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southbristolvoice March 2016 No. 5
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Ashton Court: How it might have looked p16-17
LETTERS P13 | YOUR MP P21 | PLANNING APPLICATIONS P25
Stadium’s nearly ready, but transport is nowhere near
What do you want from a mayor? Page 4 Delivered: Your legal highs Page 5 Residents’ vision of Bedminster Green
Car park U-turn at arena Pages 10-11
Special, p6-7
Ashton Gate stadium: Club angry at lack of public transport progress
Holy Cross: Hope of road safety action
Parking: RPS is making it worse, not better
Still a danger: Parking at Holy Cross HOLY CROSS, the Southville primary where pupils are at risk from dangerous driving, may get its own crossing patrol. The school has been assessed for its Continued on page 11
Pages 8-9
Survey, p3
WIN Tickets to see top comic Page 14 Bedminster’s top gardens Page 18 Happy 40th to the City Farm Page 19 On Facebook www.facebook.com/southbristolvoice
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southbristolvoice Paul Breeden Editor and publisher
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Editorial team: Beccy Golding and Giles Crosse
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Intro
THERE’S no doubt what the burning topic is at this end of town: transport. Whether it’s the frustration felt after the introduction of residents parking in Southville, or the alarming lack of progress in organising public transport to the soon-to-be-upgraded Ashton Gate stadium, it’s inner city congestion that is the public’s major worry. People accept having a major sporting venue on their doorstep. They understand that not everyone can park
outside their own house. And they know that building a new railway station or guided bus route takes time. But the patience of the South Bristol public is being severely tested. The first – admittedly informal – survey of the impact of the Southville RPS is profoundly negative. In Ashton, people face parking problems as well as fearing the impact of the expanded stadium without public transport to serve it. Whoever becomes the next mayor of Bristol in May, this is one subject they had better be ready to tackle.
How do I get in touch with ... My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Surgeries on Friday March 4 and 18 at Knowle West Health Park, Downton Road BS4 1WH, 9.15-10.45am. Appointments on 0117 953 3575. My councillor? All councillors can be reached by post at Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster USEFUL NUMBERS
Bedminster Office 165 East Street, Bedminster, BS3 4EJ 0117 953 5375 bedminster@besleyhill.co.uk
March, 2016
Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Household waste, road maintenance Recycling and waste collections, maintenance of roads and pavements, street lighting, graffiti and fly-tipping, street litter. email: customer.services@bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2100 Pest control and dog wardens Report anti-social behaviour, noise and other pollution, risks to public health and safety (such as food risks), issues with pests or dogs 0117 922 2500
By phone: 07469 413312 By email: celia.phipps@bristol. gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster By phone: 0117 353 3160 By email: mark.bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk Surgery at Marksbury Road Library, 4th Saturday of every month, 10.30am-12 noon Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: stephen.clarke@bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By email: charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 07884 736111 Council tax
0117 922 2900
Housing benefit
0117 922 2300
Adult care & social services 0117 922 2900 Police www.avonandsomerset.police.uk General enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire
www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999
EDITOR’S NOTE: South Bristol Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. Feedback is welcomed: call editor Paul Breeden on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk. All stories and pictures are copyright of South Bristol Voice and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse. South Bristol Voice Ltd | 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX | Company no. 09522608 | VAT no. 211 0801 76
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March, 2016
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Ashton says: We need RPS
Parking much worse since restrictions
A SURVEY of people living in and around Ashton has found most who responded want residents parking extended – because the existing scheme has made their lives worse. The poll of more than 300 people by Green councillors Charlie Bolton and Stephen Clarke recorded almost 57 per cent in favour of extending parking restrictions. Slightly over a third – 36 per cent – are opposed to adding to the zones. Many more, 64 per cent, say parking has got much worse since Southville RPS began in September. In parts of Ashton south of North Street, the number who say the problem is
WHAT THEY SAID “I have at least 2-3 cars waiting to get in my space when I leave. When I return I have to park two roads away with my toddler.” “I can no longer use my car for school runs as, if I do, I won’t be able to park on my return.” “My two daughters with children used to call in regularly but now with RPS they don’t do this.” “It made Christmas very difficult as we were in constant chaos; much worse is even higher – 71 per cent. Across Ashton, Southville and Bedminster, fewer than two per cent said RPS had made the parking situation better. Cllr Bolton says he will make the problems known to the mayor, George Ferguson, as well as council transport officers. Cllr Bolton told the Voice: “Parking is now a huge issue for
family cound not visit or park.” “Solutions: Extend the RPS at least to Winterstoke Road, 24 hours, seven days a week. Or at least 9am-9pm. Give shoppers two hours free parking. Make sure businesses and schools have enough permits for staff. Invest in parking and public transport for the stadium.” “My 12-year-old is too scared to cycle to the park because he’d have to get past car drivers squeezing along packed roads.” this area – commuters, people parking and cycling, people leaving second cars, shoppers, blocked kerbs, people struggling to get out of their drive and so on.” The majority of those responding want to see RPS extended – but some of them feel held over a barrel, said Cllr Bolton. Many residents would like to see RPS gone altogether. The anti-RPS movement
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across the city has won the right to a debate at a full council meeting after an online petition attracted 3,800 signatures. Cllr Bolton said his study might not be fully representative. He gathered views of more than 300 people, some in Ashton via leaflet, and more responding online. There are mixed views about match day parking, he said, with many people calling for parking restrictions during games. The people worst affected are in terraces south of North Street – the current boundary for RPS. Scores if not hundreds of residents have been affected by commuters and local workers no longer able to park in Southville now looking for spaces elsewhere. More congestion appears to be caused by residents in the RPS who don’t want to pay for a permit and park their vehicle elsewhere. • The April issue of the Voice wil look more closely at the impact of RPS on businesses.
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March, 2016
It’s the biggest ever election for Bristol
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? SOME think local politics is an irrelevance. But last month’s counci budget meeting voted for: • Increased council tax bills by almost 4% • Devoting 2% (or half the rise) to social care for adults • £9m for affordable housing • £250,000 for running costs of a new recycling centre in Hartcliffe Way • More staff to combat flytipping and dog fouling • Refusal of a Green Party motion calling for a Clean Air Zone in the city centre • A £9m investment in private housing development project aimed at providing affordable homes across the city • Investing £150,000 in the council’s Welfare Rights and Money Advice service • A 3.95% increase in council tax equalling just over £1 a week extra for a Band D home.
ODDS ON THE MAYORAL RACE George Ferguson Bristol 1st Marvin Rees Labour Charles Lucas Conservative Tony Dyer Green Kay Barnard Lib Dem
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BRISTOL is shaping up for its biggest election ever this spring as, for the first time, virtually all the city’s elected representatives go to the polls at the same time. On one day – May 5 – Bristol citizens will be able to vote for their choice of mayor for the city, plus councillors in all the wards, and the police commissioner. Inevitably the main focus will be on the mayor – the powerful post which became an elected position only in 2012 after a poorly-supported referendum. Elected mayor George Ferguson has achieved wide recognition for the post since then, and is the bookmakers’ favourite to win again. He will point to the city’s Green Capital year in 2015, the likely approval of an arena, and popular initiatives such as car-free Sundays as evidence that he has made a difference. But he is also frequently criticised, most often for being allegedly anti-car, and the 14 parking zones now in force in the city have split opinion. Notably, Mr Ferguson has promised that if reelected he will not impose a residents parking scheme on any area where a majority do not want it. Labour has once again selected Marvin Rees, who was favourite to win in 2012 but lost by a sizeable margin. He has pledged to build 2,000 homes a
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WHAT DO YOU WANT? SOUTH BRISTOL VOICE is going to pose six questions to all the mayoral candidates – and it’s you, our readers, who decide what to ask. Tell us what you think are the most important issues for a mayor to face, and we’ll get the answers. Email your questions to paul@southbristolvoice. co.uk by March 8. year – 800 of which will be affordable – by the end of 2020. Mr Rees says Mr Ferguson has raised the profile of the city – by meeting the Pope and UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon among others – but questions whether he has tackled Bristol’s serious problem with inequality. The Conservatives’ candidate is Charles Lucas, who says Bristol must end its war on the motorist and remove some of the 20mph limits, while improving public transport and attracting more house builders with a more effective planning service. The Greens’ candidate, Tony Dyer, will be hoping to build on the party’s big success in the 2015 election when they gained seven councillors. He claims that Greens are the rising force in city politics, and says he will tackle the lack of affordable housing, the “chaos” of city transport, poor standards of education and skills, and the city’s need for sustainable energy. The Liberal Democrats lost six council seats last year but will be hoping for a good showing for Kay Barnard, their mayoral candidate. Kay says wealth and job opportunities must be spread more evenly – especially to South Bristol – to combat the city’s alarming amount of deprivation. UKIP has just announced Paul Turner as its candidate; he says he will tackle congestion and encourage more social housing. Paul Saville is an independent
THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES
George Ferguson Bristol 1st
Charles Lucas Conservative
Tony Dyer Green
John Langley Independent
Paul Saville Independent
Christine Townsend Independent
Marvin Rees Labour
Kay Barnard Lib Dem
Paul Turner UKIP who also stood for mayor in 2012. He says he will expose “shocking” levels of homelessness and argue against gentrification. Adult movie actor and former UKIP member John Langley is standing as an independent. He would like to give voters the right to choose which projects their money is spent on. Christine Townsend is standing as part of Independents for Bristol – an alliance which stands for high principles in public office, and acting according to the best evidence. • Next month’s South Bristol Voice will include coverage of the council candidates.
