Ring-a-ring-a-roadsies

Posted on October 6, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Today’s Cancer provided an uncritical platform for editor Mike Norton’s wealthy mates to make their latest announcement about what we are being asked to call the ‘South Bristol Link’.

For starters, this is quite possibly the world’s most pathetically inept rebranding and spin exercise, in which we’re invited to believe that a ring road is not a ring road if some thick twat down the council calls it a ‘link’ instead.

The article itself was a typical piece of Norton’s recycled PR tosh. It will “unlock millions of pounds of new investment in South Bristol,” gushed the newspaper.

Palpable nonsense. The Blogger has looked at the economics of this dual carriageway to nowhere before and a small congested road through south Bristol’s residential neighbourhoods will not create the huge investment opportunities claimed.

The road that will is an M4 – M5 southern link. A project way beyond the skills, experience and vision of Norton’s shower of small-minded, small-time business cronies and their patsies on six-figure salaries down at the Council house.

Chris Hutt over on the Green Bristol Blog, ably assisted by some clued-in commenters, has also been looking at other aspects of the economics of this road today.

But here, what interests us more is not the economics of this road but the politics. Here’s two quotes from the Cancer article:

John Savage, chief executive of Business West, which represents regional businesses, said: “A link road that opens up south Bristol has been a vital ingredient we’ve needed for transport and economic growth for 50 years. Any delays in making this link available would be robbing people and future generations of a better chance of getting a job.”

David Bishop, Bristol City Council’s strategic transport director, said he wanted to see the new road go ahead.

So that’s an unelected quangocrat and Merchant Venturer John Savage and an unelected bureaucrat David Bishop behind the project.

Meanwhile there’s no comment whatsoever from the politicians we elect. Instead they seem to have passed all the decision-making power on the issue over to Savage and Bishop and an obscure and constitutionally arcane quango, the West of England Partnership.

What exactly is the point of voting in this city?


Posted in Bristol, Bristol Evening Post, Bristol South, Developments, Economy, Environment, Local government, Merchant Venturers, Planning, Politics, Transport, WESP | Tagged , , , , , , | There are 164 comments

Did you lie Councillor? Or are you merely an incompetent?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

The webcast for the full council meeting of 15 September is now available from the Bristol City Council website here.

Using the index you can go to section 4.c Questions from the public where you will find the following:

PQ3 Mr T Griffin -> Cllr Dr J Rogers re. Ashton Gate Development (00:34:23 – 00:38:54)

The final comment from Councillor Simon “Sweaty” Cook (at 00:38:00) is in response to questioning about the future of publicly owned land at Ashton Gate:

“It is not the practice of this local authority, or any local authority that I am aware of, to hold public consultations around land disposals”

A strong statement to make. It implies that consulting the public on whether to sell council owned land or not would be an unprecedented step, not just in Bristol but for any local authority across the country.

If you are going to make a statement like that you need to be sure of your facts.

So it’s a bit unfortunate that the statement is untrue. Bristol City Council would not be setting a precedent for local authorities nationwide by consulting on the future of the public land at Ashton Gate … It wouldn’t even be setting a precedent for itself!

Because the council is right now in the middle of a public consultation regarding the future of council owned land at the Chocolate Factory in Greenbank (Blogger passim) – Greenbank Chocolate Factory – lease / access right of plot 2

You have until the 25 September to express your opinion about the future of plot 2 by completing an online survey, which will also tell you about an earlier consultation:

Earlier consultation on this issue

The council has already held a consultation on the sale/lease of the plots in December 2008. The results of that consultation are available here.

So it would appear that our local authority is regularly involved in the practice of holding “public consultations around land disposals”.

So we are left to ponder … Does “Sweaty” not have a full grasp of council activities regarding its land disposals?

But as Jon Rogers so helpfully pointed out on this very blog:

My Executive Portfolio covers planning. Simon Cook’s Executive Portfolio covers capital projects. Land sales come under “capital projects” and not “planning”.

So the consultation on the land disposal at the Chocolate Factory is in Cook’s executive portfolio. Perhaps leading us to the conclusion that he had simply “forgotten” about it?

In which case we can conclude that he is incompetent. Or did he simply lie hoping that nobody would notice?

