Posted in Bristol City Council, tagged Bristol, Bristol City Council, Bristol Politics, Evening Post, Politics, Rachel Gardner, Southville, Southville Running Club on July 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
By Rachel Gardner
A RUNNING club with more than 100 members has asked Bristol City Council for permission to run on roads after pedestrians complained about being forced off pavements.
Southville Running Club, which meets every Tuesday and Thursday at The South Bank Club in Dean Lane, tried to get official permission after complaints emerged on the GreaterBedminster Community Partnership website.
Posted in Bristol City Council, Green Party, tagged Ashley, Barbara Janke, Bristol, Bristol City Council, ESOL, Green Party, Green Spaces, Gus Hoyt, Politics, Southville on May 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
From Bristol Green Party
At Tuesday’s first meeting of the city council since the elections removed the LibDems’ overall majority, the new ‘green group’ of Cllrs Tess Green (Southville) and Gus Hoyt (Ashley) secured new commitments from council leader Barbara Janke in three key areas.
Posted in Bristol City Council, Education, Liberal Democrats, tagged Bedminster, Bristol, Bristol City Council, Clare Campion-Smith, Colstons Primary, E-Act, Easton, Education, Fairfield School, Liberal Democrats, Lockleaze, Primary School Places, Redland, Southville, St Ursulas, Westbury-on-Trym on May 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
By Linder Tanner, Education Correspondent
PARENTS are continuing to press Bristol City Council to try to tackle some of the “black holes” in primary school provision.
The city has only just enough places for the expected 4,900 four-year-olds due to start school this September and in some areas families are not able to get their children in to any of the local primaries.
Posted in Bristol City Council, Bristol Civic Society, tagged Bristol, Bristol City Council, Bristol Civic Society, Christmas Steps, Peter Holt, Southville on May 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
By Ian Onions, Political Editor
CONSERVATIONISTS have condemned plans to introduce hundreds of advertising banners suspended from lamp posts in Bristol‘s streets.
Posted in Ashton Vale, Bristol City Council, Bristol City Football Club, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, tagged Ashton Vale, Barbara Janke, Bristol City Council, Bristol City Football Club, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, Southville, Steve Lansdown, Tess Green on May 11, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Click here to see the original story on the EP website
By Ian Onions, Political Editor
CITY council leader Barbara Janke says she wants to see a resolution over the future of the Ashton Vale stadium site “as quickly as possible”.
The Liberal Democrat answered calls for the council to get on and make a decision on the controversial site by saying a date would soon be set for a meeting to decide its final position.
The council has the final say on an inspector’s recommendation that the site of the planned £92 million stadium should be registered as a town green, protecting it from all future development.
Green councillor Tess Green has echoed the views of out-going club chairman Steve Lansdown and leading campaigner Linda
Southville Cllr Tess Green- "everyone is fed up with this"
Stone that the council should move swiftly on and make a decision.
The Evening Post revealed yesterday that the Tories urgently want a debate on the issue to force a decision, as one of their conditions for supporting a minority Lib Dem administration in the wake of last week’s council elections.
Ms Green, who represents Southville ward, has written to the council asking for an early decision.
She said: “Everyone is fed up with this. The council should get on with it and decide whether they are going to accept or reject the application for a town green.”
Council leader Barbara Janke wants a resolution "as quickly as possible"
Last night Mrs Janke issued a statement saying that she agreed the time for action had arrived.
She said: “I am keen that we press ahead as soon as possible and a date should be set shortly for a meeting of the Public Rights of Way and Greens committee.
“I am consulting with the other party leaders so that we can move ahead with this as quickly as possible.”
Mediation talks between the landowners and Ashton Vale residents pushing for town green status broke down nearly two weeks ago after both sides failed to resolve the issue.
Now that the talks have failed, it lies with the council to make a decision on registration.
One of the options would be to hold a second inquiry in the light of additional evidence that was submitted by the club after an independent inspector recommended that the entire site should be registered.
Another option would be to ask the seven-member Public Rights of Way committee to make a decision.
One of the possibilities would be for councillors to register some parts of the site as a town green but leave the 19 acres of former landfill tip which has been earmarked as the stadium site.
Whatever decision was taken by the council, the losing side is bound to take the issue to court.
Mr Lansdown has already said the football club will go to appeal if town green status is approved.
Last week, Mrs Stone, one of the two residents who signed the application for the 42-acre site to be registered as a town green, said that she wished the council would hurry up and do its job by making a decision and put an end to the uncertainty.
