For those of you who haven't yet had the privilege of visiting Cabot Circus, I think it's only fair to give you a idea of what to expect. Simply answer one simple question, and enlightenment will be yours.
Which of the following statements do you most identify with?
a. When I heard they were opening an Apple Shop in Bristol city centre, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck.
b. I am a 19 year old art student with a trust fund, but I can't find my way to Urban Outfitters on Oxford Street.
c. I can't wait to queue outside Patisserie Valerie to spend £7 on coffee and cake, just like in London Town.
d. I am Mike Norton, editor of the Evening Post.
e. None of the above.
Answered a, b, c or d? Congratulations, Cabot Circus will rock your world.
Answered e? You may find yourself underwhelmed and/or reminded of Reading city centre.
Monday, 29 September 2008
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Cry 'God For Harry, England and St. George!'
The near-collapse of global capitalism, the near-collapse of Gordon Brown, the opening of some shops in Bristol city centre: there's a lot going on at the moment. So I'll let you off if you're not yet up to speed with the St. George West byelection.
Sadly, Labour councillor John Deasy died suddenly last month. There will now be a contest to fill the vacant seat.
St. George West is easily the most underrated area of the city. In fact, it's a miracle that it hasn't already been overrun by members of the National Trust/National Childbirth Trust (delete as applicable). As the election approaches, I'll be bringing you some of the highlights of what you'll soon be calling the 'Poor Man's St. Andrews'.
Plus, the inside story of the election, featuring imploding Tories, 'local boys' from Chippenham, and much much more.
Polling day is October 9, and the Green Party candidate is the excellent Nick Foster.
Sadly, Labour councillor John Deasy died suddenly last month. There will now be a contest to fill the vacant seat.
St. George West is easily the most underrated area of the city. In fact, it's a miracle that it hasn't already been overrun by members of the National Trust/National Childbirth Trust (delete as applicable). As the election approaches, I'll be bringing you some of the highlights of what you'll soon be calling the 'Poor Man's St. Andrews'.
Plus, the inside story of the election, featuring imploding Tories, 'local boys' from Chippenham, and much much more.
Polling day is October 9, and the Green Party candidate is the excellent Nick Foster.
Hedge fund
There is a nice explanation of the threatened piece of railway path and why it matters here:
http://thestoryofahedge.blogspot.com/
http://thestoryofahedge.blogspot.com/
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Squarepeg in a round hole
According to the 'Transportation Assessment' submitted with Squarepeg's Chocolate Factory application, the site is 'a unique opportunity to [sic] a development that is highly sustainable in transport terms'.
In fact, Greenbank is something far from 'unique' in Bristol: a transport black hole.
Yes, the cycle path runs past the site, but many people won't use it after dark, ruling it out for winter commutes.
Local buses are poor, and Stapleton Road train station is a bracing 10-15 minutes away. To describe the Severn Beach Line trains as 'frequent' (as the 'Transportation Assessment' does) is being somewhat frugal with the truth.
Faced with these options, most people are going to drive, making a bad local traffic situation worse. Royate Hill is prone to horrible snarl ups and the M32 clogged with commuters and Ikea shoppers.
Is it too much to ask for an honest assessment, rather than the usual meaningless hype about 'unique opportunities' and 'sustainability'?
There are good arguments for developing the chocolate factory site, but Squarepeg's 'greener than thou' bullshit makes me long to hand it over to crazed Easton hippies for intensive lentil farming.
For what it's worth, I'd like to see a development which leaves the railway path well alone, is as close to carbon neutral as possible, rewards car-free living, and provides larger properties for families and flat-sharers, not sterile one-bed bolt holes.
But given this is Bristol, not Freiburg or Rotterdam, that probably ain't going to happen.
In fact, Greenbank is something far from 'unique' in Bristol: a transport black hole.
Yes, the cycle path runs past the site, but many people won't use it after dark, ruling it out for winter commutes.
Local buses are poor, and Stapleton Road train station is a bracing 10-15 minutes away. To describe the Severn Beach Line trains as 'frequent' (as the 'Transportation Assessment' does) is being somewhat frugal with the truth.
Faced with these options, most people are going to drive, making a bad local traffic situation worse. Royate Hill is prone to horrible snarl ups and the M32 clogged with commuters and Ikea shoppers.
Is it too much to ask for an honest assessment, rather than the usual meaningless hype about 'unique opportunities' and 'sustainability'?
There are good arguments for developing the chocolate factory site, but Squarepeg's 'greener than thou' bullshit makes me long to hand it over to crazed Easton hippies for intensive lentil farming.
For what it's worth, I'd like to see a development which leaves the railway path well alone, is as close to carbon neutral as possible, rewards car-free living, and provides larger properties for families and flat-sharers, not sterile one-bed bolt holes.
But given this is Bristol, not Freiburg or Rotterdam, that probably ain't going to happen.
Friday, 19 September 2008
Ain't nothing going on but the rent
[Shuffles back in, looking embarrassed.]
Luckily for the state of the nation, some bloggers have actually got the hang of this regular posting lark. Chris Hutt on the Green Bristol Blog in particular has turned up some very interesting information on the Squarepeg plans for the Elizabeth Shaw Factory, including the fact that what planners designated a wildlife reserve in 2000 is now likely to be built on without so much as even an Environmental Impact Assessment.
But hark! Here's local MP Kerry McCarthy, to defend the plans: apparently Squarepeg are the thinking woman's solution to the housing crisis:
"how else would you suggest we find space for homes for the 19,000 people on the council waiting list? Obviously brownfield sites must be the priority, but it's not the entire solution. I'm also concerned about the number of houses being turned into flats, with associated problems re parking, and often anti-social behaviour from the people who rent them. We need family homes - but they've got to be built somewhere."
Kerry, Kerry, Kerry. Where to start? Have you discussed your plans to fill the development with council tenants with George Ferguson? And why the assumption that the development is going to provide 'family homes'? (An assumption which I suspect is shared by many of the development's supporters in Greenbank.) For all the prominence of the 'cycle homes' in Squarepeg's charm offensive, of the 252 planned dwellings, only 52 will have three or more bedrooms - as against 122 one-bed and 78 two-bed flats.
Let's be absolutely clear - almost 80% of the housing in this development will be nasty investment properties of the kind that have "created a buy-to-let desert and a huge waiting list for family housing in the city" (the Bristol Blogger on the same thread).
More rib-tickling creativity with the truth is to be found in the planning application's Transportation Assessment, of which more anon.
Luckily for the state of the nation, some bloggers have actually got the hang of this regular posting lark. Chris Hutt on the Green Bristol Blog in particular has turned up some very interesting information on the Squarepeg plans for the Elizabeth Shaw Factory, including the fact that what planners designated a wildlife reserve in 2000 is now likely to be built on without so much as even an Environmental Impact Assessment.
But hark! Here's local MP Kerry McCarthy, to defend the plans: apparently Squarepeg are the thinking woman's solution to the housing crisis:
"how else would you suggest we find space for homes for the 19,000 people on the council waiting list? Obviously brownfield sites must be the priority, but it's not the entire solution. I'm also concerned about the number of houses being turned into flats, with associated problems re parking, and often anti-social behaviour from the people who rent them. We need family homes - but they've got to be built somewhere."
Kerry, Kerry, Kerry. Where to start? Have you discussed your plans to fill the development with council tenants with George Ferguson? And why the assumption that the development is going to provide 'family homes'? (An assumption which I suspect is shared by many of the development's supporters in Greenbank.) For all the prominence of the 'cycle homes' in Squarepeg's charm offensive, of the 252 planned dwellings, only 52 will have three or more bedrooms - as against 122 one-bed and 78 two-bed flats.
Let's be absolutely clear - almost 80% of the housing in this development will be nasty investment properties of the kind that have "created a buy-to-let desert and a huge waiting list for family housing in the city" (the Bristol Blogger on the same thread).
More rib-tickling creativity with the truth is to be found in the planning application's Transportation Assessment, of which more anon.
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