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March, 2016
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News
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DRUG which is expected to be made illegal within weeks is being sold online by a South Bristol firm which will deliver it along with packs of beer and cigarettes. AfterHours Bristol, which advertises on a website and on Facebook, offers canisters of nitrous oxide or NOx – also known as laughing gas – for sale through the night. The drug is a “legal high”, one of several causing police concern because it can have dangerous or fatal effects – especially if taken with alcohol. AfterHours Bristol, based in Parson Street, advertises NOx as whipped cream chargers. The canisters are used in catering dispensers for whipped cream and are sold by the firm in a box of 24 for £15. Four boxes are on offer for £30. Pictures of the canisters were, until recently, the first that were visible on the firm’s Facebook page. However, two days after South Bristol Voice rang to make inquiries, the pictures were removed. The product was still listed for sale, however. When the Voice asked why the firm was selling a dangerous, if legal, drug to a late-night clientele, an employee said: “We sell whipped cream chargers. Customers are making cocktails with them. It’s a legal product as long as it’s not misused.”
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Laughing gas on sale from late-night firm
On offer: AfterHours sells NOx canisters as whipped cream chargers Asked if he knew that the law is about to change to ban the sale of NOx, he said, “Yes, on April 6. We will stop selling it.” He drew a parallel with packs of large cigarette papers that are sold to make roll-ups, but can also be used to smoke cannabis. “We have met the police and they said we cannot stop you from selling something that is
Ideas please to clean up streets covered in litter PLANS are being laid for a campaign called Clean Up Bedminster and Southville, to be mounted by councillors and residents fed up with litter, fly tipping and tatty streets. Ideas are in their early stages but Celia Phipps, Labour councillor for Bedminster, is keen to hear residents’ ideas to keep the streets rubbish-free. Cllr Phipps said current problems with rubbish – especially on hotspots like West Street– are detracting from the many improvements that have been made recently to the street scene. These include new planters on Churchlands Road and Victor Road, and a long-awaited bin on Bartletts Road at the bridge end, with a planter all ready for spring flowers. Suggestions via email to celia.phipps@bristol.gov.uk
legal but they said we should control how we advertise it. “We don’t sell that much of it to be honest,” he said. The Voice is not alleging that AfterHours Bristol is doing anything illegal. However, concern about the misuse of NOx has been expressed for years. The Psychoactive Substances Act, which takes legal force on April 6,
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bans the sale of “any substance intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect”. Drug advice website Frank says nitrous oxide carries a risk of unconsciousness or death. It affects a person’s judgement and sense of balance and can lead to them taking dangerous risks. The new law will also ban legal highs that mimic drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, including the infamous “spice”, which can leave people who take it dangerously out of control. For the police, Inspector Nigel Colston said: “It’s not currently an offence to possess or sell nitrous oxide, or other so-called ‘legal highs’, though their production, sale and supply (but not possession) will become illegal when the new Psychoactive Substances Act comes into effect. “The biggest mistake people make is to consider such substances safe, purely because they’re not yet illegal. The blanket ban is designed to get around the issue of suppliers continually offering new legal highs to replace banned ones.”
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March, 2016
News
We could wait years to sort out transport at stadium REDEVELOPMENT work at Ashton Gate is creating 300 new jobs, conferencing facilities and a stadium finally worthy of a top-flight football team. This should be good for South Bristol. Yet today, the positives are mired by conflict as locals wake up to the fact that a new railway station to serve the stadium is many years away. And though a 1,500-space car park sits just 400 metres away at Long Ashton, moves to open it to stadium-goers seem far away. As parking restrictions in Southville push motorists elsewhere, Ashton residents feel threatened by match day fans, who in turn are angered by lack of parking. Meanwhile, police patrols are stepping up to alleviate tensions; community leaders, club owner Bristol Sport, councillors and council representatives struggle towards answers. “We’re passionate about the economic benefits, but we need better transport,” Martin Griffiths, chairman of Bristol Sport, told South Bristol Voice. He asks why the two apparently obvious solutions – an Ashton Gate railway station and the opening of Long Ashton Park & Ride on matchdays – can’t get off the ground. “The fact the initial council report on the Ashton Gate station said ‘no’ beggars belief,” he said. “We have been very vocal regarding the need for further engagement on this. There is simply no business case for the council’s refusal.” Mr Griffiths says back in the 1950s and 60s, the ground had a 50,000 capacity – much bigger than it will be after the current redevelopment is finished. “There was a railway station then; it was last used in 1984, I believe. Can
Railway station at could take till 2021; parking just gets worse we please know, technically, why it cannot be reopened?” he said. Stephen Clarke, Green Party councillor for Southville, agrees. “The existing [transport] report managed to completely ignore the existence of the stadium despite Bristol Sport expecting up to three million visitors a year,” he said. “Given that fact, it came to the conclusion a new station could not be justified. We hope the new report does not make the same mistake, and that residents and businesses get the new station they have been crying out for.” Late last month £50,000 was finally set aside in Bristol’s budget for a new report on the business case for an Ashton Gate station. Pressure to do this included a 5,800 online petition organised by Bristol Sport. But many are asking why that study was not ordered years ago. The delay could be crucial. Travelwest’s assessments on a potential Ashton Gate station say it could cost £4 million, and might not be ready before 2021. Mr Griffiths wants a new facility at Ashton when the Portishead line is reopened for public use in 2019. The council said there are many issues that need to be ironed out before a station can be built [see panel]. Among them is the need for more, and longer, trains to serve a major match. In Brighton, football trains are nine coaches long, and 15 trains are needed
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before each match. Yet the line which passes Ashton uses three-coach trains. Plus, parts of the line are already at capacity, said Peter Mann, transport director at Bristol city council.
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s Green Capital Year ended, George Ferguson pledged Bristol will pursue carbon neutrality – that is, the city will emit no climate-warming carbon dioxide by 2050. Yet today, the Long Ashton Park & Ride, which could take 1,500 cars off Bristol roads, lies dormant on matchdays, while Bristol’s air pollution continues to breach World Health Organisation limits. “It is a no brainer to use the Park & Ride. Having a facility sitting 400m away, empty, is ludicrous,” urged Mr Griffiths. “We’ve been trying for a year and a half to get this used. “As far as I am aware North Somerset are happy for us to use it. So where is the problem? “We also have an agreement with FirstBus for a circular bus running continuously [to the Park & Ride] but still there is no traction from the council.” Cllr Clarke speculates North Somerset is under pressure from Long Ashton residents, who don’t want to see their village become a car park on matchdays. “[Yet] that is what will happen if a coherent way forward is not worked out,” he argues. For the council, Mr Mann responded: “We can only introduce an effective Park & Ride when better on-street parking management is in place, and the club has yet to release the funding earmarked for this. “We have concerns about the legal situation given that the P&R site is located in North Somerset, is subject to various restrictive planning conditions and agreements, and is not fully in the ownership of Bristol city council. Each of these issues is being clarified over the course of the next few months in the context of the powers granted by the MetroBus Transport and Works Act Order. “We also have other concerns about the capacity of the site to support increasing use expected when MetroBus Ashton Vale to Temple Meads and South Bristol Link services to the city centre become operational from 2017. “The potential for very heavy usage for stadium events could
Nearly ready: The redeveloped Ashton Gate will attract bigger crowds well conflict at times with the core purpose of P&R for Bristol. “Finally is the matter of road safety, if as is likely, a large number of football or rugby supporters use the P&R and decide to walk to the stadium rather than taking a bus. “The walking route towards the stadium, along part of the A370, is currently not safe. MetroBus will provide a more suitable walking route when this is complete later in the year,” said Mr Mann.
W
ith claim and counterclaim ongoing, local police are tasked with managing the traffic chaos caused by the lack of clarity. The Voice reported last month
TROUBLE DOWN THE LINE Bristol city council says problems facing a new station at Ashton Gate include: • Capacity An extra stop for Portishead services would be a challenge to the current halfhourly service as the margin at Clifton Junction is tight. A double track might be needed. • Rolling stock More coaches likely to be required. • Stadium events A separate timetable and additional rolling stock required. At Brighton & Hove Albion FC, 15 trains, each
that some people in Ashton feel an air of desperation as more and more fans park outside their homes, sometimes blocking drives and hurling abuse if they are challenged. “We’re fully aware of the problems being endured by local residents, which is why we’ve assigned two PCSOs to deal with parking issues on match days,“ said Neighbourhood Manager Inspector Nigel Colston. “This has been welcomed by the club and, hopefully, will begin to act as a deterrent in time. The increased capacity of the stadium is causing concern, but we’re hoping to continue with our dedicated patrols in the autumn, too. Future transport and parking provisions are of 8 to 10 coaches, arrive in the 1.5 hours before kick-off. • Infrastructure Ability to reverse trains at Ashton Gate, to avoid going all the way to Portishead, could be required for stadium events (£3m cost). • Level crossing An extra stop could increase the barrier down time at Ashton Gate level crossing, increasing local congestion. A new footbridge may be needed at Baron’s Close. • Signalling Will add to costs. • Safety Designing a station to cope with large crowds (longer platforms, wider footbridge, etc) likely to add major costs.
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matters for the club and council, as opposed to the police.” [See Police Update, p23] Police do have towaway vehicles on call during matches and say they will use them if they find vehicles causing obstruction. One ray of light on the transport front is that Metrobus, the guided busway which passes close to the stadium, is to get a stop nearby, at Paxton Drive. Even this only happened after local pressure and was not part of the original Metrobus plan. Mr Griffiths welcomed the move but said: “You still have to walk over Greville Smyth park. I don’t know why it can’t be built on the other side.” The council responded that the Paxton Drive stop is needed to connect to the MetroBus route over the Ashton Avenue bridge. Cllr Clarke also backed the Metrobus stop. But others remain unconvinced. “I am not sure that Metrobus is a solution to anything other than a salve to some egos,” said Ken Simpson, city chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, which represents 2,000 Bristol companies. “The railway solution on the other hand could be delivered by the time the stadium redevelopment is completed; even if it is a football special until the Portishead line is opened.” Bristol city council has also agreed a Matchday Parking Scheme with the club, setting various conditions including identifying extra parking and funding cycle facilities, and more special bus services. But it will only kick in after the gate at the ground exceeds 25,000 in three out of five first team matches. “This makes no sense,” said Mr Simpson. “The stadium is not being built with the sole purpose of sporting activities – there is a 2,500 seat auditorium and conferencing facilities. The prospect of regular increases in traffic to the site is very likely.” Mr Griffiths agrees, saying the club is eager to act before the 25,000 threshold is reached. “Attendance changes depending on the division and the gate, so this number I imagine is meant to reflect that. “But we don’t want to wait for the 25,000. We want solutions; we have offered to pay. Roads are full already; use the solutions we seek and get the cars off the road,” he said.
