Old Market Quarter Plan approved
Many congratulations to the OMQ NDF for achieving approval of their plan at referendum.
The Old Market Quarter neighbourhood development plan won the support of local residents in a ballot held yesterday, with 265 voting in favour and 31 against on a turnout of 10 per cent.
The plan aims to “rebalance” the Old Market Quarter to “focus on people, street activities and businesses instead of motorised vehicles” and to make the most of the quarter’s “unique local heritage, by promoting the identification, protection and reuse of important local assets alongside listed buildings”.
Comment as your planning group
If you would like your Planning Online comment on behalf of your planning group to appear under the name of the group, rather than your personal address, simply enter the group name as the first line of the address.
This is then automatically uploaded to the Planning Online website, which saves the planning dept from having to do it manually, and makes it easier for local residents to find group comments.
Heritage Forum meeting
There was an excellent turn out for the Bristol Civic Society meeting on 25th Feb to introduce the proposed Bristol Heritage Forum.
Following an introduction by Cllr Anthony Negus, three speakers from Historic England, Bristol City Council and Bristol Civic Society shared their thoughts about how a Heritage Forum could be a bigger voice to speak for the protection and enhancement of Bristol’s heritage, not just the built environment, but also the oral history and landscape heritage.
It was emphasised that the Forum should not be a replacement for the existing groups and organisations but a way of supporting them and helping them network in order to be more effective.
There was then a discussion about how the Forum might develop; further proposals will be produced. A Bristol Heritage conference is proposed for the Autumn.
2016 audit of NPN groups
We have not yet heard from the following groups to confirm their details as requested on January 24th 2016, and resent to the named contacts on Feb 15th.
BS3 group
The Bishopston Society
Bower Ashton Residents Association
CCCE planning group
Church Road action group/ Planning Solutions
Coombe Dingle Conservation Group
Dings Community Association
Friends of Avon New Cut
Hartcliffe and Withywood Pride of Place Group
High Kingsdown
Knowle West planning group
Lockleaze NDF
Marksbury Road CA
Northern Slopes Initiative
Oakfield Residents Association
Redcliffe Parade Environmental Association
Richmond Area Residents Association
St George planning group
St Werburgh’s Community Association
Stapleton and Frome Vale conservation society
Westbury on Trym Society
WOW Bedminster
Please can you make sure someone from your group responds asap to confirm that the group is still interested in being a member of the Network and being the point of contact for pre application discussions with developers
Speaking for your community
Download from Locality: a useful handbook about how to go about working with your community on drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan. This also would be useful for anyone trying to involve the wider community to find out what they think about development in their area, so groups who are responding to Pre Application Community Involvement opportunities can increase their ability to speak on behalf of their community