Update #18
Things are moving fast….
Hello everyone,
This week:
Record number of objections - more this time than last time - read on for final numbers
SCAN’s objection from our planning consultant is in - thanks to community crowdfunding
Get ready for the plans to go to council - what can you do?
Objections
A phenomenal response - and one that’s making the council sit up and take notice. Despite the cynically timed festive consultation period - more objections were submitted this time than last time. 1254 overall from the public alone - not counting the myriad objections from councillors, MPs, statutory bodies, heritage & environmental groups and local stakeholders. For those of you who like statistics - 97.4% of all comments were objections, and 1.3% were in support. Another 1.3% were neutral.
Thank you to each and everyone of you who wrote in.
Thank you to the team of leafletters who pounded the streets and put the word round in freezing conditions.
Thank you also to our street champions who keep everyone informed.
It’s all made a huge difference. The council can be in no doubt what we all think.
SCAN’s Objection
Thanks to some amazing community fundraising we were able to pay for the expert consultant services of Mike Orr from Rapleys who has now submitted our objection. You can see it here or if you just want a summary then click here. We believe he’s provided us with multiple robust reasons for refusal, grounded in Bristol City council planning policy.
Overall he has demonstrated that this application is a woeful overdevelopment that is wholly inappropriate for this site due to ;
loss of heritage
loss of SEND provision
risk to road safety
damage to trees and the environment
unjustified absence of affordable housing
false claims about community benefits.
The developer has failed to respond adequately to significant concerns from council, community and expert consultees - and the recent minor amendments in no way alter the overbearing and insensitive nature of the scheme.
If anyone wants to contribute to SCAN’s fighting fund then please donate here.
Thank you to the hundreds of you who gave so generously despite it being a really tough time of year.
What next?
We understand the plans will go to the city council planning committee possibly as early as March 15th. Anyone can submit a statement of opinion for councillors to read before the meeting. We will let you know how to do this nearer the time if you wish to. Anyone can also register to speak at this meeting in what is called a Public Forum - you get a one minute slot. This is a fantastic chance to make your points openly and freely - direct to councillors.
Is there anybody out there who would like to get involved with the council meeting? Do email us back and let us know and we will help you with the process.
That’s it for now. We will be back in touch as soon as we know more.
Stay warm!
The Team at SCAN
