Tories want a bigger Bristol

 

The May local elections saw a raft of changes at the city council. The ruling Liberal Democrats lost their majority, Labour and the Conservatives appointed new – yet familiar – party leaders and  for the first time The Green Party had  more than one councillor. This week Sam Rkaina talks to all four party leaders about their ambitions for their group and the city. Today it’s Conservative Peter Abraham.

Read Full Post »

D-Day set for Ashton Vale stadium row

By Ian Onions, Political Editor

A DECISION which will clear the way for land at Ashton Vale to become the site of Bristol City‘s proposed new stadium or lead to a ban on all development there looks set to be taken within weeks.

Read Full Post »

New Tory lineup for Bristol City Council

From Bristol Conservatives

The Conservative on Bristol City Council have unveiled their top team of Scrutiny Commission and Committee leads for the year ahead.

Read Full Post »

Re-elected Bristol council leader pledges to “build on success”

By Sam Rkaina,  Local Government Reporter

NEWLY re-elected city council leader Barbara Janke has pledged to “build on the success of the last two years” and continue to fight for Bristol.

Speaking at Tuesday’s annual council meeting, Mrs Janke said her colleagues would not turn their backs on their responsibilities.

Read Full Post »

Concessions expected to keep Bristol Lib Dems in power

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

THE future control of Bristol City Council is to be decided today, after nearly two weeks of political negotiations.

Barbara Janke is expected to continue as leader of the authority with the Liberal Democrats running a minority administration.

A rethink on trams, a review of the green-spaces sell off plan and a decisive debate on whether Ashton Vale should be a town green are believed to be among the main concessions that will allow them to remain in power.

Read Full Post »

Bristol Free School given the go-ahead

By Linda Tanner, Education Correspondent

EDUCATION Secretary Michael Gove has given final approval to detailed plans for a new Bristol state secondary school.

Bristol Free School is due to open in September, after a long campaign by parents in the north west of the city.

Read Full Post »

Pressure grows to scrap Bristol City Council parks sell off plan

Click here to see the original story on the EP website

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

THE future of Bristol City Council’s green spaces sell-off plan continues to hang in the balance amidst renewed calls to scrap it.

All three opposition parties on the authority have now issued statements following the May 5 election saying it is time for the Liberal Democrats to think again.

This follows the Lib Dems losing five seats, reducing their majority from 38 of 70 councillors to 33.

As previously reported in the Evening Post, the green space sell-off plan may be sacrificed to keep the Lib Dems in power.

None of the opposition groups have expressed an interest in forming a coalition with the Lib Dems.

But now they have a no outright majority, the Lib Dems would lose any future vote on the issue that has become entrenched along party lines.

Council leader Barbara Janke said discussions were ongoing on the future of the running of the authority so was unable to comment further at this stage.

Mrs Janke said: “Last week’s elections have left no party in overall control, although the Lib Dems – on 33 seats out of 70 – are still much the largest party.

“As you would expect, we are talking to the other parties and listening to what they have to say about the issues that are important to them. Until this process is completed, we are not, of course, able to say what the outcome will be.”

How much of an effect the green spaces controversy had on the local elections is not clear. While the Lib Dems lost some seats where sites were under threat – including Brislington East and Hengrove – they also retained others including Knowle and Windmill.

But Labour’s Ron Stone said the loss of seats made it clear the public wanted the Lib Dems to review the policy. He said: “It’s obvious the electorate have not been impressed with the cuts agenda and added to that many thousands who protested felt they were ignored over the sell-off of their green spaces. We have warned the Lib Dems the whole policy needs a re-think and while they can ignore their political opposition if they want to, they can’t ignore voters.

“We say let local people decide on the future of their green spaces at their Neighbourhood Partnerships.”

Councillor Tess Green, of Southville ward, the council had a “golden opportunity” to look again at the funding for parks improvements.

She said: “What the LibDems wanted to do was unpopular, unsustainable, and regressive – and wouldn’t even raise the cash needed. A new administration must not make the same mistake. We could not support any new administration that continued with the disposal of green spaces.”

