welsh Back at the junction with Redcliffe Bridge/The Grove is to be removed as improvements are made to the junction involving the installation of a raised table where pedestrians and cyclists can cross. This will be closer to the 'desire line' for people using the Brunel Mile from Redcliffe Bridge to Queen Square.

_________________

7. Kingsdown Parking Scheme Update

The implementation of the Kingsdown Residents' Parking Scheme is proceeding, with it coming into force early in the new year. There have been some minor problems in some areas with contractors putting poles in the wrong place, for example, but on the whole the implementation seems to be proceeding well. If you believe there have been implementation errors in your area, please get in touch with Alex at alex.woodman@bristol.gov.uk, or call 0117 353 3381.

The final version of the scheme handbook, which gives details of how the scheme will work has also now been published and can be found online at http://bit.ly/badQa6

_________________

8. Queens Road Post Office

Two years ago, the Post Office at the Triangle on Queens Road was closed. This was supposed to be a 'temporary' closure because the shop in which it was located had closed and could no longer accommodate the Post Office.

One year ago, Alex wrote to Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, to complain that a replacement branch had not been opened. The response received was that they were looking for alternative premises, and in the meantime, they claimed to have installed extra counter positions at nearby Post Office branches (e.g. Cotham Hill) to deal with the queues that the closure of the Queens Road branch had caused.

Disappointingly, despite another year having passed, there has still been no replacement branch opened at the Triangle. Therefore, in what seems to be fast becoming an annual pre-Christmas tradition, Alex has again written to the new Chief Executive of Royal Mail (Moya Greene) to ask for a progress update.

_________________

9. Police Neighbourhood Newsletters

Our local police issue regular newsletters with news and information about policing in Cabot. You can download the latest edition at: http://bit.ly/a3mAvc

_________________

10. Dove Street Playground Improvements

Some residents have been in touch with Mark recently to ask for improvements to the Dove Street children's playground behind Francis House. The Council will shortly receive some funding to improve parks and open spaces from the King Square House development, and so Alex and Mark are calling on the Council to make sure that some of this money is spent on the playground.

If you want to support the campaign, you can download the petition at http://bit.ly/cGAFz2. Please sign it and return to Alex Woodman, c/o The Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

_________________

11. Recycling Update

New figures show that Bristol residents are recycling TEN times the amount of plastic they were six years ago. In 2004/5, 104 tonnes of plastic was recycled through recycling banks. By the end of this year, 2010/11, estimates show Bristol will be on target to recycle nearly 1,500 tonnes.

Mark said: "This is a major increase in the amount of plastic we’re recycling and a great achievement for everyone in Bristol. I would like to thank Cabot residents who do their bit by recycling plastic waste - not only does this protect the environment, but it also saves thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money from landfill charges."

There are a number of plastic recycling points around Cabot, but Mark and Alex are always looking for more. If you have an idea for a possible site, please get in touch!

Meanwhile, recycling will soon be easier for residents and visitors who are out and about thanks to the installation of a number of on-street recycling bins in city centre locations in Cabot and surrounding areas. The bins will give people the chance to recycle their newspapers and cans, instead of just binning them.

Alex said: "This is another initiative to reduce the amount of waste Bristol sends to landfill sites. If the council don’t look for ways to divert more waste from landfill, and residents don’t fully use the recycling services available, then we all face huge financial penalties."

_________________

12. Bus Users' Surgery Comes to Bristol

Bus Users UK, an independent group which gives bus passengers a voice, will be holding a bus users' surgery on Friday 26th November between 9:30am and 5:30pm at The Centre (adjacent to junction with Baldwin St). Staff from the bus companies and Council officers with be available to provide information and discuss concerns, and would be glad to hear any suggestions you have about Bristol's bus services.

_________________

13. And finally...bay windows!

Mark is trying to get hold of a couple of two bay-window capital stones (for the window columns) for a restoration. They are of a design that is standard in Bristol and are made of terracotta, see http://www.cabot-liberals.org/Cabot/bay-window-capital.jpg . If you know where he can get hold of a couple please reply to him at mark.wright@bristol.gov.uk .