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Bedminster Green
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Can developer and residents WELL over 100 people packed into Windmill Hill community centre to debate plans for one of the largest development sites in the city. The Windmill Hill and Malago planning group, known as WHaM, unveiled members’ own proposals for the area between East Street, Bedminster, and Malago Road – now becoming known as Bedminster Green or Malago Green. Developer Urbis plans around 800 homes on the site as well as a new Bedminster railway station, creation of a walkway along the opened-up Malago river, plus offices, shops and commercial space. However, the Urbis brief calls for several tower blocks of between eight and 12 storeys. This will radically affect the view from Windmill Hill. “We think that there’s a genuine opportunity there,”
Community group wants an urban village: but could it be made viable?
WhaM organiser Howard Purse told the meeting. “It’s a place that’s been allowed to run down.” Development done in the right way it can create a thriving environment and will kickstart the revival of part of South Bristol, he said. He called for an “urban village” approach, with high-density, low-rise buildings instead of a smaller number of tall blocks. Carlton Bodkin, chair of WHaM, added: “Everyone agrees we need new homes, it’s about
the best way to deliver them.” The group unveiled its vision for the Green in a document which shares many features with the brief prepared by Urbis. Both call for the opening up of the Malago river – much of which is underground, while the rest is a neglected eyesore. Both want corridors for wildlife, as much open space as possible, and easy, safe direct routes for walking and cycling. Both want to see public transport made much easier to use – the new station with better train services and the arrival of Metrobus will be an integral part of both plans. And both speak of creating a sense of community in a well-managed environment that includes a wide variety of businesses and community and health facilities. They also share a desire to involve the community in the
process – Urbis is willing to hold a competition for design elements of the new station. However, the sticking point is likely to be the number of homes and the height of the buildings. Urbis has spoken of around 800 homes but has not set a firm target. WHaM believes a high density can be achieved with buildings of no more than six storeys but will not produce a detailed proposal until Urbis reveals its target for home numbers. Richard Clarke, managing director of Urbis, told the Voice he is not sure the development will be viable without the taller blocks. More smaller blocks will mean less open space, he said, and hence a less attractive environment. “This is not about a developer building lots of tall buildings and making lots of money,” he said. “We are both [Urbis and WHaM]
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March, 2016
Bedminster Green
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find their common ground?
Low rise: WHaM’s vision for the Green involves buildings of no more than six storeys, green corridors, use of solar warming and plenty of trees trying to create a really nice place for people to live.” The WHaM meeting heard calls for the development to include as much affordable housing as possible – Bristol city council usually requires 30 per cent affordable homes. But the law has been changed to allow developers to argue they cannot afford social housing – as happened at Urbis’s nearby 16-storey St Catherine’s Place. Will Day, another WHaM member, pointed out that the council may have more leverage
ENERGY DEBATE HEATS UP SOME residents do not support Urbis’s plan for an energy centre at Bedminster Green. A planning application is expected to be submitted in May for a district energy centre able to heat the homes in the scheme plus hundreds more nearby. It would also produce 7.5MW of electricity – enough to power more than 2,000 homes. But one resident told the WHaM meeting, which took place on February 17: “Can we just call the energy centre what it is – it’s a power station, and it’s gas-fired, which I wouldn’t really call a sustainable resource for the 21st century.”
to argue for affordable homes because it owns some of the land to be built on. Representatives from WHaM were due to meet Urbis as the Voice went to press. Cllr Sam Mongon, who was at the public meeting, said: “It’s great to see the local community bringing forward a positive vision and it’s important that the council and developers now listen and respond.” To get in touch with WHaM, search WHaM on Facebook or email whamalago@gmail.com. WHaM member Will Day said the group may have questions about the energy centre. He said major developments in previous generations had made assumptions about energy – such as the availability of cheap oil – that turned out not to be true 30 years later. Richard Clarke, managing director of Urbis, said the gas plant is the most effective and environmentally-friendly solution that is viable. District heating is much more efficient than a domestic gas boiler, he said, and the scheme will be greener because it will run on up to 20 per cent biogas – processed by Wessex Water, from human sewage.
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Arena update
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March, 2016
Arena to cost £28m extra – Arena Island and plaza paid for by property developments
DAYS before councillors are due to decide whether to grant planning permission to the arena, it has emerged that costs will be £28 million higher than previously stated. And despite insistence that there would be no large car park on the site, plans have been revealed for an eight-storey, 480-space car park to occupy the KwikFit plot on Bath Road. Mayor George Ferguson said last year that it would be “mad” to build a large car park on the site without strong evidence that it was needed. And Peter Mann, the council’s transport director,
US giants want their rates paid
Arena plaza: Adding to the bill said in September: “Building a car park next to the arena will send all the wrong messages about the sustainability of it.” It also emerged that a hopedfor cycle route across Arena Island is not possible because the slope is too great, leading to fears that cyclists will use busy Bath Road. The council says the “extra” £28m is not an increase – it is to
ONE of the more surprising items in the report to the cabinet is a request that the council agrees to pay up to £8m towards the arena’s rates bill. There are signs that the Valuation Office Agency, a national body, may increase the arena’s rates from 2017. But the two firms signed to run Bristol arena, Live Nation pay for work not yet budgeted on Arena Island, such as the plaza. The arena itself is estimated to cost £95m. But a final budget has yet to be calculated by newlyappointed contractor Bouygues. The council’s assessment is that there is a high probability that “the arena programme is unrealistic leading to further delays and cost increases”. All
and SMG, have said the possible rise is “beyond the standard market risk they would expect.” The US-based pair are the biggest firms running arenas in the world. Live Nation alone made $1.6bn (£1.12bn) in profit in 2014, the last year for which figures are available. The council is being asked to underwrite up to £8m of the bill. these factors are revealed in the agenda for the council cabinet meeting on March 1. The development control committee will decide on the planning application for the arena building and an outline plan for Arena Island on March 2. “I’m very angry that the ward councillors haven’t been briefed on this at all,” said Deb Joffe, the
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Arena update
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plus a car park too What South Bristolians think of the revelations From Facebook: “If this car park is available, people will be driving around trying to find a spot when they find it is full. If they know there is no car park they will leave their car at home.” SB “Anyone who believes that people will not drive and try to to park as close as possible is just a dreamer.” BB
“George and BCC need to stick to their no-car-park guns. If parking is not an option people will have to use public transport. This will give those thinking of travelling by car false hope.” ET “An eight storey car park won’t look pretty.”AS “Love that bit about the A4 being unsuitable for cyclists and pedestrians... that’s an
understatement and a half. To encourage people to walk and cycle, they HAVE to provide an appealing route, a safe route, and most importantly, a direct route.” PC “This is ridiculous. You’ve only got to see the traffic in the last couple of weeks to see how the infrastructure grinds to a halt.” TF
Green councillor for Windmill Hill. She called the idea for a major car park on Bath Road “mad”. “They are going to get traffic queuing to get into the car park on that very busy road,” she said. It is possible that other city centre parking spaces may be removed so the city doesn’t add to parking capacity – which would be against its own policy. Cllr Joffe is also angry that the cycle route is being removed, meaning cyclists will have to wheel their bikes down a ramp. Sam Mongon, the Labour member for Windmill Hill, believes the changes announced are too big to be decided by the cabinet next week. “I will be asking that we delay the discussion to allow it to go through the scrutiny process so we can ask more questions before it gets decided,” he said. He asked how councillors can decide on the planning application when the new car park is not part of the scheme. Cllr Mongon said there were a
worrying number of caveats in the plans, and asked why the need for the extra works, and money, had not been spelled out before. If Bouygues comes back in the summer with a higher estimate for building the arena, where is the authority for that going to come from, he asked, and what is the risk to council tax payers? He also believes the eightstorey car park could affect views of the iconic Totterdown skyline. Gary Hopkins, councillor for Knowle and Liberal Democrat leader, said there was a real risk that budgets for the project could rise further, with construction costs in Bristol going up steadily. “It’s the Bristol tax payer who is taking the risk,” he said. Like the other councillors, he is concerned that £8m of the extra £28m bill is being found from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a fund intended to spread the benefits of major projects around the city. The rest of the extra money will come from redeveloping the
old sorting office site on Cattle Market Road, bringing the council an estimated £18m. The cabinet papers rate the risk that it will fall short of this target as “medium”. Cllr Hopkins said he will demand that planning conditions are imposed, putting any residents parking scheme around the arena under the control of local councillors on the neighbourhood partnership. Karin Smyth MP said: “People I’ve spoken to are understandably baffled by this latest expensive U-turn. The fact these new plans have been published so close to a decision being made, and that they could receive little public scrutiny is also a concern. “As for the car park itself, I’ve heard mixed views about whether it’s a good or a bad thing.” Whatever the outcome, Ms Smyth said, it is essential that the arena project creates employment and skills opportunities for local people.
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Holy Cross hopes for a lollipop patrol Continued from page 1 suitab ility for a lollipop attendant. The school is on a blind bend in Dean Lane and there have been several accidents due to narrow pavements, poor sightlines and other factors. The most suitable crossing place is thought to be from the corner of Alpha Road. However, it’s not clear when any patrol will be approved. Even when a lollipop person is appointed, children may still be at risk from the bad driving and parking of many parents. The Voice witnessed parents parking on yellow lines, on corners, on school hazard zig-zags and doing three-point turns on a blind bend. A council highways officer recently visited the school and identified several methods of making the road safer – such as a speed table to slow cars. But this would cost up to £40,000, and councillors have been unable to find funds. Cheaper options such as removing two parking spaces on the bend by the Southbank club may be done more quickly. Neighbourhood beat manager PC Nigel Ingram said: “We’d certainly look to support the school if they feel parents are parking or driving dangerously. The team regularly pops in there.” A plea by Cllr Bolton to amend the council budget to find £500,000 towards school road safety was rejected [see page 26].
