People Power

[Colwyn]

 As Highlander is fond of saying, this is pure self-indulgence. About six months ago I complained on here that I had been required to join the dreaded Facebook since I had been made Chair of our newly-founded Community Association. This  was formed to fight plans to build detached luxury executive houses in the beautiful Frome Valley that borders our little estate. The site was described by the owners/developers as “useless scrubland” and by us as a “wildlife haven”.

OUR USELESS SCRUBLAND (aka WILDLIFE HAVEN)

The land should have been safe since it is covered by a five-way planning lock: it is in a “Conservation Area”; it is one of Bristol’s “Historic Parks and Gardens”; it is a “Wildlife Corridor”; it is defined as an “Important Open Space”; and part of it goes onto a “Functional Flood Plain”. Surely no chance of building there, you might think. Except for the fact that the owners of the land are Bristol’s Merchant Venturers. This is a wealthy and powerful elite organization and has been so since the 15^th century especially after its coffers were boosted by the Slave Trade. It is Bristol’s own version of Turkey’s “Deep State”.

So we have been fighting them for nearly six months and it has been hard work. Yesterday was decision day for the Council and ... the Planning Committee met debated and ... unanimously rejected the building proposal and reaffirmed that site was part of Bristol’s “Heritage Assets” and not to be built upon. There are a lot of people with big smiles and thick heads around here this morning. I hope this little story gives support to any of you are involves in similar struggles against big forces – you can win!

[p.s. For those on here cynical about politicians being only in it for themselves I should add that our two local councillors have been absolutely brilliant and worked their socks off for our campaign].

WE DID IT ! WE CAN PUT AWAY OUR BANNERS AND PLACARDS

[usedbustickets]

Just a quick questionette Colwyn, would you have opposed the building of socially necessary housing on this land?

[Colwyn]

Yes, it is part of Bristol's heritage assets as confirmed by the Council. We have a petition running in parallel with our campaign calling on the City Council to use brownfield sites for building. Already 75%+ of Bristol new builds are on such sites and the Council is actually ahead of its building targets to 2025. We want to increase the % of brownfield land used and now have 1000 signatures. At the Council meeting yesterday one Councillors offered the developers a brownfield site in his own ward to replace the potential lost in ours. Apparently he has been trying to get houses built there for a couple of years. So much for the developers' claim that brownfield sites are difficult to come by!

By the way, 2015 is Bristol European Green Capital Year.

[usedbustickets]

But of the building on brownfield sites, how much was socially necessary housing and how much was, for example, fancy dockland flats/apartments or executive homes, and indeed how much of the brownfield developments were for new factories, workshops' lockups or the sort of places that can be used to create ongoing jobs, ideally not the minimum wage / zero hour contract sort.

[Highlander]

I think I am correct in saying that any housing development In Scotland has to contain 25 % social housing being it on green or brown field sited.

 

[Colwyn]

I am not sure where you are going with this UBT. But the answers are: the 75%+ figure applies only to housing. I have no idea how many of these might be considered fancy, certainly not all of those by the harbour are;  I don't know about the the building of workplaces or what contracts the future workers might be on when/if they they open.

[davybill]

Make  a nice golf course Colwyn.

[Colwyn]

H, in Bristol in builds of 10 or over there has to be proportion of "Affordable Housing". "Social" is defined as available at 50% of market price; "Affordable" is 80%. Originally the proposal was for 12 houses, two being Affordables. This was revised to 9 houses so none had to be Affordables.   

[Colwyn]

Make  a nice golf course Colwyn.

And since the main part of the field is classed as playing fields it could be changed to that without having to back to the Council I suppose. Since the start of the week it has laid out as rugby pitches. Problem is, that most years there would be periods of underwater golf - it is a flood plain.

[Highlander]

My error Colwyn - affordable is the term I should have used.

But hey - you wouldn't expect  a QS to know the difference.