FYI (Gary's response below).
J
>>> Joshua Hart <velorution@...> 25/06/2009 23:42 >>>
Dear Cllr Hopkins,
I understand that you oversee open space issues in the city for the lib dem administration. I just wanted to write and let you know the depth of dissatisfaction and frustration in our Greenbank neighbourhood about how the planners have misled the public on the need to privatise a large area of public open space and destroy a valuable wildlife corridor as part of the factory development. We elected the lib dems on a platform of ensuring responsible open space management, open government, and we are expecting you to protect the path as a healthy green lung and safe wildlife corridor vociferously as you did during the anti- brt campaign.
My understanding is that essentially a council officer (David Bishop) illegally and unilaterally negotiated public land sales with developers without councillors or the public being involved, these negotiations led to assumptions from the developer that the land would be available for use. The public wasn't consulted until after the planning application had been submitted, and it seems that now the strong consensus that emerged from the community opposing any land sale is now about to be ignored. It really doesn't look good.
The 'cycle houses' and 8 story hotel planned to line the railway path is grossly out of context with the character of the pathway and will sever a critical wildlife corridor. It's the bad part of a generally good development, dressed up to appear green by labeling them 'cycle houses'.
We're asking that at least a significant portion of the hedge is retained and that currently public land remain in city hands. I realise the project has received planning permission but the land has not been sold yet and this is a bargaining chip that the city has to influence the development, even at this late stage.
Can you support the neighbourhood in this? We generally support the chocolate factory development, but let's do it right, enhancing the natural features of the site, not creating a legacy of destructive development in one of Bristol's truly special places.
I look forward to hearing your views on this matter.
sincerely,
Josh Hart
Dear Cllr Hopkins,
I understand that you oversee open space issues in the city for the lib dem administration. I just wanted to write and let you know the depth of dissatisfaction and frustration in our Greenbank neighbourhood about how the planners have misled the public on the need to privatise a large area of public open space and destroy a valuable wildlife corridor as part of the factory development. We elected the lib dems on a platform of ensuring responsible open space management, open government, and we are expecting you to protect the path as a healthy green lung and safe wildlife corridor vociferously as you did during the anti- brt campaign.
My understanding is that essentially a council officer (David Bishop) illegally and unilaterally negotiated public land sales with developers without councillors or the public being involved, these negotiations led to assumptions from the developer that the land would be available for use. The public wasn't consulted until after the planning application had been submitted, and it seems that now the strong consensus that emerged from the community opposing any land sale is now about to be ignored. It really doesn't look good.
The 'cycle houses' and 8 story hotel planned to line the railway path is grossly out of context with the character of the pathway and will sever a critical wildlife corridor. It's the bad part of a generally good development, dressed up to appear green by labeling them 'cycle houses'.
We're asking that at least a significant portion of the hedge is retained and that currently public land remain in city hands. I realise the project has received planning permission but the land has not been sold yet and this is a bargaining chip that the city has to influence the development, even at this late stage.
Can you support the neighbourhood in this? We generally support the chocolate factory development, but let's do it right, enhancing the natural features of the site, not creating a legacy of destructive development in one of Bristol's truly special places.
I look forward to hearing your views on this matter.
sincerely,
Josh Hart
Camelford Rd
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Gary Hopkins <gary.hopkins@...>
To: Joshua Hart <velorution@...>
Cc: John Kiely <John.Kiely@...>; Jon Rogers <jon.rogers@...>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 8:28:40 AM
Subject: Re: Inappropriate Development on City Owned Railway Path Land in Greenbank
Dear Josh
We too support the development overall.There are aspects of the plan that would have been different if we had been the administration when it was being developed.
We are though where we are.
I know the area well and have had environmental officers do appropriate assesments.
In the light of this there will be 2 changes to the position that we inherited.
1 There will be consultation on the interface between the cycle houses and the path with the possibility therefore of reducing the number of crossings of the greenery.
2 We will be replacing the requirement for the strip to be made available for BRT use and replacing it with one for conservation.
Any more radical changes at this late stage would probably lead to the scrapping of the development altogether and in my view the killing of of the BRT plan for the path is vitally important.
Gary H
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From: Gary Hopkins <gary.hopkins@...>
To: Joshua Hart <velorution@...>
Cc: John Kiely <John.Kiely@...>; Jon Rogers <jon.rogers@...>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 8:28:40 AM
Subject: Re: Inappropriate Development on City Owned Railway Path Land in Greenbank
Dear Josh
We too support the development overall.There are aspects of the plan that would have been different if we had been the administration when it was being developed.
We are though where we are.
I know the area well and have had environmental officers do appropriate assesments.
In the light of this there will be 2 changes to the position that we inherited.
1 There will be consultation on the interface between the cycle houses and the path with the possibility therefore of reducing the number of crossings of the greenery.
2 We will be replacing the requirement for the strip to be made available for BRT use and replacing it with one for conservation.
Any more radical changes at this late stage would probably lead to the scrapping of the development altogether and in my view the killing of of the BRT plan for the path is vitally important.
Gary H
______________________________________________________________________
'Do it online' with our growing range of online services - http://www.bristol.gov.uk/services
Sign-up for our email bulletin giving news, have-your-say and event information at: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/newsdirect
View webcasts of Council meetings at http://www.bristol.gov.uk/webcast
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