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MY HOME is in the background of your front page photo last month (Children will be hurt if we don’t do something, about traffic near Holy Cross school). I have lived there 16 years. Make no mistake, it is pick up and drop off that causes the issue. Parents and carers – nobody else. Illegal and dangerous parking on Dean Lane and the ends of Acraman’s Road and Alpha Road and a reckless disregard for road safety. Cars turn up up to half an hour before start and end of school. Enough time to walk from (say) Asda car park ... Neil Sellers Southville
How RPS has changed our life THERE has always been a high demand for parking on Balfour Road. However, it was always
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short term parking, usually people visiting North Street for less than an hour, so although it was busy, a parking space would appear within a short time. After the shops shut, parking was usually okay. Since the introduction of the RPS the nature of parking in our street has changed. Firstly, we are now being parked up by people who work on North Street; before the RPZ they would have parked all around the area but now they concentrate in the only free area available. They create a problem as they are parked all day. Secondly, we have become a dumping ground for residents from the other side of North
Have you got strong views about what’s happening in South Bristol? Email paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk, post to Letters, South Bristol Voice, 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX or call us on 07811 766072. Please keep letters short. We may edit your letter. Street, who live in the RPZ, who leave their second or third vehicles and avoid paying the supplementary charges. The day the RPS was introduced, four camper vans appeared in our street, none of which has moved a wheel since that day. The upshot of this is that parking on Balfour Road has now become almost impossible which as a resident is a massive frustration. I’m sure the same must be true for the residents of all the streets in the vicinity of North Street. I now have to regularly park on the Chessels, probably taking someone else’s space! Resident, Balfour Road
Get with the plot: allotments on offer in time to dig in for spring
in Bishopsworth. Bifield Road in Stockwood also has a few vacancies. In Whitchurch, Oatlands Avenue, Fortfield Road and Half Acre Lane do not have immediate availability, but there is little or no waiting list for these sites. The National Allotment Society found that those tending allotments reported higher levels of satisfaction, thanks to the fresh air, home grown produce, healthy lifestyle and new friendships the activity offers. To find out more or to enquire about renting a plot, email allotments@bristol.gov.uk or call 0117 922 3719. • How to get started with an allotment: www.rhs.org.uk/ advice/profile?pid=84 • Growing tips for novice gardeners: www.nsalg.org.uk/ growing-advice
Montessori pre-school opens A PRE-SCHOOL has opened in South Bristol using the Montessori approach, which allows children to learn through free choice in a well-planned
setting. It offers 15 hours free early education to 3 and 4 yearolds. It’s at the Family Hub, Gatehouse Way, Withywood BS13 9AN. Details: 0117 978 4401.
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Shop workers’ Sunday fears
LOCAL shop workers are very concerned about Government plans to devolve Sunday trading hours to councils and the effects that will have on family life, local shops and the community. The change could lead to large shops opening for longer, even though they are already trading for up to 150 out of 168 hours a week, so shop workers will have even less time to spend with their families. It won’t help small stores, who are already allowed to open whenever they like, and may put some of them out of business. This is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist. It isn’t even clear who is actually calling for this change, with many retailers opposing it. We encourage your readers to let their MP know what they think, so their vote in Parliament reflects local views. John Hannett, General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw)
www.functionalfitness.me 0117 239 0595 177 South Liberty Lane, Ashton, Bristol, BS3 2TN
IF YOU’RE looking for an activity to while away the spring weekends, a limited number of allotments are available immediately in South Bristol. “Properly managed allotments can supplement a household’s weekly shop with fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year, saving money as well as providing healthy, local food,” said the council, which owns the plots. Prices start from £25 a year for smaller, beginner-friendly plots. Some are offered – with no waiting list – at half rent for the first two years. These plots are overgrown so you’ll need to clear the plot and remove any rubbish you find. Plots are available at Whittock Road and Sturminster Road in Stockwood, and Goulston Road
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March, 2016
WIN tickets to Mitch Benn, Radio 4’s satirical songster Mitch Benn can pen a song on any issue and is heard most often on Radio 4’s Now Show. Ahead of his Bristol show, he talks to South Bristol Voice South Bristol Voice: Mitch, each of your live shows has a strong theme. What’s the new one about? Mitch Benn: This is my SCEPTICISM show. As in not believing stuff until there’s compelling evidence that it’s true. I tried to make sure it’s not just a 90-minute rant about religion, so it’s kind of a 60-minute rant about religion with half an hour or so of ranting about other things. With jokes. And songs and at least one dance routine. It’s a fun show but quite intense; we do live in a time when, in society, culture and politics, there’s something of a showdown between evidence and reason on the one hand, and superstition and “belief” on the other. I think the world will be a lot happier and last a lot longer if evidence and reason win. SBV: Previous shows have had memorable themes too
but the last-but-one, Reduced Circumstances, had you confronting your battles with your weight. Do you find it uncomfortable, or therapeutic – or neither – to bare your soul for your living? MB: Not really; I don’t find myself particularly interesting nor do I get why anyone else would. It all comes from somewhere “inside me” I guess, but it’s not exactly confessional or
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cathartic, it’s just about the stuff that fascinates and motivates me. SBV: You’re probably best known as the musician who can create a song in five minutes on any given topic for Radio 4’s topical comedy The Now Show. Do you have any idea how many songs you’ve written? Do you regret that they get one radio airing and then they’re gone? MB: I have NO idea how many songs I’ve written. If it’s not in the thousands it’s in the very high hundreds. It can be a bit deflating that so much of my work has such a short shelf life but you never know which ones will have an afterlife. Sometimes something ostensibly quite throwaway will gain traction and become part of the set for years. In fact at least two of my best loved songs were written during my “half time challenge” interval sessions. I do enjoy those but I’m not doing them on this tour, partly because the dance routine is at the end of part one so I need the interval to recuperate. SBV: Lots of people will recall your homage to the Beatles: Mitch Benn is the 37th Beatle. Did it take courage to take on the world’s most revered pop group? Or did you figure, I’ve done everyone else, I have to do them now? Have you had any feedback from the two surviving Beatles? MB: I haven’t heard from Paul or Ringo; Kate Robbins is a good mate and she’s related to Paul so it’s possible he’s heard about it. I’ve been doing Beatles pastiches for years; I grew up in Liverpool so I absorbed them through a sort of cultural osmosis. SBV: Your songs are often parodies of particular songs or styles or performers. How hard is it to parody without plagiarising? Is it right that you can’t copy more than five successive notes from someone else? MB: I was under the impression it was seven notes but it changes all the time. They relaxed the rules in the UK with regard to writing funny words to other people’s tunes a couple of years
ago but I’m still not interested in doing that. It’s much more fun to create something from scratch. SBV: I asked my wife what she’d ask you. She said: Does he know he’s funny? Deep, that. MB: I know what she means and I guess I usually know when I’m being funny although my kids might beg to differ. SBV: What’s the future hold? You’ve written two sci-fi novels – more of them? You appeared in a stage version of Hitchhiker’s Guide – more stage work? Will the Now Show go on forever? MB: I’d very much like to write more SF novels and I’m working very hard to make that happen. Likewise stage work; there were vague whispers about maybe doing panto this year which I would LOVE to do. The Now Show is, I’ve often felt, a bit vulnerable; it’s been on since 1998 but I don’t know if it’s ever achieved the same kind of national treasure status as The News Quiz, Sorry I Haven’t A Clue etc. I’ll be happy to do it as long as it’s on and as long as they want me to, but that’s not up to me. Surprisingly few things are. SBV: Finally, what’s the question you wish I’d asked? MB: When and where the show’s on? I’m trying to plug my gig here!
WIN TICKETS TO SEE MITCH BENN LIVE
WOULD you like to see Mitch Benn’s latest show? He plays the Comedy Box, upstairs at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North Street, Southville, at 8.30pm on April 7. We’ve got two pairs of tickets reserved for readers of the Bedminster, Southville & Ashton edition of the Voice. Just answer this question: Q: On which Radio 4 topical comedy show does Mitch Benn appear? Email your answer to paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk by March 15.
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Faithspace fate is in the balance SOUTHVILLE residents anxious to save the Faithspace building for community use are awaiting the outcome after the building was put up for sale. The Methodist church, which owns the building but no longer uses it, has marketed it with a guide price of £325,000. Therer were hopes the council might buy the building but mayor George Ferguson has said it cannot afford to do so. Southville Community Development Association, which runs the Southville Centre next door to Faithspace, is hoping to mount a bid for it in alliance with the Ethical Property Company. The deadline for bids is April 11. The church has said it will consider all bids on their merits. Legal covenants prevent the building being used for housing, though a developer might try to sidestep these.
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Students alter the view from mansion
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TUDENTS at Ashton Park school, on the edge of Ashton Court estate, are creating their own piece of history with a “Red Book” in the style of 19th century landscape designer Humphry Repton. Repton was famous for making beautiful illustrations to show wealthy landowners how he could transform their estate. These watercolours were bound in red Moroccan leather and became known as Repton’s Red Books. His 1796 Red Book for Blaise Castle, near Henbury, is in Blaise Castle House museum.
Before – the view from Ashton Court for the wealthy Smyth family famous landscaper to finish the job he started for Ashton Court owner John Hugh Smyth. Art students aged 13 and 14 have created a series of stunning watercolours, some with Repton’s trademark overlays.
