(CHIS)   Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society

• Installing secure hoarding around the perimeter of the site
• Erection of the tree protection zones in conjunction with the arboriculturalist
• Erection of scaffolding and protective shrouding around the Grade JJ* listed building to protect it from the rigours of the impending winter weather

Suspension Bridge Hangers

Note the bridge spanner being put to good use, and the strain gauges at the base of each of the two straps used to take the strain while the rod is removed

101 Queens Road

Tables and chairs

• Tables and chairs policy to be ratified late 2011
• The Boston Tea Party 39 Regent Street Bristol BS8 4HR Application No. 11/01792/F
  Proposal Proposed change of use of the highway to allow the placement of tables and chairs on the pavement.
  • 6 January 2012: Appeal allowed with the proviso that ony 2 tables and 4 chairs are placed outside as opposed 6 tables and chairs
  • August: Now gone to appeal.
  • March 2011: Refused due to inadequate pavement width.

Museum of Bristol

From July 23-31st there was an exhibition called Pride of Place in which community groups from all over the city will put on displays about their particular area. CHIS created a display featuring the Clifton in Bloom Competition, Bristol Community Gardens, The Clifton Rocks Railway, and forty years of CHIS activity.

Plaque unveiling

plaque

Unveiling by Christopher Daniel, a descendant. Accompanied by the Lord Mayor's trumpeter

Cumberland Basin

Boyces Avenue

150 years of the Downs

Clifton a Cumulative Impact Area

Easter Garden, High Street BS8 2YE

• REFUSED 26 Jan 2011: 10/05468/F
  Proposal Change of use of land for private use, with retained access path across the site. Erection of timber shiplap panel fencing 1950 mm high around the perimeter of the site.
• 30 Jun 2010:RESIDENTS leapt to the defence of a community garden in Clifton when a landowner arrived unexpectedly and tried to fence part of it off. Up to 40 people warned off three men who had arrived to erect a two-metre high fence around a section of Easter Garden, which is between Wesley Place and High Street, just off Blackboy Hill. People living in the area say they have established the right to use the site as a garden over the years and insist the sloping plot full of plants is protected by planning laws.
  The attempt to erect the fence was then abandoned and Mr Singh, who is based in Enfield, London, has now been advised by the city council to outline his plans for the site. Ilse Hambrook, secretary of the Friends of Easter Garden, said she was pleased Mr Singh had been unable to block off part of the land, which has a right of way running through it. She said: "This is not a simple case of 'I own the land so I can put a fence around it'. "This land has a 14-year history of stop orders and secretary of state decisions. The council and police have told Mr Singh to go through the planning process in order to get anywhere. "I doubt he will get planning permission on the land."
• 28 Oct 2009: Easter Garden being targeted again! The solicitors are on the case again, and Bristol City Council and CHIS also support this award winning community garden. Do become a friend and support them.
  For Sale By Public Auction Wednesday 28TH October 2009 Price Guide £38, 000+ A freehold site with development potential. The land is situated in a residential area close to the intersection of Whiteladies Road and Upper Belgrave Road. The plot has main road frontage to Wesley Place and the High Street to the rear. In June 1994 planning consent (thus lapsed) was granted for 2 houses (planning ref no. 93/02302/F). We are advised in September of the same year, planning was granted for use as a community wildlife garden.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

• Wednesday 23 February  at 6.15pm - 'A Night at the Cinema'
• Wednesday 30 March at 6.15pm-  'The Changing Face of Bristol'
• Wednesday 23 April at 6.15pm -  'The Citizens of Bristol at War'
• Wednesday 25 May at 6.15pm-  A Pot-pourri of Bristol Archive film

Cumberland Basin flyover

Bridge Valley Road

The retaining wall bowed out an unacceptable amount and now tenders will have to go out to specialist engineers to stitch the rocks, fill in part of the Port and Pier Railway tunnel number 2. Expenditure will have to be approved at Cabinet in September 2010 when detailed design has been received. The Gorge also has rare flora here. It is likely to cost £2.2 million to reopen, or £2.05 just to make safe. Maggie was privileged to go into the tunnel (as an industrial archaeologist) for a feature on the news along with Gary Hopkins the councillor in charge of transport, and Phil Lloyd who has looked after the Gorge for the last 30 years

Gary being interviewed on Points west inside the tunnel

Fitting sign to entrance of tunnel 1

Victoria Square walls

broken capping

weeds growing in wall

contrary to belief- Clifton did lose railings during WWII which did not prevent people dropping into basements!