_________________

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

Queens Road Post Office

2010-11-18T12:35:00.002Z

A year ago today, I wrote to Adam Crozier, who was then Chief Executive of Royal Mail, about the closure of the Queens Road Post Office in October 2008. (See here for blog post about it).

Disappointingly, despite assurances at the time, no new branch has been opened in this area, and so it seems that writing to Royal Mail is fast becoming an annual tradition for me at this time of year. This morning, I wrote to Moya Greene, who is the new Chief Executive. In my letter, I said:

A year ago, I wrote to your predecessor, Adam Crozier, about the above. It followed the ‘temporary’ closure two years ago of the Queens Road Post Office in my ward, which served residents, local businesses and countless university students. The reply which I received (copy enclosed) stated that Mr Nickolls would be re-visiting the area to ascertain whether it is possible to re-instate the service.

It seems that a letter on this subject is fast becoming an annual pre-Christmas tradition for me. It is disappointing that, despite more than two years having passed, Queens Road is still without a Post Office, leaving those who would previously have used it with a lengthy journey to a nearby branch, where they can often expect long queues caused by the past closure of other local branches.

I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of humankind to resolve this, and I am astounded that no new branch has been opened over the past two years. The residents of this area have every right to expect that this problem should have been solved by now, and I hope you will understand their, and my, disappointment that it has not been.

I would be grateful for your assurance that everything possible is being done to find alternative premises for this branch. If consideration has already been given to particular premises, I would be grateful for details of those, and an explanation of why they were deemed inappropriate.

HMOs

2010-10-27T22:19:00.002+01:00

Shortly after I was elected in May 2007, I managed to get Full Council to pass a motion in support of a separate planning use class for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOS - see here). This would give the Council greater control over their density, thus tackling the problems caused by having excessive concentrations of HMOs is areas such as Kingsdown, Cotham, and other parts of the city.

After much lobbying by councillors and MPs from all parties, the government finally agreed to make this change, and in April 2010, a new Use Classes Order came into force, which for the first time classified HMOs in a separate category (called C4) to other dwellings (called C3). 'Permitted development' rights (effectively a blanket planning permission) were granted to allow a conversion from C4 to C3 without needing planning permission, whereas conversions in the opposite direction (C3 to C4) would need planning permission.

This change was in effect for six months, until in October 2010, Grant Shapps, the new Tory housing minister, granted permitted development for C3 to C4 conversions. Therefore, Bristol is once again in the situation where family houses can be converted to new HMOs without needing planning permission. The justification for this change was that only certain areas of the country have problems with excessive concentrations of HMOs, and so it is an unreasonable burden on those areas which don't have problems to require planning permission for HMOs. This leaves local authorities such as Bristol needing to implement something called an 'Article 4 Direction'. This suspends certain permitted development rights in specific areas, such as C3 to C4 changes.

Because many of the central wards in Bristol (specifically Cabot, Clifton, Clifton East, Cotham, Ashley and Lawrence Hill) have an excessive concentration of HMOs, the Council is pursuing an Article 4 Direction for these areas to try and address that problem. 'In principle' agreement was given for that at this evening's planning committee meeting. The next stage of the process is to publish a formal notice, indicating the Council's intention to implement an Article 4 Direction. If we give less than twelve month's notice, the Council would be liable for (potentially many millions of pounds of) compensation payments to people who have to apply for planning permission when they would not otherwise have had to. Therefore, the Article 4 Direction will come into effect twelve months after the publication of that notice.

It means that Bristol will have had control over HMOs for 6 months, before losing it for 12 months, only to regain it again at the end of 2011. Hopefully at that point we can begin to finally get a grip on the problem of excessive HMOs in certain areas, and finally start to move towards having more balanced and sustainable communities in those areas affected.

Cabot Neighbourhood Forum Minutes

2010-09-13T11:26:00.002+01:00

Minutes of the recent Cabot Neighbourhood Forum meeting can be found at http://scr.bi/c3IukE

Fairer Votes Campaign Launch

2010-09-13T10:16:00.004+01:00

I've just learnt that the campaign for fairer votes in Bristol will be launched later this week, on Thursday 16th September at 7:30pm at the Friends Meeting House on Hampton Road (click for map).

