Broom Hill Quarry

A lot of older people have mentioned the quarry that used to be where the car park is now at the end of River View. Thanks to some archive research at the Bristol Records Office by Andrew Hill, we have now found a black and white photo of the quarry from the 1950s. Sadly we did not find this picture in time for it to be included in the 'All About Snuff Mills' booklet, but there are lots of mentions of the quarry in it. You can get a copy of the booklet from the Snuff Mills cafe and various other places in Stapleton and Fishponds.

If you have old photos of the area, we'd love to see them, email them to snuffmills@hotmail.co.uk

Begbrook school film about Snuff Mills

Tree party video

A short film that captures all the fun of our recent winter tree party. Merry Christmas!

All about Snuff Mills

A new booklet all about the history and wildlife of Snuff Mills is now available. There is an accompanying oral history cd put together by children from Begbrook School.

You can get a copy of the booklet and cd from the Snuff Mills cafe.

Save our trees!

The government is proposing to make it easier for trees with dead branches covered by a Tree Preservation Order to be felled. These are just the sort of trees that are important for woodpeckers, fungi and insects. They are part of the web of life that makes a place like Grove Wood so special. Please take part in the Woodland Trust's campaign to stop this from happening. You will protected all trees and especially our very own special Grove Wood ones. just follow the link, it only takes a few minutes to do:
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigning/our-views-and-policy/Pages/send-message.aspx

Winter Tree Party

About 300 people brave the ice and cold to take part in the Winter Tree Party in Snuff Mills. People made festive wreaths, animal masks, musical rattlers and lanterns for the tree procession that too place just as it was getting dark. Thanks to everyone who came along and for all the volunteers and especually Ruth Worsley who made it happen. If you visit the valey between now and New Year, look our for the specially decorated trees.

Winter Tree party

Come and celebrate the start of the festive season at our winter tree party on Sunday 5th December from 2-5pm by the mill. Come and see the trees that have been specially decorated for the season using sculptures made by children from all of our local schools.

They'll also be plenty to do for all ages including lantern making, mask making as well as a chance to weave a winter wreath to hang on your front door.

There will be a special children's earth walk to discover the wildlife of Snuff Mills, a historical walk where you may meet the ghost of Snuffy Jack. The highlight will be a special torchlight procession where we plan to light up the valley. There will be seasonal food and drink too.

The event will mark the publication of a new booklet and CD about Snuff Mills put together with help from children at local Begbrook Primary School with funding from the People's Millions.

The event is FREE and everyone is welcome.

Beautiful winter

This amazing bracket fungus is growing on this tree in Grove Wood. It's just the sort of beautiful sight that would be lost from Grove Wood if the landowner had his way and removed all of the so called 'dead, dying or dangerous trees'. This picture is a really good example of why a variety of trees of different ages and in different states are so important for wildlife. Let's hope Bristol City Council hurry up and turn it in to a nature reserve soon.

Jafari fails to make a case for his Container....

This morning saw the verdict and sentence handed down in the long running saga of the Grove Wood Shipping container.

Rhino Group and Housang Jafari were in court as the two defendants in a case brought by Bristol City Council following their failure to remove the container (pictured) when an enforcement notice had been issued.

Following two days in court last week during which Jafari's Solicitior and fellow Rhino director John Mair tried to obfuscate and befuddle all around him, the judge gave an eloquent speech today explaining that the case before him was "Not complex" as the concept of "removal" was quite a simple one. Mr Jafari had been told to remove the container, he had deliberately ignored the instruction, and so was guilty. Simple as that.

During his summing up, judge David Parsons used words such as "Disingenuous" and "Spurious" then said that Rhino Group had tried to "mislead the court and the local authority". He also said that as a businessman, Mr Jafari seemed to have bought the wood without "any clear idea of what he was going to do with it". Conflicting claims of a "memorial garden" and "forestry" use had obviously carried no weight with Judge Parsons.

Mr Jafari and Rhino Group were both fined £765 each, and costs of over £8000 each were awarded against them.

