n FROM YOUR COUNCILLORS

In Redland this month...

Proposal for a ‘School Street’ approach

As we said before, a number of residents have raised concerns with Fi and Martin over safety issues around Bishop Road School. We have been told that the council is now considering setting up a ‘school street’ scheme in the area, which could involve the partial or timed closure of some streets in the neighbourhood. Any proposal will be consulted on and is unlikely to be a silver bullet – the council does not instal the measures on through-roads like Bishop Rd itself, so it’s likely to be side streets that get treated.

Fi has already been in discussions with the school but we are hopeful that proposals can be developed with them and the officers and residents that may help alleviate some of the problems that have been on going. We’ll be involved and will report progress as plans emerge.

Home energy upgrade advice service

It’s more urgent than ever to save energy at home – it affects our pockets, our health, and the climate. A new advice service is open, supported by the West of England regional authority. They’re supporting new skills, suppliers, advice, and SMEs in the region to help get trusted advice and projects underway.

The Retrofit West Advice service helps households to upgrade the energy performance of their homes, saving on gas and electricity bills and take action on climate change. Tel 0800 038 6733 Web: www.retrofitwestadvice. co.uk for the planbuilder tool and signpost to the free advice line. You can register to be kept informed or email advice@retrofitwest.co.uk to build a retrofit plan for your home. A different scheme in the city called Bright Green Homes has offered grants towards many energy saving measures for qualifying households with annual income below £30,000. This fund is accessed via https://www. bristolcityleap.co.uk/domestic/ bright-green-homes/.

Changes to support for cleaner vehicles

Additional support now exists to help replace older vehicles with ones compliant with the Clean Air Zone. A further £11 million has been secured to help businesses and people in Bristol adapt. Now individuals who earn less than £30,000 a year (previously £27,000) are eligible for financial assistance to help change their vehicle to one that won’t be charged in the zone. Businesses with 5 or more vehicles can also now get financial support for their fleet. Do revisit whether the scheme can help you if you weren’t eligible before. A grant, a contribution towards the interest on a loan, or a combination of both up to £1,500 for a car and up to £4,500 for a van, which could be a second hand one, could meet the zone’s emissions standards. Euro 4 petrol vehicles (roughly 2006 onwards) and Euro 6 diesel vehicles (roughly end of 2015 onwards) are not charged in the zone. Individuals and businesses can check their eligibility on the council website.

Helping reduce spraying in our streets

Every year we are contacted by residents who are worried about the council's use of glyphosate weed killer sprayed on their streets. We contacted officers to see if opting out was an option and have been told that whilst the Council reserve the right to step in and clear weeds on pavements if necessary, they are looking to maintain a database of streets who wish to clear weeds themselves. Guidance on how this may work will be issued shortly, and we understand this could be quite specific about who is the responsible contact and include an undertaking to do the work safely and notify any invasive species, for instance. If you’re interested do talk to your neighbours and contact us for further details. A weed-free street maintained by residents would mean the council contractor would not have to treat the street as long as the council can confirm the area is kept clear.

Cranbrook Road Crossing inches forward

There’s been slow but practical progress with this project between Cairns Rd and Harcourt Hill. As we reported previously a legal step was the Traffic Regulation Order, advertised recently and attracting no statutory objections to the protection of corners with