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 .

Rovers gives a boost to Henbury Streetz Project

We've come a long way. From an idea I had after seeing a street dance performance at a charity dinner, to getting a new street dance group started at Emmanuel Chapel in Henbury!

The crew at Emmanuel Chapel have been superb in really making it happen, my mum has got involved to raise funds and now we have enough money for street dance every Friday, with beat-box on the cards for the future.

Our new group of talented street dancers and the team all went to the Rovers stadium to collect money. Sporting our new "Henbury Streetz Project" T-Shirts, we raised several hundred pounds on one day, and great fun was had by all. Many thanks to everyone who dug deep: And there was a Rovers victory as well! Thanks to Rovers and our intrepid team of fundraisers and dancers!

Natural England

It is easy to take things for granted. My meeting with Natural England reminded me what extraordinary natural habitats and features Bristol North West is host to - from the Severn Estuary ( Above, as seen from the superb Kingsweston House. The ideal venue for a coffee-with-a-view!) with its enormous variety of bird life, to The Downs and the Avon Gorge (below) which hosts plant species unique to the Gorge itself.

There is always a balance between preserving what already exists, and making way for progress. Thankfully now there is more emphasis on sustainable progress - changes that are not so detrimental to the world around us that they destroy the environment that makes everything possible in the first place - but that balance is still very hard to get right.

Natural England explained their role in both protecting bird species in the Severn Estuary, and recognising the enormous importance of Avonmouth to the economic prosperity of the city; It was a morning very informatively spent - and it's made me look again at the 'natural assets' our city possesses.

Southmead's picnic protest

Despite a shabby August, it has been a summer of big picnics. But that's because this summer is the time to respond to the Council's consultation on the Parks and Green Spaces strategy. The strategy's aim was to sell off disposable land in order to raise money to enhance the rest. Nothing wrong with that. Except that much of the land that the Council has earmarked as potentially 'disposable' and up for development is anything but to the communities who live in the area.

The old Dunmail School site on Lanercost Road is a case in point - a school that the area now would much need was demolished, but now the Council have earmarked the land for possible housing or traveler site development.

The community turned out in force to make the point that the site is not of low value or disposable - the community is doing all it can to make its voice heard. The Council has said it is listening to local people - the community is hoping that listening will mean acting on what they have to say.

UPDATE

The good news is that at a meeting with the Council Officer in charge of the process, I asked whether the Council's very impenetrable consultation forms were the only form of response that the Council would accept. Thankfully he confirmed that the Council would accept any form of submission to the Consultation.

The Council told me that the most helpful thing is to look at the strategy ( you can see it at local libraries, and online) and comment on specifics, with your opinion always backed up with facts ( eg. traffic, access, local infrastructure etc) - and also put forward some positive ideas of your own. - That's the best way to get your voice heard.