Posted in Ashton Vale, Bedminster, Bristol, Bristol and Bath Railway Path, Bristol East, Bristol South, Developments, Easton, Environment, Lib Dems, Local government, Planning, Politics, Southville, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | There are 16 comments

The real BCFC pro-forma letter …

Posted on September 24, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Bcfc Supporters Letter by bristol_citizen on Scribd

Posted in Ashton Vale, Bedminster, Bristol, Bristol South, Developments, Environment, Local government, Planning, Politics, Southville, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , , | There is 1 comment

EXCLUSIVE LEAKED DOCUMENT!!!! the pro-forma letter that spells the end for the anti-Tesco brigade

Posted on September 22, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Want Tescos? Want a new stadium? Want the World Cup? Send your pro-forma letter objecting to spoilsport Green councillor Charlie Bolton now!

Exclusively here on the Bristol Blogger is that letter, crafted to perfection for you by Bristol City FC Chief Exec, Colin Sexstone, with all the unbeatable arguments for a Tesco at Ashton Gate.  Just click on the Scribd file below; print the letter; make up a fake name and address; pop in an envelope and send to:

Charlie Bolton
“The Green Spoilsport”
The Council House
College Green
BRISTOL

Dear Charlie by bristol_citizen on Scribd

Posted in Ashton Vale, Bristol, Bristol South, Developments, Environment, Green Party, Local government, Planning, Politics, Southville, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | There is 1 comment

Postscript: Tesco value MP

Posted on September 20, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

A small amuse-bouche to yesterday’s Dim Prawn main course of refusing to get your hands dirty critcising Tesco …

Bristol East MP, Kerry McCarthy, is now holding constituency surgeries at Tesco Extra in Brislington!

How long before Labour drop the ‘New’ in favour of Tesco Labour?


Posted in Bristol, Bristol East, Labour Party, MPs, Politics | Tagged , , | There are 16 comments

Resurrected Red Dawn rises?

Posted on September 19, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Actually I very much doubt it …

But I was re-reading one of Dawn’s HearFromYourMP alerts – the sterile monthly dirge the Dim Prawn delivers direct to my mailbox – from July, which had this to say about the Tesco at Ashton Gate:

ASHTON GATE SITE

Several residents have contacted me about the future of the Ashton Gate site. As readers will know, Bristol City have announced proposals to move to a new stadium in Ashton Vale.

The football club have confirmed that they are in negotiations with Tesco to sell them the current site of the stadium.

Planning applications will be submitted in the coming months, and it’s absolutely essential that local residents are given every opportunity to have their say.

Whilst I support the ambitions of the club, I do appreciate that some residents have concerns about the impact of a new Tesco store.

I will be doing all I can to make sure that Tesco and Bristol City keep residents informed, and that the Council’s planning department ensure that they engage local people, and take note of their views.

Well, we already know that council’s planning department have done nothing whatsoever to engage local people while holding plenty of secret meetings with Steve Lansdown’s representatives don’t we?

And we now know from “Sweaty” Cook that the council intends not to hold any consultation in the future because “There has been considerable discussion and consultation over the development as a whole where individuals have had every opportunity to express their views”.

So what’s Dawn gonna do now? Is South Bristol’s great left wing firebrand going to get out there on behalf of her constituents and start demanding the council consult residents as she promised she woud?

Are we about to witness the new rise of Red Dawn?

Don’t bank on it. Dawn’s first opportunity to support her constituents and demonstrate she means what she says was on Thursday when the anti-Ashton Gate Tesco group, Berate, invited her to a public meeting.

Alas, to the howls of derision and hisses that regularly seem to accompany any mention of Dawn’s name in South Bristol, Dawn’s apologies were announced …

Meanwhile Private Eye reports this week that the government are looking to sell on some of the basket case banks they’ve bought over the last year. And the puchaser they have in mind? Step forward … Tesco!!!

Dawn’s boss, that public school former-Trot twerp Alistair Darling, has already made a high profile meet ‘n’ greet visit to Tesco’s Glasgow-based personal finance call centre while Tesco are busy headhunting various Labour-friendly failed bankers, we’re told.

Tesco will also be busy at Labour’s conference next week as they have been since 2003. No doubt they’ll be there in Brighton happily feeding and picking up the bar tab for members of the people’s party out of sheer goodwill and generosity?

Posted in Bedminster, Bristol, Bristol South, Developments, Environment, Labour Party, Local government, MPs, Planning, Politics, Southville, The British Left | Tagged , , , , | There are 2 comments

Those Ashton Gate Tesco questions in full

Posted on September 16, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Last night a number of people put questions to the Full Council regarding the proposed Tesco at Ashton Gate with specific reference to the piece of land that’s owned by the council.

Among the most interesting unanswered questions are what happened to Jon Rogers? He was both listed on the council’s website and in writing to the questioners as the cabinet member who would be answering the questions. Instead, on the day at the last minute, the task was handed to Simon “Sweaty” Cook, the Lib Dems’ poorly disguised Clifton Tory boy Deputy Leader.