Repton also invited the Smyth family to redesign Ashton Court estate. His plans were only partly adopted and a Red Book was never made – that is, until now. Students from Ashton Park have imagined themselves as the
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How it would have looked if Repton had his way in the late 1700s These clever drawings depicted the current scene with an additional page that lifted up revealing the new design. Ruth Johnstone, head of art at Ashton Park school, said, “My understanding of the history
behind things I’ve been looking at every day for the past 18 years has certainly changed! Repton designed changes to the high wall that surrounded the grounds of the mansion, so that his guests could see the view of the
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Bedminster colliery, which the Smyths owned. “Although not one you’d think the Smyths would embrace, this was one of the ways they had made their money and this suggestion allowed Smyth to proudly view his business! The students were really fascinated to see old pictures of the colliery, which would have stood opposite our gatehouse.” History students from the same year group came up with text to accompany the illustrations. Using the Blaise Red Book as inspiration, they imitated Repton’s style of presenting his opinion as fact and of flattering his client into accepting his ideas. An excerpt from the students’ writing describes the justification for the colliery view: “When your guests are travelling up to the Mansion I suggest that we make a grassy mound to frame the coal mines that have made your family so very prosperous. “I also suggest that you lower the existing wall at this point and
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replace with railings to better afford a view of the colliery, also shown in sketch No V. This will be on the left as your guests travel up to your wonderful home and will impress them greatly.” The new Ashton Court Red Book will take in various viewpoints around the estate including the gatehouse, which was part of a design conceived by Repton. The gatehouse was the main entrance to Ashton Court before the suspension bridge was built. It is now being restored thanks to a £550,000 Heritage Lottery grant, with other money from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England, the Mercers’ Company and Bristol Visual and Environmental Buildings Trust. The new Red Book will be available to view in various locations around the city including the gatehouse itself when it re-opens this winter. To find out more visit: • facebook.com/ashtonlodgeBS3 • Twitter.com/BS3lodge •www.ashtonlodge.org.uk
Comments roll in on cycle routes COMMENTS are coming in on plans to improve two cycle routes through South Bristol. The Malago Quietway aims to be a safe route from Hartcliffe Way towards the Temple Meads area, leading through Marksbury Road open space to cross Windmill Hill and along the bottom of Victoria Park to emerge onto Whitehouse Lane. The Filwood Quietway starts at Filwood Broadway and crosses the Northern Slopes to Wedmore Vale and St John’s Lane before circling around Victoria Park to join Whitehouse Lane. One option is for a new bridge to take the cycleway across the New Cut from the end of Whitehouse Street. However, it’s not clear if the project’s
£2.3 million budget would cover a new bridge – another bridge proposed from Camden Road in Southville was shelved by the mayor last year after the cost doubled to £7m. And cyclists commenting on the scheme’s website have questioned the need for a new bridge when Bedminster Bridge is so close. Other comments include frequent criticism of unlit routes such as Victoria Park, and the need to segregate bikes from pedestrians – also in Victoria Park and elsewhere. A consultation on the Malago route takes place on Thursday March 3 at Marksbury Road from 4.30-6.30pm. • bristol.commonplace.is
Hospital boss backs MP’s request BRISTOL’s hospital boss has supported MP Karin Smyth’s call for more services at South Bristol community hospital. Robert Woolley, chief executive of University Hospitals Trust Bristol, said he was delighted that a survey of Bristol South constituents by Ms Smyth had found support for the
hospital. The trust will deliver services to patients “as close to their homes as we can,” he said. Labour’s shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander toured the hospital on February 22. Ms Smyth said her survey found support for the hospital to start cancer screening – and also for a seven-day GP service.
Wanted for Southville Primary School Assistant Trainee Caretaker Working 37 hours per week Earning BG3: £13,715.00 (before tax and deductions) The new post holder will work to our existing caretaker and be managed by the site manager. The post is initially for 6 months but we see this as an opportunity for someone to train and develop and hopefully progress to a caretaker role eventually.
Please contact the School Office on 0117 353 4444 for more details. Southville Primary School, Merrywood Road, Bristol BS3 1EB
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Permanent head being sought for Holy Cross
Do you want to share your Secret Garden?
HOLY Cross, the Southville primary school placed in special measures by Ofsted, is being helped by Bristol city council to appoint a headteacher. The school has had several headteachers and acting heads in the past two years and Ofsted made finding a permanent leader its first priority for improvement. Paul Jacobs, council director for education and skills, said: “The council is supporting Holy Cross through a period of change while a new head teacher is appointed. At present, this role is shared between a senior leader in the school and an experienced headteacher seconded from another primary school. “Our top priority is to improve outcomes for pupils and we’ll be working closely with the leadership this year.”
IT’S ALMOST spring – and if you need some motivation to get your garden looking its best, why not show it off to others? Bethan Grant, who lives in Howard Road, Southville, was one of dozens who threw open their gardens in April last year in Bedminster’s Secret Gardens. “It’s not the most amazing garden in the world, but it’s massive transformation from two years ago, when it was covered in a concrete garage,” she said. On Sunday April 24, 11am-4pm, there will be at least 13 gardens to visit in aid of local charities, and 18 more in June. A £2 brochure with map will be on sale from Easter from the Southville Centre, Ivory Flowers in North Street, Windmill Hill City Farm, Riverside garden centre and more.
Karin Smyth MP visits one of the charitable Secret Gardens last May
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Features Happy 40th birthday to crazy idea of a farm in the inner city
Involving local people means the growth hasn’t stopped
I
NNER city, communitybased farms are part of the furniture now; Bristol has thriving examples at Lawrence Weston and St Werburgh’s as well as Windmill Hill. There was a time when putting animals and crops in built-up areas seemed a crazy idea. Yet this year Windmill Hill City Farm is marking 40 years since its radical first steps. The farm offers a range of activities that’s hard to beat, but what makes the centre such an aspirational spot to build community involvement? In December 2015, the Bristol Evening Post added a visit to Windmill City Farm to its 2016 bucket list, saying the project offers “inner city gorgeousness”. South Bristolians seem to agree, with reviews calling it “An incredible place that provides so much for the community,” and “One of our favourite places in Bristol, my toddler just loves going to the farm.” What’s the heritage that’s led to today’s excellent reputation? Steve Sayers, chief executive said: “Go back 250 years and you’d find farmer’s fields around Bedminster.” But after that the site was used for heavy industry, then slum housing. In the war it was hit by bombs and the site was then lined up to be a lorry park. “It completes a neat historical circle to see paddocks and gardens back”, Steve said. Windmill Hill City Farm was founded in 1976 by a group of local people who had a vision for a green oasis among the industrial zones of inner Bristol. “It’s had its ups and downs and is, to the delight of local people, on a definite ‘up’ for the ruby anniversary,” said Steve. “Through all the changes of the
Plenty of hands: Volunteers are at the heart of the farm’s success past 40 years it has kept community involvement at its heart and has become an asset that is as well loved as it is used.” Steve argues the unique environment built up at the farm allows a range of activities that no other single centre in the city can match. “Over 200 families use the children’s nursery, where under fives can range free, learning in the outdoors. “Another 350 people volunteer each year across the farm, gardens and café; dozens of courses run on topics from making stained glass to keeping pigs; and a vibrant programme of health and social care activities help people with mental health issues, learning difficulties and in
recovery from addiction.” The value of 200 happy children, and life saving addiction therapy is nigh on impossible to measure. And all this is going on in a place that attracts thousands of people to visit and take part in family activities and events. Plus locals can get a bite to eat in the café, which overlooks the farmyard and serves food which has been grown and reared on site wherever possible. The farm’s varied and complex community services remain essential, but it offers something simpler too; fresh, accessible outdoors air. There is a pressing need for this. City centre pollution levels and those on busy roads in
South Bristol continue to breach EU limits. The wider philosophy behind the farm, according to Steve, extends the slogan ‘think global, act local’ into encouraging people to be active citizens. “It embodies the sense of community that so many people in Windmill Hill, Totterdown and Bedminster say is what they like about living here,” he says. “That sense is reinforced by the hundreds of local people who have become members, giving them a say in how the farm is run and a stake in a key asset for the neighbourhood; not to mention a discount in the café. “Wander around the farm and you’ll soon get the feeling that there is a genuine two-way exchange going on, local people inputting to the farm and it being a lens to focus their energy into action, that makes a difference to people’s lives.” This energy is apparent in the rate of change. “In the past two years we have rebuilt the visitor centre, created an outdoor kitchen, two new greenhouses, an outdoor classroom, new nursery spaces and, most recently, a new garden on what used to be a car park,” said Steve. Change is not over yet though, with plans to expand the popular café and to create an indoor animal interaction centre. It’s the expansion of the farm’s membership base that may have the biggest impact however. “The more local people get behind the farm, the greater its ‘lensing’ effect will be, focusing people’s energy so they can change their world and have more control in their locality,” Steve said. • Membership is £10 a year: www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk
The numbers behind Windmill City Farm
Help needed, says thie sign on the main farm building 40 years ago
Annual footfall: 120,000 Number of paid staff: 80 Families using nursery: 200 Locals attending events annually: 6,000 Annual turnover: £1.5 million Number of volunteers engaged per year: 350
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History
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The Bristol Milkwoman and the lost ode to Bedminster
Forgotten luminaries from the city’s literary history are celebrated in a book by author from Windmill Hill
F
OR citizens of Bristol, spotting the city as backdrop on many a TV programme is a popular sport. From Holby City to Only Fools and Horses, countless shows have been filmed here. What then of its equal inspiration to writers across the ages? Many readers will have some idea of Bristol’s many appearances in novels and poetry, and as muse for Coleridge and Southey, even Dickens. But there’s much that is not so well known, and now Windmill Hill author Marie Mulvey-Roberts has filled in the gaps with her comprehensive account of the city and the authors it inspired. Literary Bristol: Writers and the City includes chapters by several experts on Gothic Bristol, the Romantic poets Southey and Coleridge, and lesser known movements such as the Bristol New Wave which fuelled the radical drama of the late 1950s. How many remember now that Harold Pinter’s first play, The Room, was premiered at Bristol University? Revulsion at the city’s role in the slave trade was a common theme for the poets of the 18th and 19th centuries. The patronisingly-named “Bristol Milkwoman” Ann Yearsley was popular at the end of the 18th century for several poems which evoked her work on the pastures which intruded into the city. Yearsley was so well known that her poems were taken to be a voice for Bristol, so 1788’s A Poem on the Inhumanity of the Slave Trade shows the moral anguish that slavery was causing the city: “BRISTOL, thine heart hath throbb’d to glory. – Slaves, E’en Christian slaves, have shook their chains, and gazed
Bedminster epic: Robert Southey
Ann Yearsley: Bristol poet and protester against slavery With wonder and amazement on thee …” She took a stance too on the infamous Bristol Bridge riots of 1793, where witnesses spoke of innocent bystanders killed or crippled by the deliberate low firing of the militia. In later life she lamented Bristol’s failure to recognise its poetic wealth, including Thomas Chatterton, acclaimed as a genius only after his early death in London. Literary Bristol is full of such tales, fascinating to literary enthusiasts. Sadly there is little action south of the river – almost
all the authors gravitate to the city centre and Clifton. But there is one gem for Bedminster fans: it turns out the great Romantic poet Robert Southey was born there, and he planned to write a poem about what was then a village. Announcing his intentions for the poem, he reminisced about Bedminster: “The bowers, the porch, the yews by the laundry, the yard horse-chestnuts, the mortality, as my grandmother called it; the changes now, colloquially told; and then to catch the sound of Ashton-bells, and speak of the
family burying-place. The best kitchen, the black boarded parlour, the great picture-bible. What a treat!” What a tragedy that the poem was never written. There’s little else from South Bristol, but the chapter on Gothic stories in the city recaps the recent BBC horror series Being Human, filmed in Windsor Terrace, Totterdown, in Victoria Park and surroundings, including the spooky General Hospital. Marie Mulvey-Roberts, an associate professor in literature at UWE, has edited a fine volume – perhaps a bit involved for the casual reader but of interest to more than academics. • Literary Bristol: Writers and the City. Edited by Marie MulveyRoberts, Redcliffe Press, £15 • www.redcliffepress.co.uk
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March, 2016
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Karin Smyth Millions goes unclaimed in benefits in South Bristol
R
ECENTLY I’ve been studying data showing the take-up rates of financial entitlements such as Pension Credit, Income Support and so on. According to the charity Age UK, nationally up to £3.7 billion goes unclaimed by older people each year. It’s a staggering amount, made even more striking because this is money that people are eligible to receive, having paid into the system for years. Of course when the rules and regulations for obtaining this money change, as they often do, it can be really difficult to keep on top of things. Getting access to the right information can be tricky for many people, and it’s important that help is readily at hand.