Site Allocations and Development Management Options

All documents, including sustainability appraisal information, will be available on our website (supported by interactive mapping and an on-line questionnaire) (see:www.bristol.gov.uk/siteallocations). Paper copies of the Options Document will be available to view in local libraries and customer service points from Wednesday 16th June.

This document builds upon the Call for Sites which many people contributed to in autumn 2008, and sets out draft proposals for allocating land to meet the city's development requirements up to 2026 as set out in the submitted Core Strategy (see www.bristol.gov.uk/bdf). Different options for the use of potential development sites are identified for comment. A variety of uses are proposed across the city, including housing, business, industry, mixed-use and Gypsy and Travellers' residential sites.

In addition, the document proposes to designate land within the city for a number of different uses. These designations propose to protect or safeguard land, for example, for important open space, industry and warehousing, nature conservation or transport infrastructure, or where specific policies apply, such as to town, district and local centres.

The final section of the document presents ideas for new Development Management policies which will give detailed guidance on issues to be taken into account when planning decisions are made.

We have arranged a series of drop-in events in each of the Neighbourhood Partnership Areas around the city for people to come along to. Parks Officers will also be at these drop-ins to answer questions about the Area Green Space Plans which will be consulted on during the same period (see www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/Parks-and-open-spaces/information-and-advice/bristol-parks-and-green-space-strategy.en?page=2). The drop-in events will run from Midday until 8 pm on the following days, and further drop-in events are currently being arranged in a central location: Comments can be submitted via our on-line questionnaire. You may also wish to suggest additional policies or sites.

Website:www.bristol.gov.uk/siteallocations E-mail:bdf@bristol.gov.uk Freepost:Site Allocations (CD/BH) Freepost BS6529 BRISTOL BS1 5BR Telephone: 0117 903 6725 This is an important opportunity for you to influence the future of your area and we look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully
Sarah O'Driscoll, Service Manager, Strategic Planning, Strategic Planning Team, City Development, Bristol City Council, 0117 90 36725 www.bristol.gov.uk/bdf

POLICY FOR REGULATING THE PLACING OF TABLES AND CHAIRS ON THE HIGHWAY

In Clifton village for example, the arrangement of tables and chairs outside of some licensed premises has created difficulties for wheelchair users. Aesthetically it is also noticeable that the increase in the variety of street furniture being used by traders does not always contribute to the street scene.

Any consultation responses be reported to a meeting of the Licensing Special Purposes Sub Committee convened to consider the adoption of policy with a view to it taking effect at the end of 2010

• Issue of Permissions: A permission will be issued for a maximum period of twelve months. All permissions will expire, unless renewed, by the date specified in the permission. If a cheque for a permission fee renewal is dishonoured by a bank this will result in the revocation of the permission unless payment of the outstanding fees is made within 5 working days.
• The council has arranged for its Licensing Committee and/or delegated officers to deal with matters relating to the granting of permission to place tables and chairs on the highway.
• Fees will be set to reflect the cost of operating the scheme and will be reviewed on an annual basis.
• A clear pedestrian route shall be maintained for those walking past the premises. This should preferably be adjacent to the kerb to ensure that most pedestrians and particularly those with visual impairments can maintain their regular route. There should normally be a minimum width of 1.8 metres. Emergency exits from adjacent buildings must not be obstructed by the seating area.