Conservative acting leader Councillor Peter Abraham said: “The Lib Dems must face up to the fact one of the reasons for doing so badly in the local elections was the massive opposition to their proposed sale of Bristol’s green spaces.

“If they now wish to continue to govern in this city without an overall majority, it is obvious that they will have to make some concessions on this issue.”

Click here for more stories on the green spaces sell off plan

Read Full Post »

Bristol Tories demand city council decision on Ashton Vale row

Click here for the original story on the EP website

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

BRISTOL City Council could be forced to finally make a decision on whether Ashton Vale should be a town green or not, now that the Liberal Democrats have lost control of the authority.

The Conservatives say one of their “conditions” of supporting the Lib Dems as a minority administration is a decisive debate on the issue by the end of the month.

Tory deputy leader Peter Abraham says the matter should be dealt with in a vote by full council one way or another, within 14 days of the next full council meeting on Tuesday.

The Lib Dems have been reaching out to the other parties on the council since they lost five seats at the local elections on Thursday.

The losses mean the party no longer has the numbers to force through policies and must rely on the support of other groups.

No party has expressed an interest in forming a government-style coalition but it is believed the Lib Dems could continue with a minority provided they make concessions on certain issues.

Mr Abraham – who is expected to replace mayor-elect Geoff Gollop as Tory leader on Friday – believes the ongoing uncertainty on the future of the site has done Bristol no favours.

He said: “We’ve mucked about and it’s dragging on. We ought to take the decision now. A report should be brought for decision whether to accept or reject the independent inspector’s advice.

“We’ve wasted months and months, with arbitration and talks breaking down.

“Sainsbury’s is ready, the deal is there waiting but we as a council are not shown to be facing up to these issues.

“My personal view is that I am convinced we should reject the inspector’s advice.

“I don’t think this qualifies as a town green and it brings the process into disrepute.”

New Labour leader Peter Hammond also agreed a decision needed to be made.

He said: “Labour policy is to support a stadium in south Bristol. The Lib Dems need to demonstrate leadership and council needs to make an early decision with a clear cabinet recommendation to approve the stadium or not.”

Council leader Barbara Janke stressed no decisions could yet be made while talks are ongoing.

She said: “As you would expect, we are talking to the other parties and listening to what they have to say about the issues that are important to them. Until this process is completed, we are not, of course, able to say what the outcome will be.”

The row over whether Ashton Vale should become a town green has stalled for months. On one side Bristol City Football Club needs the site to build its £92 million new stadium.

On the other side, residents near the site say they want to protect the site from any kind of development.

Mr Abraham said if the council had to make changes to take the decision out of that committee’s hands, it should do so.

Whatever decision the council does take, it is likely to face a legal challenge by the losing side.

Read Full Post »

The cost of Bristol’s Lord Mayor

See the original story on the EP website

By Emily Koch (Twitter: @EmilyKoch22)

DISCUSSIONS have been held about funding the full cost of having a Lord Mayor in Bristol by letting out the Mansion House.

The role has cost the city more than £800,000 in the past five years, new figures have revealed.

The costs – obtained by the Evening Post under the Freedom of Information Act – include the Lord Mayor’s allowance, the costs of his staff, the maximum clothing allowance for him and his partner, hospitality, travel and the insurance of the civic plate and chain.

Bristol City Council says the figures cannot take into account the “priceless” value the role brings to the city each year, although it is known that the Lord Mayor’s charity has raised about £45,000 a year over the five-year period.

Current Lord Mayor Colin Smith

The current Lord Mayor, Councillor Colin Smith, revealed to the Post that the council was looking into finding a way to fund the role completely from the profits gained by letting out the Mansion House for conferences and weddings in the future.

He said: “One of the things we are looking at is how we can bring in more money by using the Mansion House in this way, to see how we can fund the mayoralty without any cost to the public.

“We all recognise that we are in difficult economic circumstances, but it is important that not only do we hang on to the services that the council provides – such as libraries – but also that we use a very small part of the money generated by council tax to sustain the legacy and heritage of the city.

