Hello from Serena and George. There’s lots to report this month. We’ve been busy on your behalf.
20 is plenty for Upper Belgrave Road
Following concerns about speeding, we’re calling for Upper Belgrave Road to have a 20 mph speed limit like most other roads in the city. Currently, the road, which runs past The Downs, is 30 mph. Several residents have reported frequent speeding and even some collisions over the past year. We will be taking our request to the council’s Area 3 committee when it meets this month but it may then take another one to two years to go through all the required technical assessments and legal processes.
Reducing street clutter
Many of you have told us that you want to see less advertising clutter on our pavements and we have objected to two planning applications for digital street advertising hubs on Whiteladies Road. The one planned for near the bus stop outside Clifton Down Shopping Centre has now been refused. The second planning application, for a hub near Tescos at the bottom of Blackboy Hill, was pending at the time of writing. Each hub would have two digital 75″ LCD advert screens.
These hubs are just some of the 20 that BT is proposing across the city. The Bristol Walking Alliance (BWA) has objected to all of them. We agree with the BWA that these hubs would cause an obstruction on pavements for pedestrians, and distraction for drivers. The hubs proposed on Whiteladies Road would also not be in keeping with the conservation area.
Tackling poor housing: Queens Court
Some residents are living in poor conditions at Queens Court, a once elegant art deco block of flats on St Pauls Road. Despite these conditions, some rents are set to rise, with some tenants even threatened with evictions.
While there have been some repairs, we have visited Queens Court several times over the past year and seen for ourselves examples of poor conditions.
We have also seen close to 100 photographs taken by residents themselves showing issues including damp, mould and leaking ceilings.
Particularly concerning is the potential threat from damp and mould to the wellbeing of children living there.
We are working to support these residents and we’ve written several times to the management company to express our concerns.
We’ve also flagged the situation as urgent with the council’s private housing team who are offering residents help and advice where possible.
The council issued two Civil Penalty Notices totalling £12,000 in October 2023 to the building’s owners for non-compliance with licensing conditions and non-compliance with an improvement notice. Following further investigation, further improvement notices have been issued.
We arranged a meeting with residents and local Green MP Carla Denyer, who sat on the Renters Rights Bill select committee, just before Easter. Around 30 residents attended.
Everyone deserves safe and decent housing. If you need our help, please get in touch, and you can also find details about your rights in the Council’s Private Tenant information guide or raise concerns with the Council’s Private Housing service online @ Bristol.gov.uk or private.housing@bristol.gov.uk .
Former Be in Bristol building
We’ve supported a planning application for the redevelopment of the former Be in Bristol building at 59-61 Whiteladies Road for five flats on the floors above and a bar and restaurant on the ground floor. This has been a derelict eyesore on this beloved street and conservation area for far too long and we hope the plans will be approved soon. New homes are desperately needed in the city. We have been assured that the flats will not be student accommodation.
Sustainable Transport Fund
Does your business have an idea that could make the way you travel or do deliveries more environmentally friendly? The council wants to fund you to bring it into reality with the Sustainable Travel Grant. The application window closes 5pm Friday 9 May. Find out more and apply here Sustainable Travel Grant To make sure you submit the best application possible, we encourage you to contact Bristol City Council’s transport team to discuss your ideas before applying at businessactivetravel@bristol.gov.uk
Councillor surgeries
The next ward surgery will be on Friday June 6 from midday to 1.30pm at Redland Library on Whiteladies Road. In the meantime, do email us Cllr.george.calascione@bristol.gov.uk Cllr.serena.ralston@bristol.gov.uk We’d love to hear from you.