Here’s a copy of the newsletter distributed by the development team at Laing O’Rourke. It’s in pdf format.
As you’ll see, it has contact details for the people leading the consturction work.
The next one is due at the end of October, so if you have any questions or suggestions, do get in touch with Laing O’Rourke.
Trees
KCG is in process of attempting, with the City Council to replace the dead cherry in Saville Mews and to plant a red oak on the Prior Hill corner of Kingsdown Parade where, last winter, the City felled three moribund cherries. Unfortunately the replacement saplings all died.
New Members
Are you a member of your local Conservation Group? You can find KCG’s aims on its recently redesigned website www.kingsdownbristol.net. You will soon receive a letter to invite you to become a member. If you are already a member, please use the application form to invite a friend or neighbour to join our group.
Development in the rear gardens of 26 and 27 Somerset Street
The developer has withdrawn its application to build a block of 14 single bedroom flats with internal kitchens and bathrooms.
St. Paul’s Supplementary Planning Document
You can find a copy of this document on the City Council’s website www.bristol-city.gov.uk. The committee will prepare a response. The proposals in the SPD are vague.
Personalised travel planning for Clifton and Cotham
The details of this project that KCG has received from travelcc@sdgworld.net (Leila Beggin 07973 616246) are on the website.
Westmoreland House and the Carriage Works
City Council’s Cabinet had approved the compulsory purchase order for this long derelict eyesore. There have been news articles about the City Council’s long awaited action in the Evening Post and on BBC Bristol. After years of doing nothing, the buildings’ owners have submitted a pre-planning application, which will delay the process of redevelopment.
St. Michael’s Church
Welcome news , by Easy Runner has applied for planning permission to use the redundant Church for retail purposes. This should stop further decay to the building’s fabric. The committee will raise concerns about the maintenance of the churchyard and some of the interior fittings at the City Council’s Conservation Advisory Panel.
Photo archive
Visit Kingsdown’s photo-archive on the website. There a vast number of photographs past and present, from panoramas to details of exterior ironmongery.
Wheelie bins
Some neighbours have called a meeting at the Ark on the 25th September at 8.00 p.m. to discuss the problems caused by the City Council’s blanket introduction of wheelie bins. Houses in the Conservation Area will receive a letter to invite them to this meeting but everyone is welcome.
Next Meeting of the committee is at – 8.00 p.m. on the 4th October. If anyone has a matter of concern about Kingsdown to raise, please email the secretary at insideout73@blueyonder.co.uk.
You can find an information-sheet (in ‘pdf’ format) on this new City Council project, or you can ring Kai Paulden on 0117 985 8903 or mail him at kai.paulden@sdgworld.net
The City Council has approved the University’s Masterplan as a Supplementary Planning Document. KCG has appointed a sub-group to prepare KCG’s response to the City Council and to the University both in respect to the Supplementary Planning Document and the anticipated applications to develop each stage of the plan.
The City Council has refused the owner of permission to build in the front garden. Among other reasons to refuse permission is the grounds that new building should not be permitted in the front gardens on the north side of Kingsdown Parade. The full reasons for any refusal of planning permission can be found at www.bristol-city.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/Planning/publicaccess-for-planning.
Some neighbours have called a meeting at the Ark on the 25th September at 8:00pm to discuss the problems caused by the City Council’s blanket introduction of wheelie bins. Houses in the Conservation Area will receive a letter to invite them to this meeting but everyone is welcome.
Every house in the Conservation Area will shortly receive a letter to invite them to join Kingsdown Conservation Group. Kingsdown is a small Conservation Area. We depend on the talents and energy of neighbours. The committee does its best to tell everyone what is going on via the website and the notice boards. Additional pairs of hands are always needed. Do you have time to help? Do you have specialist knowledge? KCG attempts to respond to matters that concern the area. The plans of the University and the Hospital affect us all. We would like to be more pro-active. Do you have ideas? Are you available to help with working parties organised to maintain Montague Green or improve Spring Hill? Please join KCG and volunteer.
The next meeting will be at 8:00pm on 7th September at 43, Kingsdown Parade.
If anyone has a matter of concern about Kingsdown to raise, please email the secretary at insideout73@blueyonder.co.uk.
Present: Andy King (chairman), Mary Wright, Jeremy Newick (minutes),
Bridget Parker, Malcolm Parker, Nick Kidwell, Chris Jones, Tony Kerr Apology: John Frenkel
We discussed plans for a membership drive and a survey to gauge residents’ views and priorities in the late summer.
Launderette. The proposed change of use to two flats had been refused by the Planning Committee, though the owner might appeal. It would be very useful if a potential shop-operator could be found. Future protection for the shops would be stronger if they were specified in the Local Plan as a ‘Local Centre’ so we will pursue this with the Council.
Application 06/00457/F/C, 25 Kingsdown Parade: KCG had written to object, as had individual members.
Kingsdown Wine Vaults: Noise problems are still being experienced, and should be reported to Mark Curtis, Senior Environmental Health Officer, Pollution Control, Brunel House, BS1 5UY, 922 3256 or e-mail: pollution_control@bristol-city-gov.uk
Proposed closure to through traffic of Alfred Hill: Local residents are undertaking a questionnaire survey of views on possible solutions to their access problems.
Prior’s Hill Fort Flats: Two hawthorns and a whitebeam had been planted.
Replacement lavender bushes on Montague Green: It was thought that the Secretary might be able to pursue the matter.
Unsightly City Council houses and forecourts on the Parade. No reply had yet been received, so this would be followed up.