One of the reasons I got involved in politics was my desire to see a fairer electoral system, and so I'll certainly be giving all the support I can to the campaign. After the shameful revelations about MPs' expenses last year, I think that reform of our electoral system couldn't be more urgent. I hope you will support the campaign as well, and will perhaps come along to the launch on Thursday.

If you use Facebook, you can also find details at http://tiny.cc/YesinBristolFacebook

Latest Cabot eNews Published

2010-09-08T21:30:00.001+01:00

Welcome to this edition of Cabot eNews - your monthly local e-newsletter from Cabot councillors Mark Wright and Alex Woodman. Cabot eNews is sent to those who have expressed an interest in what is happening in Cabot ward and central Bristol.

In this edition:

1. Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting
2. Cumberland Piazza e-petition
3. Community Barn Dance
4. Review of Polling Districts
5. 'Hooters' Application Approved
6. Conservation Area Character Appraisals
7. Sustainable Cabot
8. Cabot Tower Update
9. Harbourside Enews Blast
10. Police Summer Newsletters
11. New Blog by Stephen Williams MP
12. Saturday: Doors Open Day / Kingsdown Homegrown
13. Work Starts on College Square
14. Update on Minor Parking Schemes

_________________

1. Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting

The next meeting of the Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership will be on 5th October 2010 at The Pavillion (above Jack's Brasserie), Hannover Quay, Bristol, BS1 5JE - a map to Jack's Brasserie can be found at http://bit.ly/dgMXmm. The Neighbourhood Partnership is the committee of councillors and representatives of the local community which makes decisions about services in our local area, e.g. street cleaning and minor traffic schemes. It also has a 'wellbeing' budget which can be used for improvements to the area.

Members of the public are welcome to attend, and may make a statement at the meeting. Statements must be submitted by 12 noon on 4th October - details of how to do this, as well as the agenda for the meeting can be found atwww.bristol.gov.uk/meetings.

_________________

2. Cumberland Piazza e-petition

There is a web petition up calling for "Cumberland Piazza" (the area under the road interchange on the north side of the docks) to be improved as a public space:

"We the undersigned call on Bristol City Council to end 40 years of neglect and work with the community towards reinstating the former Cumberland Piazza in Hotwells as an attractive public open space that will meet the recreational needs of local people and mark a gateway to the City of which all citizens can be proud"

http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/petition/1009

_________________

3. Community Barn Dance

We have been asked to advertise the Community Barn Dance and Harvest Supper, which will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Hotwell (HTH) on October 9th from 7:30pm:

"Following the success of last years Harvest Supper and Barn Dance at Hope, and having mended the floor in the church at HTH, we will be hosting this very popular event in HTH. We will be having our usual Ceilidh band and last years caller, as well as a traditional harvest supper."

"Tickets will be available from Liz Leaman 9265177, or from The Lion in Cliftonwood 9268492. Tickets £10 (£7 concessions over 65, under 16) to include Harvest supper. There will also be a raffle and licensed bar selling wine, beer, lager and cider."

_________________

4. Review of Polling Districts

The Council is undertaking a review of Bristol's polling stations and polling districts (the subdivisions of wards which determine where in the ward you go to vote.) Cabot has six polling districts, and although the Council does not have the power to review ward boundaries, it does decide the boundaries of the polling districts within the wards, and the location of each district's polling station.

At the moment, we feel that the current arrangements in Cabot are adequate because we successfully lobbied for tweaks to some of the districts before the last election to make it easier for voters to get to a nearby polling station. However, if you think that improvements could be made, either to the district boundaries or the location of polling stations, do please get in touch and let me know, preferably no later than 21st September.

A map of the current polling districts can be downloaded at http://www.bristol.gov.uk/WardFinder/pdfs/cabotmap-high.pdf

_________________

5. 'Hooters' Application Approved

The Council's Licensing Sub-Committee recently approved an application for a 'Hooters' restaurant on Harbourside, in the former Marks & Spencer Simply Food unit. This was despite objections from local residents and the Police, and the fact that the Council's licensing policy define the city centre as a 'cumulative impact area', meaning that applications will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

The fact that the application was approved came as a great disappointment, especially given that the sub-committee seemed to ignore the existence of the cumulative impact area. We are now looking at ways in which the Council's licensing policy can be strengthened so that future applications are likely to be refused.