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The MP’s view Each month Bristol South Labour MP Karin Smyth gives her perspective That’s why I’ve organised a special community event for Bristol South residents this month, at which I’ll be bringing together some of the city’s financial specialists to give first hand advice and information about claiming these entitlements. Organisations that are sending staff along to help include Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau, South Bristol Advice Services, Age
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UK, Care & Repair, the Royal British Legion and the council’s benefits team. They are experts at navigating the processes and are very keen to help, so I felt it would be a good idea to get them together and invite local people to come and have a chat. They’ll be there to guide you individually, over a cup of tea or coffee. Everyone is invited, and there is no need to book a place. It’s at The Park centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, from 10.30am12.30pm on Friday March 11. If this isn’t of interest to you personally, do please feel free to let a friend or neighbour know if you think they might want to attend. Here in Bristol, it looks as though around £16m per year in Pension Credit goes unclaimed each year. And the figure for unclaimed Income Support across the city looks to be higher still at over £20m annually. Just think what that sort of money, if claimed, could do to help the lives of those who are entitled to it. Think too of the positive impact it would have on the local economy when people spend that cash. I think it’s got to be worth trying to boost take-up. As ever, do please let me know your thoughts, by email karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk or by letter to Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
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George Ferguson Unique way to reduce your energy bills
B
RISTOL’S great year as European Green Capital might be over but our work to create a healthier and more sustainable city certainly doesn’t stop here. Our vision for establishing Bristol Energy – one of the first municipal energy companies in the country, and one with a strong social purpose – was just one of the reasons why we were selected as European Green Capital. It is with a sense of immense pride that it has officially opened for business. Fuel poverty is a stark reality for too many households in Bristol. The cost of energy, alongside a property’s energy efficiency and
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– whether that’s to Bristol Energy or a different supplier entirely - you may well be able to save money on your bills. I’ve personally switched to Bristol Energy because it saves me money and benefits Bristol citizens – a double benefit. I strongly recommend you take a look at what’s on offer. The company will invest its profits into the local community, supporting worthwhile community and environmental projects to benefit all. By switching to Bristol Energy, people become part of this very special initiative that could really make a difference to the lives of Bristol’s citizens and the health of the city. To find out more about how you could benefit, visit the new website: www.bristolenergy.co.uk. You know it makes sense!
household income, all play an important role. If you’ve never considered switching energy supplier or not done so in recent years
Actors want to say your words about the farm HAVE you always dreamed of having your words performed by actors? It could come true if you join in with a course of writing workshops at Windmill Hill City Farm during March. The challenge is to write a five-minute theatre piece and see it performed by professionals. View From the Pen is part of the 40th birthday celebrations at the farm (see feature on page 19). The aim is to celebrate the people and animals who have given the farm its character. Your script could be one of eight performed by professional actors in a weekend of theatre on July 2 and 3. Writing workshops are led by Sheila Hannon, creative producer at Bedminster’s own theatre company, Show of Strength. There is no need to book: just join one or more of these sessions. Workshops take place on Saturday March 5, 10am12pm; Monday March 14, 2-4pm; Friday March 18, 10am-12pm; Wednesday March 23, 7-9pm. Performances will be on July 2 and 3 at Windmill Hill City Farm and on September 11 at Redcatch Park, Knowle. For more information see www.windmillhilcityfarm.org.uk or www.showofstrength.org.uk or call 0117 963 3252.
March, 2016
MP takes a look at Metrobus
Karin Smyth and Daniel Zeichner
Fun with language: Young pupils had to ask for snacks in French
A little taste of France at school CHILDREN from South Bristol primary schools were invited to Ashton Park secondary school to take part in a French-themed morning. The event is an annual one which coincides with a visit of French assistants from Bristol’s twin town of Bordeaux. Year 10 French GCSE students at Ashton Park led the morning with fun activities: boules, ‘le shopping’, ‘les pirates’, ‘le jeu de dialogue’ and ‘ le parachute’. The highlight of the day for many children was then ordering, in French, le chocolat chaud and
pain au chocolat in Le Petit Café followed by a quiz, testing their language skills. The Long Ashton branch of the Co-op donated refreshments. The event was organised by the South West Bristol Cooperative Learning Trust, which links Ashton Park school along with Compass Point, Luckwell and Ashton Vale primary schools and five community partners: the Tobacco Factory, Bristol City FC, Bristol city council, UWE and the Co-operative Food group. To find out more about the Learning Trust email info@ swbclt.org.uk.
A SHADOW transport minister has visited South Bristol to see progress on the city’s MetroBus. Labour’s Daniel Zeichner MP was invited by Bristol South MP Karin Smyth to find out more about the rapid public transport project which is set to reduce journey times across the city. They visited the site at Hareclive Road, Hartcliffe, which forms part of the MetroBus South Bristol Link route connecting Hengrove with Long Ashton via Hartcliffe, Withywood, Bishopsworth and Ashton Vale. Karin Smyth said the South Bristol Link would dovetail with Hengrove’s new hospital, leisure centre and Skills Academy, as well as expected new housing. She added: “I know that the current disruption is difficult for many residents, so I continue to welcome local views.”
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March, 2016
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News
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Toy library in need of help to expand
School carers given top rating by inspectors
ASHTON Gate Out of School Care has been judged outstanding by school inspectors from Ofsted for the second time in succession. The centre provides care to children aged from four to 11 attending Ashton Gate primary school or living nearby, through an after school club, breakfast club and holiday playschemes. The centre has a team of trained playworkers who staff one of the largest out of school care settings in the area, serving up to 104 children a day. The club is based in Ashton Gate Road off North Street. The group is a charity managed by a board of trustees made up of parents whose children attend the club or previously did so. They run the group in their spare time. The
Outstanding; The out-of-hours care group based at Ashton Gate Ofsted report said “the staff team is highly skilled and plan an excellent range of exciting, thoughtful and challenging activities which are based on children’s interests.” It added: “children develop extremely positive relationships with staff and one another” and “settle well in this exceptionally
Police update
W
E NOW have two PCSOs dedicated to dealing with parking issues around Ashton Gate on match days. Clearly, people parking dangerously on junctions, blocking local residents’ driveways and moving cones to suit just isn’t acceptable and we fully understand local people’s frustrations. The officers patrol on foot for the duration of the game, focusing on problem areas like Duckmoor Road and Raynes Road, but responding to reports throughout the area. As well as issuing fines – they recently ticketed 16 badly parked motorists in just one match – they will also arrange for vehicles parked dangerously, or which are causing an obstruction, to be towed. Hopefully, the sight of the PCSOs patrolling, and news of people getting fines or towed, will begin to deter people from taking the risk at all in future. This plan will remain in place for the remainder of this football
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friendly and happy environment.” It added that “parents are extremely happy with the club. They receive a wide range of information which keeps them up to date about the activities provided and what their child has done.” To inquire about holiday play care email admin@agosc.com.