After the talks broke down, signs were erected on the site to point out that the land is private except for public footpaths which are marked on a map and permitted routes which are only allowed with the consent of the owners.
This has prompted Councillor Green to fear that work could start on the site before the town green issue was resolved.
She said: “Any such move by the landowners would increase the risk of violent confrontation in an already tense stand-off between the two sides.”
Posted in Bristol City Council, Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Local Elections 2011, tagged Bedminster, Bristol City Council, Bristol City Football Club, Local Elections, Sainsburys, Southville on April 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
See the original story on the EP website
On May 5 voters will choose 24 councillors to represent them on Bristol City Council. Over the next month we will look at all of the wards that are being contested, and all the candidates that are chasing your votes. Today is Bedminster.
BEDMINSTER is one of two wards where the election could be dominated by the ongoing row about Bristol City Football Club‘s new stadium.
Although the existing Ashton Gate site does not fall within the ward – it’s in neighbouring Southville – the proposed site of the new £92-million stadium at Ashton Vale does.
The battle lines have clearly been drawn – there are those who want the Ashton Vale fields to be used for the stadium and there are those who want it protected from any kind of development.
If you were just to look at the numbers, it’s clear what most people want.
More than 30,000 have signed an online petition in favour of the stadium, compared to around 1,200 who want the ground registered as a town green.
What’s not so clear is how many of the signatures on both sides come from the ward that Ashton Vale is actually in.
A brief look at both petitions shows plenty of people who live nowhere near the site – including Clifton and South Gloucestershire.
Any frustration on this issue could potentially favour the Greens more than any other party, as they are the only group to openly support the town green application and they have one seat in Southville already.
The effect the new Sainsbury‘s supermarket approved for the club’s current site at Ashton Gate could have on local trade is another ongoing issue for Bedminster and neighbouring Southville.
Although East Street and the busiest part of North Street aren’t actually in the ward, many of the people who use those shops are.
There are still concerns from traders that the new supermarket will damage local business although the council and the store say they will make efforts to avoid this happening.
Labour has held the seat for more than 15 years, though in 2007 it looked like their grip was slipping.
The Conservatives closed the gap but still came in second place by several hundred votes.
The Green Party took third, pushing the Lib Dems into a distant fourth.
The ward is bordered by the lower end of North Street to the north, Ashton Vale and the fields next to it to the west, South Liberty Lane to the south and stops just short of the Malago Greenway in the east.
According to the statistics, residents are not particularly impressed with the quality of the green spaces in their area.
The council has promised to improve parks in the ward as part of the £87 million improvement plan, and unlike other parts of the city Bedminster has none that will be sold off.
Next: Bishopsworth
Candidates for Bedminster ward
Party: Labour
Name: Colin Smith
Age: 62
Lives: Whitchurch
Experience: Councillor for Whitchurch Park 2002-06 and for Bedminster since 2007
Occupation: Has taken a sabbatical for a year to be Lord Mayor.
What difference will you make: I want to make Bedminster a better place to live by improving the few green spaces we have and help the local economy grow to create jobs for local people.
Party: Conservative
Name: Doug Newton
Age: Not given
Lives: Bedminster
Experience: Third time standing
Occupation: Chartered engineer
What difference will you make: I stand to guarantee Bedminster has a voice in the council – where any member see it as a place to drop unpopular building development and the planning department does not properly scrutinise developers.
Party: Liberal Democrat 
Name: Ian Cooper
Age: 45
Lives: Not given
Experience: Not given
Occupation: Bus driver
What difference will you make: Bedminster needs a councillor who is visible in the community and will work hard to help heal the rifts over the stadium application.
Party: Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Name: Robin Clapp
Age: 55
Lives: Bedminster
Experience: Third time standing in the ward
Occupation: Journalist
What difference will you make: A socialist and committed community activist, I will oppose all cuts to jobs and services as I did successfully in leading the 2008 campaign to keep Marksbury Road library open.