_________________

6. Conservation Area Character Appraisals

The Council is currently undertaking character appraisals for the city's conservation areas. These outline the significance and special interest of the conservation area, to help guide decisions on future planning applications.

The draft character appraisal for the Park St & Brandon Hill conservation area has just been published, and can be found athttp://bit.ly/d7jaGC. Comments on the draft can be submitted to conservation@bristol.gov.uk no later than 20th September 2010.

At the same time, work is about to start on the City Docks conservation area character appraisal. Before the process of surveying or drafting begins, there is an initial consultation phase that will close on 30 September 2010, during which time the Council is inviting views to be put forward on the appraisal content. Comments can be sent to the same e-mail as above.

_________________

7. Sustainable Cabot

We are investigating setting up a group called "Sustainable Cabot" to work in a similar way as some of the other groups in the city, such as Sustainable Redland http://www.sustainableredland.org.uk/ . If you would be interested in attending a meeting to kick off such a group please let us know.

_________________

8. Cabot Tower Update

The following update about Cabot Tower was recently issued by the Council:

Urgent building works to repair one of Bristol’s iconic monuments - Cabot Tower in Brandon Hill Park - will commence once the design for scaffold structure and the specification for the work has been approved by the project team and English Heritage.

The city council is working in partnership with English Heritage to ensure a suitable design is drawn up quickly and approved. The finished design will create a stand alone ‘scaffold cage’ around the tower that not only meets stringent health and safety standards but which will not be fixed to the tower’s external stone and brickwork, thus eliminating any potential further damage to the Victorian, listed building.

In addition, the scaffold’s design must also take into consideration the historic earthworks on which Cabot Tower stands. The site was once part of the Parliamentary defences in the first English Civil War and prior to that, the mound formed part of the city's medieval fortifications.

“Cabot Tower is a historic, city landmark and it’s important to get the hi-spec design for the scaffolding right,“ says Councillor Simon Cook, Bristol’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for culture. “The team are looking at a design which incorporates a safe, sound scaffolding structure with protective caps on the scaffolding pole ends. We are also looking at the construction on the ground to take the weight of the scaffolding without damaging the earthworks. This would be made up of railway sleepers to protect the tower’s foundations.

“Once English Heritage has approved the design we can go out to tender and work could start work within the next few weeks.

“I know many people in the city and beyond are eagerly awaiting the day when all the repairs and maintenance works are all completed - but as with any major repairs to a historic building it takes time and we must be sure to make the right decisions at every step of the way.”

Ross Simmonds, English Heritage Team Leader for Bristol said: "We're delighted to be able to support Bristol City Council with a grant of £200,000 towards the overall cost of vital repairs to secure the future of this much loved tower, which is so important to the city's townscape and history. We will continue to assist Bristol City Council in taking forward their project with specialist technical advice as and when needed."

_________________

9 Harbourside Enews Blast

The latest edition can be found at:

http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/about-bristol/destination-bristol/harbourside

_________________

10. Police Summer Newsletters

Our local police issue regular newsletters with news and information about policing in Cabot. You can download the latest edition at: http://bit.ly/91oDtR

_________________

11. New Blog by Stephen Williams MP

Our local MP, Stephen Williams, has started writing a blog, which can be found at http://stephenwilliamsmp.wordpress.com. And don't forget, you can also find news and information about Cabot on Alex's Cabot Blog, athttp://www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com

_________________

12. Saturday: Doors Open Day / Kingsdown Homegrown

A reminder that this Saturday 11th is "Bristol Doors Open Day", and many of the interesting and historic buildings in the city will be open to the public to see inside. This a great day out and most of the attractions are in Cabot ward - within walking distance for all of you so you are exceptionally lucky and can make best use of living in the city centre!

