We submitted our application for Grove Wood to become a Town or Village Green to Bristol City Council on 26 November. The Council have now acknowledged receipt of the application and we expect it to be considered some time next year.
We had over 100 people send us evidence about their use of Grove Wood for legal sports and past-times, dating back to the 1920s. Activities included walking, orienteering, rambling, bird watching, but our favourite was the person that used the woods for ferret walking!
If the application is successful it will mean that Grove Wood will be free for people to enjoy for all time. It would also make it impossible for public access to be restricted in any way and make it practically impossible to put any form of development on the land.
We will post more information about this application in due course, but for now, can we just say a big thank you to everyone who provided us with the vital evidence we needed to make such a strong case for this.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
Laundry Field update
The Homes and Communities Agency have been in touch with us with some news about Laundry Field and the Blackberry Hill Hospital site.
They tells us that they have ecological, topographical, tree and landscape surveys planned which they will share with us. They are also arranging for temporary security fencing and partial boarding of some of the buildings to be installed around the built estate only. This will not in anyway affect the fields, and is purely to protect the buildings and to prevent vandalism. They are making sure they do not require Listed Building or Conservation Consent before they do this. They are also looking in to the costs of demolishing the 1960’s (former care centre) buildings, but will let us know if they decide to do this.
North Bristol Trust have exercised their right to remain in occupancy in various parts of the built estate, so they are expected to be there for the foreseeable future, and certainly well into next year. The Memorial Garden close to the Care Centre Buildings remains the responsibility of North Bristol Trust so it will be their responsibility to manage the relocation of sentimental artefacts. And they are looking in to the listed status of some of the buildings, but this is nothing terribly detailed, and this is work in progress.
They have had strong and unsolicited interest from a range of developers, but have committed to nothing, at this stage. They cannot rule out the outright sale of the site yet, though they would prefer a development partner. This means someone who can work with the HCA, BCC and the local community to develop proposals. The HCA have been looking in to promoting a high quality innovative environmental standards for the site, as a requirement of any redevelopment, which could be really exciting.
The HCA are committed to working with the community if they go for this option, but they are anxious for us to be aware they cannot as yet rule out passing the site on to a developer and they will let us know if this becomes the prefered option.
Let's hope they are able to stick with their ideas of a really exciting partnership that could make the best of the site.
They tells us that they have ecological, topographical, tree and landscape surveys planned which they will share with us. They are also arranging for temporary security fencing and partial boarding of some of the buildings to be installed around the built estate only. This will not in anyway affect the fields, and is purely to protect the buildings and to prevent vandalism. They are making sure they do not require Listed Building or Conservation Consent before they do this. They are also looking in to the costs of demolishing the 1960’s (former care centre) buildings, but will let us know if they decide to do this.
North Bristol Trust have exercised their right to remain in occupancy in various parts of the built estate, so they are expected to be there for the foreseeable future, and certainly well into next year. The Memorial Garden close to the Care Centre Buildings remains the responsibility of North Bristol Trust so it will be their responsibility to manage the relocation of sentimental artefacts. And they are looking in to the listed status of some of the buildings, but this is nothing terribly detailed, and this is work in progress.
They have had strong and unsolicited interest from a range of developers, but have committed to nothing, at this stage. They cannot rule out the outright sale of the site yet, though they would prefer a development partner. This means someone who can work with the HCA, BCC and the local community to develop proposals. The HCA have been looking in to promoting a high quality innovative environmental standards for the site, as a requirement of any redevelopment, which could be really exciting.
The HCA are committed to working with the community if they go for this option, but they are anxious for us to be aware they cannot as yet rule out passing the site on to a developer and they will let us know if this becomes the prefered option.
Let's hope they are able to stick with their ideas of a really exciting partnership that could make the best of the site.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Snuff Millions celebration
We gathered in the garden on 27th November to celebrate being the top runners up for the People's Millions. Peter Rowell from ITV came along and presented us with a big cheque and we enjoyed a well earned glass of champagne.
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this happen.
Cabin moved and now vandalised
The container that is (now) illegally placed in Grove Wood has recently been broken into and we have heard reports of drug dealing and even a mugging in the area around it. There is also a great deal of rubbish being strewn all over the entrance area. The owner has done nothing to clean up any of this or secure his container [the container window has now been repaired and is secure again for the time being]. We understand that Bristol City Council are going ahead with proceedings against him for refusing to comply with the removal order. That order was served on him on September 24th and should have seen the container removed by October 22nd.
Photos taken from: http://destructionofgrovewood.blogspot.com/
You can read more about Grove Wood on that site.
Photos taken from: http://destructionofgrovewood.blogspot.com/
You can read more about Grove Wood on that site.
Previously:
The ugly cabin that has been such an eyesore in Grove Wood has been moved.
It was here just this morning, but now it has gone. But don't get too excited. It is now further in the woods and has been rotated around by 90 degrees.
I'm not sure this is what the Council meant when they served a notice to remove the cabin. You were meant to remove it from the woods Mr Jafari, not move it further in.
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