Manor Farm residents devastated after council rejects community centre bid
CAMPAIGNERS on a rundown estate are devastated after being told they have not won the lease for a shop they hoped to turn into a community centre.
The city council has offered the lease on an old fruit and veg shop in Bishopthorpe Road to a company providing specialist education to children and young people instead of the Manor Farm Action Group.
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In May the Evening Post reported that the group had applied to use the shop, which has been derelict for 10 years.
Residents say the Manor Farm estate, which is between Henleaze and Horfield, has nowhere for people to meet and spend time together.
Kay Armstrong, 48, one of the group's main campaigners, said the elderly and disabled are stuck in their homes.
"It's a bit of a blow – all that hard work was for nothing," she said.
"We have been waiting for months to find out, and we are really upset by the decision. It leaves us in the same place – with nothing."
The only access residents will have to the building will be during the summer holidays, when the company plans to run a play scheme.
Labour councillor Rosalie Walker said she could understand the group's disappointment, but pointed to community organisations in Horfield.
"We have all sorts of things going on in Horfield now," she said.
"There is an association in upper Horfield which serves the whole of Horfield, even though it is not based in Manor Farm.
"But I will look into it for them and see what I can do."
Bristol City Council said it chose the option of an education centre because it would support pupils with difficulties from all over the city.
"Raising educational attainment in Bristol is a key priority and we make no apology for our determination to assist its achievement by the delivery of special educational services to some of the most needy pupils in Bristol," it said.
"The company supports pupils from all over Bristol – for example, those experiencing difficulties at school such as bullying, or those who display challenging behaviour and are at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream education."
The council also said the Manor Farm Action Group would never be able to raise enough money to redevelop the building as a community centre.
"They currently have no funding available to refurbish or fit out the premises to make them suitable for use," it said.
"Their business could not be started or sustained without financial gifts from local businesses, Lottery funding, continued local patronage, and significant use of volunteer staff."
Comments
by Kay Armstrong, Manor Farm
Monday, September 15 2008, 8:52AM
“I feel i must comment on the story, the people of Manor Farm are still patiently waiting for Councillor Walker to hold her street surgery she promised in May, the only ones that seem to happen are at Eden Grove too far for many of our residents to attend. She points to groups in Horfield would she like to explain just how residents of Manor Farm are meant to get there., especially when they read about all the Anti Social Behaviour they suffer in that area, will they be safe? What happens in the groups in Horfield are not what our residents want to do. Our business plan - who are the Council to say we would never be able to raise enough money to develop the building, we had plenty of support from local businesses offering help and yes we may have been running on voluntary help to start with but we were hoping to create jobs for people within our community. Raising educational attainment in Bristol may well be one of the Council's main priorities but so to is developing communities. What consideration was made of the government white paper about communities. This is about community resources Manor Farm needs them we have none. What is being planned is in no way going to help the community of Manor Farm.The Council states that the Charity will open once a year for a play scheme ! but surely this is catered for in the extended schools policy which is only 400 yards away. Surely there must be somewhere more central than Manor Farm where this facility could be.”