Out and about

Out and about in Brislington West with Jos and Andrew

Today (Thursday 5 May) you have the chance to give your verdict on ten years of mayoral failure in a referendum on the governance of Bristol.

At the recent campaign launch, it was great to hear from every political party in Bristol, including many Labour Party members, on why the current system of local governance is bad for Bristol and bad for democracy. We have been delivering Scrap the Mayor leaflets across Greater Brislington over the last few weeks and the conversations we’ve had with local residents have been overwhelmingly in favour of change. The referendum, which was proposed by the Bristol Lib Dems and supported by Green and Conservative councillors, will give voters a chance to have their say on 5 May.

The mayoral system in Bristol has a record of shame with £50m of taxpayers’ money thrown down the drain on Bristol Energy, £12m wasted on two bridges to nowhere at Arena Island, parks’ budgets slashed and playgrounds left with no swings, disabled children’s education neglected with hundreds of special school places not provided, and millions more to be cut from the city’s adult social care budget. Because of the over-centralisation of power in the hands of one person, decisions have been made behind closed doors with overpaid, unaccountable advisers and unelected city elites, while local residents and councillors from every party have been ignored and have been unable to stop the waste.

The alternative system of governance, the Modern Committee System, is being adopted by councils all over the country, from Glasgow to Sheffield and from Nottingham to Brighton, and it’s easy to see why. The Committee System is a much fairer, more cooperative way of making decisions, ensuring every voice is heard, not just one! On 5 May you can vote to end the waste and restore local democracy. Please vote for a better Bristol. Vote for change. Vote to scrap the Mayor! You can watch a short, explanatory video here: www.youtu.be/ fjrAIDASFnc

Volunteering for the Greenway:

This Saturday 7th May at 10am, those interested in volunteering are invited to help with path clearance work on the southern section of our new traffic-free path, the Brislington Greenway, to accelerate its opening date. 24

The plan is to work on the section from the entry point at Lodekka Pub going south to the Talbot Road bridge. Progress is to be made on creating a 4m wide passage. The route will be marked out and cleared to create a useable path. This will require the removal of the covering of moss, leaf mould, debris, wood, litter & broken glass, which has built up on the tarmac beneath. The work will be coordinated by the Project Manager for Greenways & Cycleroutes, who are the lead contractor on the work. If you are interested in joining and helping, please send an email to info@bristolcycling.org.uk using ‘Tramway Volunteer’ in the email title. You will be sent further information.

No Mow May!

This May there is a very easy thing you can do in your garden to help wild flowers and struggling pollinators – put your lawnmowers away for No Mow May. Whether it’s a small patch or your whole lawn, you can have an impact. Find out more here:

City Centre consultation:

Plans to revitalise the centre of Bristol to make it a more family-friendly, safer, healthier, and greener place are set to be developed in the City Centre Development and Delivery Plan (Plan).

People who live or work in, or travel to our city centre are being asked for feedback to guide the initial stages of the Plan, which will build on the One City Plan, and the City Centre Framework, adopted in 2020, to set out a vision for our city centre up to 2050.

Sparke Evans update:

Following our recent campaign, Bristol City Council announced in January that Sparke Evans footbridge would be included in a £15m, 5-year repair and maintenance programme along with a list of 5 other bridges across the New Cut. However, in a recent update, Sparke Evans bridge has been omitted from the list. We have written to the cabinet member responsible asking for clarification. Sparke Evans is a key traffic-free route from our part of Bristol into the city centre and allows users to avoid the busy Bath Road.

The Plan will cover a large area of central Bristol, extending from Marlborough Street and the St James Barton roundabout in the north, to Castle Park in the south, Bond Street South in the east and St Augustine’s Parade in the west.

The Plan will consider key topics includ-

ing: • Character and use – how our city centre might look, feel and be used in the future

• Economy and skills – how to provide a range of opportunities for jobs and business

• Housing – how to make our city centre an attractive place to live • Movement – how to make our city safe and accessible for everyone • Streets, parks and open spaces – how to provide the quality public spaces needed to support healthy, active communities

• Nature – how to preserve and enhance biodiversity and benefit from nature’s positive impact on our city. • Climate change - how redevelopment in our city centre can support the council’s aim to be carbon neutral and climate resilient.

The Plan will set out proposals for enhancements to Castle Park and the St James Barton area (including the Bearpit and St James’ Park). It will also establish a vision and set out principles for the future development of other key sites including The Galleries, Fairfax Street, Callowhill Court, Haymarket, and the former Debenhams store.

The City Centre Development and Delivery Plan does not include the harbour area which is being considered through separate projects, nor the area in front of the Hippodrome.

This first round of informal engagement will run for four weeks from Monday 25 April to Monday 23 May 2022. To read about the issues the City Centre Development and Delivery Plan will address, add comments to an interactive map and fill in a short survey go to: www.citycentrebristol.co.uk. There will be further opportunity for engagement over the summer and a period of formal consultation later in the year. Hundreds of Brislington West residents have signed up to receive our monthly newsletter via email. You can register using this link: www.bristollibdems.org/efocus. By Jos Clark, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr.jos.clark@ bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 370429 & Andrew Varney, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr. andrew.varney@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 183381

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