Quarterly meeting agenda April 10th 2014
We have invited Patrick Dempsey from UWE to speak to us about the future of High Street Retail. Those of you who attended the UWE/NPN event in summer 2012, or the BCS/NPN planning course last spring, 2013 will know that Patrick is a very interesting speaker and, as many NPN groups are trying to work out how to support their local high streets or encourage retail development in their Neighbourhood Development Plan, this should be of interest to many groups.
Clive Stevens from Bristol Tree Forum will be setting out how we can protect and increase green infrastructure assets in our areas using current planning policies.
We will also be finding out how the council restructuring will affect the Planning Department.
Quarterly meeting 30 January 2014
Notes are now uploaded to website, but we are still awaiting the presentations from Andy Gibbins.
Annual meeting: 7th June 2014
Please put Saturday June 7th in your diary and let us know what topics you would like to see. We have already had a suggestion that we review the pre application community involvement process and that groups feedback their experiences – anything else you would like to discuss? Or suggestions for speakers?
Civic Trust event March 29th at Trinity, Old Market
open to all but booking required.
TV personality, campaigner and President of Civic Voice, Griff Rhys Jones, is the speaker for the first ever event of the Localism Alliance on the 29th of March. The Localism Alliance is made up of CAMRA, Civic Voice, National Association of Local Councils, The Theatres Trust and Supporters Direct.
Griff Rhys Jones joins the Minister for Communities, Stephen Williams MP as a speaker and will be calling on communities to nominate buildings and other spaces as local assets to help give them greater protection.Over the past decade, many communities have lost local amenities and buildings that are of great importance to them. As a result, many communities find themselves bereft of the assets that can help to contribute to the development of vibrant and active communities.However the past decade has also seen a significant rise in communities becoming more active and joining together to save and take over assets which are important to them. The Right to Bid (Assets of Community Value) seeks to encourage more of this type of community-focused, locally-led action.
This will be an opportunity to learn about the different powers and opportunities available to communities to demonstrate “what you value”.
Each event is free to attend, but delegates are welcome to make a donation.
More information from info@civicvoice.org.uk.
Our Place project pilot in Westbury on Trym
feedback requested.
City Design Group have just completed a Draft Westbury-on-Trym Conservation Area Character Appraisal, which has been the outcome of a pilot Our Place project with the Westbury on Trym Society. The positive context and negative features identified have been fed in by the local community; as has the proposed extension to the conservation area along Southfield Road, Cambridge Crescent and Elmfield Lodge.
The document is available to view online at http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/planning-and-building-regulations/conservation-area-character-appraisals
Any feedback to Hannah Porter the conservation officer, will be gratefully received; the consultation will close on 30 April 2014.
Bristol NPN Website updated.
We have refreshed the website; have a look and see what you think. If there is anything that you found useful on the old site which has not been carried over, please let me know and we will add it back in.
NPN pre application monitoring team.
We have been very lucky over the last couple of years to have the help of Clare Wilks and Jennifer Angus, who started with the team when they were students at UWE. We are delighted for them that they both have obtained jobs in Planning Consultants’ firms in Bristol, but we will miss them and their valuable input. We will be trying to find a new member of the team asap; if anyone from NPN groups would like to find out more about getting involved with this, please let me know.