News from Green Party Clifton Down councillors George Calascione and Serena Ralston
Hello again from Serena and George. As Christmas approaches, we’re so lucky to have many wonderful independent restaurants and shops in our area. We continue to support them and our residents on many local issues ranging from waste collections through to road resurfacing.
Update on waste
Missed collections continue to be a problem for some parts of our area, in particular for cardboard.
Increased online shopping means more cardboard, which fills recycling vehicles faster and means more trips across the city to empty them, further affecting reliability.
With council budgets shrinking year on year, the previous Labour administration wanted to make savings wherever they could. Plans were drawn up last November to reroute the entire service to improve efficiency, covering almost 22 million collections a year. The aim was to rebalance rounds, remove some crews and trucks, and reduce the knock-on effects that built up each week and hit Friday collections the worst.
But this rerouting encountered its own problems, causing more missed streets, more complicated areas not balanced with more straightforward areas and, crucially, fewer crews on the road each day meant they could barely cope. Bristol Waste brought in several more reroutings to try to tackle missed streets, but problems remained.
To address this, the council has restored four more vehicle crews and added an extra evening round each day.
But there still remains an enormous challenge. Councillors on the Environment and Sustainability Policy Committee recently met with officers to discuss potential options for changes including how and when waste and recycling is collected and possible new ways in which residents can recycle their waste in different types of accommodation.
All options remain draft proposals at this stage and no decision will be taken on significant changes in our city without consulting with residents and engaging with businesses first. There will be a city-wide consultation so that we can better understand the needs and views of our city before councillors from all parties will be asked to consider the best course of action.
We will keep you updated.
Have your say on council tax
Ahead of setting the council budget in February 2025, the council is consulting on the level of council tax and Adult Social Care Precept that should be set for the next financial year.
The council is facing a huge financial challenge. Increases in costs and the demand on core services has led to an estimated £51.6 million deficit in the council’s core budget from April 2025.
You can have your say and find out more about the consultation on the council’s website www.ask.bristol.gov.uk/budget-2025-26
Spotlight on… Redland & Cotham Amenities Society
In our regular feature on local community groups, this time it’s the turn of the Redland & Cotham Amenities Society (RCAS). RCAS is a community group for everyone in the area bounded by Whiteladies Road, Cranbrook Road, Coldharbour Road and Durdham Down to the north and High Kingsdown and Tyndalls Park Road in the south. It supports groups to bring forward projects that benefit the community through its own grant funding.
The group also organises a spring event. Previously they have had a presentation from the Centre for Sustainable Energy.
Could you help RCAS identify new activities and projects and to get in touch with people in our community who have not yet heard about their small grants programme? Find out more on their website www.rcas.org.uk or Facebook page RCASBristol.
Planning news
We have recently spoken to the new owner of the former Be in Bristol venue at 59-61 Whiteladies Road. As reported before, we are keen to see this derelict eyesore back in use. At the time of writing, the owner was about to submit a planning application for a bar and restaurant downstairs and five flats on the floor above. The flats represent a new residential use for the site which would not be student accommodation. We look forward to seeing this attractive building, in a prime location in the Whiteladies Road conservation area, sensitively bought back into use. We will monitor the planning application closely and keep you updated.
Apsley Road
Following the resurfacing of Apsley Road, residents contacted us to say the yellow lines had not been repainted. The programme had been delayed. We got in touch with the council’s Strategic Highways Maintenance Team who were able to follow up with the contractor and get back on programme. We are pleased to say that the yellow lines have been reinstated.
Councillor surgeries
We hold regular surgeries on the first Friday of the month from midday to 1:30 at Redland Library on Whiteladies Road. Come and speak to us about any local issues.
Please note there will be no surgery in January.
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
Serena Ralston cllr.serena.ralston@bristol.gov.uk
George Calascione cllr.george.calascione@bristol.gov.uk