SOUTH Bristol Toy Library is now offering balance bikes, trikes and scooters for affordable hire and is currently in discussion with a venue in Bedminster at which to hold library sessions. To support its growth it is seeking volunteer librarians to expand and catalogue the collection of toys. Also needed are committee members, in particular a treasurer and a secretary. All that’s needed is an interest in the benefits of play for children’s development, and enough time to attend monthly meetings. More details from Annie at southbristoltoylibrary@gmail. com. There is no age limit and no need to be a parent. Follow Facebook/ southbristoltoylibrary and on Twitter @sbtoylibrary
With Sgt Paul Honeychurch, Bedminster police station
Dodgy parking by football fans near Ashton Gate won’t be tolerated season and, hopefully, will continue next year, especially in light of concerns due to the increased stadium capacity. Football aside, my team was recently out and about speaking to residents and businesses in North Street and East Street getting their faces known and talking about any concerns they have. While patrolling, some officers in plain clothes spotted two thieves who had been wanted for several months. They were both arrested and have since been charged with shoplifting in the area. Finally, our force recently took park in Safer Internet Day,
No game: Parking which obstructs residents will be targeted by police aiming to highlight steps parents and carers need to take to keep their children safe online. Of all online crimes reported to us in the past year, nearly a third of the victims (27 per cent) were under 18 and the number of online crime victims in this age group has increased by 163 per cent during this time. As a parent or carer, it is important to
understand what your children are doing online so you can support them to stay safe. Advice, including two videos aimed at secondary school children, is still available on our website (search Safer Internet Day) and covers issues including sexting, digital footprint and cyber bullying. • www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
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Planning applications 58A Greville Road BS3 1LL Non-material amendment following planning permission 13/05801/F (Change of use from light industrial warehouse to residential: 3 storey development of five houses with parking) to re-locate bins. Granted 179-185 Ashton Drive BS3 2PU Application to approved detail in relation to conditions 6 (Hard and Soft Landscape work) of permission 15/01020/F Proposed change of use of existing gymnasium (Use Class D2) to provide six 2-bedroom and one 1-bedroom apartments. Granted Allotments, 2 Kennel Lodge Road Leylandii: Crown lift 1m Preservation order not required 14 Thanet Road BS3 3HZ Single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 9 Acramans Road BS3 1DQ Fell a Sycamore and a Eucalyptus to ground level; crown reduce a Birch tree by 25% and a row of Plum trees by 30% and tidy. Preservation order not required 117 Chessel Street BS3 3DG Demolition of two storey rear addition. Two-storey rear extension and rear roof extension. Granted subject to conditions 54 and 56 Risdale Road BS3 2QT Proposed raising of two dwellings to provide additional first floor space with new roof. Withdrawn
255th Sea Scout Group, Southville Road, Bristol Erection of replacement Scout building. Granted subject to conditions
243 West Street, Bedminster BS3 3PZ Creation of access to classified road and formation of a parking area. Refused 71 Hamilton Road Southville BS3 1NZ New dormer window to attic room. Granted subject to conditions 182 Marksbury Road BS3 5LE Two storey side and rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 5-7 Cannon Street, Bedminster BS3 1BH Variation of condition 12 (approved plans and drawings) of planning permission 10/00152/R, to allow a revised layout and configuration of the facilities (Major Application). Granted subject to conditions The Old Dairy, 18 Smyth Road BS3 2BX Application of approved details in relation to condition 2 (SUDS) and 6 (Landscaping) of permission 12/02970/F: Demolition of warehouse and erection of seven, 3-storey town houses. Granted subject to conditions 12-14 Lower Sidney Street BS3 1SW Demolition of warehouse and replacement with two semi-detached dwellings. Refused 225 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1JJ Single
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storey rear extension for selfcontained apartment. Granted subject to conditions
South Street Primary School, South Street BS3 3AU Application for a nonmaterial amendment following planning permission 14/01731/F: Demolition of WC block and erection of two storey extension accommodating a nursery on the ground floor, and two classrooms on the first floor. Now proposed new buggy shelter, new bin store area and omission of high level fencing (Children Centre entrance). Rainwater pipes repositioned. Granted subject to conditions
condition 3 (Internal Access Road) 6 (Further details) 8 (PassivHaus) 9 (Drainage Details) and 18 (Watching Brief) of permission 13/03533/X, Minor amendment to approved details under 10/03995/F, for demolition of buildings and redevelopment comprising 257 sq m of commercial floorspace (Use Classes A1, A2 & B1) and 22 dwellings (12 houses and 10 apartments). (Major application), comprising: i) Retention of vehicle and pedestrian access ramp at existing gradient; ii) Alteration to internal pedestrian access and increased size of pedestrian lift; iii) Relocation of refuse and recycling storage area; iv) Amendment to North Street elevation (ground floor only); Variation of conditions Nos 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 26. Deletion of conditions Nos.14. Pending consideration
Picture House Court, North Street, Bedminster BS3 1EN Application to approved details in relation to
• The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planning online.bristol.gov.uk
28 Stackpool Road BS3 1NQ Conversion of basement storage area as a self-contained flat, with associated external alterations. Withdrawn
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southbristolvoice www.southbristolvoice.co.uk Reports from your councillors – Southville 26
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SUBMITTED a budget amendment to Bristol city council in February. It would have deleted £500,000 Charlie from the proposed Bolton aerospace museum Green, and put it towards Southville safer routes to schools. In Southville, there is clearly an issue around Holy Cross school which needs to be addressed. However, there is more or less no council funding to do anything about it. There are other places within the area which could also be looked at, a prime example being Clanage Road at the entrance to Bower Ashton. I don’t intend to re-run the issues around Holy Cross, although they are there for all to see. I would point out the difficulty in doing anything about it. Our neighbourhood partnership has a devolved budget for transport schemes of about – well, one minor scheme per year. We were asked to book in three
years ahead. We’d allocated our schemes before any Holy Cross issues came up. I asked if S106 (spin-off money from planning schemes) is available. The answer is ‘No’. I asked if we can contact the developers to reallocate such funding. The answer is ‘No’. I asked if we could have some of the cancelled Camden Road bridge funding. Answer, no. We have a small amount of CIL (community infrastructure levy, another planning spin-off) – perhaps enough for one scheme dependent on the vagaries of property development in the area. I was in a meeting with other councillors, and one suggested doing one on safer routes to schools. A small amount of investigation suggested schools in other areas face similar issues. The budget amendment would not have guaranteed money for Holy Cross. But it would have been a pot of money to lobby for. And it would have helped a number of other schools. The outcome? Labour, LibDems and Tories voted to reject it.
A
S I write this, the councillors have just finished a seven-hour meeting to set the budget for the city Stephen for the next year; Clarke who said we don’t Green, do any work! Southville Of course, the idea that Bristol really decides its own budget is a bit of a fantasy as there are so many constraints hemming us in. The biggest is the Government’s idea that austerity is the only game in town. This has led to £30 million of cuts in this budget on top of the deep cuts already made. The council officers have now gone beyond looking for “efficiencies” and into cutting essential services that vulnerable people depend on. This death by a thousand cuts was too much for me and many other Green councillors, and we voted against the budget. Despite our best efforts, the budget was passed as a result of support from the Labour group.
March, 2016 How to get in touch with your councillors – page 2
However, the Greens did manage to get through our proposal for an extra £3.5m for adult social care to help the most vulnerable in our communities and that felt very worthwhile. Perhaps it was lack of sleep but there were some very odd decisions made in the wee small hours. For example, I spoke on a amendment proposing a Clean Air Zone in central Bristol. The NHS tells us that there are 200 extra deaths a year in the city, and many debilitating illnesses, caused by high levels of nitrogen dioxide, mainly from diesel vehicles. Control of this invisible killer sounds like a no-brainer, but for some unknown reason Labour voted it down. Myself and Charlie Bolton managed to get some important local transport provisions in the budget: commitment to an additional Metrobus station serving Ashton Gate stadium at Paxton Drive, and funding for a full re-appraisal of the business case for a new Ashton Gate railway station.
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March, 2016
T
HE annual budget meeting is always a key moment in how Bristol is run as each political Mark grouping puts Bradshaw amendments to use Labour, a diminishing Bedminster amount of money to spend on the City. This year saw a flurry of proposals. For example, the Green Party wanted to cancel Bristol’s contribution to the Concorde museum, which would both catalogue the development of this wonderful aircraft but also provide inspiration to future generations of engineers. My Labour colleagues and I wanted to see the Hartcliffe Way recycling and reuse centre finally open, and action on flytipping and stray dogs. We got both approved so hopefully that recycling centre will appear in the next few years or sooner! Ever since I became a councillor in 2006, I’ve
maintained a close interest in community transport – a vital lifeline for many of our elderly and disabled citizens. In 2008, as cabinet member for transport, I extended the Diamond concessionary travel scheme to these services and this year we fought off another threat to this funding. The Labour amendment I proposed extends the scheme for a further year, costing around £180,000, giving time to find a longer-term funding solution with the NHS and other partners. This needs a cross-party and wider healthcare view to shape a more stable and viable service for Bristol. Without this, trusted and well-used local services will shrink and people will be left cut off. Community transport is more than just getting from A to B. It helps tackle social isolation, provides access to healthcare, shops, and meeting family and friends. If we want to help people to remain independent for longer then access to these facilities and people who care is going to be critical.
Landlords are being encouraged to apply for accreditation under the new West of England Rental Standard which creates a kitemark and should protect tenants by exposing poor landlords. It’s a step in the right direction, but I feel more could be done to support tenants. The Housing and Planning Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, will do little to protect those most vulnerable and the suggestion that a tenancy may no longer be long term is very unsettling. A good quality home is a basic principle and Labour councillors will support this right at all levels. We were fortunate to have a presentation from Acorn, which campaigns for ethical lettings, and heard the plight of some people; we heard how much this organisation is doing to improve community cohesion. I am always happy to hear your suggestions about how we can make our community better so why not drop me an email (address on page 2).
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ELL here’s an odd one. The Tories put forward an amendment at the recent budget Celia meeting for the Phipps, council to build Labour, more homes across Bedminster the city, and I supported it. There is a great deal more detail needed to ensure that we are not just building homes for the property market, and Bristol has a poor record of ensuring that developers include a fair proportion of affordable homes. The return of the Right to Buy risks taking any newly built local authority homes, if we had any, straight off the list again. But the sad fact is that, right now, any home building will help reduce the acute housing crisis we are experiencing in Bristol. We know it is ‘cool’ to live in this city but rents in Bristol have increased by 18 per cent, making this an expensive area to live.