“If you dispense with the position of Lord Mayor, you will never, ever get it back.”

The Lord Mayor devotes most of his or her time to the promotion of the city, key initiatives of the council and supporting a wide range of Bristol based organisations. In carrying out this role, the Lord Mayor undertakes about 800 engagements a year – from major Royal visits to small community group meetings and local charity events.

The Lord Mayor also chairs the meeting of the full council, but the post is a ceremonial one which does not carry direct power.

The figures released show that £811,739.53 has been spent on the role between 2005 and 2010 – covering two years with Peter Abraham as Lord Mayor, one year with Royston Griffey and two with Chris Davies. It does not include the current year.

Cost of the Lord Mayor in Bristol

Each year the Lord Mayor gets a special allowance on top of the allowance he or she receives for being a councillor, to reflect their responsibilities over and above their role as a ward councillor.

In 2009/10 Mr Davies received £20,052.93 – nearly twice the figure paid to Mr Abraham in 2005/6.

The costs in the table show the costs of staff directly linked to the Lord Mayor – £531,330 over the five years.

They split their time between working for the Lord Mayor himself and helping to run the Mansion House as a banqueting business.

The Lord Mayor’s secretary spends 50 per cent of his time on Lord Mayor business; the assistant Lord Mayor’s secretary spends all of their time on Lord Mayor business; of three chauffeurs, one spends 90 per cent of their time working for the Lord Mayor while the other two spend 30 per cent of their time doing so; and one administration officer spends 40 per cent of his time working for the Lord Mayor.

A clothing allowance of £3,000 is given to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress or Consorts, but is only paid against receipts; and about £400 is spent each year on insuring the Civic plate and Lord Mayor’s chain.

The Lord Mayor has no personal allowance for food or hospitality, but the £144,100 spent over the five years on hospitality was used for events the council wanted the Lord Mayor to host such as freedom and homecoming parades.

The amount spent on travel over the five years has gone up and down over the years between £5,184 and £11,327 but a council spokesperson said there was no particular reason for the fluctuations.

The most expensive year out of the five at £172,902.31 was 2007/8 when Mr Griffey held the office, with the least expensive being Mr Abraham’s second year as Lord Mayor at £151,490.

Mr Smith said: “The position of Lord Mayor helps to promote Bristol internationally, and helps to bring inward investment into the city. It creates prosperity and employment for our citizens. Recently I hosted a delegation coming from China, who want to invest in the UK, and who are looking at various cities. They won’t come to Bristol unless they meet the Lord Mayor – that is just their cultural tradition.

“They want to meet the city’s leader – I don’t class myself as the city’s leader but that is the way they see it. It is difficult to actually say how much money comes out of that or how many jobs. It could create investment in two weeks, two years or ten years.”

The Evening Post contacted all three former Lord Mayors, but Mr Abraham and Mr Griffey declined to comment.

Former Lord Mayor Chris Davies

Mr Davies said: “The role of the Lord Mayor is of incalculable benefit to the city, and to the people of Bristol.”

A spokesperson for the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “It’s up to taxpayers in Bristol to decide whether or not they think a Lord Mayor is worth what they pay for him.

“However, it is worrying that the total cost has shot up so drastically in just a couple of years. The Lord Mayor should, as far as possible, endeavour to keep costs down. It’s unreasonable for extra allowances and hospitality spending to go up at a time when very necessary spending cuts are being enacted elsewhere.”

What the city council says…

“The Lord Mayor is the first Citizen of the City and County of Bristol.

“There have been mayors in Bristol since 1216 and a Lord Mayor since 1899, following Queen Victoria’s decision to grant Bristol this privilege.

Mansion House could be hired out to fund the Lord Mayor

“The actual costs for the office of Bristol’s Lord Mayor are produced annually, they are public, well-documented – and can be found on the council’s website and in council reports.

“But these figures do not tell the real story of the role of Bristol’s Lord Mayor and priceless value the Lord Mayor brings in terms of civic pride and promotion. Nor do the figures reflect the hard work and dedication of each individual Lord Mayor and the massive contribution the Lord Mayor makes to the city, region and even to the country.