Other candidates – no details provided
GreenParty – Cath Slade
English Democrats – Jon Baker
Previous Results – 2007
Colin Smith – Labour – 1,299 (38.5%)
Doug Newton – Conservative – 1,037 (30.7%)
Cath Slade – Green Party – 685 (20.3%)
Matthew Greenwood – Liberal Democrat – 353 (10.4%)
Polling Stations
Ashton Vale Community Centre, Risdale Road
Luckwell Primary School, Luckwell Road
Compass Point South Street School
South Bristol Methodist Church Hall, British Road
For a detailed map, see http://www.bristol.gov.uk/WardFinder/pdfs/bedminstermap-high.pdf
Posted in Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Local Elections 2011, Other parties, tagged Ashley, Barbara Janke, Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Brislington, Bristol City Council, Cabot, Clifton, Cotham, Easton, Eastville, Filwood, Frome Vale, Green Party, Hartcliffe, Helen Holland, Hengrove, Hillfields, Knowle, Labour, Lawrence Hill, Liberal Democrats, Local Elections, Southville, St George, Stockwood, Whitchurch Park on April 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Below is the full list of candidates standing in the Bristol City Council local elections next month.
There are 24 of the 70 seats on the authority up for grabs on May 5.
In total there are 123 candidates for voters to choose from, representing eight different political groups.
The Liberal Democrats, Labour, the Conservatives and Green Party are each fielding a full complement of 24 candidates.
The Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts party have 16 candidates standing; the English Democrats – “Putting England First!” party have seven and the UK Independence Party (UKIP) have two.
There is also one Independent candidate. The far right British National Party is contesting one seat.
The candidates for each ward are listed below in alphabetical order.
For more go to the council website – http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/councillors–democracy-and-elections/
Thangam Debbonaire – Labour
Graham Godwin-Pearson – Conservative
Gus Hoyt – Green
Waliur Rahman – Liberal Democrat
BEDMINSTER
Jon Baker – English Democrats
Robin Clapp – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Ian Cooper – Liberal Democrat
Doug Newton – Conservative
Pip Sheard – Green
Colin Smith – Labour
BISHOPSWORTH
Ian Campion-Smith – Liberal Democrat
Richard Eddy – Conservative
Barrie Lewis – Green
Darren Lewis – Labour
BRISLINGTON EAST
Martyn Ahmet – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Pauline Allen – Liberal Democrat
Lara Cozens – Conservative
Mike Langley – Labour
Mark Smith – UK Independence Party
Robin Whitlock – Green
BRISLINGTON WEST
Colin Bretherton – Conservative
Philip Collins – UK Independence Party
Liam McDonough – Labour
Lucy Mackilligin – Green
Jackie Norman – Liberal Democrat
John Yeandle – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
CABOT
Ben Appleby – Green
Iain Dennis – Conservative
Chris Farrell – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Ben Mosley – Labour
Alex Woodman – Liberal Democrat
CLIFTON
Georgina Bavetta – Green
Rosemary Chamberlain – Labour
Barbara Janke – Liberal Democrat
Jack Jeffery – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Charles Lucas – Conservative
CLIFTON EAST
Simon Bennett – Green
Marcus Bruton – Conservative
Patrick Burland – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Charlotte Martin – Labour
Christian Martin – Liberal Democrat
COTHAM
Gareth Alan-Williams – Conservative
Neil Harrison – Liberal Democrat
Amy Hillgrove – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Estella Tincknell – Labour
Graham Woodruff – Green
EASTON
Katie Buse – Green
Faruk Choudhury – Labour
David Lewis – Conservative
Zahir Malik – Liberal Democrat
EASTVILLE
Muriel Cole – Liberal Democrat
Mahmadur Khan – Labour
Josephine McLellan – Green
Nazir Muhammad – Conservative
Roger Thomas – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
FILWOOD
Wayne Coombes – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Michael Hamblin – British National Party
Jeff Lovell – Labour
Roger Norman – Liberal Democrat
Stephen Petter – Green
Paul Smith – Conservative
Barbara Wright – English Democrats
FROME VALE
Lesley Alexander – Conservative
Mark Baker – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Jason Budd – Liberal Democrat
Nick Foster – Green
Bill Payne – Labour
Greg Shaw – English Democrats
HARTCLIFFE
Mark Brain – Labour
Shirley Hodges – Conservative
Patrick Slade – Green
Anne White – Liberal Democrats
Stephen Wright – English Democrats
HENGROVE
Mike Blundell – English Democrats
Barry Clark – Labour
Jos Clark – Liberal Democrats
Graham Davey – Green
George Maggs – Conservative
HILLFIELDS
Helene Gibson – Liberal Democrats
Matt Gordon – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Phil Hanby – Labour
Barbara Lewis – Conservative
Rob Telford – Green
KNOWLE
Gwyneth Brain – Labour
Christopher Davies – Liberal Democrat
Domenico Hill – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Graham Morris – Conservative