Evening Post article here

Jafari and co try to sneak in containers to Grove Wood

Have a look at this! Rhino Group Ltd have applied to Bristol City Council to fell three trees in Grove Wood. Deep in their application to the Council is also an application to site two metal containers in Grove Wood, see below.



























They claim that the containers are needed to carry out forestry work in the woods. Could it be a coincidence that Jafari is in Court again next week to try to overturn the Council's decision to remove his Permitted Development Rights in Grove Wood? That'll be a no then.

We are in contact with the Council on this matter and as soon as we have clarification over whether this application is legitimate, we will advise people over what they can do prevent this from happening.

Photo competition winner - plants and trees

Congratulations to Andy Wyatt who won in two categories.

Photo competition winner - landscape

Joint winner in the landscape category. Photo by Andy Wyatt

Photo competition winner - Landscape

Joint winner in this category. Photo by Juliette Cook.

Photo competition winner - People and pets

A fabulous winning entry from Barnaby Harding.

Photo competition: Winner of best historic photo

Quarrying for pennant sandstone was still taking place in the valley in the 1950s as this photo by John Dike shows.

Boring but important part 1) - site allocations

This is the last week to respond to the Council's consultation over plans to develop on Laundry Field and Begbrook Drive Open Space, as well as many other development proposals for the area including development at Glenside, Blackberry Hill Hospital, St Matthias and Snowdon Road.

Please take part in the consultation by filling in an online survey by 29th October.

On Blackberry Hill Hospital, we are asking the Council to separate Laundry Field from the plans and designate it open space. This is because we believe Laundry Field is an important wildlife corridor and is an important area linking Fishponds with the Frome Valley. We believe it could be better used for some playing fields and allotments to serve all the new residents to the area, while maintaining some of it as open grass for everyone.

On Begbrook Drive Open Space, we are asking the Council not the develop the site because it is important woodland edge habitat which is so important for badgers, bats and birds.

You can have your say by filling in the online questionaire here:
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/Planning/planning-policy-documents/bristol-development-framework/site-allocations/site-allocations.en

You will need to scroll down to the Greater Fishponds section.

Boring but important part 2) - Area Green Space Plans

This is your last chance to comment on big plans for our parks and green spaces around Snuff Mills.

The Council have big ideas for the area includng creating a play area in Snuff Mills car park, concreting over part of Oldbury Court to create a MUGA - multi use games area. Snuff Mills Action Group opposes both of these ideas, but we think there are some good ideas too.

You have until 29th October to take part in the consultation. It only takes a few minutes but could help the Council make the right decision about our green spaces.

http://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=127618140774

Photo competition exhibition

Over 100 people visited the exhibition of photographs entered in to the Snuff Mills photography competition at Begbrook School today. We had over 130 entries and this photo by Robert Dockeray was voted the best overall photo by people who came to the exhibition.

The judges chose photos by the following people as winners in the different categories:
Adult: Plants & Trees: Andy Wyatt
Adult: People & Pets: Barnaby Harding
Adult: Wildlife - Animals: Jessica Payne
Adult: Landscape Joint Winners: Andy Wyatt / Juliette Cook
Adult: Historial: John Dike
Congratulations to all our winners who have received a gift voucher from Jacobs and a frame for their photo.

The results of the children's competition will be revealed at Begbrook School at an assembly in a couple of weeks.

A special thank you to Nigel Ollis who judged the competition and spent ages organisng the exhibition and Jez Toogood who also judged the photos.