“During the Lord Mayor’s term in office, tens of thousands of local people: from toddlers to school children; from young adults to students; from workers on the shop floor to captains of industry and from silver surfers to centenarians are inspired by the Lord Mayor’s public service and commitment to the city and its residents.

“And let’s not forget that the Lord Mayor is president or patron of dozens of charities and organisations and is involved in raising tens of thousand of pounds each year. In Bristol it has been tradition that the Lord Mayor does not have a nominated charity  but lend their support to groups across the city. The Lord Mayor’s Christmas Appeal is an independent charity of which the Lord Mayor is its patron, it is run by the service organisations in the city (Rotary, Round Table) and its committee has worked over the years with the Evening Post.

“The Lord Mayor’s office is also responsible for major civic events, which it organises and funds out of its budget, including the Remembrance Day Service of Commemoration at the Cenotaph.

“Finally, each year, our Lord Mayor extends a warm welcome to overseas visitors, from schoolchildren on the Bristol to Bordeaux student exchange to business investors from China. And while no monetary value can be put on this welcome – who can say what benefits there will be next year, the year after or ten years in the future? What we do know is this: Bordeaux exchange students come back with their families and many Chinese students choose Bristol Universities first.

“The people of Bristol are well-served by the Lord Mayor and we’re sure that in 2016, when Bristol marks it 800th year of having a Mayor,  people from all corners of the city will join  and applaud its first citizen.”

Read Full Post »

Bristol Labour elect new leader but no change for Lib Dems

By Lynne Hutchinson and Rachel Clare

CITY council leader Barbara Janke has been re-elected unopposed to head the Liberal Democrats, despite the party losing its majority in the local elections.
Mrs Janke was voted back in at the group’s annual general meeting and will now be its candidate for leader of the council at the authority’s  annual meeting a week tomorrow.
The council’s Labour group has elected Peter Hammond as its new leader, replacing Helen Holland.
And Peter Abraham, currently Conservative group acting leader, looks set to become leader when Cllr Geoffrey Gollop steps down to become Lord Mayor.

Lib Dem leader Barbara Janke

Mrs Janke, who retained her own Clifton seat with an increased majority, said: “I’m delighted to continue to serve the interests of Lib Dems in Bristol as leader.
“Up and down the country we have paid the price for our party’s involvement in the Coalition Government and, in particular, the public spending cuts brought in to pay for the last Labour government’s extravagance.
“I fully expect to regain our majority and win back seats at the next local elections in two years’ time.”
The Lib Dems remain the largest group on the council – with 33 of the 70 seats – even though they lost five seats and their overall majority.
Labour have 21 seats and the Conservatives 14 and the Greens two.
With no party having overall control, the Lib Dems have now invited the other parties to meet to discuss how to run the council. The Lib Dems will meet again on Wednesday (May 11) so members can elect a cabinet.

New Labour group leader Peter Hammond, 59, who was elected in a secret ballot, predicted the party would regain control of the council at the next election in 2013.
The college lecturer from Stapleton first became a city councillor 32 years ago. He has represented St George East, Southmead and now St George West.
He also previously led the group from 2003 to 2005.

In: new Labour leader Peter Hammond

Out: Helen Holland re-elected for Whitchurh Park but replaced as leader

Labour now have 21 councillors after adding another five in last week’s elections.
Mr Hammond said: “Voters in Bristol have not taken to the Lib Dems in government, where ‘savage cuts’ were promised and were more than readily delivered by the Lib Dem administration in Bristol.
“The perception has been that the Lib Dems are Tories in sheep’s clothing. Voters have protested and it’s clear the Lib Dems are in crisis.”

Peter Hammond elected for St George West

Mr Hammond promised to continue to campaign against the sell-off of some of Bristol’s green spaces.
He also said the current primary school places crisis was another issue he and his Labour colleagues would be focusing on.
Acting Bristol Tory leader and former Lord Mayor Peter Abraham said he would like to see some of the current council’s “very unpopular” policies reversed if the party was to negotiate a deal with the Lib Dems.

Read Full Post »