Kingsdown Conservation Group

Yet again, Santa Claus picked Kingsdown for the first stop on his world-wide present-delivery round because there were no naughty children in the area. In defiance of all health and safety rules, he landed on the roof of 12, Kingsdown Parade with a large sledge and a full team of reindeer. After listening to the traditional carols, sung by a crowd of fairly merry local residents, he lowered his sack of presents before flying back off to Lapland.

Mr Claus said “I’ve been coming here for 25 years now, and all that time people have been telling me there will soon be a Residents’ Parking Scheme but nothing seems to happen so I just stick the sledge on the roof and hope for the best. Maye next year……?”. Don’t count on it, Santa.

More photos of the carol-singing here

Thanks to Annie Yerbury for the following:

I have just walked home passing Senate House.  To my surprise I found a small Farmers Market on the pavement outside of Senate House and the University Gym, selling wonderful cheese, meat, preserves, pies etc

I had no idea this existed.

It takes place on the second Tuesday of every month from 9.30 till 2pm ish.  It has been running for all of this year without any publicity, the market sellers would really appreciate some more custom.  As it is so near I do hope we can all pop along and help to keep them busy.

I bought some wonderful goat’s cheese and can’t wait to eat it!

Happy Christmas to everyone
Annie Yerbury

Vicky Wright from St Matthew’s writes to us as follows:

Get Creative this Christmas!

Saturday 12th December – drop in between 9.30-12.30

Craft Activities and Festive Refreshments

Take home inspiration and whatever you make!

Adults £5  Children £2

Vicky Wright
Community Minister
stmatthews-bristol.org.uk

vicky.wright@bristol.anglican.org
07760 166113

University Hospitals Bristol

KCG has written to UHB and to the Planning Department about its concerns

Bedford Steps (They join Horfield Road to Terrell Street)

The Closure Order is expired. UHB must reopen the Steps and make good the damage that its contractors caused when they lifted the paved footpath. The 2 metre tall security fence onto Horfield Road must be removed.

Horfield Road barrier

In April 2007, UHB fenced off the garden that it had maintained for 20 years. UHB closed the garden because it wants to sell the site for development. The barriers, after two and half years, are to all intents permanent. UHB has new plans for the site but KCG wants the barrier removed because they degrade the street.

Southwell Street

UHB blocks the Street with a barrier and chain, which forces pedestrians and cyclists through the narrow gap at the side next to the car park exit. The hospital car park entrance so narrows the south pavement that pedestrians prefer to walk in the road. At times the Street is full of pedestrians. KCG has asked the City:

1. Can UHB block the whole of one pavement with parked cars?

2. Has UHB legal authority to block Southwell Street?

3. If UHB can block the street, shouldn’t it install retractable columns? The barriers (there are two) are ugly, they degrade the street and spoil the appearance of the splendidly remodelled Boiler House.

Alfred Hill

Congratulations to UHB for installing traditional, box-type lamp posts at the bottom of Alfred Hill above the new steps into Cottage Place.

Congratulations to Bristol Water for restoring the setts so neatly after the replacement of the water main.

The next committee meeting will be on Tuesday the 5^th January. If you wish to meet the committee or bring any matters to their attention, please contact the secretary@Kingsdown.org.uk.

The Moving Story of Kingsdown is now a book! There is a copy in the pub (the Kingsdown Wine Vaults opposite the noticeboard) if you want to have a look and you can buy one if you’re quick.

If there are none left in the pub you can buy one online.

The local police have been refreshing their website, and you can now find mugshots and contact details for all the local team, plus news, maps of crimes, details of the regular PACT meetings, how to sign up for the local newsletter, current local priorities (nuisance cycling, dog fouling, fly-tipping by students) and more.

Visit the Kingsdown police beat website.

Most KCG members will be aware that the City Council has produced several proposals over the last 20 years, variously referred to as Controlled Parking Zones, Resident’s Parking, Permit Parking, and no doubt several other designations. As the KCG membership was quite strongly divided on the principle of whether there should be some kind of parking scheme for Kingsdown, the Committee maintained a neutral stance on that specific point. However, once the Council decided that some kind of scheme would be introduced, the Committee felt that it was important to ensure that as many residents as possible were able to study, analyse and comment on the detail of the current proposals.

Several residents have been considering the Council’s latest suggestions, and the Committee has invited those known to it to make their thoughts available to a wider audience through the website. We do not wish to start, or encourage, campaigning, but we do want to promote balanced discussion so that residents can make an informed contribution to the more formal consultation which we understand is planned by the Council. We realise that to some extent we are taking a risk, as we do not have the resources to support an extended discussion or to edit contributions significantly. However, we are confident that contributors will maintain a balanced and tolerant approach. Anyone who is happy to supply their contact details is free to comment on the contributions via the ‘Comment’ facility below this item.

Here, then, are two contributions which we have received to date.

David Mellor (52 Kingsdown Parade): I am the contact for a group of Kingsdown residents – largely on Kingsdown Parade because KP is badly affected by current proposals.  The attached note sets out our position, our intention being to raise awareness and to work for a scheme which doesn’t seriously disadvantage some (particularly those on KP without garages).

David’s note can be downloaded here: David Mellor – Letter to residents 14.11.09.

Professor David Thomas, Chair of the Prior’s Close Residents’ Association, has also produced a discussion paper, which can be downloaded here: David Thomas – Kingsdown RPZ discussion doc

Here are the latest examples of KCG’s action on three longstanding issues that we thought you might like to be informed about. The files are all in the popular “pdf” format, so you will need Adobe Reader to open them. Note: the ‘Alison’ referred to is Alison Straw, who leads the Council’s Central Bristol Planning Team.

It’s never easy to know how much information to pass on to members and others about the Committee’s activities, so can we remind you to get in touch if you ever feel you’d like to know more about the things mentioned in the monthly summaries?

Horfield Road

Bedford Steps

Southwell Street