Details at: http://www.bristoldoorsopenday.org

Saturday is also be Kingsdown Homegrown - see http://kingsdown.org.uk/kingsdown-homegrown/homegrown-10/

_________________

13. Work Starts on College Square

Work has started on "College Square", which is the land between Bristol Cathedral and Anchor Rd. Money allocated from the development of Harbouside is being used to open this square up to create a proper walking route from Harbouside up through the Norman arch next to the Cathedral. This is a great project agreed between the Council, the Cathedral and the Cathedral School, and will transform the journey from Harbourside to College Green.

_________________

14. Update on Minor Parking Schemes

For some time the Kingsdown Residents Parking Scheme has been using all the resources of the Parking Department. Now that that has been decided, the final decision has been made on three minor parking scheme changes in the ward that were consulted on during the winter.

Brandon Hill: The Brandon Hill scheme involves changes to the regime in the streets around Charlotte St, Great George St and Queens Parade. This scheme will now progress. It includes making Queens Parade a one-way street, which will help safety around St Georges School a great deal.

Cumberland Road: This scheme involves Cumberland Road itself and some streets off it. While there was support for the scheme, the uncertainty of whether the Bus-Rapid-Transport (BRT) route will go ahead means that a decision on it will not be taken until after the Comprehensive Spending Review in October when the national transport budget will be known. If the BRT gets the go ahead it means the scheme would have to be re-designed because many of the parking places allocated will be taken up by bus lanes and other changes.

John Carrs Terrace/Berkeley Square: This scheme involves these two roads. The parking department has decided that, because the Cliftonwood RPZ will not now be proceeding, the justification for changing the regime in these roads has largely gone. This scheme will therefore not be progressing unless changes are other parking brought in for Cliftonwood.

_________________

If you know anybody who would be interested in Cabot eNews, please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a friend and like it, email us to be added directly to the distribution list. We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make Cabot a better place. Finally, if you have any items you would like to be included in a future edition of Cabot eNews, please get in touch!

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

Park St & Brandon Hill Conservation Area

2010-09-06T13:39:00.002+01:00

The Council is currently undertaking character appraisals for the city's conservation areas. These outline the significance and special interest of the conservation area, to help guide decisions on future planning applications.

The draft character appraisal for the Park St & Brandon Hill conservation area has just been published, and can be found at http://bit.ly/d7jaGC. Comments on the draft can be submitted to conservation@bristol.gov.uk no later than 20th September 2010.

Review of Polling Districts and Stations

2010-08-31T12:38:00.003+01:00

The Council is undertaking a review of Bristol's polling stations and polling districts (the subdivisions of wards which determine where you go to vote.) Cabot has six polling districts (see right), and although the Council does not have the power to review ward boundaries, it does decide the boundaries of the polling districts, and the location of each district's polling station.

At the moment, I think the current arrangements in Cabot are adequate. However, if you think that improvements could be made, either to the district boundaries or the location of polling stations, do please get in touch and let me know, preferably no later than 21st September.

(A larger version of the Polling District map can be downloaded at http://www.bristol.gov.uk/WardFinder/pdfs/cabotmap-high.pdf)

Stephen Williams' New Blog

2010-08-19T10:19:00.001+01:00

Bristol West MP Stephen Williams has started a new blog - see http://stephenwilliamsmp.wordpress.com

Residents' Parking Zones

2010-08-04T00:03:00.015+01:00

I have received a flood of e-mails in the past couple of days accusing me of, amongst other things, 'voting in favour of the RPZ scheme' and 'ignoring the democratic wishes of the majority'. As this seems to have been precipitated by the anti-RPZ 'Keep Parking Free' campaign, and their continuing attempts to spread misleading information about the Council's plans, I thought I had best take this opportunity to set the record straight.

Firstly, I should make clear that this decision was made by the Council's 'Cabinet', the committee of eight councillors elected by the Council to make executive decisions on its behalf. I am not, and have never been, a member of the Cabinet, and as a backbench member I have never had the opportunity to vote for or against the proposals. The claim by the 'Keep Parking Free' campaign that I 'backed proceeding with the scheme' which in my view suggests that I played some formal role in the decision-making process, is inaccurate. My only role in this process has been as a ward councillor, who has sought to represent his constituents' views and stand up for their interests, which I have done to the best of my ability.

