Neighbourhood Partnership news

Although there is a more than a four-month gap between the Neighbourhood Partnership meetings in June and October, this is no “summer recess” as experienced by our MP’s. In July we were given the first details of the funding available under the banner of Green Capital 15....

and the Partnerships are expected to implement these within the next two or three months: I attended a seminar in August about the Neighbourhood Plans we are all expected to produce (fully costed ,of course) by the end of 2014 (and ideally sooner); and by the end of September there will have been two “informal” meetings of the Partnership to get our heads around the new business and to review our constitution.

As a Partnership, we have been given £10,000 to spend on helping to create a happier, healthier city as part of the Green Capital 15 programme. So we are looking for projects which have a lasting impact on our community and can show long term sustainability ie would not require further grant funding in the future. The key themes are energy, resources, transport, nature and food, though related topics may be considered. In addition, as children are our future, we would also be interested in projects that encourage young people to get involved in sustainability and green issues. The closing date for applications is Thursday 13^th November 2014 .We have also arranged to hold a workshop for potential grant applicants on Wednesday 8th October, 7.30pm-9.30pm, Redland Park URC meeting rooms. More information and the application forms can be found on the BCC website here

On June 23rd the Partnership allocated a total of £9,103 from the Wellbeing Fund to local projects. These were:

Ardagh Toddlers Group – £400 for educational play equipment and non-slip floor covering

Cotham Co-operative Academy - £1,000 towards the cost of students making a film about living in our area

Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge  FoDAG - £338 towards the cost of printing the leaflets for the public about the events on the Downs in 2014

Friends of Horfield Common Friends of Horfield Common - £1835 toward public events on Horfield Common this spring and summer and the installation of 6 bicycle stands

Bishopston Cotham and Redland Neighbourhood Partnership Street Scene - £3,000 for 2014/5 for supporting volunteers in their efforts to remove graffiti and generally improve our streetscene and for any professional work needed to supplement voluntary action

Unique Voice - £2,530 for 18 drop-in play session for mainly under 12’s in our three parks (Horfield Common, St. Andrews and Redland Green) over the summer school holidays.

Many of us will have benefited from at least one of these activities, but in addition they bring members of the community together as volunteers to make these happen. It is surely this network of voluntary activity which keeps this city vibrant and offers us a better urban experience.

The next tranche of projects to be funded through the Wellbeing Fund will be decided at the next neighbourhood Partnership meeting on October 20th. There is still over £20,000 to be allocated.

Earlier this year, the Neighbourhood Partnership set up a fund to cover the cost of replacing street trees which had been removed or which had died. If Individuals or groups of people could find £199 per tree, the Partnership would add double the amount to cover the cost of tree replacement. Under this scheme about 25 trees will be replaced in the Bishopston, Cotham and Redland wards, so look out for them from November (the planting season). The most local ones will be in Clare Avenue, Berkeley Rd, Broadway Rd, Egerton Rd and Cornwall Rd. Some have been paid for by individual residents; five have been paid for through the money raised at the Bishopston Open Gardens event in June this year. Bev Knott is the tree Champion for the Bishopston ward – contact him here if you notice a street tree is looking sickly or if you spot new sites for trees. He cannot work wonders overnight but would pursue a legitimate concern on your behalf.

The tree fund has been fully allocated, but it is very likely that there will be another fund in 2015 which would subsidise local people’s fundraising efforts to get more trees planted. Get in touch with Bev Knott if you see an old tree stump where you would like to sponsor a replacement, or if you spot a recently tarmacked tree pit where there was once a tree.

Friends of Horfield Common have put together a tree planting plan which has been agreed by the Council. They have been raising money from various sources to top up the original Council funding in order to plant 63 new trees. A decision will, be made at the October Neighbourhood Partnership meeting as to whether the Partnership should also make a contribution.

Jenny Hoadley

Bishopston Society rep

DATES OF THE PUBLIC FORUMS September 2014-March 2015

These are public meetings open to all local residents. Check the website for the venue:

 here OR ring Andrew Mcgrath, Co-ordinator (0117 9036898)

DATES FOR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIP

MEETINGS 2014-15

These are public meetings open to all local residents at 7pm. If possible have a look at the agenda and reports beforehand on the Council website (see above for the web address) and check the venue.

Monday 20^th October 2014

Monday January 19^th 2015

Monday March 23^rd 2015