Kingsdown Conservation Group

Date of meeting — 7.30 p.m. on Thursday the 18^th March 2010 at the Ark, Cotham Road South.

Andy King chaired the meeting. About 50 residents attended, but someone accidentally removed the attendance list and did not return it.

Minutes of the 2009 general meeting had been approved at the April 2009 committee meeting.

Annual report 2009–10 — John Frenkel summarised the annual report of the last year’s business, which was available at the meeting and posted on the KCG website and on the noticeboards. The meeting adopted the report.

The treasurer’s report — Pauline Allen presented the Group’s accounts for the year, which the meeting adopted. Capital payments this year will be provided to support the installation of more box lanterns.

Membership — About 95 households are members.

The 2010/11 committee — The meeting elected the officers and the committee who will be Pauline Allen (treasurer), John Frenkel (secretary), Nick Kidwell, Andy King, Jeremy Newick (Conservation Advisory Panel representative), Helen Phillips, Nigel Tasker, Wendy Tomlinson and Mary Wright. Tony Kerr promised to continue to maintain the website with Pete Ferne. Bridget and Malcolm Parker have agreed to continue as membership secretaries. Committee Members’ details appear on the KCG website, www.kingsdown.org.uk.

The committee emphasise that any member who wishes to come to a committee meeting is welcome. The Group needs more committee members to share the work.

The meeting noted that on the 25^th March 2010 the Council’s Cabinet will decide whether the Kingsdown Residents’ Parking Scheme will proceed.

The formal meeting then closed to be followed by a presentations first from Craig Bennett from CODA, the architects to UHB about the new Terrell wards and then by Councillor Mark Wright about the devolution of part of the Council’s budget to Neighbourhood Partnerships.

Andy and Lucy King very kindly provided wine and soft drinks for members.

Here’s an extract from the latest HomeGrown newsletter. If you want to join the HomeGrown email group, then just send an email to

kingsdownhomegrown+subscribe@googlegroups.com

The preparations for this year’s HomeGrown (on September 11th) start on Saturday 17th April with another ‘Bee Day’

Thanks to Ruth Rimmer for this link to the BBC website.

Graham Syrett from neighbourhood Watch writes:

Could I please remind you  that there will be a Kingsdown Neighbourhood Police Meeting at The Centre for the Deaf, King Square, Kingsdown at 6:30pm on Thursday 25 March 2010.

As I indicated previously, this meeting will be similar to our old style local PACT meetings but will be primarily for discussing local police/crime/concerns and issues.

University Hospitals Bristol are holding a drop-in session on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 2.00 pm – 8.00 pm at the Ark Cotham Road South, Kingsdown BS6 5TZ

The purpose is to display the drawings and seek opinions, prior to Planning Application Submission on 6 April 2010

You can download the drawings here: UHB Poster – Public Consultation 300310

There will also be a presentation at the KCG AGM this Thursday, 18th March, which starts at 730

At The Ark, Horfield Road/St Matthewʼs Road

There will be a presentation by University Hospitals Bristol about the Terrell Street Wards Development & Councillor Mark Wright explaining the future of Neighbourhood Parnerships

All are welcome. So please join us; meet your neighbours; have a glass of wine; talk over local issues and find out whatʼs going on. You can find more details on one of the four local noticeboards.

The hospital authorities are developing a new scheme for building on the land at the west (city centre) end of Kingsdown Parade. The previous scheme was withdrawn after we objected, and this time the hospital let us know of their plans before their formal application for planning permission.

KCG does not oppose the idea of developing the site, but we still think the current proposal would put too many houses there and we are unhappy about some aspects of the proposed design. We also want a planning condition to ensure that the house at the very top of Marlborough Hill, on the western side, is not destroyed as it is one of the very oldest in the area.

You can read KCG’s full response to the architect here, in Word format: Preapp response.

On Tuesday the 2^nd March, at 7.00 p.m. there is a Neighbourhood Forum for the Cabot and Clifton Neighbourhood Partnership at the Pavilion Harbourside.

The Council has divided Bristol into 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships. Kingsdown is part of the Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Wards Neighbourhood Partnership; that is 27,000 people.

In April this year, the Council says that it will devolve £11m to the 16 Neighbourhood Partnerships to give local people more say in how their money is spent.

The principal idea is to give residents a greater say in their area in how thee Council delivers its services in their area. The Council hopes that it will benefit from local knowledge to meet local needs more effectively and effectively.

Some councils have had Neighbourhood Partnerships for years. Leeds has 10 year’s experience, Bradford 20 and Newcastle, over 30.

The Neighbourhood Partnership’s councillors will decide how to spend the Partnership’s share of the devolved budget, informed by the local community.

Phase 1 of the devolved services includes budgets for highway maintenance, street cleaning and mini-recycling sites, small traffic schemes, parks and green spaces and a sum for projects specific to the Partnership.

The March meeting will be chaired by Councillor Barbara Janke; our two ward councillors, Mark Wright and Alex Woodman will be there.

Thursday the 18^th March, is the date of Kingsdown Conservation Group’s annual general meeting. It will start at 7.30 p.m. in the upper room in the Ark, Cotham Road South. The committee will distribute AGM notices nearer the date.

The next committee meeting will be on Thursday the 4th March. If you wish to meet the committee or bring any matters to their attention, please contact the secretary@kingsdown.org.uk.