Southmead takes its protest to No.10

Community Groups up and down Bristol have been protesting about the Council's plans to sell off tracts of our green space which they deem as 'disposable', but in reality, is anything but.

The other week, I joined a group from Southmead, who have been doing brilliant work making the case for the old Dunmail School site to be kept.

The group, led by local people, had compiled a petition of hundreds of signatures, as well as collecting scores of responses to the council's plans, and came up to London to present them to no.10.

I was proud to be there as we handed in the petition to No.10 Downing Street.

Afterwards, we went on a bit of a tour around Westminster and had a cup of tea before the coach back to Bristol arrived. ( Thanks to our superb volunteer photographer for the Big Ben photo!)

If local democracy means anything, it means listening to residents' views on our green space - who have taken the battle to save Bristol's Green Spaces all the way to Westminster. Well done to everyone involved for your sturdy campaign, standing up for local people.

Southmead Green Space: Listen to the people who know best...

It's such a shame. The Council's parks and green spaces strategy is supposed to improve green space for the people of Bristol. The problem is, that the proposals put forward do not seem to reflect at all the real needs of local people.

I've been supporting dozens of protests and picnics across my constituency, set up by people who do not object to maximizing the benefits of our green space, but who do object to council plans that seem out of touch with what's needed.

I've not spoken to anyone for example who actually supports the so called proposed 'improvements' to Glencoyne Square as local people say the proposals will make things less safe, and the square less usuable... and it's "improvements" like this, which I have yet to find public support for, which are what areas of much valued land are to be sold off for...

This protest was against plans to get rid of the play area at Embleton Park, off the Square. If you feel strongly, sign the petition for saving genuinely needed community green space at www.savebristolgreenspaces.bristolpetitions.com .