Charlie’s convinced there’s a split in the Lib Dems over Tescos and Rogers’ hasty and unexplained retreat from supplying answers on behalf of Janke and Cook, his Tory wing leadership and the Steve Lansdown enthusiasts in the party, suggests there may be some truth in this.

Lib Dem Cabinet member Gary Hopkins has also, on this blog, stated his opposition to Tesco. Keep an eye on this one … Is Janke’s night of the long knives at hand?

The other unanswered question is why were two of the Tesco questioners – Norris and Dyer – refused the opportunity by the – Lib Dem! – mayor to ask “Sweaty” Cook, who was clearly under pressure and performing poorly, further questions? Is it constitutional to prevent certain of the city’s residents the opportunity to question their politicians?

Here’s the questions and answers:

PQ3 MR T GRIFFIN TO ASK COUNCILLOR S COOK, DEPUTY LEADER AND CABINET MEMBER FOR CULTURE, SPORT AND CAPITAL PROJECTS

PROPOSED ASHTON GATE DEVELOPMENT

Q1 What are the most pressing social needs in relation to development land in South Bristol?

A1 There are many – jobs, housing, accessibility, leisure facilities, quality green space, shops,

Q2 Are there discussions with any parties relating to the sale of the publicly owned land at Ashton Gate Stadium and if so what are the proposed timescales for this sale?

A2 BCFC have been in discussion with BCC officers around the possible acquisition of the freehold of land owned by BCC. These discussions are on-going and a report will be taken to Cabinet when negotiations are complete and the planning applications determined. This is likely to be in the next few months.

Q3 Under what circumstances is it appropriate that Bristol City Council allows the sale of publicly owned land within Ashton Gate Stadium to enable a private company or individual to developer a superstore?

A3 Where the benefits of the disposal taking into account all factors including the wider benefits to the city as a whole are seen as positive.

Q4 Under what circumstances would permission for sale of the publicly owned land within Ashton Gate Stadium be refused?

A4 See 3 above – where there are no benefits.

Q5 Due to the contentious nature of the proposed development of Ashton Gate Stadium will a public consultation be held before the sale of the publicly owned land?

A5 It is not intended to hold a public consultation specifically on the future of this land. There has been considerable discussion and consultation over the development as a whole where individuals have had every opportunity to express their views.

PQ4 MR T DYER TO ASK COUNCILLOR S COOK, DEPUTY LEADER AND CABINET MEMBER FOR CULTURE, SPORT, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS

PROPOSED ASHTON GATE DEVELOPMENT

In the planning application 09/03208/P for a food store at Ashton Gate, Bristol City Council are identified as holding the freehold title of part of the land proposed to be redeveloped; namely the car park between the stadium itself and Winterstoke Road – without this Council owned land the proposed retail development would appear to be unviable.

Q1 Can you confirm that this land is currently in council ownership?

A1 The council does own the car park as identified. It is let to BCFC on a 125 year lease whch commenced in 1985.

Q2 Has a valuation been placed upon this land by Bristol City Council in the event of it being sold for redevelopment?

A2 No valuation has been placed on this land at present as this is dependent upon any successful planning application for a change of use.

Q3 Will the valuation of the site be significantly greater with planning permission for a supermarket than for alternative uses, (e.g. housing and leisure)?

A3 Actual valuations will be dependent upon the particular design solutions, however, it would be anticipated that a planning approval for a supermarket would be at the higher end of any valuations.

Q4 Does Bristol City Council intend to consult directly with local residents regarding the future use of this land prior to the 5th November when planning application 09/03208/P is scheduled to be determined?

A4 It is not intended to hold a public consultation on the future of this land. There has been considerable discussion and consultation over the development as a whole where individuals have had many opportunities to express their views.

PQ5 MR R NORRIS TO ASK COUNCILLOR S COOK, DEPUTY LEADER AND CABINET MEMBER FOR CULTURE, SPORT AND CAPITAL PROJECTS

PROPOSED ASHTON GATE DEVELOPMENT

In the planning application 09/03208/P for a food store at Ashton Gate, Bristol City Council are identified as holding the freehold title of part of the land proposed to be redeveloped; namely the car park between the stadium itself and Winterstoke Road – without this Council owned land the proposed retail development would appear to be unviable.

Q1 What is the valuation that’s been placed upon this land by Bristol City Council in event of it being sold for redevelopment?

A1 No value has been placed on the land at present as this is dependent upon any successful planning application for change of use.