Revised plans for Wickham Glen cycle path

The Cycling City revealed further adjustments to the plan for a cycle ramp through Wickham Glen at the Snuff Mills AGM. This artist's impression gives a good idea of the changes. These were:
• The exit on the Blackberry Hill would be in the same style as the current exit on to Frome Terrace
• Some additional steps would be taken to ensure the exit on to Blackberry Hill is as safe as possible
• There would be no fencing along the pathway
• A woodland environment would be recreated with sensitive planting
• The damage to the rest of the path through Wickham Glen, caused by the construction work, would be repaired with a dust and stone path no wider than the existing path
• Bollards would be placed at the entrance to the new path to prevent vehicular access

Snuff Mills Action Group still has serious concerns about this scheme. these relate to:
• The safety of pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists exiting on to an accident blackspot on Blackberry Hill
• The likelihood of conflicts between cyclists and other users occurring due to speeding downhill along a smooth path
• The changes to the character of Wickham Glen; a tranquil place in a Conservation Area

However, in view of these changes, we are reviewing our objection to the planning application and will be sending a statement to the Planning Committee in time for their meeting on 20th October. If you wish to let them have your views about this revised proposal email them at: democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk no later than noon on 19th October.

Update: Our final position on this matter, sent to the Councillors is appended as a comment.

Toodle loo

The new loos arrived in Snuff Mills car park this morning on the back of a large trailer - they are prefabricated apparently. So it looks like it won't be long before people will feel much happier about spending a penny in Snuff Mills. This will be in contrast to 2002 when the existing toilets were judged to be the worst public loos in the whole of Britain.

Snuff Mills Action Group General Meeting - Thursday 14th October 7-9pm - Stapleton Baptist Church, Broom Hill

Snuff Mills Action Group General Meeting - Thursday 14th October 7-9pm - Stapleton Baptist Church, Broom Hill

Please join is for our first ever Annual General Meeting. Don't worry, it won't be boring, but more of a celebration of the progress we have made to improve Snuff Mills and save Grove Wood.

Also, did you know that plans to radically change Snuff Mills, Oldbury Court and Wickham Glen have been unveiled and you can help shape these plans? These include a children's play area in Snuff Mills car park, more games areas in Oldbury Court and of course a cycle track through Wickham Glen. There are some really positive proposals too.

To help you decide what you think of these plans and whether you want to support them or object to them, we will be joined by some Council staff who will talk about these plans and answer questions:
John Knowlson will talk about plans for a children's play area in Snuff Mills car park
Alberto Palmero will talk about the improvements to toilet facilities in Snuff Mills
Nick Pates will talk about plans for a cycle track through Wickham Glen

We want to talk about the plans to develop Laundry Field and sell Begbrook Drive Open Space for development too. We hope to have an update about Laundry Field at the meeting from the Homes and Communities Agency.

Wickham Glen update

Update: The planning application has been resubmitted but it does not answer all of the objections. Watch this space as we may be asking for more objections to go in if there are no more changes to this proposal.

Councillors unanimously rejected the application for a 3m wide ramp through Wickham Glen despite recommendations from planners to approve the proposal. This follows a carefully researched campaign by Snuff Mills Action Group and concerns raised by many supporters of the group as well a local Councillors.

The Councillors have deferred a formal rejection until a future committee to allow the Cycling City team time to come up with a ramp that is not so wide and adresses the proposed dangerous exit onto Blackberry Hill properly.

Thanks to eveyone who helped by sending in statements and objections - it really makes a difference. A special thank you to Ivor Needs (pictured left with Mark Logan) who helped us research the issues over disabled access properly by joining us on a site visit with his disabled son, Matt.

We hope to work with the Cycling City team to develop a proposal that will genuinely inprove access to the Glen for everyone, but keep the Glen tranquil and special.

Owl prowl

75 people joined us last night for our second owl prowl with naturalist Chris Sperring (pictured) . Luckily we were joined by two other owl experts which meant that the event could go ahead. Chris led us through the valley as far as Halfpenny Bridge where he stopped to call the owls. A female owl reponded straight away by screeching back, so we knew we were being watched.

We then split in to three groups to see if we could find other owls. One group went up towards Begbrook School because we have had reports of owls calling up there, but not last night. Another group went through Laundry Field and Grove Wood but did not hear owls rhere. The last group went through Oldbury Court and we heard the female owl again by Laundry Lane. It was great fun walking through the woods in the dark and everyone seemed to enjoy the event.

However, we were really sad not hear the twit-twoo of a male owl and we hope our screeching female finds a new mate soon.