Update on the Neighbourhood Partnership

The proposed extension to St John’s Primary School on the site of the old police station in Redland Rd is welcome news to families with younger children. To ensure it progresses smoothly the Partnership has and will continue to spend a lot of time consulting with local people about the buildings and the implications for traffic congestion in the immediate area.

Nearer to home, the Partnership at their last meeting on April 2^nd committed its annual £25K budget for Minor Traffic Schemes  which are largely in the Bishopston area: improving parking arrangements around St Bonaventure’s and Bishop Rd primary schools, and along the Gloucester Rd above Pigsty Hill for the benefit of both shoppers and traders. Council Officers are also going to assess the problems in Longmead Avenue caused by its narrowness and blind corner at the Gloucester Rd end. If you take a look at the minutes once they re uploaded (www.bristolpartnership.org/neighbourhood-partnerships) you will see how complicated it was to get as much work done as possible for the small amount of money allocated!

At the same meeting £5,368.62 was allocated to seven organisations applying for a grant from the Wellbeing Fund and much of this money will be spent in the Bishopston area. Most of the projects were for the benefit of young people and included playing out schemes, and educational projects ie for environmental education, and promoting understanding of community diversity throughout the City, The rest of the allocation went to the Horfield Common area (to support the Jubilee Picnic and improve the security of the Ardagh building) and the Redland Green area to increase the diversity of local wildlife. See the Bishopston Society website for more details (www.bishopstonsociety.org.uk ).