Local Resident Submissions to the Bristol City Council Electoral Review
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Local resident submissions to the Bristol City Council electoral review This PDF document contains local resident submissions with surnames B. Some versions of Adobe allow the viewer to move quickly between bookmarks. 13 February 2015 I have lived in Westbury on Trym village since 1991 first with my parents and then more recently with my own family. I have always valued the community which flows out from the historical village centre, under the new boundaries my home would no longer be part of this community and I would consider this a great personal loss. Surely the history and heritage of Westbury Village should carry some weight and significance when considering new ward boundaries. I fail to understand how it can be seen as acceptable to have the heart of Westbury on Trym Village boundaries moved to fall under the ward of Henleaze, which does not have the historic significance and village community. Also why it is acceptable for the downsized remaning part of Westbury Village to have only one councillor but this is not ok for any other ward. I therefore support the proposal to have a partnership ward with Henleaze and to share 3 councillors between us. I understand this is the only way to maintain the historical identity and preserve the integrity of the whole village. If other proposed changes were to go ahead I have concern for the value of my property as it would be separated from the historic village centre and fear that at some future date could be absorbed onto other wards. I would also like to include the following good reasons why Westbury on Trym Village should retain its name, status and boundary: Westbury on Trym is the oldest settlement in the Bristol area with origins in the 8th Century –a charter to found a monastery was granted by King Offa of Mercia Canford Lane, Stoke Lane and Henbury Hill follow original old routes out of Westbury, towards Stoke Bishop, Shirehampton and Henbury village (also very old settlements), appear on Tythe maps and clearly demonstrate the connection between the two existing older and newer parts of Westbury on Trym It still has six active church congregations associated with the village with Bishop Carpenter’s original re-modelled 15thC Parish church - which he wanted to make into a Cathedral - at its heart The village is still a busy shopping and financial centre, equivalent to a small market town, serving at least 7 other wards besides its own, with a car park and central bus stops and having a well- established Business Association Its original school room was founded in 1828 (building still extant) and there are now 2 primary and 3 secondary schools, including the famous Redmaids’ and Badminton Schools within the ward It is proud of the splendid, architect designed Village Hall, built in Victorian Gothic style and established for concerts and education by the well- known Ames family of Cote House. Now well known around Bristol as a venue for weddings and parties, it was saved from destruction in 1970 by a village campaign and on a personal note my daughter’s wedding reception was held there. It has its own public park and Bowling Club, established a hundred years ago on land from ‘Canford Farm’, whose name it retains in “Canford Park”. There is still a Men’s Club also, founded in 1896 Which under the new proposal this would be separated form the heart of the village. A War Memorial subscribed and erected by Westbury people graces the centre of the village and hosts a large Remembrance Day service every year, with church leaders, choirs and processions No less than seven pubs are still supported within its borders, each serving its own group of local supporters, at least four dating back to the days of coaches traveling through on the early Turnpike Rd An established Conservation Area protects the centre of the historic village and is now under re-appraisal for enlargement after the Westbury Society’s lead in forming a ‘Community Plan’ for future town planning reference The village is celebrated among other older suburbs in a display at the ‘M Shed’- museum of Bristol’s history The half of Westbury on the other side of Falcondale Road is a valued and integral part of the original Parish of Westbury on Trym that stretched over a vast area down to Avonmouth and Clifton This newer part of Westbury on Trym, built between the wars, is still dependent on the original village for all its main services and most importantly, its residents play a full and equal part in the social life of the whole community The River Trym flows through both halves of Westbury giving its name to the village as a whole It is for all the above personal anf historic reasons I feel very strongly that the Westbury on trym ward must not be split. Regards Katy Bainbridge Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 City of Bristol Personal Details: Name: Tim Bainbridge E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: As a resident of Headley Park, we would be in an area that changes and I feel that the proposed change is a better representation of the area. At present we are in the Hartcliffe ward which has never really made sense to me since I moved to the area 7 years ago. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/4316 16/12/2014 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 City of Bristol Personal Details: Name: Diane Baker E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: I strongly object to the proposal to redraw the ward boundaries in such a way that Westbury on Trym wil be split in two, with the historic village centre placed in Henleaze. This is just the kind of insensitive, bureaucratically driven proposal that gets local councils a bad name. It is both historically insensitive and insensitive to the local residents who are proud to live in Westbury on Trym. Westbury on Trym is the oldest settlement in the Bristol area with origins in the 8th Century. An established Conservation Area protects the centre of the historic village. The very active and well supported Westbury on Trym Society which is concerned with the conservation, planning issues, amenities and community activities of the village is evidence of the strong community feeling and sense of pride felt by residents. The newer half of Westbury on Trym on the other side of Falcondale Road, built in the interwar period, is a valued and integral part of the original Parish of Westbury on Trym and is still dependent on the original village for all its main services and most importantly, its residents play a full and equal part in the social life of the whole community. I would support the proposal to create a "partership ward" with Henleaze, combining the two present wards and sharing 3 councilors between us. This seems like a win-win idea and I hope the council will adopt it. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/4502 28/01/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 City of Bristol Personal Details: Name: Don and Rosie Baker E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: N/A Feature Annotations 1: Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2013. Map Features: Annotation 1: Comment text: Please find attached my objections to transferring the Lake Road area of Westbury on Trym Ward to Southmead Bristol We feel very strongly about this, as we have no connection of any type with Southmead, whereas the links with Westbury on Trym and Henleaze are strong and enduring covering the 37 years we have lived in this property. To transfer us in this way would be to effectively disenfranchise us. We would rather stay within a heavily subscribed ward to which we belong, than be moved. We do not attempt to provide a solution to the problem (apart from staying either in Westbury on Trym or being transferred to Henleaze (either solution is equally acceptable). We do believe that the very extensive experience available to the Boundary Commission will enable the Commission to provide an acceptable solution, which would be better than any we can think of. Having so said, if there are options that the Commission would like us to consider, we would be very happy to do so. Needless to say, those options will not include transferall to Southmead. We hope our comments will be of help in the deliberations of the Boundary Commission Yours Sincerely Don and Rosie Baker Uploaded Documents: Download https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/4881 17/02/2015 Objections to transferring the Lake Road Area of Westbury on Trym Ward to Southmead It was with a sense of dismay that we heard of the proposal to redraw the electoral boundaries of the area where we live. This is a repeat of a proposal made in the past that was rejected then, and should be rejected again. After living here for years, it really is distressing that we are being forced to undergo a repeat performance, we simply want to be left alone. In this document we speak only for ourselves, generalisations are inherently dangerous. However, we suspect that much of what follows is common to that of many others in our community, and as such is representative of a significant section of the local population. Although the declared purpose of this proposal seems to be to ensure that every ward is of a similar size, that is, at best an approximation, an aspiration.