“Oakfield Residents' Association in which the TA centre is situated are keeping a close watch on developments and will report on our website http://tinyurl.com/7tp6ej4

Already suggestions have come in that the TA development should include some common green space and a Clifton Community Centre (sadly lacking in the area) where local community groups could meet. EWe expect to be notified of plans and included in the consultation process on behalf of our members and residents.”

“a new supermarket? nobody will be able to get to it now that clueless bristol city council have turned whiteladies road into a garden centre with a bus lane. genius!”

“The Artillery Grounds site adds character to the area as well as providing utility and employment. There is important history too; the plaques in the main hall preserve the names of the local men who gave their lives in the service of this country.

The Merchant Venturers should note that some things are more important than mere profit.”

“Extraordinary idea from the MV. just shows how out of touch they are, why cant people understand that if cities re to survive they need variety, interest, jobs ,homes, culture, history, space, the list could go on.

Whiteladies rd is struggling what it does not need is more student accommodation that is empty six months of the year and a supermarket.

If the MV are serious about developing this sight they need to do so using the principle of community led development. There has been an excellent community consultation about the future of the carriageworks and westmoreland house.

The MVs should know better, they ought to take social responsibility seriously.”

“@ Richard34.

From the Society of Merchant Venturers own web site: "In 1467 the Corporation of Bristol drew up Ordinances for a Fellowship of Merchants providing that 'the Mayor and Sheriff choose a worshipful man that hath been Mayor or Sheriff to be master of the fellowship of merchants'.

At that time the Guild and the Corporation were effectively one. The prime role of the Guild was to regulate maritime trade within the city, ensuring that outsiders did not benefit at the expense of Bristolians."

Essentially trade protection which is, in all but name, power. The present members may not exercise similar power now and they do do a lot of charitable work for the benefit of the city. My argument was, why should they be vilified for events that happened several hundred years ago?”

“Some comments on here are beyond belief. Why would the Merchant Venturers seek power when all they want to do is offer charity to the city through various means including education, developments and support.
People with money have the tools to make a difference, does this make them bad people or people with a hidden agenda?
Merchant Venturers are just one of many organisations who do good here.. there's nothing private about them, it's all on their website what they do, who their members are and how they have helped Bristol over the years.
People should thank those who help others when they have the means to live in a better country and live a superior lifestyle, but instead choose to stay and offer support to others instead.”

“Astonishing to read someone called "Torysarecool" bemoaning the minimum wage as too low.
I seem to remember the previous Tories scrapping the Wages Councils (who previously set the minimum wage)in the 80's, leaving no minimum at all.”

“@ Commenter42.

The maine point I am making is that even hundreds of years later, the unelected cartel that is the Merchant Venturers are the ones which wield the real power in this city and not Bristol City Council.

Like many politicians and businessmen throughout the ages they only seek, or sought, profit and self promotion with a few notable exceptions who used their power and wealth for the public good.

They may be unelected but their legacy will long outlive that of the 'elected' councillors who will leave a legacy, if they leave any at all, of waste, procrastination and failed opportunities all of which they will blame on 'the other party who held the majority'.”

“@harryreg_uk

The supermarkets try to buy EVERYTHING they can. They're cash rich and if they buy but can't open, they just rent it anyway. I know someone who was once trying to buy or lease commercial property from Dixons and he said that the supermarkets are all over anything that's relatively large with a For Sale sign above it.”

“The difference between the slave trade and an enormous amount of current UK employees is a disgusting £6.08 per hour, or as little as £2.60 for apprentices, often £0 for interns. Many slaves arguably had it better with accommodation, food, their master's honour and a burial plot all included for a lifetime's work...many people like to forget this. They also like to forget that Africans enslaved many people themselves across Africa once the whole concept of slavery kicked off. Indeed, the internal African slave market was far busier, if less profitable, than the American/British/Atlantic market. Again, it's easier to forget that story and just demonise the west for their involvement.

Anyway, the most insulting thing is that whilst the Atlantic slave trade exploited people, those same countries are being exploited now by their own governments, utility companies, precious metal/mineral firms and waste firms. In the ~300 hundred years that the slave trade was operating, ~12 million people were implicated. That same number of children die purely of hunger every 2 years across Africa, many more die of HIV and disease. Don't try to forget history or stamp around demanding trivial reparations: learn from it!

If someone's so insulted by the idea of calling a shopping centre 'Merchants Quarter' or whether Colston was involved a little too much with slaves...I pity them.”