Zoo update – holding Acorn Property Group to account
Acorn Property Group is the Zoo’s chosen developer for the former Zoo site. Paula and Jerome recently met with three Acorn directors and the project manager responsible for the former Zoo site. We are aware of recent concerns in the public domain about the financial track record of Acorn and we posed some questions about their track record. However our primary focus at this meeting was on the Council’s responsibility to ensure that the developer complies with the planning conditions attached to this important heritage site.
There are 70 conditions attached to the planning approval — an unusually high number, reflecting the planning team’s concern to protect this sensitive heritage site. We will therefore be holding regular meetings with both Acorn and Bristol City Council planners so that any changes are properly scrutinised.
In the coming months Acorn intends to submit a Section 73 application, which allows minor amendments to an existing planning permission.
Having previously served on the Planning Committee, Paula knows how important careful oversight of such applications can be, and she was pleased that Acorn agreed to keep her involved in discussions about any proposed changes.
Work on the site will take place over several years and in a number of phases. At present the focus is on “enabling works.” This includes relocating certain trees in preparation for future construction.
We were concerned that this work might risk breaching regulations relating to the bird nesting season. We therefore asked for written details of the ecological management plan and received the following assurance:
“As it is now within the bird nesting season (1 March to the end of August), the works are being undertaken by professional and experienced contractors and are being overseen by both an Arboriculturist and an Ecologist to ensure that works can proceed without any harms to any legally protected species which may be present.
A number of measures are in place to safeguard trees and local wildlife, including:
• A briefing for all contractors by the project Ecologist and Arboriculturist before starting work;
• Ecological and Arboricultural Clerks of Works present to oversee the works;
• Tree protection fencing installed around retained trees;
• Trees being checked for nesting birds before any felling takes place;
• Sensitive clearance of vegetation. For example, long grass is cut in two stages: first it is left high, then cut low after 48 hours to give
any hidden wildlife time to move away;
• Installation of first phase of protected species mitigation/enhancement features in preparation for future works to buildings.
Acorn’s team has told us it is committed to following best practice and the highest environmental standards to ensure that wildlife and habitats are protected during the works.”
Before the planning application was originally submitted, Paula had urged Justin Morris, the Chief Executive of the Zoo to consider creating a permissive right of way across the site, rather than relying solely on the Section 106 agreement to guarantee public access. At the time he was not persuaded.
However, Paula raised the idea again in this recent meeting and was delighted that Acorn is now willing to explore the possibility of a
time-limited right of way. Most city parks close at night, so it would be entirely reasonable for access to this site to be limited to daylight hours only, while still preserving an important route for residents and visitors.
Neighbourhood Policing briefing
For the past 18 months neighbourhood policing briefings have not taken place because of staff shortages, so it was very welcome news to see them reinstated. Paula attended the latest meeting and was pleased to meet Clifton’s new Beat Officer, Ellie Ince — and, most importantly, to obtain her phone number. One of the main topics discussed was the growing problem of Sur-Ron electric bikes being ridden dangerously in the area. The police confirmed that some bikes are now being seized and disrupted, although there was general agreement in the room that more action is still needed to tackle this problem properly.
Neighbourhood Forum – April 20
Please do join us for the Clifton Neighbourhood Forum at Clifton High School at 7pm on Monday 20 April. These meetings are an important opportunity for residents to raise questions directly with councillors and local service providers. Representatives from the Police will be attending and we are hoping to welcome representatives from First Bus and Bristol Waste Company as well. If there is an issue you would like discussed, please do email us in advance so we can add it to the agenda.
Friends of Birdcage Walk
Paula founded the Friends of Birdcage Walk in 2021, and the transformation since then has been remarkable. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, the graveyard is now far better managed and much more enjoyable to visit.
Working with guidance from God’s Own Acre — a national organisation specialising in churchyard conservation — volunteers have managed to keep the site in the “Goldilocks zone”: allowing the wild, natural character of the graveyard to flourish while still protecting the historic gravestones.
We are currently looking for a new volunteer to take on a particularly enjoyable role. Our previous volunteer researched the archives to discover who is buried in the graves and wrote a monthly “Grave of the Month” feature for the website. Our long-term ambition is to create a graveyard trail to guide visitors to some of the most interesting and historically important graves.
If you enjoy research, local history, or simply wandering around historic graveyards, this might be the perfect project for you.
You can find out more about the group at https://friendsofbirdcagewalk.org.uk/
Contact us
Jerome Thomas: cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk
Paula O’Rourke: cllr.paula.orourke@bristol.gov.uk