Before I was elected in 2007, I made clear that one of my priorities as a councillor would be to seek the creation of some form of controlled parking regime in Kingsdown, to address the blight that many years of excessive commuter parking has had on the quality of residents' lives. I believe that my support for such a scheme has been vindicated by the countless e-mails and letters I have received in the past three years from local residents, complaining about the parking situation, and asking for action by the Council to deal with it. On the contrary, messages opposing the proposals have only formed a tiny proportion of my post bag.

I remain convinced therefore that the residents of Kingsdown are supportive of the RPZ plans, and so over the past three years I have done my best to ensure that the scheme devised by the Council is the very best one possible. Since the first set of proposals were drawn up in 2008, I have objected to or commented on various aspects, which I felt were not in the interests of the residents I represent. This includes, amongst other things:

The price of the permits, which started at £50 and was reduced to £30 after concerns were expressed by me and other councillors.
The number of parking spaces which were going to be lost. I encouraged council officers to work with local residents, whose knowledge of the area is second-to-none, to find ways of squeezing as many spaces in as possible.
The quality of the initial consultation with local residents. I used my position on a Council scrutiny commission (a backbench committee responsible for reviewing what the Council is doing) to call for a better consultation with residents.
The impact of lines and signs on the Kingsdown Conservation Area - I pushed for sensitivity when installing the scheme so as not to damage the historic character of Kingsdown.

What the Council has just conducted was a statutory consultation which specifically sought objections to the proposals, not letters of support. The 'Keep Parking Free' campaign claim that 995 of the 1037 responses to the consultation on the proposals were opposed to the RPZ. That is hardly surprising, given the nature of the consultation, and does not indicate that there is an absence of support support for the plans. In fact, the earlier informal consultation resulted in 203 people in favour, and 200 against. It is also the case that 859 responses were a standard, template response which had been circulated by the 'Keep Parking Free' campaign, most likely signed on the basis ofscaremongering and misinformation by them. I do not see why quantity should outweigh the quality of the individually written, reasoned and considered responses which were submitted (both for and against), and do not believe that the Cabinet acted 'undemocratically' by taking this fact into account when making their decision.

As for accusing me, personally, of acting in an 'undemocratic' fashion, that is, frankly, nonsense. A significant number of the objections received came from all over the city, and indeed the country. However, my responsibility as a local councillor is ultimately to stand up for the interests of the residents in my ward, and I have used my best judgement, taking all of the above into account, to come to a view which I think does exactly that, even if people from elsewhere have objected.

Finally, a large number of the messages I received have suggested that this is simply a revenue raising exercise by the Council. On the contrary, the Council has committed to ensuring that there is no profit from the scheme. Revenue from the sale of permits and fines will be used only to cover the costs of implementing and enforcing the scheme, and the Council has always been clear that it will use open-book accounting so that residents can see and be certain that this is the case. An earlier set of proposals suggested that there would be a profit element, which would be used to improve public transport services. I objected to this, on the basis that it is unfair that city centre residents should be penalised in order to subsidise public transport services used by people from outside the city centre. The decision by the Cabinet on 22nd July was that the permit costs would be fixed for three years. After this, if the costs of the scheme are reduced, I will be pushing for the costs of permits to also be reduced.

You can find a map of the residents' parking zone at http://bit.ly/cwYzuF

Latest Cabot eNews Published

2010-07-12T19:28:00.001+01:00

Dear Resident,

In this edition:

1. Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting

2. Decision on Kingsdown Residents Parking Scheme

3. City Museum and Art Gallery Exhibitions

4. Possible Changes to HMO Rules

5. Future Exhibitions at Spike Island

6. Tables and Chairs Licensing

7. New Bristol Advice Point Opens in Cabot

8. Harbourside Enews Blast

9. Conservation Area Character Appraisals

10. Cycling Improvements

_________________

1. Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting

The next meeting of the Cabot, Clifton & Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 13th July at The Deaf Centre, King Square. The agenda and other documents can be found at http://tinyurl.com/378wua2.

