Wrangle over siting of stadium has cost £120,000

“Swissbob-Why do you not just keep your opinions to things that actually concern you.The Ashton Vale site is situated on City of Bristol land,so as someone who pays no council tax to said authority , has no vote on electing representatives to said council,entitles you to no say on what happens in the City of Bristol. You are a representative on Long Ashton parish council, so limit your powers /opinions to running the lives of those stupid enough to elect you to your position.As for your observation as to building on designated Green Belt land will lead to objections,what was the status of the land the D.L.C. was built on ? answer Green Belt but that got built did it not.”

“@johnbristol3
I am not sure why you think that a debate about the Living Wage is relevant to this topic, but I will try to address your points:

"You dont seem to mind the village greeners wasting tax payers money "
Had you taken the time to read my posts, you would have noted that I said that BCC was actually responsible for the unnecessarily large cost to tax payers in this case. Given that BCC ended up paying both sets of legal fees, it is fair to say that this money was indeed 'wasted' because it achieved nothing beyond correcting BCC's mistakes.

However, the rest of the money spent deciding the future of the Ashton Vale site isn't wasted at all - that's how society decides between contrary interests. It would only be wasted if nothing is ever decided, which seems unlikely; we will see a resolution to this relatively soon I hope.

If you are unhappy at the expense, then again you should blame BCC for promoting the idea of building in the Green Belt, which was always going to lead to a legal challenge. Or are you suggesting that people shouldn't have the right to challenge the Council's decisions?

"but have the nerve to post the comments below, moaning about wasting money....."
At no point did I suggest the money spent on the living wage would be 'wasted' - that's your word, and I am not sure why you are falsely attaching it to my comments. I merely suggested alternative uses for the money.

"my guess is your in it up to your neck at Ashton Vale."
I have absolutely no idea what that means.”

“@Swissbob
You dont seem to mind the village greeners wasting tax payers money , but have the nerve to post the comments below, moaning about wasting money.....my guess is your in it up to your neck at Ashton Vale.


by swissbob

Wednesday, August 29 2012, 5:48PM
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"There is also the option of hiring more front line staff with the £1 million; isn't it better to have 580 people in employment on the current wages than 550 on the 'living wage'? That also provides better value for tax payers and takes a few more people out of the 20,000 unemployed in Bristol. Just a thought.

There is also the issue of paying down the debt. Bristol City owes about £476 million. The interest alone on this, without paying any off, is £18 million per year (about 4%). That's £18 million of tax payers' money being spent on nothing each year.

If Mr Rees can find a 'spare' £1million each year, it might be better put to use paying off the vast debts that the council have accrued on behalf of the citizens of Bristol. Paying £1million off now would save the city another £1 million in interest over the next 25 years."”

“£120k doesn't seem a lot in terms of legal fees for something that has dragged on this long. I would've thought it would have been a lot highter.

Gary, how much is the Council's annual budget for biscuits?”

“@gary_hopkins

The previous government did not "drop you in" it they allowed local people to stop idiots like you walking in and developing/selling off destroying our/local peoples recreational spaces.
The law is there to prevent the Abrahams and the Hopkins of this world sitting on their fat ****s, and doing what they wish with peoples local enviroments.
You think that because you and your kind find the only place that will accept your self interested views and actions being in the council it gives you the right to destroy parks and green belt while leaving othe areas in a brownfield wasteland.
You Mr Hopkins and associates work for us, not for yourself, not for the big nobs with money you mate are employed by the people of Bristol to do your best for the public, you learn to listen to what we say, not ignore your pseudo consultations ect. or you GO (please be justice in this world).
You and your collegue Kent the Laurel and Hardy of Bristol Council have overseen the total cockup of Bristols transport system and are quite happy to snoozle up to any big business that you think would be of benefit to you in your somewhat precarious future.
The quicker you and your bewilderingly muddled collegues are returned to the obscurity you came from the better.
You Mr councillor are a member of the worst council I have ever witnessed in Bristol for 40years, I never thought that such a disaster could ever exist in public office,I new the Lib Dems were demented but like all disasters you can never appreciate one unless you are involved in it, and boy Bristol is involved in one now.
I do not support any political party but I do support fairness and honesty from my elected council, something sadly lacking not only from you but also from others in this debacle of a council.
Blaming the law for your councils ability to waste £120,000 on a process carried out in a shabby and suspect manner is the kind of response we come to expect you and your comical legal dept. you could not make it up, the council have wriggled lied missled,missinformed, delayed, a straight forward process and now you have the brass neck to blame the law because it does not suit you.
You Sir are a failure to Bristol.”