Glenn Vowles – Green
LAWRENCE HILL
Liiban Abdi – Independent
Charles Alexander – Conservative
Matthew Carey – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Margaret Hickman – Labour
Abdul Malik – Liberal Democrat
Christine Prior – Green
SOUTHVILLE
Sean Beynon – Labour
Charles Bolton – Green
Adam Tayler – Conservative
Lena Wright – Liberal Democrat
ST GEORGE EAST
Fabian Breckels – Labour
Paul Elvin – Liberal Democrats
Philip Hutton – Conservative
Mike Luff – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Chloe Somers – Green
ST GEORGE WEST
Peter Hammond – Labour
Genevieve Lively – Green
Bernie Lyons – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Tony Potter – Liberal Democrats
Eddie Tranter – English Democrats
Sylvia Windows – Conservative
STOCKWOOD
Yvonne Clapp – Labour
Peter Goodwin – Green
Michael Goulden – Liberal Democrat
Jay Jethwa – Conservative
WHITCHURCH PARK
Ray Carr – English Democrats
Helen Holland – Labour
Lorraine Horgan – Liberal Democrats
Jenny Rogers – Conservative
Barney Smith – Green
WINDMILL HILL
Mark Bailey – Liberal Democrat
Tom Baldwin – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Lex Cumber – Green
Narraser Gordon – Labour
Tony Lee – Conservative
Posted in Green Party, Local Elections 2011, tagged Ashley, Bristol City Council, Charlie Bolton, Green Party, Local Elections, Southville, Tess Green on April 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
BRISTOL’S Green Party has launched its campaign for the May 5 city council elections.
Currently the Greens only have one out of 70 councillors on the authority but they are hopeful of gaining more after coming second in three 2007 fights.
Party candidates were runners up in Cotham, Ashley and Cabot the last time the seats were contested.
Councillor Tess Green took one of the two seats in Southville for the Greens last year.
This time round they’re after the other one with the return of their previous councillor Charlie Bolton.
There are 24 of 70 seats up for grabs at the council, which elects a third of councillors every year with a fourth “fallow year”.
Currently Labour holds nine of the 24, the Conservatives have three and the Lib Dems the remaining 12.
The Greens are fielding a full compliment of 24 candidates, and the representatives for Bristol West gathered for their launch outside the Council House, on College Green.
Green Party candidates for Bristol
The party has produced a 10 point plan for their candidates to campaign on.Among their ideas are providing a transport authority for Bristol, scrapping land sales in the council’s £87 million sell-off plan and 20mph zones for the most dangerous roads in the city.
Easton Green Party candidate Katie Buse said: “At least the other parties on Bristol City Council seem finally to have taken up the Green Party’s idea of creating an integrated transport hub at Plot 6 next to Temple Meads station, even though they are trying to claim credit for this, but they are still not investing in creating a local rail and tram network and proper safe cycle paths for central and suburban Bristol, which is what the Green Party wants.”
The Greens would set up special committees to help preserve local schools and support local food supplies.
Ashley candidate Gus Hoyt said: “It is totally wrong for the council to put good independent local shops and traders out of business by continually giving planning permission to ever more supermarkets, such as a Tesco on Stokes Croft, or a Sainsbury‘s at Ashton Gate.”
The pledges also include a number of national party policies, including opposition to private schools and the increase in university tuition fees.
Bristol University student and Green Party candidate for Clifton, Georgina Bavetta said: “It’s simply not acceptable for the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives to betray our children and young people by increasing university tuition fees to £9000, and thereby saddling students with large debts before they’ve even started working.”
For more on the Green Party go to http://www.bristolgreenparty.org.uk/
The Green Party’s 10 Point Plan for Bristol
1.Create a transport authority for Bristol and revoke councillor parking privileges.
2.Set up a select committee on improving local high streets in a recession and another to promote local food.
3.Invest more in green energy schemes.
4.20mph zones across all of the most dangerous roads in the city.
5.Stick with the green spaces strategy but stop selling off land.
6.Improve street cleaning, recycling collections and increase the number of street trees.
7.Stop social services going into the private sector.
8.End inequalities in education by assimilating private schools into the state sector and opposing academy status for state schools.
9.Adopt a target of cutting Bristol’s carbon emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020.
10.More Green votes would provide an alternative voice to the political mainstream.
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