Protect and Vaccinate

Scrap the Mayor!

Your local Lib Dems have succeeded in getting a referendum on the future of the directly elected mayoral system in Bristol, keeping one of our key election promises. The current mayoral system puts too much power into the hands of one person, who can ignore votes in council and routinely dodges scrutiny and accountability. Under the current occupant, the budget for the Mayor’s Office has become increasingly bloated and poor decision-making such as the Bristol Arena debacle, Bristol Energy and Brislington Meadows has cost us all dearly. It’s a system we can no longer afford. Both your Brislington West councillors spoke in support of the motion at Full Council last month, which went on to win by 41 votes to 24. As a result, we will be having a legally binding referendum on the future of governance in Bristol on Thursday 5 May, 2022, a date for your diaries! If you would like to get involved in the campaign to ‘Scrap the Mayor’, please sign up here: https://www.bristollibdems.org/getinvolved

New link to Hungerford Road:

We are delighted to see the submission of a planning application for a new pedestrian and cycle link between Hungerford Road and the proposed new development at Flowers Hill. This will be a convenient cut-through for residents wishing to access the retail units and public transport on the Bath Road. From our first meeting with the developers of Flowers Hill in early 2021, this was one of our key requests for the scheme, together with a community use for the listed War Rooms. Please feel free to look at the plans for the pedestrian and cycle link and submit comments: https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=R4MN9ADNI5X00

Protect and Vaccinate:

We are pleased that following the awarding of a central government grant, a small group of vulnerable adults with a history of rough sleeping during the winter will be offered a place to stay at a local hotel in Brislington West until the end of March. We are hopeful that this scheme will lead to an uptake in the COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently low in this group.

We are also hopeful that the experience will have a positive impact on these guests and help them to get the long-term help and support they need. Please contact us via email or phone if you have any questions about this project.

Bin collection dates:

Your bin collection days are due to return to normal from Monday 24 January. Details on the festive dates, together with the new collection calendars for next year, are available here: https://bristolwastecompany. co.uk/household/bins-and-recycling-collection-days/

Arnos Court Park update:

We recently met with the council’s Landscape Works and Play manager to discuss improvements to Arnos Court Park. We are particularly concerned with the old ornamental pond, basketball area and the unused strip of tarmac near the children’s play area. One idea we had, which could be achieved without too much expense, is to paint traditional games such as hopscotch on the tarmac so the space can be utilised. We also discussed the idea of a bog garden in the old pond and outdoor gym equipment, although both these projects would be more expensive. We’ll keep you posted. We also discussed the idea of a bog garden in the old pond and outdoor gym equipment, although both these projects would be more expensive. We’ll keep you posted.

Turnberry Walk resurfacing:

Following a discussion with the council’s Estate Management, Residents of Turnberry Walk off West Town Lane will be pleased to hear their badly potholed car parks will hopefully be resurfaced for the first time since the estate was built around 40 years ago. Parking spaces and disabled bays will also be repainted.

Highway Code changes:

Please be aware of the updated road hierarchy coming into force at the end of this month. These changes aim to improve road safety for more vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, who are most likely to get injured in an accident. It is now the responsibility of a car driver to be aware of cyclists, pedestrians, or horse riders. For example, when a car is turning into a road or exiting a road, they should stop to let pedestrians cross. Cyclists travelling straight ahead at road junctions will now be given priority over drivers who are turning in or out or changing lanes. Hundreds of Brislington West residents have signed up to receive our monthly newsletter via email. You can 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 (Brislington West) Email: cllr.andrew.varney@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 183381