Out and About with Jos and Andrew

Brislington road issues:

We recently had a meeting with transport officers to discuss several dangerous roads and junctions in Brislington West including Hampstead and Kensington Park, Talbot and Eagle, Hungerford Road and Wick Road. We were also presented with a report on proposals for road safety improvements on Wick Road. This report was actually commissioned by the Brislington Neighbourhood Partnership over 4 years ago but was delayed when the current Labour administration scrapped these community organisations. Unfortunately, there is no money to deliver any of the proposals in the report or to make improvements to the other locations mentioned above but we are hopeful some elements can be implemented as and when money becomes available in the future, perhaps as part of the A4 corridor project.

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 32 public comments on the planning portal, the overwhelming majority of which are fully supportive:

Let Loose Family Fun Day:

It’s just two weeks until the event of the summer, the Let Loose Family Fun Day! The venue is the Imperial Sports Ground on West Town Lane from 11 till 4pm on 31 July. We are part of the organising committee and have been helping to put together the programme for the day. There will be 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. We will also be fundraising for local charities and a new activity centre for autistic children. Fingers crossed for good weather and hope to see you there.

Bristol libraries will be reopening their doors this week and are offering people the chance to return any overdue books without having to pay the fines. It has been a confusing year, with varied opening arrangements across the library service, so the team are giving everyone three months to hunt behind the sofa for any outstanding books, and bring them back to their local library without facing a penalty. If books are not returned, the library service will have to spend additional money to replace them. Libraries will continue to offer a number of measures to keep staff and customers safe. These include screens for help desks, hand sanitiser units and computers will remain more spaced out where possible. All libraries will be well ventilated.

Visitors are still encouraged to wear masks to protect library staff and other library users, but there will be no restrictions on time spent in the library, and no requirement to book computers in advance. NHS Test and Trace will still be available but on a voluntary basis. The 23 libraries that are currently offering services will return to normal opening hours over the next two weeks, starting from Monday July 19. It may take up to two weeks to return to normal as layouts are changed back to allow for full browsing and use of the computers. The service’s website will be updated on a daily basis. Library buildings will not currently be available outside of opening hours.

Broken gate at Arnos Court Park:

One of the gates into the children’s play area at Arnos Court Park is broken and so there is a heightened risk of dog fouling in the area. We have reported the problem to council officers and impressed upon them the need for a speedy repair.

Cumberland Road closure:

Advance warning that Cumberland Road will be closed to traffic for two weeks from next Monday (26 July) to allow for a new phase of stabilisation work in the area to be completed. Traffic at Cumberland Basin and Coronation Road will be diverted, inbound and outbound, with access available depending on location. The Underfall Yard and Cottage will have access from the west (Cumberland Basin), with the caravan park and SS Great Britain retaining access from the east (city centre). The footway will remain open and can be shared between pedestrians and cyclists. Diversion signs for traffic will be in place, while there will also be an impact on the M2 MetroBus service. For up-to-date travel and bus service information, including MetroBus, please visit the Travel West website: https:// travelwest.info

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