Paula O’Rourke and Jerome Thomas
What’s happening at the Suspension Bridge?
Paula has recently been appointed to the Suspension Bridge Trust and is delighted to be able to better understand the way the Trust manages the operational and heritage activity of this historic asset. The £7 million project which is underway to repaint and replace the lights is on schedule and should be complete in early 2026.
The compound which is needed to support this project is unsightly but essential. As a member of the Downs Committee, Paula can assure that it is using the minimum footprint possible and the Bridge Trust is paying a monthly fee to the Downs in compensation.
We Clifton councillors have pressed the Trust to enhance the fencing with some attractive photographic panels, showing the building of the bridge in the 19th century. These will soon be completed, and we are hoping that both sides of the compound will be enclosed in this more aesthetically appealing way.
Parking charges changes recently voted by the new Transport and Connectivity Committee and how they affect Clifton
As there has been no increase in charges for parking permits since the start of the Residents Parking Zones, the Council has decided to increase the cost of the first permit from £56 to £124 (instead of the £178 which had been agreed by the previous adminsration in March) with inflationary increases built in going forward.
To ensure that there would not be a gap in the budget from the above change, pay and display charges have increased to £2.50 and free visitor permits will be withdrawn next year. The free 30 minutes visitor parking allowance however will remain.
We know that this increase in parking charges will not be good news to all residents, however at 34 pence per day for a resident’s parking permit, the new charges represent good value in comparison to other residents’ parking schemes around the country and funds raised will be used on active travel initiatives across the city.
Clifton will soon look so much better when the large commercial bins are removed
After a long summer of complaining about the proliferation of commercial bins which are making our lovely streets unlovely, we have been able to persuade Bristol Waste ccompany to accelerate their plans to adopt the ‘Alternative Waste Collection’ method to Clifton.
This has been successfully trialed in the Old City and on the Gloucester Road. Essentially, it means that traders will no longer be able to use refuse collection via large bins and will have to find an alternative suitable method, as happens elsewhere in the city. Traders have been engaged with and given notice. Here is the schedule:
24/25 September – Highways Act stickers & notification to contractors
16 October – deadline for removal of large bins & checks
22/23 October – seizures & S.47s notices
So, by the end of October, we should have these eyesores removed. Hurrah!
We have had assurances that, in 2025, when there is funding to do it, the residents who live above shops will have to move to an alternative to black bins too.
Rental property conditions
Many properties rented out in the Clifton area require a property licence from the Council (mainly where people are house or flat sharing). This aims to ensure that rental properties are maintained in a safe and good condition and that landlords act responsibly to their tenants. Where people are concerned about the state of the registered property that they rent they can contact the Council on private.housing@bristol.gov.uk. In recent weeks Jerome has been working with a number of tenants in a registered property where damp and poor repairs have been making the property uninhabitable, with a view to substantial repairs and property improvements being carried out urgently.
Improvements to Princess Victoria Street to go ahead in January 25
Since Princess Victoria Street was pedestrianised it has become a very popular destination for local people from across the city with its cafes and wide range of shops, It has defied the gloom and empty properties that characterise many other local high streets and it is now about to get even better! The Council have gone out to tender for major improvement works to be done on Princess Victoria Street, in the quieter period after Christmas, and we are pleased to confirm that these are scheduled to begin in January 2025.
Paula O’Rourke: cllr.paula.orourke@bristol.gov.uk
Jerome Thomas: cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk