This - and many other articles in our local press down the months have told us that thousands of jobs will be created - 5,000 according to this report.
It begs the question really - when the expansion in numbers took place.
Tuesday 22 February 2011
When 80 jobs became 5,000 at Ashton Gate
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Ashton-Vale-open-letter-Bristol-City-fans-town-green-campaigners/article-2664456-detail/article.html
This - and many other articles in our local press down the months have told us that thousands of jobs will be created - 5,000 according to this report.
The trouble is - the Price Waterhouse Cooper report on the stadium suggest the total will actually be....err...just 80!
It begs the question really - when the expansion in numbers took place.
This - and many other articles in our local press down the months have told us that thousands of jobs will be created - 5,000 according to this report.
It begs the question really - when the expansion in numbers took place.
Audience thrown out of council meeting
(mind you some were let back in again later)
Anti-cuts protestors were thrown out of Bristol City Council chamber today. Severe heckling being the reason given.
Well, there certainly was. (I didn't) but there were a number of very angry people - who haven't really been given the opportunity to put their point of view.....which is why they tried at the start of the meeting.
Anti-cuts protestors were thrown out of Bristol City Council chamber today. Severe heckling being the reason given.
Well, there certainly was. (I didn't) but there were a number of very angry people - who haven't really been given the opportunity to put their point of view.....which is why they tried at the start of the meeting.
Monday 21 February 2011
Debt
It i s particularly interesting to note that the historical level of debt we face - as a % - is actually pretty low.
Pity the government won't point this out. But insist on sacking loads of people for daring to work for the public sector.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Franc meets and cleans
The ultra light tram option
Tuesday 22nd February – 7.30pm at the Southville Centre
We have arranged this meeting to enable local people to hear the latest news on plans to develop a rapid transport route across Ashton Bridge and alongside Cumberland Road and the Chocolate Path. We shall be hearing from the Bristol Tramway Consortium, which is pressing for an ultra light tram system to be used instead of the bus rapid transit system that Bristol City Council has proposed to the Department of Transport. People on both sides of the river have mixed views about these plans, and this will be a chance to obtain more facts. The meeting will finish by 9.00pm. All welcome.
Riverbank clean-up
Saturday 26th February – 10.00am at Gaol Ferry Bridge
We will be cleaning up the Cumberland Road riverbank and part of the Harbourside Railway track. We aim to finish at around 12 noon, and you are then welcome to come for a free coffee and cake! Please wear warm, waterproof clothing and strong shoes and bring protective gloves if you have them. We will supply spare gloves and litter-pickers. Should bad weather (eg. snow, torrential rain or strong winds) cause us to postpone this event, we shall post a notice on the home page of our website (www.franc.org.uk). But let’s hope it’s a nice day!
Tuesday 22nd February – 7.30pm at the Southville Centre
We have arranged this meeting to enable local people to hear the latest news on plans to develop a rapid transport route across Ashton Bridge and alongside Cumberland Road and the Chocolate Path. We shall be hearing from the Bristol Tramway Consortium, which is pressing for an ultra light tram system to be used instead of the bus rapid transit system that Bristol City Council has proposed to the Department of Transport. People on both sides of the river have mixed views about these plans, and this will be a chance to obtain more facts. The meeting will finish by 9.00pm. All welcome.
Riverbank clean-up
Saturday 26th February – 10.00am at Gaol Ferry Bridge
We will be cleaning up the Cumberland Road riverbank and part of the Harbourside Railway track. We aim to finish at around 12 noon, and you are then welcome to come for a free coffee and cake! Please wear warm, waterproof clothing and strong shoes and bring protective gloves if you have them. We will supply spare gloves and litter-pickers. Should bad weather (eg. snow, torrential rain or strong winds) cause us to postpone this event, we shall post a notice on the home page of our website (www.franc.org.uk). But let’s hope it’s a nice day!
The New Cut isn't falling down...honest
Residents of Southville and Hotwells and users of the Chocolate Path will undoubtedly have spotted the Chocolate Path landslip.
Quite a significant area of the bank of the New Cut disappeared a few weeks ago in an area not far from the junction of Beauley Road with Coronation Road.
Well, Tess Green has raised this with officers and been told
'I have consulted with both Docks and Highways and am informed that the road is not immediately at risk from the current collapse. However the situation is being monitored and stabilisation works are required.
Further discussions will be taking place shortly to discuss the way forward and the works that will be necessary.'
It would be interesting to know - given that the area appears to have increased in size - just how the council maintains and monitors the Cut.
Friday 11 February 2011
Dodgy car use statistics - 91% single occupancy in rush hour
I walk to work ( at the Create Centre) from Beauley Road).
In recent days it is odd but I have seen almost alternating fairly clear Coronation Road with it backing all the way up to -w ell Gaol Ferry and beyond (I can't see).
So - I decided to count occupancy of cars coming in to Bristol - lorries excluded, and I curiously got to 100 at the point I turned off (the footpath down to Create past the sewage works, or whatever it is)
91 had 1 person in them, 9 had two.
Not quite statistically significant (error plus or minus 10%?) but still a lesson in the huge distance we have to go to produce a sustainable transport system - where most people travel by public transport, cycle or walk - or more to the point live near to where they work ie a true local economy....
In recent days it is odd but I have seen almost alternating fairly clear Coronation Road with it backing all the way up to -w ell Gaol Ferry and beyond (I can't see).
So - I decided to count occupancy of cars coming in to Bristol - lorries excluded, and I curiously got to 100 at the point I turned off (the footpath down to Create past the sewage works, or whatever it is)
91 had 1 person in them, 9 had two.
Not quite statistically significant (error plus or minus 10%?) but still a lesson in the huge distance we have to go to produce a sustainable transport system - where most people travel by public transport, cycle or walk - or more to the point live near to where they work ie a true local economy....
Charlie back on the Council
Tess says,
"I am delighted that Charlie Bolton has been selected to contest the second Southville seat for the Green Party. Charlie was the councillor for this area for 4 years up to 2010 when he needed a rest from this demanding work. It is difficult to be the single councillor for a party as the council provides less support for councillors not part of a ‘group’. I look forward to having other Green councillors join me, to be in a stronger position to influence council policies and to provide a better service for residents.
Charlie worked hard on policies about climate change, by chairing or contributing to the work of committees. The good news is that not only is Bristol a leading council in this respect but that ambitious targets for carbon emission reductions are being met. This puts the city in a better position than many to face the challenges ahead. All councils will need similar achievements, which are increasingly costly with time."
Thursday 10 February 2011
New Sainsbury's retail study
Sainsburys at Ashton Gate started, as an issue, when I was young, and is still going.
Well, surprise, surprise, in what could be a nasty shock for footie fans, it seems that the latest set of retail consultants are recommending against the store. This could be significant.....
The info is all on the councils planning site but the key para 4.28 could be
'However, on the basis of the retail policy matters covered by this advice, it is our view
that the negative impacts of the proposal outweigh any positive benefits which may
accrue. In reaching this view we have given particular weight to the financial impact
of the proposal and its adverse effect upon the vitality and viability of both defined
centres in Bedminster.'
Fascinating!
Well, surprise, surprise, in what could be a nasty shock for footie fans, it seems that the latest set of retail consultants are recommending against the store. This could be significant.....
The info is all on the councils planning site but the key para 4.28 could be
'However, on the basis of the retail policy matters covered by this advice, it is our view
that the negative impacts of the proposal outweigh any positive benefits which may
accrue. In reaching this view we have given particular weight to the financial impact
of the proposal and its adverse effect upon the vitality and viability of both defined
centres in Bedminster.'
Fascinating!
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Big anti-cuts march in February in Bristol - pease pass on
BRISTOL & DISTRICT ANTI-CUTS ALLIANCE
BULLETIN - 30 JANUARY 2011
The campaign
We have now reached crunch time. The council budgets are being set, redundancy notices sent out, services stopped or sold off, grants cut and the NHS destroyed. We must make an all-out effort to show that the majority of people in and around Bristol oppose this. A lot of BADACA group meetings have been organised; lots of leafleting will be done in the next two weeks. Please help out.
Demonstration 19 February
Assemble - 11.00am Castle Park
March to College Green for rally at 12.00pm
We need:
Several thousand people on it - bring yourself, your friends, family and neighbours, workmates and members of any organisation you belong to
Leaflets giving out to advertise it - see below
Banners and placards
Trade union branches and community organisations to support. Please make sujre yours does.
60 stewards - if you are willing to do this please reply to this e-mail. It involves traffic management along the route, taking a bucket collection and helping to clear up at the end.
To have an impact and show the strength of opposition to the cuts, this demonstration must be big
BULLETIN - 30 JANUARY 2011
The campaign
We have now reached crunch time. The council budgets are being set, redundancy notices sent out, services stopped or sold off, grants cut and the NHS destroyed. We must make an all-out effort to show that the majority of people in and around Bristol oppose this. A lot of BADACA group meetings have been organised; lots of leafleting will be done in the next two weeks. Please help out.
