for community park groups in Bristol
The following have information on Growth & Infrastructure Bill which received Royal Assent on 25 April 2013. This Bill prevents land from being registered as a Town or Village Green where an application for planning permission has been made, or the land has been allocated for development.
Growth and Infrastructure Bill – Summary on Open Spaces Society website
Growth and Infrastructure Bill details on Parliament.UK
Second reading of Growth and Infrastructure Bill November 2012
On 4 July 2012, the Council Cabinet agreed that £3.5 million be made available to invest into Parks and Green Spaces citywide. This investment will contribute towards meeting the policies and aspirations of the Parks and Green Space Strategy. As part of this funding stream we will see a further 24 additional Children’s play areas being improved within our parks and green spaces.
In total, 47 projects across all Neighbourhood Partnership areas were put forward to cabinet for approval. Some of these projects were funded wholly through the Capital Stimulus funding, while others were required to be match funded from the Neighbourhood Partnership devolved S106 funding.
Work is now in prgress to confirm S106 funding, finalise the designs of these projects and let contracts as necessary. Work will begin on the ground soon.
The documents below which were prepared for the BPF give the latest updates.
Capital Investment in Parks, Update Jan 2013
Capital Investment in Parks, programme update Jan 2013
In 2011 Defra carried out a consultation on Town Greens. Bristol Parks Forum responded to the consultation.
The summary of responses were then published by Defra in November 2012.
Defra Town Green Consultation, Summary of responses – 14th November 2012
BPF Response to Defra Town Green Consultation – agreed 15th October 2011
Defra Consultation on Town & Village Green Applications (closed on 17 October 2011)
The election of George Ferguson as City Mayor on 15th November marked a huge change in the way the Council is run.
Mayor’s Views on Parks & Green Spaces
The BPF submitted questions to the mayoral candidates to establish their views on parks and green spaces.
Reply from George Ferguson – Received 4 October 2012
Candidates’ Views on Trees in Bristol
Mayoral Candidates responses to Bristol Tree Forum Questions
During 2011 and 2012 the Council’s Public Rights of Way and Greens (PROWG) committee reviewed the procedure for deciding Town & Village Green applications.
Bristol Parks Forum made statements to the committee as part of the review and the committee accepted some of our suggestions.
The links below show the statements submitted and the reports which include detasils of the agreed procedure.
Report to PROWG, final BCC Town Green Procedure following consultation – June 2012
Minutes of PROWG meeting – 20 February 2012
BPF Statement to PROWG meeting – 20 February 2012
Report to PROWG, revised BCC Town Green Procedure following consultation – February 2012
BPF Response to BCC Town Green Consultation – December 2011
BPF Committee Statement to Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee Meeting 18 April 2011
Details of Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee Meeting 18 April 2011
Bristol City Council is consulting on a Knowle West Regeneration Framework to guide the planned regeneration in Knowle West. This regeneration will impact on several parks and green spaces in the area.
More information at www.northern-slopes-initiative.co.uk
Knowle West Community Website – www.knowlewest.co.uk
Council’s webpage for Knowle West Regeneration Framework
Proposed options for the Kingswear/Novers/Marksbury Road Masterplan
Presentation to BPF meeting 21 April 2012 by Len, NSI
The links below have information about this applcation, following the outcome of the Judicial review the application for the northern part of the site will be refered back to the inspector.
BCC Press Release on Judicial Review 4 May 2012
Ashton Vale Report by Jan Ormondroyd, Chief Executive, BCC for PRW&G Committee Meeting 16 June 2011
Ashton Vale Applicants’ Submission dated 30 Nov 2011 (posted on bristol.indymedia.org)
BCC webpage with links to Ashton Vale Town Green Inspector’s Report
Bristol Development Framework (BDF) – The BDF will set planning policy in Bristol until 2026.
Bristol City Council Webpage with links to all BDF documents – www.bristol.gov.uk/bdf
Bristol Development Framework update for Bristol Parks Forum 21 April 2012
The following links have information on the rejection of the application for a Town Green for Filwood Park.
Filwood – Inspector’s second report
Evening Post report on rejection of Filwood Park application
Alison gave a presentation on this issue to the BPF meeting in January 2011. At Redland Green steps have been rebuilt to ‘DDA standards’ but without any consideration for the visual impact and without proper consideration as to whether they were needed. Since the work (as with most work in parks by the council) did not need planning permission there had been no opportunity for residents to have a say in the design.
Following a meeting with Bristol Parks we have agreed a procedure will be put in place so that any new works proposed in parks and green spaces will only happen after proper consultation with Park Groups. This will include works undertaken by other parts of the Council such as the Cycling City team or highways for example.
While law says that the needs of everyone including the disabled should be considered in any project it is important to realise that there is no law that says that steps or ramps have to be built to a particular standard. Work has to include measures that will improve access to the extent that they are are reasonable in the circumstances. Appearance and cost are factors that can be taken into account in deciding what is reasonable.
Alison’s paper prepared for the BPF meeting can be seen here.
More information on disabled access and the BCC ‘Environmental Access Standards’ are on the BCC website.
‘By all reasonable means; inclusive access to the outdoors for Disabled people’ can be found on the Natural England website.