Out & about with Jos & Andrew

Out and about this week in Brislington with Jos and Andrew

A new path for Arnos Court Park:

Last week, we attended our Area Committee meeting at City Hall. Area Committees are responsible for allocating Community Infrastructure Levy funding to local improvement projects. Brislington West is part of Area Committee 5, which includes Brislington East, Knowle, Windmill Hill, Southville and Bedminster. There were several projects totalling well over £200,000 but there was only around £70,000 available for funding. we spoke in support of schemes put forward by Greater Brislington Together, including one submitted by the Friends of Arnos Court Park for a new path leading to the steps by Arnos Vale Cemetery and one submitted by the Friends of Brislington Brook for a new handrail and repairs to steps leading from Newbridge Road into Nightingale Valley. We are pleased to say, councillors from across South Bristol voted to take both schemes forward to the next stage of the process.

Let Loose Family Fun Day:

Thank you to everyone who came along and hopefully, enjoyed themselves at the Let Loose Family Fun Day, which took place last Saturday at the Imperial Sports Ground on West Town Lane. There were activities for all, including face painting, a bouncy castle, a giant slide, Zumba, martial arts and fitness classes, a food and beverage court, stalls supporting local businesses, It’s a Knockout tournament, a dog show and much, much more. The weather Gods were on our side too and the anticipated rain failed to materialise! We are looking to make this an annual event so let us know what went well and what needs improving so we can be bigger and better next year.

Briz-It-Up!

This Saturday sees another community event for Brislington, Briz-It-Up, a fabulous musical and performing arts fun day being held by the PYTCH Boeing 727 on Bonville Road! On 7 August from 12 till 4pm. This is a free fun day for all age groups, particularly those with an interest in performance and event presentation. PYTCH is a major operator in this genre of digital production. Any profits/ donations will go to the local Air Ambulance. Hope to see you there. Free tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/briz-itup-21-tickets-163496320897

A4 Consultation:

If you haven’t already, please consider participating in the consultation on the A4 Corridor Project. This is your chance to have your say on an important project that will shape our area for decades to come. The survey includes sections on general travel behaviour, bus use, Park and Ride, cycling and walking and local shopping habits.

You can skip questions that are not relevant to you and there is also space to add your own comments. As well as the survey, there is an interactive mapping tool where you make comments relating to specific locations. You can also see what other people have suggested and ‘like’ comments you agree with. The survey can be found on the Travel West website and runs until 10 September. https://travelwest.info/projects/improvementson-a4-bristol-to-bath

Advance notice: Scotland Lane closure:

Scotland Lane will be closed temporarily to vehicles due to remedial culvert works, which are commencing on 29th August 2021, with the works anticipated to be finished by 3rd September 2021. ALTERNATIVE ROUTE: Stockwood Road, Bath Road (A4), West Town Lane, Sturminster Road, Craydon Road, Stockwood Road, Hollway Road, Stockwood Lane and vice versa

Brislington Greenway:

The application for the temporary installation of shipping containers along part of the route of the former Brislington Railway Line, to be used as pop-up office spaces and workshops for local artists and craftspeople, is now live on the planning website and we would encourage everyone to read the proposals and make comments. This scheme includes paying for a footpath and cycle route from Sainsbury’s to Tesco, the missing link in the Sustran’s National Walking & Cycle Network, Route 3, as part of the application. There are currently 38 public comments on the planning portal, the overwhelming majority of which are fully supportive: https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/ applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QV9J2MDNLYO00&activeTab=summary&fbclid=IwAR0Ldm_KcNrLq8hhI_VFPg0xcJ3h-Ah97_RGFp541HATX4kqyD1mc9nVP9E

Community litter pick:

Our next litter pick will be this Saturday, 7 August. We are meeting at the bottom of Sand Hill by the junction of Bloomfield and Whitby Roads at 10am. As usual, we will provide litter pickers, hi-viz and bags, please bring your own gloves and hand sanitizer 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

New public artwork, named Home from Home, to be installed at Ladden Garden Village

A new public artwork named Home from Home, is soon to be installed at Ladden Garden Village, a major new development delivering hundreds of new homes for north Yate.

