Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society CHIS News archive

CHIS News Archive 2010

The following news items are listed with the latest items first.

9 August: Enforcement of double parking (parking more than 50 cm from the kerb) begins - see flier
3 August: Repairs on Bridge Valley Road started in March and were only meant to last a month, however they could now stretch until January 2011. (see below)
19 Aug: proposals to carry out footway repairs in Princess Victoria St have been confirmed, local Councillors informed and an information leaflet to affected properties is to be delivered within the next few days. The proposals are to carry out necessary repairs from the junction with Clifton Down Road and The Mall. On the southern side of the street the works will terminate outside No 35. The repairs will entail replacing the poor insitu concrete surfaces with small module concrete paving, similar to that used throughout Clifton and the City.
If you have any general enquiries please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours faithfully Phil Harrison, Highways Technician, City Development, Brunel House BS1 5UY
Two separate schemes detailed. The first is part of the Cycling City and Connect2 Projects to construct a new pedestrian and cycling facility around the outside of Brunel Lock Road. We are working in partnership with the Arnolfini in their development of a Ballast Seed Garden on the site.
The second scheme is a pedestrian improvement on Hotwell Road, involving the moving of the railings along the harbour side to widen this busy route. We would be most appreciative if your members were able to comment on these proposals to the email addresses detailed in the document, or alternatively, to telephone us to discuss the schemes with us.
Jon Usher Project Officer, Infrastructure Transport Service Bristol City Council Traffic Management Wilder House Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8PH Tel: 0117 90 36676
17 September: Duke of Kent visits the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to help Sir George White (pictured on the right) open the "Flight- 100 years of the Bristol Aeroplane Company" exhibition. Open 18 September to 28 November
Saturday 23 October: Plaque to Keith Floyd to be placed at 112 Princess Victoria Street (home of Floyd's Bistro) at 11am

raining but a good crowd turned up
Richard Hope Hawkins unveiled it
We all went to the Avon Gorge Hotel for wine and cake afterwards
14 November 1:30pm: Remembrance Day wreath laying in St Andrews
18 November 6:45pm: switch on Xmas lights in Clifton Village. Neighbourhood Partnership Well-being fund funded the Health and Safety work required for testing the anchor bolts

Massive 35' Xmas tree in the Mall Gardens being decorated
Historic street light giving out twice as much light- very pretty with its Xmas lights attached
30 November:

reinforcements at Senate House during student protests.
More pictures
Winter: Victoria Square: Good news- The walls will be repaired this winter
25 December: Second Consultation regarding revised pedestrianisation of Boyces Avenue ends.
The zone is currently proposed to operate between the hours of 10am and 6pm, Monday to Sunday. Bollards will be raised during these times to prevent vehicular access. Bicycles will also be prohibited during these hours. Loading and parking in the zone will only be possible outside of these hours. Kings Road would be made two way to permit loading and access for short-stay parking for disabled drivers.
I would be grateful to receive any comments which you may wish to make, by the 25th, please. Thank you very much. Yours faithfully, David Sarson Assistant Engineer Traffic Delivery Group Traffic Management Transport Service City Development Bristol City Council 4th Floor, Wilder House Wilder Street BRISTOL BS2 8PH Tel: 0117 903 6856 Email: david.sarson@bristol.gov.uk

Communities and the historic environment invitation

1 November: The theme of the conference is going to be based on local groups taking a more active role in managing the heritage of their areas in terms of the PPS recommendations and localism/Big Society agendas.
The afternoon is intended to be a forum to hear people speak about their own experiences in learning about and caring for the historic environment in all it's forms and generate discussion and inspire others to become active in this role.
The attached should give a flavour of the event. It forms part of our Historic Web Map Project that is English Heritage funded.
If the event is a success we'd like to make this an annual forum, but in any case I want to try to encourage greater discussion about these issues between groups and the local authority curators.
The programme includes speakers about history and archaeological projects that have contributed to the care of Bristol's heritage.
If you need any further information please let me know. Peter Insole, Archaeological Officer, Urban Design & Conservation, City Development, Brunel House, St George's Road, Bristol BS1 5UY. tel 0117 9223033 fax 0117 9223101

Bridge Valley Road

The retaining wall bowed out an unacceptable amount and now tenders will have to go out to specialist engineers to stitch the rocks, fill in part of the Port and Pier Railway tunnel number 2. Expenditure will have to be approved at Cabinet in September when detailed design has been received. The Gorge also has rare flora here. It is likely to cost £2.2 million to reopen, or £2.05 just to make safe. Maggie was privileged to go into the tunnel (as an industrial archaeologist) for a feature on the news along with Gary Hopkins the councillor in charge of transport, and Phil Lloyd who has looked after the Gorge for the last 30 years

