Out and about with Jos and Andrew

Brislington Greenway

We recently revealed proposals from a private company, Greenways and Cycleroutes Limited, to build an active travel corridor along the old Brislington Railway Line (see planning link below). We are pleased to say over 130 people have already submitted comments in support of the proposals. However, if this application is approved, it will only be for a limited period of time as the route is still earmarked for the Callington Road Link. The scheme is also dependent upon funding from another company, Meanwhile Creative, which plans to install shipping containers along part of the route to be used as pop up work spaces and studios for artists and craftspeople. The planning application for this scheme has yet to be submitted. Of course it’s possible one or both schemes could be refused, in which case construction of the Callington Road Link is due to commence in late 2023.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Brislington West, Andrew Varney, has submitted the following comments in support of the application. Please feel free to use them when making your own comments if you wish: “I am writing to express my strong support for the creation of an active travel corridor for walkers and cyclists as proposed in this planning application. I am a passionate opponent of the current WECA/BCC plan to develop this site as the Callington Road Link. A new road will not solve congestion but will simply encourage more people to make more journeys by car, thereby increasing traffic, increasing congestion and increasing pollution. For the last four years, I have been campaigning for the Brislington Greenway, an active travel corridor linking the city centre with Stockwood in South Bristol. My campaign is supported by Sustrans, the Bristol Cycling Campaign, CycleWorks, The Bristol Walking Alliance, and the vast majority of local people, over 2,450 of whom have signed my petition opposing the road scheme. The proposal will not only provide the active travel corridor which local people so desperately want and need, but also a much needed shot in the arm for the local economy. Cycling and walking rates in this part of Bristol are lower than other parts of the city primarily because of the lack of infrastructure and the largely accurate perception that the A4 Bath Road is an unpleasant and dangerous route for cyclists and pedestrians. This proposal would provide local people with a safe, off-road route all the way to the city centre, encouraging more people to switch to active travel.

The national government wants to encourage more people to take up active travel in order to reduce obesity and create a healthier population better able to successfully fight off coronavirus infection. This scheme will provide the space needed for people to keep fit and lead healthier lives.

Green spaces are proven to benefit people’s mental health and well-being. This scheme will provide an important green space for the local community in an area of densely-populated housing that currently lacks greenery and community spaces.

The former Brislington Railway Line has become an important wildlife corridor, supporting a huge amount of flora and fauna. Unlike the destructive and damaging road proposal, this scheme will have minimal impact on local wildlife.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been very hard on our economy, both locally and nationally, and job losses are likely to continue to rise. This proposal will encourage local journeys, which will also benefit the wider local economy, for example, by supporting the shops on Sandy Park Road.

This land has been largely neglected and unused since the 1960s. This scheme would put the land to good use, protecting and enhancing the local environment and providing a stimulus for the local economy.

I hope you will give this proposal serious consideration.”

https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/ applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QOQI2DDNKPW00&activeTab=summary&fbclid=IwAR3LNEZHCCGc8j9EQOsOx4m_mPolhFJ3wH2oL5UgDE3wZfY-5mGLwi7NQp8

Don’t forget to join the Friends of Brislington Greenway, set up by local residents in 2017 to fight the Callington Road Link plans. The group currently has 366 members: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/196044540963847/

E-scooter Obstruction

At Full Council earlier in the year, we asked the mayor about the issue of e-scooters blocking pavements and causing an obstruction to pedestrians. Unfortunately, the mayor dismissed our concerns saying it wasn’t an issue. However, as the attached photographs prove, it very much is an issue and a real hazard for pedestrians, especially those with mobility issues or visual impairment.

A similar e-scooter scheme was recently launched in Portsmouth and there, a total of 17 parking racks have been installed across the city and a further seven are being proposed, where riders will start and end their journeys. We need storage racks or properly marked-out locations to park the e-scooters here in Bristol too. Simply dumping them in the middle of the pavement is unacceptable.