Mobile Phone Mast – Application 06/01096/F/N, Junction of Cotham Road and Cotham Road South: installation of a 15m pole and 2 equipment cabinets. A letter of objection would be sent.
Application 06/01336/F/X, 146 St Michael’s Hill: demolition of extension and its replacement, alterations to shopfront: JN to peruse and act accordingly.
Conservation Area Character Appraisal: TK, NK & JN would read EH papers and discuss.
“Welcome pack” MW showed the committee an excellent leaflet she had produced on the history of Montpelier. Should such a leaflet be prepared for Kingsdown and, if so, should it be part of a newsletter and put on the KCG website?
Residents’ Parking: It was reported that the city was to employ an outside consultant to consider the prospect of Controlled Parking Zones across the city.
Next meeting: Tuesday June 6th 2006. Agenda items to Helen Phillips at 73 K Parade.
The City Counil have refused permission for a 49ft mobile phone mast to be erected at the junction of Cotham Rd and Cotham Rd South. The reasons were that it would damage a sycamore tree and would be an ‘incongruous, alien and visually intrusive’ feature of the streetscene and would spoil the setting of neighbouring listed buildings.
The applicant does have the right of appeal (which, of course, communities don’t but this time we don’t need to).
Good news indeed and well done the City Council.
On Tuesday last, the Council’s Central Area Development Control committee overruled their officers’ recommendation and instead supported the arguments put forward by KCG. We said that if they allowed the launderette to be converted into yet more flats, it would remove a valuable local facility and lead to a domino effect on the other shops (which would obviously be worth more as flats). We also said that it was wrong for the Council simply to accept an owner’s assurances that a business wasn’t viable, when the Council’s own policies on shops (which we feel should be applied to the launderette) say “Where it can be demonstrated that there is no demand for the site or building, taking into account how it has been marketed, for how long, and on what terms, other financial and professional or service uses will be sought.”
However, this isn’t the end of the story. We have talked to the owner, who assures us that the business really is losing money consistently and he will be forced to close it in the next few weeks anyway. He thinks it will be hard for any other business on the site to make money, though of course we think the Council’s policy on shops should still apply and efforts should be made to find a replacement.
The owner may well, of course, appeal against the Council’s decision, but whether he does or not we would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has ideas or proposals or how a successful business could be run on the site. Please let us know through our secretary, Helen Phillips at 73 Kingsdown Parade 942 2922
Former Johnsons’ Shop: We will carry on pressing the Council to secure the measures set out in the Case Officer’s letter.
Website: Peter Ferne has set up a new ‘blog’ format. TK to transfer content from the old site and set up a ‘Yahoo’ group for internal use.
AGM: Around 40 people attended, no doubt prompted by Naomi’s excellent flyer. Mary Wright’s talk on Stokes’ Croft had been very well received.
We still need to communicate more actively with members and residents; two new noticeboard sites are to be investigated, as well as a drive to increase our membership (currently 105) and consult on current key issues
25 Kingsdown Parade: Application 06/00457/F/C: to build a new house in the garden. There should also have been a listed building application. Agreed to object as the application conflicts with the Kingsdown Conservation Area Enhancement Statement (part of the Bristol Local Plan) “Traditional gardens and their means of enclosure are an integral part of the special character of this Conservation Area. Further loss will be discouraged … .” The proposed design also raised several other problems.
Kingsdown Wine Vaults: A resident had complained to the City Council Noise Control unit, who had identified excessive noise and was taking action.
15 Kingsdown Parade: in poor repair and apparently in danger of partial collapse. Various options for future action were considered.
70 Kingsdown Parade: Seems to have been divided into flats without appropriate consents. To be pursued with City Council.
NT has a KCG archive at Alfred Harris. Dr Skuse has the late Amy Geaney’s file. MW would chase up the latter. Evidently John Betjeman had written a letter of support or comment to The Times; what is known of it?
UBHT: We looked at the plans for Cardiothoracic Centre and decided not to comment. UBHT does not intend to fell trees off Marlborough Hill, but concerns have already been put forward by local residents and the situation will need watching. The proposal to close Alfred Hill to traffic will cause difficulties and the committee would support a proposal for continued vehicular access to Marlborough Hill via Alfred Hill.
New applications: 06/01067/LA/C, 36 Somerset Street/12-14 Dove Street: The proposed demolition and reconstruction of the boundary wall. No comment to be made. 06/00974/F/C, 11 Cotham Road South: Revised roof and internal layout. No comment to be made.
Trees at Prior’s Hill Flats: The Council has acquired a red oak for planting. Other sites were also suggested, below where Spring Hill crosses Dove Street; and two members are to visit the site.
The missing lavender bushes on Montague Green should be replaced.
We also agreed to pursue the unsightly condition of City Council houses, and their forecourts, on the Parade.
Next meeting: Tuesday May 2nd 2006, 12B Kingsdown Parade. Items to Helen Phillips, secretary – 73 Kingsdown Parade – 942 2922
A group of Kingsdown residents met Councillor Mark Wright recently to discuss the perennial (and worsening) problem of parking. We understand that the City Council intends to engage a consultant to advise on a residents’ parking scheme, but we do not yet know if this has been formally decided, not what the consultant’s brief might be. However, we want to make sure that any proposals take full account of local needs and that there is detailed discussion with residents. If you would like to help this group, or just to give them your views, please contact us using the link on the right and we will pass your message on.
You can find the draft notes of the AGM over to the right, togehter with the Annaul Report for 2005 (which you can also download in Word format).