“Throughout my four years of campaiging in Horfield within various groups, Horfield Common has been sited as in need of refurbishment, yet frequently fell on deaf ears when requested. Why?

In the meantime as Chair of a Residents Association we identified and requested monies to refursbish green space at Maskelyne Road Open Space. With colleagues on the abolished Horfield and Lockleaze - Area Housing Committee we bid for and secured £130,000 of financial support and the park is now an inspiring improvement with Phase 2 to be completed shortly. Also refurbishing the victorian benches at Gainsborough Square, Lockleaze.

If we local volunteer campaigners can make significant progresses such as this from the outside - then what justification is there that Horfield Common is only now in the cycle of election times being considered for upgrades?

The Grade II listed urinal has rusted away for decades, the railings at Muller Road are not just an eyesore but a significant Health and Safety concern along with light shed from victorian lamp standards being inefficient enabling serious assaults in recent years. The decayed benches offer no respite and the play equipment at Dorian Rd is less inviting than it was back in 1986.

Despite the success of our local school's campaign the fountain at Wellington Hill West/Kellaway Avenue has reverted back to being unlit and dry, car clamping licences were left to expire creating havoc on Rover's matchdays whilst long since expired 'No ball games' signs were vandalised and dumped in local lanes.

As an arterial route into our city and the lungs of Horfield, I welcome improvements planned for Horfield Common and it's people but ask - When Parks have maintenance budgets - Why did it take so long that we now require refurbishments due to lack of maintenance ? surely more could have been done over the decades?

Tony Lewis - local campaigner.”

“Dee Jarlett,

The trouble with using factories as housing is that fairly often the land undreneath is contaminated with various unpleasant things..

Some times the contamination isn't to deep and the soil can be shipped off to landfill, sometimes it isn't an option.

Factory conversion also tends to result in lots of apartments rather than the much needed 3 bed+ family units that are needed in the city; an individual shop being converted would only (unless it's a very big shop) make 1-2 units and require the defuncting of a shop (it'd need regrading through planning from retail to domestic use)
Selling off shops for housing is frowned on - local shops provide diversity, charicter and focal points for local communities.”

“Maybe they should sell off that green open space outside thier own office,s to build house,s or flat,s.”

“The council can't sell of the downs as it is protected by act of parliament. That leaves Filwood, Lockleaze -purdown camp anyone?- and other bits where they think they can make some money.

Remember that article from two weeks back where lockleaze was described as a "forgotten quarter". Selling off the greenery would make it less forgotten, but wouldn't otherwise benefit the area”

“What a relief that we have more time to stop the council from building houses on our valuable green spaces. We must make sure that the parks and open spaces (such as Purdown in Lockleaze) that make Bristol such a wonderful place to live in, remain for the people of our city and our children. There are plenty of factories and shops closing down.... turn those into housing and leave some places where we can keep in contact with nature. The health, happiness and well-being of the population of Bristol depends upon it.”

“Funny how the land that Council wants to sell is in South Bristol, Horfield and Lockleaze.

Never seems to be in Clifton, Henleaze or Stoke Bishop, does it?”

“Lorraine;
I believe Horfield Common has been earmarked for a huge wind farm.”

“Any delay should be used to reassess the policy of selling off green land. Its not right to have a kind of 'land sale target'. Other ways of funding improvements to parks must be more fully investigated.

Green spaces are one of the most popular and desirable features of the city - and we certainly need them if we are going to build sustainability and enhance the uality of our lives. This city is supposed to have green capital ambitions after all!

Worryingly there is growing evidence that Bristol City Council is not fairly and uniformly applying its green spaces policy process of establishing Area Green Space Plans through consultation in the same way across all wards in Bristol.

The meetings that were called to deal with the Neighbourhood Partnership area involving Knowle, Filwood and Windmill Hill excluded discussing Filwood. This means that Filwood will be handled separately and with very considerable pressure on it for housing development - I'm told that consultants not present at the other meetings will be present at meetings about Filwood for instance.

On the Bristol to Bath Railway Path the council have a sham consultation on a land sale loaded with leading questions instead of bringing forward the Area Green Space Plan process for the location.

Filwood Park was sold off within hours of the adoption of the new policy on green spaces, The Parks and Green Spaces Strategy - outside the spirit of the policy entirely.”

“which parks in bristol were they going to sale off then”

“Good.. Need to protect our green spaces”