John Peer Update

We recently updated you on the resubmitted planning application for the development of 146 flats by Sovereign Housing on the site of the old John Peer factory opposite Arnos Court Park. Unfortunately, the reapplication was recommended for refusal by planning officers and the planning committee agreed and this month refused permission. This means that this Brislington eyesore is going to be around for a little bit longer. We will try to set up another meeting with the developers in order to find out what they plan to do next. We will of course keep you posted.

Census Officials

Census officials are currently in Brislington, helping people to complete their census forms, which is a legal obligation. There were some concerns about scammers operating in the area so if in doubt, please ask for ID. The census officials will be wearing a distinctive, purple and yellow hi-viz and a lanyard and will be carrying portable computer equipment.

Sand Hill Daffodils

We are delighted to see the daffodils we planted last autumn on Sand Hill in full bloom. Over time, we hope they will spread and bring some much needed cheer to a neglected corner of the ward. We are also planning to meet up with a local horticulturalist, who designed some wonderful pocket parks in St. George’s, to come up with a wildlife-friendly planting scheme for the area.

Family Fun Day

Last week we had a meeting with staff at the Imperial Sports Ground on West Town Lane, who are hoping to host a Family Fun Day on 26 June. They are looking for people to help form a planning group to organise this and would also love to hear from individuals and groups who would be interested in participating in some capacity on the day. If you or anyone you know would like to be involved, please let us know, and we will pass on your details to the organisers.

Councillor’s Surgery Success

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Saturday for another successful councillor’s surgery. Lots of interesting conversations, especially our Brislington Greenway campaign. We’ll organise another surgery next month but please remember, you can contact us by phone or email at any time. See details below.

Polling Station Change:

Voters who normally go to the Bristol School for the Performing Arts (The White Hart) in Brislington Village to vote should be aware it is no longer available. Therefore, the polling station has moved to Holymead Juniors on Wick Road, accommodated in the Lower Hall. The school will remain open to pupils on polling day. While special measures will be put in place to ensure everyone’s safety at polling stations, by far the easiest and safest way to vote is by post. You can use our handy tool to get your postal vote set up today. If you don’t have a printer, let us know and we will get an application form to you. https://www. libdems.org.uk/postal-vote

Keeping in touch:

We believe in keeping residents up to date on important local issues and publish a quarterly newsletters, ‘Focus on Brislington West’. We also have a digital version and if you would like to receive it, please register using this link: http://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 Candidate (Brislington West) Email: andyvarney@hotmail.com Mobile: 07544 667968

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It sets out actions to prevent and contain COVID-19.

Bristol’s approach to managing the next phase of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been set out in a revised version of the COVID-19 Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP).

The plan outlines ways that Bristol, in partnership with communities, local partners, National NHS Test and Trace, Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England with the new Institute for Health Security, will take action to prevent and contain COVID-19 over the coming year.

Christina Gray, Director for Communities and Public Health said: “The impact of over twelve months of national lockdowns and challenging restrictions on our businesses, mental health and daily lifestyles cannot be understated. The refresh of this plan comes at a really pivotal time as we take the next slow and cautious step to easing COVID-19 restrictions in the city. This plan is not only a reminder of all the important systems we’ve put in place to get here, but that there is still a lot to be done to get back to the things we love.” The new Local Outbreak Management Plan covers seven key themes; outbreak prevention and response, test, trace and isolate, communication and engagement, data, recovery, protection and enforcement.

Within those themes, there is further detail about processes for containing and managing outbreaks of the virus, learnings from the past year, best practice and important issues such as inequalities, accessibility and supporting vulnerable groups.

Ms Gray said: “I’m extremely pleased to say that now over 160,000 people in Bristol (approximately 39% of all eligible residents) have had one or two doses of a life-saving vaccine and more people are booking theirs in every day. However, COVID-19 is not going away overnight, and our refreshed plan outlines the different areas such as testing, supporting isolation and managing changes in the virus such as Variants of Concern that will become increasingly more important over the coming six to twelve months.”

The public are also being reminded of the importance of following the guidance and taking the next step in the Government’s roadmap to easing national restrictions cautiously and carefully.