Gary being interviewed on Points west inside the tunnel

Fitting sign to entrance of tunnel 1

There are two tunnels between the Suspension Bridge- built in 1863, the Port and Pier Railway was closed in 1921 to build the Portway. The Hotwells station was north of the Suspension Bridge.
Tunnel 1 is 73 yards long and after closure of the railway was used to store Council records and Museum and Art gallery treasures during WWII
Tunnel 2 only about 30 yards away is 175 yards long and used as a WWII shelter. This was the tunnel that the BBC wanted to use but refused- which is why they ended up in Clifton Rocks Railway

Easter Garden, High Street

30 Jun 2010:RESIDENTS leapt to the defence of a community garden in Clifton when a landowner arrived unexpectedly and tried to fence part of it off. Up to 40 people warned off three men who had arrived to erect a two-metre high fence around a section of Easter Garden, which is between Wesley Place and High Street, just off Blackboy Hill. People living in the area say they have established the right to use the site as a garden over the years and insist the sloping plot full of plants is protected by planning laws.
The attempt to erect the fence was then abandoned and Mr Singh, who is based in Enfield, London, has now been advised by the city council to outline his plans for the site. Ilse Hambrook, secretary of the Friends of Easter Garden, said she was pleased Mr Singh had been unable to block off part of the land, which has a right of way running through it. She said: "This is not a simple case of 'I own the land so I can put a fence around it'. "This land has a 14-year history of stop orders and secretary of state decisions. The council and police have told Mr Singh to go through the planning process in order to get anywhere. "I doubt he will get planning permission on the land."
28 Oct 2009: Easter Garden being targeted again! The solicitors are on the case again, and Bristol City Council and CHIS also support this award winning community garden. Do become a friend and support them.
For Sale By Public Auction Wednesday 28TH October 2009 Price Guide £38, 000+ A freehold site with development potential. The land is situated in a residential area close to the intersection of Whiteladies Road and Upper Belgrave Road. The plot has main road frontage to Wesley Place and the High Street to the rear. In June 1994 planning consent (thus lapsed) was granted for 2 houses (planning ref no. 93/02302/F). We are advised in September of the same year, planning was granted for use as a community wildlife garden.

First Hovercraft under Suspension Bridge

On 22 May, 10 light hovercraft and the Portishead Lifeboat went in convoy up the Avon from Shirehampton to Bath Road Bridge with the Lord Mayor on board. This was in aid of the Portishead Lifeboard Trust www.justgiving.com/hovercraft. This was the first time a hovercraft had ever passed under the Suspension bridge

Just past the bridge

hovering on the bank

POLICY FOR REGULATING THE PLACING OF TABLES AND CHAIRS ON THE HIGHWAY

There has been a 6 week consultation with the following persons:-
(a) Avon and Somerset Police
(b) Holders of Premises licenses under the Licensing Act 2003
(c) Local residents groups
(d) Local business representatives

In Clifton village for example, the arrangement of tables and chairs outside of some licensed premises has created difficulties for wheelchair users. Aesthetically it is also noticeable that the increase in the variety of street furniture being used by traders does not always contribute to the street scene.

Any consultation responses be reported to a meeting of the Licensing Special Purposes Sub Committee convened to consider the adoption of policy with a view to it taking effect at the end of 2010

Issue of Permissions: A permission will be issued for a maximum period of twelve months. All permissions will expire, unless renewed, by the date specified in the permission. If a cheque for a permission fee renewal is dishonoured by a bank this will result in the revocation of the permission unless payment of the outstanding fees is made within 5 working days.
The council has arranged for its Licensing Committee and/or delegated officers to deal with matters relating to the granting of permission to place tables and chairs on the highway.
Fees will be set to reflect the cost of operating the scheme and will be reviewed on an annual basis.
A clear pedestrian route shall be maintained for those walking past the premises. This should preferably be adjacent to the kerb to ensure that most pedestrians and particularly those with visual impairments can maintain their regular route. There should normally be a minimum width of 1.8 metres. Emergency exits from adjacent buildings must not be obstructed by the seating area.

Observatory and Clifton Camp Fort

29 March 10: This meeting of the Downs Committee will endorse the proposed scheme of works to manage Clifton Camp, subject to gaining statutory approvals and the Public Information/Feedback project in late spring
8 September 09: At the Downs Committee Meeting on 7th Sept 2009, there was a proposal on the agenda to hold a public consultation on the aims and options to restore the Clifton Camp Iron Age Hill Fort and Scheduled Ancient Monument is approved, with the results of the consultation and proposed implementation plan reported back to Committee in November. A report was presented by Peter Wilkinson- Service Manager of Parks and Estates (9223535). If people could understand and approve what was being proposed then the scheme would be carried out over a period of several years. The proposal was that a caravan would be parked nearby on DATE POSTPONED and that a consultation document for this site with analysis of peoples comments would be presented to the next Downs Committee meeting on 23 November at 4:30. If there was widespread approval at that meeting then the proposal to remove all the scrub and many trees would go ahead.
Read more in the trees section.

Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS)