No but no but yes but....

Great story over at the Bristol Blogger about the council's secret sell-off of bits of the railway path to property developers Squarepeg. The Freedom of Information documents are an object lesson for would-be property moguls. Want to get your mitts on some public land? If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again.

Knocked back once? Put in another request. Still foiled by pesky council officers wanting to protect an important wildlife site/keep their options open for BRT (delete as applicable)? Nil desperandum! Get a self-important red-trousered architect to go right to the top, then get your laywers to inform said hapless bureaucrats that the sale is in fact going ahead.

Sorted.

New kids on the block

Two new blogs from stalwart Bristol Greens:

Stockwood Pete, from Peter Goodwin (who has a splash on the Temple Meads transport hub in the Evening Post this very day), and Rosso-Verde, by Nick Foster, St. George West candidate.

Both have a shaming (for me) feature on the blogrolls where the most neglected blogs sink to the bottom. If that's not an incentive to post more, I don't know what is...

Trams not jams

Bristol City Council and the West of England Partnership Arse Things Up (Again)

See also: Buses Down the Railway Path, 'Cycling City' status

Coming soon: Congestion charge

So, the consultation for the South Bristol Ring Road commences. Clearly inspired by all the M32 has done for Easton and St. Pauls, it will cut through Hartcliffe, Highridge and Bishopsworth. As a sop, the WOE are offering a Bus Rapid Transport route which will serve the houses due to be built on greenbelt land between Long Ashton and Dundry. (Shades of the "Railway Path BRT" to Emersons Green.) Whoopee!

The Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance think the money should be spent on a tram system instead. If you agree with this eminently sensible proposal, please sign their petition here.

Just A Worker Waiting In The Pouring Rain

The dearth of cycling facilities at Cabot Circus has already been noted, but what about pedestrians? Even in Bristol, you might think that walking around a shopping area should be pretty straightforward. In fact anyone walking from the 'Circus' (the middle-market bit) to Quakers Friars (the posh bit) or towards Broadmead has no choice but to cast themselves into a neverending stream of traffic. No zebra crossings, no lights, nothing, nada, nichts.

The crossing point (such as it is) from the Circus* to Quakers Friars is particularly dangerous, as traffic backs up from the lights by Harvey Nicks. It's just a matter of time before a pedestrian dodging through the traffic gets broadsided by a bike or motorcycle coming up the other side.


*As I walked around Cabot Circus, Erasure's excellent 'The Circus' (YouTube) started up unbidden on my internal jukebox. The lyrics seemed rather apt, so in true Kerry McCarthy style I'll be cannibilising them for post titles on this lofty subject. Although with apologies to Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, perhaps this one should be 'Just A Walker Waiting In The Pouring Rain'.

Cabot circus: special commemorative quiz

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.

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.

Hedge fund

There is a nice explanation of the threatened piece of railway path and why it matters here:

http://thestoryofahedge.blogspot.com/