New Neighbourhood Partnership

At the meeting on 2nd March it was resolved that:

• pedestrianisation of Boyces Avenue and Kings Road, Tyndalls Park Road and Woodland Road should be progressed as priorities, as would areawide minor signs and road lining
• road surface dressing schemes to be implemented in Kingsdown Parade and Cliftonwood Road
• footway schemes to be implemented in Princess Victoria Street (to the Mall), Colston Avenue. Cotham Hill, ZigZag path, St Stephens Street, Nelsons Street

Bristol is establishing 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships (NPs) across the city. These will be clusters of two or three wards, ie 20-30K people. A few of these structures are already well established. Most are in their very early stages.

• One aim is to provide a mechanism for holding departments of the council, Primary Care Trust, Police etc more accountable for locally delivered services.
• A second aim is to involve local people in the identification of priorities and the design, implementation and evaluation of solutions.

The Neighbourhood Planning Network (NPN) http://www.bristolnpn.net administration group will identify those NPs in which there is no Bristol NPN member or the organisation is only concerned with part of the area and do what they can to get a good Bristol NPN representation in all the NP areas. They don't know how (or if) this is going to work in practice.

HOTWELLS, CLIFTON AND CLIFTONWOOD LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

West Bristol Art Trail

Removal of grade II listed lamp post in Clifton Park

Brunel Swivel Bridge

• Brunel Bridge plan dropped 29 December 08: Plans for a Festival Way cycling and walking route from Hotwells to Ashton Court and on to Nailsea were intended to bring back into use Brunel's 160 year old swing bridge that crossed the entrance lock at the western end of the Cumberland Basin. The bridge ceased to be used in 1968 after the new flyover system was built but remains in situ in the 'open' (to navigation) position in the shadow of the high level swing bridge and flyover system.
  But a recent < a href="http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/schemes/project_detail.php?id=25"> press release from Sustrans says "The path will cross new lock gates at Brunel's old swing bridge in the Cumberland Basin before going under the flyover". The use of the word "at" rather than "on" (Brunel's bridge) is much more significant than a quick reading would suggest, although the word "near" would be more honest. This confirms suspicions that Bristol City Council are reluctant to restore the historic bridge to working order and will come as a great disappointment to those Bristolians who have pressed for this over many years. Chris Hutt, Green Bristol Blog

  Brunel Swivel Bridge	Brunel Swivel Bridge
  Brunel Swivel Bridge	Brunel Swivel Bridge

• 15 January 08: People from across the UK voted for which bid should get the money from the People's £50 Million Lottery contest. Sustrans got nearly half the 300,000 votes cast following head-to-head TV bidding. It beat the Eden Project, Sherwood Forest and the Black Country Urban Park. One route Sustrans is planning is Festival Way, linking central Bristol to the Ashton Court Estate, continuing to Long Ashton through Flax Bourton, Backwell, and ending in Nailsea.

  The Cumberland Basin will be made much easier to use for pedestrians and cyclists, and Brunel's Swivel Bridge, which has been closed since the late 1960s, will be reopened. It is likely that £250,000 is earmarked for its restoration.
  David Neale and Ross Floyd's illustrated web page on The Bristol City Docks, The Locks and Brunel's Swivel Bridge

• Director of the Museums Service - Kate Brindley,
• the Head of City Development - David Bishop and the Chief Executive - Jan Ormondroyd.
• Councillors include Bristol's Executive Member for Culture and Leisure - Cllr Roaslie Walker and the Leader - Cllr Helen Holland.

Ten Ideas for CHIS

Useful websites:

• BBC
• Clifton Online
• Redland and Cotham Amenities Society
• Bristol Civic Society
• Network of Residents' Association
• Civic Trust
• Bristol Evening Post
• Bristol City Council
• BBC
• multimap. Enter a postcode (Smiths, Regent Street, Clifton is BS8 4DU where the bus stops), and see a detailed map of the area.
• Clifton Suspension Bridge website
• Clifton Rocks Railway website