The artwork will take the form of a pavilion, made from repurposed waste materials and timber offcuts from construction sites including Ladden Garden Village and the Whirlpool washing machine factory in Yate. It will be a temporary structure, to be used as an outdoor arts venue and catalyst for creative activity. Barratt Homes is creating a range of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes at Ladden Garden Village, set within 32 acres of open space. The leading housebuilder is funding the new public artwork through its Section 106 planning requirements. This already established community will also include a primary school, nursery and shop when complete, as well as four acres of new play areas, sports pitches and 4.5 km of footpaths and cycleways. One of the play areas at the southern entrance to the new neighbourhood will be opening to the public in the coming weeks, with playground equipment for children to enjoy. Home from Home is set to be installed near to the play area in August. Bristol-based artist Jo Lathwood has been working on the artwork from her studio at Spike Island in the city, with the piece exploring ideas around sustainability and shelter, whilst its modular design was influenced by Yate's 20th century evolution into a centre for manufacturing. Jo Lathwood held a public event, named FACTORY, at Spike Island in Bristol in 2019 as part of their Open Studios event which began the process of preparing offcuts to make Home from Home, with help from Yate Men's Shed and hundreds of other members of the public. An engagement programme of creative events and activities, led by visiting and local artists, will be held in and around the pavilion through a programme supported by the Arts Council and Barratt Homes, in association with Yate Parish. These will include family days, workshops, performances and exhibitions. It will also enable three artists, Kayle Brandon, Phil Owen and Oliver Sutherland, to develop new artworks inspired by the area and created collaboratively with local residents.

Andrea Pilgrim, sales director at the Bristol division of Barratt Homes, says: "We are very much looking forward to Home from Home being in place at Ladden Garden Village, providing a chance for people to embrace their creativity and connect with their community. Ladden Garden Village is a hugely significant development, delivering hundreds of much-needed new homes alongside many other benefits for residents, including the soon-to-open play area which will offer a lovely, welcoming space for families to enjoy."

A flythrough of the third phase of the development at Ladden Garden Village can be seen here. More than 270 of the Barratt Homes built in the first phases are now occupied. Construction on Barratt Homes' phase four of Ladden Garden Village is due to start next year.

SUMMER 2021 SEES HOME SALES

Summer 2021 is shaping up to be a bumper house moving season in North Somerset thanks to a combination of pent-up demand due to Covid-19 restrictions and an increasing interest in the area from buyers.

Andrew Simmonds, director of Parker’s Estate Agents in Backwell says that the holiday season is now one of the best times to start the process of moving home.

He said: “One of the main reasons people tell us they want to relocate to North Somerset is because of the quality of the schools. People are keen for their children to start a new school with a new school year so they are

looking to move this time of the year.

“In 2021 we are seeing the consequences of the lockdowns due to Covid-19 still washing through. Many people wanted to move last year but they felt it was difficult in the lockdown and others who wanted to sell put it off because they didn’t feel comfortable with people looking around their home. “At the moment there are more people looking in North Somerset than ever. We are seeing more people from Bristol wanting to take the step into the countryside as it is the perfect area to work from home.”

Parker’s Estate Agents say the summer holidays need not delay sales. Once they have made a valuation, they can show prospective buyers around properties while families are away – which saves on disturbance and tidying up and have the offers waiting when you return.

Homes with gardens often look good and sell well in the summer and for those not going away but looking to sell the agents recommend that those little jobs that tidy a property up are ideally completed in July and August.

Said Mr Simmonds: “People’s own holiday plans needn’t be a barrier to selling a home. Often we prefer it if the seller is absent, as the house can stay tidy for several viewings and there is less disturbance. We can just hold the keys and look after a home while the seller is away.”