FIshponds Road (A432) - Bus Lane update

The consultation on the bus lane proposals earlier this year produced a huge response from local residents. The results have now been summarised in a report which can be viewed here.
Further consultations will take place, and localised consultations on specific proposals like those for Grove Road and Station Road. You can read this in full by following the links from the Council web site:

The information point is shortly to re-open, as a further consultation period starts.
Further afield the Bath Road 'showcase' route is now nearing complation.

Ball games in Fountaine Court

Residents in Fountaine Court contacted Muriel Cole and I about problems with youths playing ball games in the area causing danage to cars. Muriel took this up with the Council who agreed to put up a 'no ball game' sign. This may help, but we are continuing to push the Council to provide a small area on the East Park estate where ball games can be played in a safe environment.

Common sense wins on Wickham Glen

Over the last few weeks there has been much discussion about the proposed path through Wickham Glen. This will be funded by the Bristol Cycling City project, and will give access from a ramp connecting directly to Blackberry Hill. The plan was for a path that would be 3 metres wide. Many residents and local conservation groups were concerned that this would create a 'cycle motorway' and lead to conflict with people walking along the path, and users with disabilities. It would also lead to several mature trees being removed.

There was a meeting on site with Council Officers, and Jon Rogers, the Cabinet member for the project, and it looked like a compromise solution of a narrower path would be supported. Unfortunately the Cycling City team insisted on their original plan going to the planning committee.
The good news is that the committee voted to reject the plans last week, and instructed the officers to come back with a plan for a narrower path that would be more in keeping with the area.

Grove Wood - nature reserve plan goes to Cabinet

On Thursday 10th June, the Cabinet of Bristol City Council will consider a proposal to turn Grove Wood into a formal nature reserve.
If the paper being put forward is approved, the council seeks to enter into an agreement with the landowner of Grove Wood and declare and manage the site as a Local Nature Reserve in consultation with Natural England.
If that does not prove possible, then the Council will apply for a Compulsory Purchase Order to acquire the site for the purpose of a Local Nature Reserve.

The nature reserve model has already worked well in this area at Royate Hill, and I'm sure this one will be just as successful.

First Liberal Ministers (and first Coalition) since 1945

As I predicted this is was the closest election since February 1974 and like then it produced what the media like to call a 'hung parliament.' (Personally I prefer the less emotive local government term 'No Overall Control').
The arithmetic (Con 306, Lab 258, Lib Dem 57, others 28) meant there were only two truly viable options, a Conservative minority government (as with Labour in 1974 and with the SNP in Scotland today), or a Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition with an agreed programme, and the potential to run a full term.

Any arrangement with historic political enemies can be difficult to swallow, but coalition between parties is a fact of life in nearly all other countries in Europe. Political parties themselves are also coalitions, and we have been governed by a coalition between 'Blair-Labour' and the 'Brown-Labour' for the last 13 years!

In any coalition its not what is said but what is done that will matter in time. The agreement between the parties has been widely publicised, but don't believe what the newspapers tell you, read the full version for yourself here: http://www.general-election-2010.co.uk/conservative-and-liberal-democrat-coalition-goverment-agreement.html

General Election goes to the wire....

A quarter of the votes in this area have probably been cast by post already, including mine, and tomorrow everyone else will have the chance to make their choice. I never make predictions about election results, but it is clear that this is going to be the closest contest since I first cast a vote back in 1974.
Bristol East Liberal Democrat Candidate Mike Popham has had a great response on the doorsteps, and we seem to have got more information through people'd doors than either of the other parties.
If your still undecided, please remember that only the Liberal Democrats will bring about the permanent change that our country really needs.

Lynn Road & Stokecliffe House - revised schemes approved

Two planning applications that will have a major effect on Stapleton were passed at the end of April. A refurbishment of Stokecliiffe house on Park Road has been welcomed, but not the new houses planned to encroach on the valley. In Lynn Road a previous application was rejected, but an amended scheme has now been approved, this will also impact on the valley which slopes steeply form Park Road down to the River Frome (see picture).

Both applications were opposed by local residents, the local Conservation Society, and local Liberal Democrat Councillors. what this appears to show is the need for an early review of the whole of the Stapleton and Frome Valley area if its unique quality is to be maintained.

