Questions Questions Questions
On Thursday 4th April 2019 I had a reply to one of my emails to the Mayor. Among other things it said that there was a public meeting with an MP on Saturday and I was encouraged to attend. I called the Mayor’s office because I knew nothing about it.
They had made a mistake, the reply to me was prepared weeks ago and no-one had proof read it before it was actually sent. The meeting had already taken place, in Stockwood, on 23rd March.
During a lengthy conversation, I mentioned that I had been regularly asking question although I am not getting the answers. I said that the JSP JLTP4 BLT and OAR have all generated very many questions that I and 1000’s of local people want to know the answers to. I was invited to send in any questions I had to a guy named Simon. Here are my questions:
Was the meeting a public meeting as you indicated or was it for Stockwood residents?
- If it was a public meeting for BCC residents, why were the attendees told that the meeting was specifically for Stockwood people?
- If it was for Stockwood people only, when will there be an equivalent meeting for Whitchurch people?
What have the transport planners decided that can be done on Whitchurch Lane?
What exactly are the planners doing to alleviate residents’ concerns regarding using Whitchurch Lane as part of the ring road?
How is putting a ring road next to a school and doubling the number of vehicles going to help the quality of the air on a road that is already running at almost full capacity?
Why did Marvin imply that the purpose of the ‘new road’ from the A4 and on through Whitchurch Lane was needed to deal with the congestion on the Bath Road?
Why are the plans presented in such a way that the ring road will be going on Whitchurch Lane unless the local people could come up with an alternative?
Why did the transport team not share such crucial information such as the alterations to Airport Road, that are due to start shortly, with the group of volunteer residents?
Why have some routes alternative routes already been disregarded? What were they? Why were they disregarded? Why hasn’t Whitchurch lane been disregarded for the same/similar reasons?
Why has the level of ‘research’ in the JSP been so much higher in some areas?
Why has there been NO level of a feasibility study done on Whitchurch Lane?
Why did BCC allow BANES to ignore Whitchurch Lane beyond the Orange and Grey routes in the OAR?
Marvin mentioned at the Whitchurch meeting that the plans to use Whitchurch Lane has been on the cards since 2015. When and how were these plans communicated to the residents?
Why did Marvin say that there is a 2 week turn around on emails, when I have waited for 2 months for answers to my genuine legitimate questions?
Marvin has previously written to me saying that ‘unsuitable traffic’ will be removed from Ridgeway Lane, what is ‘unsuitable traffic’ and where will that ‘unsuitable traffic’ now be going?
Why is it that it appears that Marvin is on a mission to build more houses at the expense of the negative impact it will have on 1000’s of local people?
Why was I told at the Stockwood Library information session, that there will be no CPO’s on Whitchurch Lane and yet Marvin said that he cannot rule them out during the Whitchurch visit?
What other groups local residents are you working with?
What have the transport planners confirmed that can be done on Whitchurch Lane?
Question: Why does Marvin always quote the homeless and waiting figures when justifying the need for new homes?
My concern is that the majority of new homes being built will be going to ‘outsiders’ or relatively wealthy people.
How many people have been directly or indirectly taken off of the waiting list or out of temporary accommodation since 2016?
Why is BCC still using the definition of ‘affordable housing’ i.e. Affordable rent is no more than 80 per cent of the local market rent.
Why not use a definition that is fit for purpose when thinking about affordable housing?
Why is the council more concerned about building homes for people moving to the area rather than focusing on building homes for the local Bristol people who have a true NEED for them?
What research is being done to establish why the people on the waiting lists and in temporary accommodation? i.e. What are the root causes?
What is being done about the root causes of homelessness?
I also mentioned that, I and very many others are getting a little fed up of hearing the same responses to my genuine concerns:
- Change is coming
- We must prepare
- More houses are needed
- Pollution must be reduced
- Congestion must be addressed
- Etc etc etc
I suggested that the council ‘truly’ engages with the residents to really ‘work with’ them. There are very many of us who genuinely care and want to ensure that Bristol is a safe and pleasant place to live and work now and in the future.
It has been a busy morning. I have also been emailing WECA to ask:
Why are funds being applied for when many of the components can quite easily be disregarded before they have even been properly considered?
NB I understand that all of the documents that have been released are draft consultation documents that are inviting public to comment on. The comments have not yet even been analysed. They are not the final documents - the final documents will take on all of the responses received and be edited accordingly.
Lots of questions…..I am looking forward to lots of answers… watch this space!
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