Q2 If you decline to answer question 1 on the basis of commercial interest or confidentiality then you may only do so if it is in the public’s interest. How is it in the public’s interest not to know what value you have placed on our own land?

A2 See answer to question 1

Q3 If you decline to answer question 1 on the basis that it would be a legal breach of confidence then I would like to know the following;

– Are you aware that the Lord Chancellor and the Office of Government Commerce specifically state that public authorities should not enter into these types of agreements as they go directly against the spirit of the laws of disclosure?

– When these confidentiality agreements were agreed?

– Can you supply the correspondence, minutes and emails in which these confidentiality agreements were discussed?

– The precise wording of the confidentiality agreements?

– Are you prepared to undertake that Bristol City Council will follow the advice of the Lord Chancellor and the Office of Government Commerce in future and not enter into these types of agreement?

A3 See answer to question 1.

Posted in Bristol, Bristol South, Developments, Environment, Green Party, Lib Dems, Local government, Planning, Politics, Southville, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | There are 20 comments

Lib Dems in office: Bishop in power: business as usual at the Council House

Posted on September 13, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

Minor uproar has greeted this blog’s revelations that almost a fifth of the land at Ashton Gate pencilled in by Bristol City FC to become a Tesco Extra belongs to Bristol City Council.

And even by the extraordinarily low intellectual standards displayed by Bristol City Council senior officers, this hare-brained scheme to give away a two acre car park at Ashton Gate to multi-millionaire City Chairman Stevie Lansdown without anyone noticing operates at an entirely new level of stupid.

The fact that the land is openly listed in Lansdown’s Tesco planning application (pdf) as city council land and features on the council’s publicly accessible ‘pin-point’ map of council-owned land (above) seems to have entirely escaped the combined brains of the council’s planning department, who have apparently been quietly negotiating their “secret” land giveaway since January.

And you don’t have to look too far to discover the council officer responsible for trying to do a multi-million pound favour for a wealthy developer with our land.

Lansdown’s planning application also tells us that from February to July 2009 the applicant (i.e Lansdown) was receiving pre-application advice in the form of meetings and correspondence with planning officers Richard Matthews, Zoe Willcox and … Wait for it … David “The Bald” Bishop.

And rest assured Bishop must have known all about this land. This comes from the UK Planning Portal:

“Anyone can make an application, irrespective of who owns the land or buildings concerned. However, if you are not the owner, or if you have only part-ownership, you have to inform the owner or those who share ownership, including any leaseholder whose lease still has seven or more years to run, and any agricultural tenant.”

Bishop must have known then. This is, of course, exactly the same David Bishop who was caught selling protected public park land over the telephone to Merchant Venturer George Ferguson just last year.

So the city’s Lib Dem leadership – who appear not to have been told about the Ashton Gate land by Bishop – can’t say they weren’t warned can they?

Now – surprise, surprise – the Lib Dem administration are right up to their necks in it.

Having spent 3 months assuring us that the Ashton Gate Tesco was solely an issue for the “quasi-judicial planning process” over which they have no influence, we now learn that they have to take a highly controversial and unexpected political decision at short notice on whether they sell our land to Lansdown or not.

Once again Bishop’s been allowed to brazenly manipulate the city’s democratically elected representatives and its citizens into a corner on behalf of a wealthy local developer.

And just like the Chocolate Factory, he’s deliberately planted a controversial public land sale bang in the middle of the planning process, leaving politicians with little time or room for manouvre and under huge pressure from – on one side – financially powerful developers with legal muscle and – on the other side – the public.

I wonder, how long will it be before we start hearing about an “in principle” agreement to sell the land is in fact in place after Bishop’s various discussions with Lansdown over the year? On what other basis would Lansdown have put in a planning application on the land?

Although surely, as with the Chocolate Factory, the Ashton Gate car park sale should have been decided long before a planning application ever saw the light of day?

Why didn’t our politicians ensure this Ashton Gate land deal was sorted and above board after the well-publicised and highly embarrassing Chocolate Factory debacle? Instead they seem to have let Bishop’s sharp practice go completely unpunished on that occasion, no doubt giving the slimeball the impression he was untouchable.

It rather suggests our politicians are not really in control of this city and they are definitely not in control of the city’s Head of Planning, David Bishop. Perhaps they should have just got rid of him when they had the opportunity last year?

The Lib Dem leadership, meanwhile, appears to have disappeared into a bunker to lick their wounds and study plans to figure out exactly how far up the garden path they’ve been led by their own officers. I wonder when they’ll get around to telling us what deal David Bishop’s negotiated for us on the quiet with Lasnsdown?

Meanwhile yesterday, Jon Rogers surfaced on Tony D’s blog claiming that the public had been fully CONsulted on and informed about this land sale.

An extraordinary piece of baloney considering Rogers and the Lib Dems are yet to even get around to formally acknowledging they own this land let alone formally announcing it’s on sale.

Does Rogers think a story last Sunday on the Bristol Blogger now constitutes a formal Bristol City Council announcement? Is the pressure driving Rogers even more bonkers than he was already?

Posted in Ashton Vale, Blogging, Bristol, Bristol South, Developments, Environment, Lib Dems, Local government, Merchant Venturers, Planning, Politics, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | There are 35 comments

Blog of the week

Posted on September 11, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

It’s been a good week locally for mentalist blog posts. The Blogger’s own balloon dueling effort rather pales into insignificance alongside the Green Bristol Blogger’s ‘THREE DIE IN BANKSY QUEUE‘ extravaganza today and Charlie’s fascinating insight that if you were to lay Bristol’s wheelie bins end-to-end they’d reach Reading.

However, step forward former Lib Dem councillor Emma Bagley who’s post on football (surely footie? Ed.) maybe takes blogging to a new place entirely:

“It seems we are through to the world cup! First I knew was this evening when capello was being interviewed. They kept that one quite quiet (they did? Ed.) But then I’m not one for much football. I take the occassional [sic] peak [sic] if it is the [sic] England matches. I see that Bristol is biding [sic] to be one of the venues for our bid for 2010 [sic]. Nice one! Let’s not let it all go to the Liverpool and Manchester’s [sic] of this life (Eh? Ed.). It may enthuse me to take more of an interest in the game.”

I’m certainly enthused that the city’s World Cup bid is inspiring our political class to such wondrous prose. More please.

On a similar subject, that congenital idiot Wray was in the paper today rambling about “cultural hubs”; ‘footie’ being “important” and promising to turn Ashton Court into the South of France.

Very quiet about his “the World Cup is going to make us one hundred million quid” claim, mind. Changed your mind Stephen? And where’s this Price Waterhouse Cooper report we were promised by mid-August to back up your nonsensical claims?

Posted in Blogging, Bristol, Bristol Evening Post, Culture, Local government, World Cup 2018 | Tagged , , , | There are 3 comments

"I’m ten years younger, two stone heavier, and I haven’t had my nuts taken off by academia"

Posted on September 9, 2009 by The Bristol Blogger

A list of great literary feuds would be a long one. They’re all at it aren’t they?

Who can forget Salman “somewhere in Las Vegas there’s probably a male prostitute called ‘John Updike'” Rushdie? The effervescing Barnes vs Amis relationship or how about Tibor Fischer vs Amis or in fact just about anyone vs Amis? Then of course there’s Germaine Greer vs anyone Amis hasn’t got around to having a go at yet and – an all-time personal favourite this – the greatest living Bristolian Julie Burchill-Camille Paglia fax war of 1993, ending with those immortal words:

Dear Professor Paglia,
Fuck off you crazy old dyke.
Always,
Julie Burchill

But now Bristol can at last lay claim to its first literary feud of the online age as the The Bristol Blogger and Bristol Traffic size each other for a heavyweight bout over the exact words used in George Orwell’s 1941 essay on patriotism The Lion and the Unicorn.

Orwell had no room for cyclists in his vision of Britain says Bristol Traffic. They say the most famous line in the essay went:

old maids hiking to Holy Communion through the mists of the autumn morning

Before telling us:

No mention of bicycles. They are a foreign invention. Possibly even Scottish. No, what Orwell celebrated included “the to-and-fro of the lorries on the Great North Road”, windy country roads, and the motor car.

Bollocks says the Blogger. Orwell’s line is:

old maids biking to Holy Communion through the mists of the autumn morning

Comments and emails have been exchanged and alas the two titans of the local blogosphere are still at loggerheads.

So there’s nothing for it but a duel …

And to give it not only a certain Jules Vernesque literary quality but a proper Bristolian feel, we propose a hot air balloon duel with blunderbusses. We’ll settle this at 1,000 feet above the city.

So come on Bristol Traffic, let’s us know when you’ve got the hot air balloon and blunderbuss and we’ll meet you at Ashton Court at dawn.

The Blogger’s already getting serious sponsorship enquiries from Parking Services and the Association of British Drivers!

Posted in Blogging, Bristol, Culture, Cycling City, Transport | Tagged , , , | There are 5 comments