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A Will lets you protect your family’s inheritance and decide how your assets are shared out –
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March, 2016
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News
Historic photographic firm closes the shutter A WELL-KNOWN Bedminster business is about to close its doors after 55 years serving the people of South Bristol. Bernard Hunter, the photographic shop run by Andrew Nicholls in North Street, will close in mid-March to make way for an extension of Lloyds chemist, which occupies the shop next door. The photo shop has been run in its current location by Andrew since November 1990. But the business is much older – Andrew bought it from the widow of Mr Hunter in 1977, when it was run from a shop in West Street. Mr Hunter had occupied the West Street shop since 1961 – but the business stretches even further back to the 1950s. Previously it was called Brendons and had premises on
the corner of Brendon Road and St John’s Lane. Mr Nicholls has seen the photographic trade change tremendously since the digital revolution almost killed the market for traditional film and developing services. Even digital cameras are less popular nowadays as so many people use a camera built into their phone. But Mr Nicholls has found an active niche in supplying prints of digital pictures; hardware, he says, is now a minor part of the business. He will continue to trade from his home, and Compuwave in North Street will take orders for him. Compuwave will also take on the photo booth for people wanting portraits for passports and the like.
Local services CHIMNEY SWEEP
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Adult choir where baby can come too
Closing shop: Andrew Nicholls
A UNIQUE choir which parents can attend with their baby is offering free taster sessions. Bring Your Own Baby is billed as being “for anyone who fancies singing uplifting songs and meeting new friends”. The songs are for the babies to enjoy, not join in – there will be no nursery rhymes. Sessions are on Monday March 21 and Thursday March 24 from 2.30-3.45pm and 3.45-5pm at the Elephant House, 1 Dean Street, Bedminster. The BYO Baby Choir is performing songs by Fleet Foxes, Groove Armada and David Bowie in a free event at 11am on Sunday March 20 at the Tobacco Factory Market, North Street. For details email julia@ ekocollective.com or go to: • www.juliaturner.co.uk
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What’s on
Tuesday March 1 Hamlet The world’s most famous play, directed by Andrew Hilton, founder of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, to mark the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death. “The choices the play offers are legion. How old should Hamlet be – 18, 20, or a man in his late 30s? Is he ever truly mad? Was his mother complicit in the murder of his father? Questions like these, and many, many more, ensure that no two productions of this enthralling play will ever be alike.” The production will tour in the UK, and also visits Romania. Tickets £19-£24. Performances until April 30. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Thursday March 3 Word of Mouth Presents Bath Spa university poetry night, 7.30-11.30pm, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Bath Spa marks 10 years after becoming the first university in the UK to run a module in performance poetry. Many of its students now feature on the UK spoken word circuit. Free entry. • www.thethunderbolt.net Saturday March 5 Spring trees tour, Arnos Vale cemetery. Starting at 2pm, join an expert ecologist in this atmospheric tour of meadow and woodland habitats in search of spring species in all their glory. The tour includes the elegant evergreens and vibrant spring foliage of the garden cemetery, to the varied habitats that make it a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. Tickets £6.08. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Junior Jungle Party, Southbank Club, Southville, 2-4pm. Dancing to jungle music (vetted for age appropriate content) mixed live by Nick Terrific. With dance offs and battles. Free jungle masks, Polar Pop healthy lolly and glo sticks. Face painting available. Suitable for under 8s but older siblings are welcome. Tickets £5.50 online, £7 on the door. One adult free with each child; extra adults £3 online, £5 on the door. • www.wegottickets.com/ event/350444 • southbankclub.webs.com Saltcellar folk club: Mischief Afoot Jeff Gillett, Becky Dellow & John Davis play an exciting mix of English and Irish folk music. 7.30pm, Saltcellar, Totterdown Baptist church,
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Master of the acoustic guitar A WORLD-renowned guitarist comes to the Thunderbolt in Bath Road in March. Peppino D’Agostino has been called “the guitarist’s guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine and he was voted Best Acoustic Guitarist by readers of Guitar Player magazine. He emerged in the early 1980s as a young Sicilian with an ambition to play with the world’s greatest guitar players; now he has built an international career and has performed at some of the top international venues. He has recorded with the classical guitarist David Tanenbaum, chair of the classical guitar at the Conservatory of San Francisco, and with Jeff Campitelli, rated one of the 100 greatest drummers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. D’Agostino’s composition “Stammi Vicino,” written with electric guitarist Stef Burns and Italian rock star Vasco Rossi, reached number one in the iTunes rock charts in Italy. He plays at the entrance on School Road. £5. • www.mischiefafoot.co.uk • www.saltcellarfolk.org.uk Sunday March 6 Vintage Kilo Sale Paintworks, Bath Road. The UK’s largest vintage clothing wholesaler will be bringing five tonnes of vintage, including accessories and jewellery. All sold by weight: £15 per kilo. • www.paintworksbristol.co.uk Oh, Whistle: Two ghost stories by MR James. “This thrilling one-man show brings to life two of the greatest ghost stories in the English language, in a performance from Bristol’s much-loved Robert Lloyd Parry. Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad – a tale of nocturnal horror on the Suffolk coast – is considered by many to be James’s masterpiece. It is complemented here by The Ash Tree, a story of witchcraft and vengeance.” Recommended for ages 13+. £12/£8, 8pm • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Master: Peppino D’Agostino Thunderbolt, Totterdown, at 8pm on March 23. Tickets, at £8 and £6 concessions, are available from Dave on 07505 461892 or email dmerr9226@aol.com Monday March 7 Take it on – ensemble singing. One of a series of skills classes for ages 10–13. Sessions are on selected Mondays each month, 4.30-6pm. £3, Tobacco Factory studio. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Tuesday March 8 1972: The Future of Sex “Award-winning company The Wardrobe Ensemble bring their Edinburgh smash hit to their home town of Bristol. It’s “a brisk romp through the ins and outs of those awkward first sexual encounters” from the company who brought you 33 and Riot. It won The Stage Award for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Contains brief nudity. £8/£7; Presented by the Tobacco Factory at Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly, 25 West Street, Old Market, BS2 0DF. 8pm, matinees Saturday March 12 & 19, 2pm. Until March 26. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
March, 2016
Friday March 11 Tango night: Alchemy Milonga 8pm, Southbank Club, Dean Lane, Southville. A monthly tango night on the second Friday of every month. • www.tangoalchemy.co.uk. Saturday March 12 International Women’s Day tour Discover some of Bristol’s many wonderful women of the past, and the contributions they made to our history, at Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Guided tour at 11am focuses on the great and the good women from Victorian, Edwardian and 20th century Bristol. Tickets £6.08. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Sunday March 13 Tom Stade: You’re Welcome “Brand new show from the UK’s favourite Canadian resident. Candid and alluring, join Tom Stade as he ruminates on life’s oddities and revels in his own perpetual shortcomings.” For ages 16+. £17, Tobacco Factory theatre, Raleigh Road, at 8pm. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday March 18 Quiz and supper night, held on the last Friday of every month, 8.30pm-late at Windmill Hlll community centre. • www.whca.org.uk Saturday March 19 Litter clearance by the Friends of the New Cut, also know as Franc. Takes place at Coronation Road near Asda; meet at Bedminster Bridge. 10am-noon, followed by hot drink and cake. • www.franc.org.uk Hamlet: Lunchtime talk with Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory director Andrew Hilton and members of the cast, as they discuss the theatre’s production of Hamlet. You need to have seen the play first. Running time two hours; £15 entry includes buffet. Factory theatre, 11am. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Sunday March 20 Paul Sinha: Postcards from the Z List Tobacco Factory theatre. Award-winning stand-up comedian Paul Sinha juggles the responsibilities of being an uncle, being in a relationship, and being that bloke, from that quiz, in that poorly-fitting white suit. £14.50. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wednesday March 23 Fatima and Sumaya Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster, 7.30-8.30pm. “Living in a new country can be tough – challenging stereotypes,
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Paul on 07811 766072 or Emma or Hollie on 0117 908 2121.
March, 2016
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What’s on
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Sunset viewings AFTER sell-out screenings in 2015, Bristol Sunset Cinema returns to Ashton Court this year. Screenings start in September – but they often sell out, so book early. Choices include The Goonies, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Lego Movie and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Manager Ti Singh said: “We tried to choose films that we felt didn’t get screened often enough at outdoor cinema events.” • www.facebook.com/ BristolSunsetCinema making hard choices, and meeting the expectations of your family. In this original Acta production, two women show how they face these challenges and still come out on top. Performed by mothers from Hannah More School, many of whom have English as a second language. Also performed on Thursday March 24. Tickets £3. • www.acta-bristol.com
Ashton Court: Setting for six outdoor cinema events in 2016 Thursday March 24 John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett 7.30pm, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. A hero to those of a certain age, Otway calls himself rock and roll’s greatest failure. With Barrett, he had a hit in 1977, Really Free. Notable tracks include Beware of the Flowers Cos I’m Sure They’re Going to Get You Yeah, and Oh My Body is
Making Me. Hysterical, probably. Admission £14 on the door. • www.johnotway.com • www.thethunderbolt.net Wednesday March 30 The Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever at Arnos Vale cemetery. Have fun, play games, get out and about with this popular story and a crafty activity at 11am. Join the little rabbit on an Easter Egg hunt with all his friends as
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he helps other creatures find their eggs. Find out what other treasures nature will provide. £4 per child aged 3+; babies, toddlers and parents go free. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Den building family fun at Arnos Vale cemetery. Families can learn how to make a fantastic den out of natural and man made materials. Starting at 1pm, discover techniques to build a sturdy woodland shelter and explore ways to tie knots and engineer structures. Tickets are £7.13 per family – up to two adults and three children. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Thursday March 31 All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare, until April 30. A Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory production. “A romantic comedy All’s Well that Ends Well belongs to its women: to its central character, Helena, and to her guardian and mother of her object of desire, the extraordinary Countess of Rossillion. Class, unrequited love and disingenuous passion all play their part.” £18–£24. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Cli on High School co-educa onal nursery school to sixth form
Nursery School to Junior School Open Morning: Thursday 21st April 2016
realising individual brilliance 0117 933 9087 | www.cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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March, 2016
INVITATION
CJ Hole Southville invite you to accept our offer of a free sales or lettings valuation. To arrange an appointment, please telephone the office or call in personally. If you have instructed another agent on a sole agency and/or sole selling rights basis, the terms of those instructions must be considered to avoid a possible liability to pay two commissions.
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