Stapleton Traffic Scheme - work starts!

Local residents were somewhat relieved to see work starting on the Stapleton Traffic scheme. The traffic islands are now in place, and we hope that local people will see an improvement shortly.

Stapleton traffic - solution soon!

Following extensive public consultations, and many months late, it looks like the long awaited Stapleton village traffic management scheme will soon be a reality. The delay has been due to objections submitted about some of the extra parking retrictions, but the key features remain, including the traffic islands on Bell Hill and near The Chine.

Frome Greenway cycle path consultation

Residents in the part of Stapleton Road which runs next to the M32 are being consulted on plans to create a widened walkway and cycle path. At present there is a 'break' in the cycle route to and from the city centre, and the idea is to improve the area for walkers, especially those in wheelchairs or pushing prams. As part of the proposals, Napier Road will become two way, and additional parking would be provided, to replace spaces removed by the wider pavements.
The consultation ends on January 15th, and further details can be found on the Council website here:

Happy New Year!

This blog has been quiet for a few weeks. I won't bore everyone with the full details, but everyone who has ever lost a computer password will surely understand!
Anyway my New Year's resolution is to get back to more regular blogging, starting today.....

Small Lane solution in sight

A few days ago we heard the good news that the additional waiting restrictions proposed for Small Lane, Stapleton will go to public advertisement on September 10th.
For a long time there have been problems with this narrow lane being blocked by parked cars. Residents have been concerned about access for emergency vehicles, and First Bus have even considered re-routing the no. 5 bus service due to the problems of getting through the lane.
If accepted the parking restrictions would bring the 'Small Lane chicane' to an end at long last.
(Photo: Muriel Cole and Steve Comer in Small Lane, Stapleton).

“........and the dream shall never die.” Edward Kennedy 1932-2009

Even though we all knew that serious illness would take his life, it was still a shock to wake up to the news that Senator Edward Kennedy had died. Less charismatic than his two brothers he may have been, but in over 40 years in the American Senate he achieved so much, always motivated by a burning desire to help the underprivileged, and at the same time make society freer and fairer.

In common with those great English and Welsh Liberals, Gladstone and Lloyd George, he had flaws, more publicised in the age of international mass media. His Liberalism never wavered but Ted always knew that politics was the art of the possible, and to get things done compromise with your opponents is often necessary.
The quote above comes from his speech he made to the 1980 Democratic convention conceding defeat. I remember it at the time, but even more clearly I remember these words from the address he gave (whilst fighting back tears) at his brother Bobby's funeral in 1968:

“My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it......As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:
"Some men see things as they are and say why.
I dream things that never were and say why not."

It was this inspiration to ask 'why not' that led me into Liberal politics, and keeps me there. Edward Kennedy retained his optimism though his life, he inspired many thousands of people who never met him, and he can rest in peace now. His dream shall never die.

20 mph pilot for Eastville

A maximum speed limit of 20mph is proposed in two residential areas of Bristol, one of them includes Eastville - from the junction up to Muller Road. The proposed 20mph speed limit will apply to all residential streets within the pilot areas, but not to major traffic routes.

In Eastville the roads in the scheme are all residential, and mostly narrow streets with cars parked on both sides for most of the day. The primary aim of these pilot zones is to make walking and cycling safer and more attractive to more people. It should also help to reduce the number of road accidents, especially those involving pedestrians.

My colleague Jon Rogers, Lib Dem Cabinet member for Transport said, “We will be monitoring the success of the two pilot areas and listening to comments from local residents and businesses as well as those who regularly pass through these areas before we look at whether they could be extended to other parts of the City."

The scheme will not involve the introduction of any physical traffic calming features such as speed humps; chicanes or cameras.