_________________

2. Decision on Kingsdown Residents Parking Scheme

The Council's Cabinet will meet on 22nd July at 6pm to discuss, amongst other things, the proposed Residents' Parking Zone for Kingsdown. The statutory consultation on the scheme has now finished, and the Cabinet will be making a decision on how to proceed. The meeting will be held at the Council House. If you wish to make a statement at the meeting, please send it to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk no later than 12pm on Wednesday 21st July.

Your Cabot Lib Dem councillors have always maintained that a well designed and resident friendly RPZ scheme would improve the quality of life for residents. This goes back to when Stephen Williams MP was Cabot councillor in the 90's! We have worked over the years to try to achieve that scheme. We feel that this scheme is - at last - a good scheme, and therefore we are backing it.

_________________

3. City Museum and Art Gallery Exhibitions

Art from the New World

Saturday 1 May - Sunday 22 August

Art From The New World is a big brash exhibition of the new American art scene. The exhibition features a collection of 48 new works by a diverse range of some of the finest emerging and noted living US urban and new Contemporary artists, spanning the artistic spectrum from pop surreal to neo-figurative to street.

BAC 100 Exhibition

Saturday 18 September - Sunday 28 November 2010

The exhibition will provide an overview of a century of aviation innovation in the West of England, taking as it's starting point the founding in 1910 of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which went on to form the basis of Bristol-Siddeley Engines, British Aircraft Corporation, British Aerospace, Rolls-Royce (Bristol), Airbus (Filton) and other major companies.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

December - January, dates tbc

This popular annual exhibition will be back, showcasing the most prestigious wildlife and nature photography competition of its kind. Take a journey around the world through the eye of a lens, from the cold arctic to the deepest tropical rainforests.

_________________

4. Possible Changes to HMO Rules

Grant Shapps MP, the government minister responsible for Housing and Planning, announced in the House of Commons recently that he wishes to make changes to the planning rules governing the conversion of family houses into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The current rules, which mean that planning permission is required for a conversion, came into effect just three months ago, after a long campaign by councillors and MPs from around the country.

The uncontrolled proliferation of HMOs in some parts of Bristol, including in Kingsdown and Cotham, is having a detrimental effect on our neighbourhoods. We support the principle of balanced and sustainable communities, where all parts of Bristol have a diverse and varied selection of accommodation types. While it is not clear at the moment what Grant Shapps wishes to change, we will be keeping a close eye on his proposals to ensure that they do not undermine the ability of the Council to prevent the unfettered spread of HMOs.

_________________

5. Future Exhibitions at Spike Island

Spike Island have asked us to mention details of their upcoming exhibitions. You can find details at www.spikeisland.org.uk, but in summary:

'the world appeared to her reflected by pure inwardness'

Jorge Santos

17 July - 26 September. Preview: Friday 16 July, 6-9pm.

'Wealth of Nations'

Curated by Gordana Nikolić and Kristian Lukic. Preview: Friday 08 Oct, 6-9pm.

09 October - 28 November, Gallery One & Perimeter Gallery

'Notes Part I, II & III'

Charlie Tweed

09 October - 28 November, Gallery Two

_________________

6. Tables and Chairs Licensing

One common complaint from Cabot residents is the inappropriate placement of tables and chairs on the pavements outside cafes, bars and restaurants.

To tackle this, the Council is now consulting on whether to introduce a licencing scheme for tables and chairs. The draft proposals recommend a city wide scheme in which applicants wishing to place tables and chairs on the highway would need to make an application to the council who would seek the views of persons who appear to be materially effected by the proposal prior to making a decision. The proposed charge for a permission will be £55 for a table and/or up to four chairs (and multiples thereof).

The council is particularly interested in views on the following questions:

(a) Should the scheme apply city wide, and

(b) Whether the charges should apply to all types of premises e.g. premises licensed to supply alcohol (e.g. bars) as well as premises that do not supply alcohol (e.g. local cafes)?

Comments should be sent by 29th July to nick.carter@bristol.gov.uk

_________________

7. New Bristol Advice Point Opens in Cabot

Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau has opened a new Bristol Advice Point on Quay Street that is now the first point of contact for all face to face CAB clients. Bristol Advice Point will be open 9.30am - 1pm Mon - Friday for drop-in triage interviews. The service will also be open from 1-4.30pm Mon - Friday for access to online self help materials.

