Number 136
Spring 2015
Civic Society’s new programme welcomed
The Civic Society’s programme of regular public meetings is proving to be very popular with members and visitors, and our more informal monthly Saturday gatherings over coffee in the town centre are also becoming quite a draw. Things really are on the up! Such a pity one of these meetings had to be cancelled at very short notice following a last-minute pull out by the two speakers.
Civic Society’s position on Winter Gardens proposal We are proud of our College’s successes and support the notion of expanding Further Education in the town centre. We have not taken a position on the proposed use of the Pavilion, though wish to be assured of continued public access to events in the ballroom. We support plans to restore the front façade and remain open-minded on the principle of a new façade facing the Town Square, though will be looking critically at plans as they are published. We regard the Town Square & Italian Gardens as inviolable public open space but would like to see a more logical arrangement of this land (though accept this is not a College responsibility). We have said and continue to say that both College and more particularly Council have failed to engage with the public, a situation made worse when both institutions pulled out of our Blakehay meeting, having taken umbrage when we accused North Somerset Council of treating the public “with contempt”. To-date the Council has still not met with any community group to discuss any aspect of the Winter Gardens’ disposal, merely saying we’ll all be able to have our say when a planning application is submitted (of course we will – that’s the law!) but it’s now too late for consultation on the principle of disposal. That Blakehay meeting would have been the ideal opportunity for both parties to explain their case and they fluffed it.