Clifton Ward Boundary Review
Every four years, the Electoral Commission reviews parliamentary and ward boundaries across the country, and this is taking place this year. For now, Bristol’s parliamentary boundaries will remain unchanged, but there are proposals for changes to local ward
boundaries for council elections.
The aim is to ensure that wards represent ‘natural’ communities andthat there are similar numbers of electors in each ward. In decidingwhat constitutes a natural community, the Commission considerscommunity facilities, geographical boundaries such as roads andrivers, and the local topography.
The latest proposals would move some of the area around Hotwells
Primary School into Hotwells & Harbourside Ward. Paula and Jerome have opposed this proposal because they believe this area is an important part of the Hotwells & Cliftonwood community, which currently sits
together within Clifton Ward.
We will keep you updated as the review progresses and the final
proposals are published.
Greville Smyth Park community tennis club
Although Greville Smyth Park is outside Clifton Ward, many local
residents enjoy its community tennis club, where courts are available at very low cost.
There are concerns that the council may choose to take over the running of the tennis courts. Jerome has met with local residents who are members of the club to hear their concerns and to work towards ensuring that the courts continue to be run affordably and in the long-term interests of local residents.
West of England Combined Authority
There have been a number of announcements about the future
responsibilities of Combined Authorities, including proposals for £2 local bus fares and for Combined Authorities to receive a share of local income tax.
Jerome, in his role as Chair of the West of England Combined Authority Scrutiny Committee, is working to ensure that proper arrangements are in place to manage these additional responsibilities.
In the short term, this includes North Somerset joining the authority. In the longer term, the Combined Authority may expand further to
include Gloucestershire.
Summer fun – But Clifton residents feel the pressure
Both Paula and Jerome have taken holidays in recent weeks, which was lovely. However, we returned to email inboxes fuller than usual with residents writing about the number of events requiring road closures and the knock-on effect this has on people simply trying to get around and manage their daily lives.
Occasionally there are informal events without the usual licensing or permissions, but these are rare. Most events have to apply to the
Safety Advisory Group for Events (SAGE), a multi-agency panel involving the police, highways, noise pollution, ambulance services and others. They carefully scrutinise each event’s management plan, including proposed road closures.
Residents have asked whether the Council considers the cumulative effect of events taking place over the summer. The answer is yes. We believe that congestion in Clifton has been particularly bad this summer, partly because of an unusual number of incidents on the M5, resulting in closures and traffic being diverted through Clifton.
It is frustrating, particularly when residents are unaware of why roads are closed or that events such as the Great Bristol Run will result in the Portway being closed for much of a Sunday.
However, perhaps more attention does need to be paid to the clustering of events which have a knock-on effect on Clifton’s roads. We will ask SAGE to consider this when planning for next year.
We have also received complaints about cars parking on the grass for the Balloon Fiesta and the solar eclipse. Fortunately, because the ground was so hard, there appears to have been little damage. We understand the frustration, but the solar eclipse was a genuinely exceptional event and we would not want to prevent families bringing their children to the Downs to enjoy it.
The Balloon Fiesta organisers have already told us they are keen to look at ways of managing parking on the Clifton side of the Bridge next year.
Bins, Bins, Bins…
As we write, we are in the fifth heatwave and everyone is flagging. It is nevertheless encouraging to see how services have adapted. During the first heatwave, many streets were missing waste collections, but this has improved considerably.
There is still room for improvement, however, and we are pressing Bristol Waste to be more dynamic and to continue recruiting additional drivers.
Paula returns to a policy role
Bristol is governed by a Committee System, with eight policy
committees making decisions about how the city is run. When Paula became an Independent councillor, she lost her committee allocation.
She argued that, under a committee system, Independent councillors must be able to participate in policy-making if they are to fulfil their democratic responsibilities.
She is now pleased to have joined the Strategy and Resources Committee, where she is particularly interested in democratic engagement and culture.
We hope you all welcome September and that cooler weather will energise everyone. September always feels like a fresh start, with lots to look forward to.
Remember, you can always pop into our monthly councillors’ surgery at Clifton Library, held on the first Wednesday of every month at 5pm.
Contact us
cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk
cllr.paula.orourke@bristol.gov.uk