“Gary Hopkins - "I do not always agree with Cllr Abraham but in this case he is right to draw attention to this ridiculous legislation.Councils all around the country are bleeding funds as small groups reach for this weapon.The previous government dropped us all in it "

another politician ignoring the facts for political point scoring - shock.

Cllr Hopkins - as you well know, Town Green law dates back to 1179 and is supported by 3 Royal Commissions over the last 150 years. There are two Victorian Acts of Parliament backing it up as well as further Acts in 1965 and 2006. Your own party was a large scale supporter of TVGs until it suited them to say otherwise.

And the present council has not done all it could to assist, otherwise this would have been over years ago. It has done all it can to interfere and frustrate and wind things up.”

“Why do we put up with nobs like Abrahams,.
"Much needed housing and jobs."
Lets look at were i live, Fillwood/Inns Court.
Fillwood has had brownfield sites for 10,s of years, the old Broadway cinema , the area behind the cinema, the area that was Fillwood swimming baths, the old running track in Hengrove park.
The old Marksbury road school, Torpoint rd Bedminster.
So what do they do they sell Fillwood park and want to destroy it with housing, due to start this month, so all of the brownfield sites are still there, lots of plans on what to do, lots of plans to destroy most of the green spaces in Knowle west.
They are going to build more industrial units on the old Hanger site in Fillwood when there are empty unoccupied units over around Whitchurch lane, that have been empty for years, there aint no jobs because nobody wants the units.
They have even sold the spaces between the houses on Creswicke road and are building on them but fillwood brownfield sites are still untouched, and some just used as dumps as is Hengrove park .
These are the reasons why people apply for TVG,s they are fed up with being dumped on by the illogical building planning brought about by the idiots in this council, it is seen as stupid by local people to have their local park removed when a greater area of land is left unbuilt on for decades.
There is not a problem with land for housing, use land that is already available, there is no need to use green spaces until all available brownfield sites have been developed.
Its purely lets sell the green stuff and get more money, the brownfield land we have already can just sit there.
Its the councils own fault that they have so many TVG applications, of they operated in a fair and reasonable manner the green spaces would not be under threat in the first place.”

“Well i think the bottom line is this...a group of people don't want a stadium and have used every legal trick in the book to stall or stop this and on the other side a local authority that know a majority of its citizens want or are neutral about having a stadium and will do everything they can to make it happen. I mean that is politics isnt it? Giving people what they want so they vote for you again?

Im all for it being a fair and honest process but from what i can tell the council's process even if followed immaculately is open to question, stalling and appeals at almost every turn, whilst the Nimbys is not. Hardly fair is it, even when playing by the rules.”

“I do not always agree with Cllr abraham but in this case he is right to draw attention to this ridiculous legislation.Councils all around the country are bleeding funds as small groups reach for this weapon.
The previous government dropped us all in it but I am afraid that Mr Pickles has so far resisted all attempts at reform.We believe it is because of a strange concept of localism.
In Mr Pickles case this consists of undermining democratically elected councils and handing power,without responsiubility, to small unelected groups.
I understand the frustration of the club,its supporters and all those that wish to make progress but it is pretty futile shouting at the residents.They will naturally reach for whatever tool they can find to protect their individual interests.
Look instead at the Lawmakers who passed this unbalanced legislation and gave power without responsibility.
The present council administration have done everthing possible ,including assistance with land, to progress this and to be fair have not been opposed by either local tories or Labour but the previous Labour government and Mr pickles have a lot to answer for.”

“@Gizmondo
"Is not a recommendation just that though, and could be chosen to be ignored?"
While it is only technically a recommendation, the Council is largely obliged to follow the recommendation; that's why they pay so much money for the legal advice. To ignore a recommendation would open them up to more litigation and it would be extremely hard to justify.”