Bristol City Council questioned over sale of land for homes
QUESTIONS are being raised about a land deal at the centre of a major housing plan at Greenbank.
Bristol City Council arranged to sell land – subject to planning permission – next to the Bristol-Bath cycle path to developers Squarepeg.
Architect George Ferguson, for Squarepeg, and the council both say the arrangement was properly reached.
But Conservative councillor Ashley Fox is to question cabinet members at their meeting at 4pm on Thursday, November 27.
"I have no evidence of any wrongdoing," he said.
"But the council doesn't just have to do the right thing. It has to be seen to do it.
"It just seems that the transaction has been conducted in such a manner as to cause the suspicion that we have not done the right thing."
Mr Fox will put his questions to Councillor Rosalie Walker, executive member for culture and healthy communities, and Councillor John Bees, executive member for resources.
He is asking whether "the apparent manner in which the recent sale of parts of the embankment of the railway path was transacted warrants further investigation".
The land is a strip of the embankment at the edge of the old Elizabeth Fry chocolate factory on which Squarepeg wants to build 250 houses and flats.
The homes will include so-called cycle houses, which would be build along the pathway, with access ramps going on to the path.
The four-storey cycle houses will be the first in the country and only the second in Europe outside Holland.
Squarepeg denied any secret deals with the council.
And Mr Ferguson said: "This strip of land is a completely pointless bit of scrub land.
"Yet the sale of it enables what will be one of the most interesting, mixed-use regeneration schemes in the country.
"There's nothing underhand about it, nothing concealed, and I don't have any regrets about anything I've said or written."
A Bristol City Council spokesoman said: "The developer of the chocolate factory is negotiating with the council, which is finalising an in-principle agreement to sell a small strip of land so that some houses could be accessed by bikes from the cycle track.
"The agreement is subject to planning permission and the resolution of all legal issues.
"A planning application is due to be considered by the council so it would not be appropriate to comment further about the merits of the application itself at this stage.
"It is important to stress that the land sale proposed is subject to planning permission and that the environmental impact and any concerns raised from any quarter will be considered at the appropriate time by the area planning committee."
5 Comments
by Katie Buse, Easton
Wednesday, November 19 2008, 6:56PM
“It's not just about this bit of land although I'd like to echo some of the other comments here, such as Glen Vowles's
The developement is mainly one bedroom "yuppie" appartments, and far too intensive for the area, its simply not the right sort of housing for Easton, which now has the dubious honour of being Bristol's most deprived area.
Squarepeg have done a wonderful PR job, but people are waking up to the implications of the developent on our Green Spaces, traffic levels and on local accountability.
Katie Buse Green Party Candidate Easton”
by Green Bristol blog, blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 19 2008, 6:05PM
“The "completely pointless bit of scrubland" includes 150 metres of mature hawthorn hedgerow which gives the Railway Path its rural feel. Ferguson obviously thinks green space in cities is "completely pointless" and would like to build on all of it. Some of us are trying to stop him.”
by Ellie, Brislington west
Wednesday, November 19 2008, 5:53PM
“Has councill policy on green spaces been followed with respect to this development?”
by Glenn Vowles, Knowle, Bristol
Wednesday, November 19 2008, 5:31PM
“As a land and property developer its no surprise that George Ferguson speaks dismissively, contemptupusly even, about the quality of the land he wants to build over. Council officers advised against selling green land for this development due to its wildlife value and contribution to the green character of the area.
What Mr Ferguson needs to understand is that all land covered by the councils policy, the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, should according to that policy, have an Area Green Space Plan drawn up before it is disposed of or has its use changed in any way. This has not happened in this case.
It appears that some senior officers at the council have taken some very speedy and rather ad hoc decisions on selling land that do not accord with the principles, procedures and spirit of council policy at all.
I've be so concerned about this that as far back as Sept I submitted a formal complaint to the council via their system (See here for details: http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/search/label/complaint).
They missed deadline after deadline for giving me a full and formal response and still have not answered all my queries satisfactorily. I've recently had it confirmed in writing by the Council's Corporate Complaints Manager that I have exhausted the complaints procedure and am free to take my complaint to the Local Govt Ombudsman for independent investigation. This has become a very serious issue indeed because if straightforward answers to my complaint existed they would have given them to me easily within the 15 working day deadline - but two months has now passed since I first complained !!
I emailed Mr Ferguson and others asking him to scale back the development in one small area, in order to stop the destruction of a mature hedgerow over 100 metres in length and to conserve the green character of this part of the Bristol to Bath Railway path - he did not even acknowledge let alone respond to my appeal (recorded on my blog vowlethegreen. blogspot.com and in a letter published in the Post) even though he initiated some limited contact with other people who want his 'cycle houses' development modified.
Its no surprise at all to me that this issue has escalated to the point where Ashley Fox, a respected Tory Councillor is asking questions of the Labour run Bristol City Cabinet at its 27 Nov meeting, where I also have questions tabled.
We must establish that developers must not drive council policy or have any undue influence over it. We must establish that officers must follow council policy, which should be clear, coherent, consistent and open, so that people can be held to account. We must establish that council officers do not decide what to do on an ad hoc basis. Unfortuneately things look pretyy bad at the council currently so the Ombudsman will have some work to do investigating the situation in the coming weeks and months.”
by Leaks, Easton
Wednesday, November 19 2008, 4:31PM
“"This strip of land is a completely pointless bit of scrub land," says Mr Ferguson.
Not according to Bristol City Council's conservation officer and Parks Department. Even their planning department were trying to protect this piece of land from development in 2006 when Persimmon were trying to build there.
But suddenly when golden boy Ferguson wants the land it's "pointless" and up for sale.
We want an investigation NOW.”