Demonstration 19 February
Assemble - 11.00am Castle Park
March to College Green for rally at 12.00pm
We need:
Several thousand people on it - bring yourself, your friends, family and neighbours, workmates and members of any organisation you belong to
Leaflets giving out to advertise it - see below
Banners and placards
Trade union branches and community organisations to support. Please make sujre yours does.
60 stewards - if you are willing to do this please reply to this e-mail. It involves traffic management along the route, taking a bucket collection and helping to clear up at the end.
To have an impact and show the strength of opposition to the cuts, this demonstration must be big
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Why stand?
One question I need to answer is why am I standing.
Having been councillor for Southville from 2006 to 2010, I admit to having been a bit knackered by the end of my tenure, and grateful for the rest from there on.
I suppose I have various motivations for standing this time:
Tess - well, she won the seat last May on general election day. I suppose I expected us to be swept away in the general election vote - so more credit to her and to the local party for working there socks off to get the vote out to take the seat. We now have the chance to form a group (something I never experienced) and in Southville and in Ashley, we need to take the chance!
The 'cause' - well I stood in elections for the Green Party for 20 years - joining in the first place because of its unilateralism, then being enticed by its social policies, and only latterly doing the environment bit. Now, the 'environment bit' dominates my thinking - I think I have already played a role in getting Bristol City Council to take climate change seriously, but it needs to keep taking it seriously. I can help with this.
The Cuts - this is an important time for Bristol City Council and public services generally. I register - in case people don't know my opposition to the cuts, and certainly the pace and scale of them. Unfortunately for Labour, they are tainted by their failure to manage the economy -something we Greens can't be blamed for (if only because we got nowhere near to managing one).
The opposition - I actually feel badly let down by the local Labour Party over the whole Sainsburies issue. I got on well with Sean Beynon while serving with him, but when I went to the planning meeting about Sainsburies, Tess spoke, Ben spoke, George spoke, I spoke and a whole raft of other local people spoke. Sean batted for Sainsburies. He should have batted for us! That's what he is for!
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue, Sainsburies is a multi-billion pound organisation - who does not need little local councillors supporting it. Local people who do this in their spare time need all the support they can get, especially from their elected representatives.
(That is about as negative as intend to get in the campaign, I think. I intend to campaign on a positive manfiesto of wha we want. Let's see if I do!)
Having been councillor for Southville from 2006 to 2010, I admit to having been a bit knackered by the end of my tenure, and grateful for the rest from there on.
I suppose I have various motivations for standing this time:
Tess - well, she won the seat last May on general election day. I suppose I expected us to be swept away in the general election vote - so more credit to her and to the local party for working there socks off to get the vote out to take the seat. We now have the chance to form a group (something I never experienced) and in Southville and in Ashley, we need to take the chance!
The 'cause' - well I stood in elections for the Green Party for 20 years - joining in the first place because of its unilateralism, then being enticed by its social policies, and only latterly doing the environment bit. Now, the 'environment bit' dominates my thinking - I think I have already played a role in getting Bristol City Council to take climate change seriously, but it needs to keep taking it seriously. I can help with this.
The Cuts - this is an important time for Bristol City Council and public services generally. I register - in case people don't know my opposition to the cuts, and certainly the pace and scale of them. Unfortunately for Labour, they are tainted by their failure to manage the economy -something we Greens can't be blamed for (if only because we got nowhere near to managing one).
The opposition - I actually feel badly let down by the local Labour Party over the whole Sainsburies issue. I got on well with Sean Beynon while serving with him, but when I went to the planning meeting about Sainsburies, Tess spoke, Ben spoke, George spoke, I spoke and a whole raft of other local people spoke. Sean batted for Sainsburies. He should have batted for us! That's what he is for!
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue, Sainsburies is a multi-billion pound organisation - who does not need little local councillors supporting it. Local people who do this in their spare time need all the support they can get, especially from their elected representatives.
(That is about as negative as intend to get in the campaign, I think. I intend to campaign on a positive manfiesto of wha we want. Let's see if I do!)
Southville Green Blog
Welcome to Southville Green blog
This blog is written by Charlie Bolton, Green candidate for Southville 2011 - with help from Tess Green, Green Councillor for Southville (well, I haven't asked her yet!).
This blog is written by Charlie Bolton, Green candidate for Southville 2011 - with help from Tess Green, Green Councillor for Southville (well, I haven't asked her yet!).
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