Re-elected! - four more years

I didn’t mean to be away from ‘blogsphere’ for so long, but it has been a very busy few weeks! Election time is always full of manic activity, but I’m pleased to say I was re-elected as Councillor for Eastville, the result was:
Steve Comer (Liberal Democrat Focus Team) 1310 44%
Mike Wollacott (Labour) 717 24%
Derek Fey (Conservative) 542 18%
Glenn Vowles (Green Party) 426 14%
June 4th saw the Liberal Democrats win 36 out of the 70 seats in Bristol and take overall control of the city for the first time. I’m very pleased that one of the Lib Dem gains was Hillfields Ward next door to Eastville. Patrick Hassell has campaigned there for many years, and we’ve worked well together on issues we’ve had in common, like the campaign to save Cossham Hospital, and in opposition to a waste site off Lodge Causeway.
Sadly Emma Nyhan just missed out becoming the second Lib Dem Councillor in St. George by 90 votes, but John Kiely has now returned as Councilllor for Easton, and Guy Poulteney held Lockleaze. There will be some major issues ahead, and it’ll be good to have allies in neighbouring wards.

Stoke Park - purchased for the people!

The new Liberal Democrat Cabinet in Bristol have moved quickly to acquire Stoke Park (the land around the Dower House) from developers. This is an 18th century landscape right on the M32 gateway into Bristol.

This will secure the land for future generations, and in time I believe this will be seen as a land acquisition as important to Bristol as the decision to buy Ashton Court in the post war decade.

Detailed plans are still at an early stage, and Muriel Cole and I would welcome any feedback on what could be done. It looks like there may be some land set aside for allotments, which is good as these are always in demand. An imaginative proposal that has caused some comment is the plan to graze cattle on the land rather than use a diesel lawnmower to cut the grass!. Whilst Bristol is not going to be a big beef producer, this is an idea which has attracted much interest, and seems to be an environmentally friendly way of keeping the land in good condition.

People in this part of Bristol really value the open space they have like Eastville Park, and Snuff Mills. Acquiring this 'green wedge' of open space for the people of is good news for our city and for north east Bristol in particular.

Grove Wood Tree Preservation Order confirmed

Yesterday the City Council's South & East planning committee voted to confirm the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on Grove Wood in Stapleton. The TPO was initiated following a campaign by residents concerned about the destruction of trees in this historic woodland.
Under planning law, once a TPO is requested there is a sx month peiod where objections can be made before the TPO is finally confirmed. The landowner objected to the TPO but all members of the committee voted to confirm it.
We hope this will protect this amenity for future generations.

Bristol Labour throw in the towel

At a dramatic budget meeting yesterday, Labour resigned the leadership of Bristol City Council. The Liberal Democrats as the largest party are now in the process of forming an administration for the city.
Labour's resignation followed a Liberal Democrat amendment to the budget, which removed the funding for the next stage of the bid for a mass-burn waste incinerator. Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed this, and we have fought this proposal at every stage in its passage through the Council. The Conservative group has now done a u-turn late in the day and voted with us, as did the one Green Councillor.
There are more environmentally friendly solution to waste disposal such as digestion and pyrolysis, and the new administration will be working with neighbouring councils to find a more sustainable solution.
For further information, check out the website for Bristol Against Mass Burn Incineration here: http://www.bambi-network.org.uk/

Pub protest at Council House

On Wedensday the planning committee for South and East Bristol considered an application to change the car park at the Frienship Inn in Knowle. On the face of it a pretty straightforward application. but......The subtext to this is that the premises has been acquired by Tesco who want to convert the pub to a shop. This would leave a huge are with no local pub, and threaten the viability of the existing shops in the locality and on the Wells Rd. I spoke in opposition to the plan, and joined local residents and the Bristol Pubs Group in a small demonstration at the Council House.

Knowle may be accross the city from Eastville, but the issue is the threat to local shopping areas. Fishponds Rd. is already under pressure following the sad closure of Woolworths, and we have seen some pub closures in this area too. We need to do all we can to try to keep our community facilities in all parts of Bristol. A final decision on the Friendship has been deferred to allow a site visit to take place.

A walk in Grove Wood

At the end of January the Snuff Mills Action Group organised a walk through Grove Wood. About 150 or so local residents turned up to walk the footpaths, as part of the campaign to save the wood. I was with a group that used the public right of way that goes alongside the river (well mostly). Its many years since I've walked this far along the path, and it was a good opportunity to see just why Grove Wood is so important to the local environment.

Further details of the campaign to sav Grove Wood can be found here: http://snuffmills.blogspot.com/