From a Farrington Gurney walk, June 2010
Environment & Planning
Reports from our Environmental Officer
News item added August 25th
We have responded to a number of important consultation documents in recent months (Contact: ):
- Bristol Draft Walking Strategy A draft of the City Council’s long-awaited Walking Strategy was finally sent to selected stakeholders in August. The Ramblers responded by welcoming the strategic approach but seeking clear targets and the following additions: make Bristol a Walking City, complementing the Cycling City designation, with a bid for funding from the national Local Sustainable Transport Fund; - dedicate more public rights of way to fill in gaps in the network and to protect and promote paths on Council-owned land; - dedicate Council-owned open spaces as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; - designation of strategic recreational areas; - a new harbour crossing parallel to Princes Street Bridge; - improved public transport links to the rights of way network; - signage to include walking times to destinations. The full response is on the Group’s website. [See: WALKING STRATEGY RESPONSE]
- Bristol Local Development Framework site allocation proposals and ideas for development management.These documents suggested which sites in the city might be allocated for development and the policies which should apply when considering planning applications. Our response of 29 October [See: SITE ALLOCATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT OPTIONS] suggested the number of open spaces proposed for development should be reduced and walking and environmental policies strengthened. We supported the detailed points made by one of our members on the impact on Henbury and Southmead of both the site allocations and the green spaces plans (see below).
- Bristol Green Spaces Plans. The City Council consulted on 14 Area Green Space Plans as the next stage in implementing its 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. Our response of 29 October [See: AREA GREEN SPACE PLAN IDEAS AND OPTIONS] suggested the policy of selling 'low value' green space to fund improvements elsewhere required review. Some of the green space identified in the 14 plans as 'low value' was clearly highly prized and there would be a significant impact, especially in Henbury, Southmead and Brislington. Julie Boston wrote to the Evening Post inviting protest and drawing attention to walks she was leading in North West Bristol. The Council is likely to take decisions on sales in late December, while consultation on individual green spaces will continue.
- West of England Draft Joint Local Transport Plan. This was prepared jointly by four councils: Bristol City, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Our response of 2 October [See: JOINT LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 3: ENGAGEMENT DRAFT, JULY 2010] welcomed the Plan's recognition of the value of walking in principle. But we criticised the lack of: targets; costed proposals and data; and priority for walking.
- West of England Rapid Transit: Ashton Vale to Temple Meads and Bristol City Centre. This proposal would have involved frequent rapid transit buses travelling on a dedicated route into the city. In our response of 21 July [See: ASHTON VALE TO TEMPLE MEADS AND BRISTOL CITY CENTRE RAPID TRANSIT ORDER], we said that we could not could not support the proposals wholeheartedly in the absence of traffic management measures. We made detailed comments on the route and the types of vehicle proposed. The scheme has been put 'on hold' because of funding uncertainties.