The Bristol Advice Point has 6 PCs available for public use. One of the PCs is combined with a free telephone line to access Bristol City Council services.

_________________

8. Harbourside Enews Blast

The most recent Harbourside Enews Blast, with news, improvements, developments and events around the Harbour, can be found at

http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/about-bristol/destination-bristol/harbourside-enews-blast-5

_________________

9. Conservation Area Character Appraisals

Character appraisals are currently being written for two of the conservation areas in Cabot - Park Street and Brandon Hill, and St James' Parade, and there is a consultation process to seek views from local residents on what should be included. You can find details of the consultations at:

Park Street and Brandon Hill: http://tinyurl.com/32apxd7

St James' Parade: http://tinyurl.com/384rwxz

_________________

10. Cycling Improvements

As part of the Cycling City project, the Council are currently looking at various proposals in Cabot, and elsewhere around the city, for improvements to cycling infrastructure. Those in Cabot, with a link to more details, are:

Nine Tree Hill - http://tinyurl.com/3yc2k7f

Brunel Mile (Queen Sq to St Mary Redcliffe Church) - http://tinyurl.com/37mfhuu

Narrow Weir - http://tinyurl.com/2ufqvg4

Royal Oak Avenue (Prince St to Queen Sq) - http://tinyurl.com/3y36x87

College Green (Junction with Anchor Rd) - http://tinyurl.com/38dm9pc

Bridge Street (Castle Park - Baldwin St) - http://tinyurl.com/39c4s8s

_________________

Thanks for reading this edition Cabot eNews. If you know of people who would be interested, please forward it on to them. If you have received this email from a friend and like it, email us to be added directly to the distribution. We also welcome feedback. We are happy to help residents, local businesses and voluntary agencies where we can, to pursue issues to make Cabot a better place.

Best wishes,

Alex Woodman and Mark Wright

----

Cabot eNews is produced by Dr Mark Wright and Alex Woodman

Liberal Democrat Councillors for Cabot ward

www.cabot-liberals.org

www.alexwoodman.blogspot.com

Cotham Road Crossing

2010-07-05T21:37:00.002+01:00

I have submitted the following proposal for discussion by the Cabot, Clifton & Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership at its meeting next week:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proposal to commit £5,000 from the wellbeing fund for the installation of a pedestrian crossing on Cotham Road.

Cotham Road is a busy main road, used by a large volume of traffic travelling from Whiteladies Road/Cotham Hill to Gloucester Road. The straight, downhill nature of the road (for West-East traffic) means that speeding vehicles are often a problem. There are two schools in the immediately vicinity: Cotham School, which has a new entrance opening shortly on the north side of Cotham Road, and the Rowan Tree Kindergarten, the Steiner nursery on the south side of the road. In addition, the close proximity of St Pauls RC Primary School on Hampton Road and Colston’s Primary on Cotham Grove means that hundreds of school pupils and parents cross the road each day.

Since 2008, there have been three recorded collisions between cars on this road, and I understand anecdotally that a parent was recently hit by a car while walking to the Rowan Tree Kindergarten. Given the volume of cars, the problem of speeding, and the concentration of children at this location, it is only a matter of time before a more serious accident occurs. The local community has recognised the need for a crossing and has been vocal in demanding one. There is currently a petition on the Councils e-petitions website with approximately sixty signatures calling for the installation of a crossing, and a statement and petition to that effect were presented to the Full Council meeting on 29th June 2010.

As the boundary between Cotham and Cabot wards runs along Cotham Road, the crossing would equally serve the residents of both wards. At the instigation of the Bishopston, Cotham & Redland (BC&R) Neighbourhood Partnership, officers have already started drawing up plans for a crossing, which will cost approximately £16,000. Of this, the BC&R Neighbourhood Partnership has committed £11,000 from their minor traffic schemes and wellbeing funds. However, in light of the benefits to residents in the Cabot, Clifton & Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership area, I would I would like to propose that we agree to commit up to £5,000 from the wellbeing fund to meet the remaining cost of the crossing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------