As most people are no doubt
aware, this Thursday sees local government elections across most
of England, and Bristol City Council are no exception. This is my
first time as a resident of Bristol, having spent most of my life
in Kingswood / South Glos, and I find myself as a resident of Horfield
ward.
In the summer of last year Rovers put in a planning application
to the council; I went along to speak in support of the proposals
and was totally astonished by the general level of ignorance most
(but not all) members of the planning committee had towards sport
in Bristol in general, and Rovers in particular. Planning permission
was granted but there were a lot of restrictions on opening hours
that the club found prohibitive. This time round, and I know we've
been here before on several occasions, Rovers are intending to put
in proposals for a complete re-development of the Mem and not just
one stand. With this in mind, I have taken a much greater than usual
interest in the leaflets that bombard my letterbox at this time of
year. There are four candidates in Horfield ward and, with the exception
of the Greens, I have received information from all of them. With
regards to their attitudes towards Rovers, let’s look at each
candidate in turn:
Martin Kerry (Conservative)
Present incumbent Councillor
Kerry has represented the Horfield ward for 8 years, and was one
of the members of the North Area Planning Committee to vote against
the North Stand re-development proposals last year. In his leaflet
this time around he says:
“Car parking is a problem that
gets worse each year and I have worked for years to bring an end
to 'match day chaos' on nearby streets.”
Neil Harrison (Lib Dems)
As the Lib Dems are currently the largest party on the council they
are looking at winning this ward. Under Traffic and Parking on
his election leaflet Harrison says the following:
“Neil Harrison and the Lib Dems have
worked hard and made real Progress on Memorial
Stadium problems. The Conservatives have left the Memorial Stadium
to Fester.”
Some contradiction to Mr Kerry's comments listed above.
David Jepson
(Labour)
Labour has been the runner-up to the Tories in Horfield over
the last two elections, and Labour Councillor Rosalie Walker is the
other sitting councillor in this ward (her seat is up for grabs in
a couple of years time). The Labour leaflet has the following paragraph:
“David
Jepson and Cllr Rosalie Walker have led campaigns including the recycling
of plastics, the problems of back alleyways which are sites of rubbish
and anti social behaviour, as well as the issue of the proposed redevelopment
of the Memorial Stadium.”
So there you have it. In the ward
that is, along with Bishopston, the one that is on the doorstep of
both Rovers and the Rugby club, all three main candidates are actively
chasing the, admittedly quite large, NIMBY vote in the area. Not
one of them has any words of encouragement for those of us who see
the development of the Mem as the only answer to the long-term survival
of Bristol Rovers. Whoever does win must contact the club and work
together to come up with some grown-up solutions to the situation
at the Mem. Only a fool would say that there are no issues regarding
parking on a match day, but there is nothing that can't be overcome
with some fresh thinking and a bit of imagination. Talking to colleagues
at Brighton, where all matchday tickets include free travel on buses
and park and ride schemes, would be a good start. The council said
a few years ago that in terms of a stadium for Rovers there is no
option but to develop the Mem. Let's hope this is remembered when
the new council sits next week.
I have concentrated on Horfield ward as that is where I live. However,
if you live in the likes of Eastville, Fishponds, even if you are
a resident of Hartcliffe, your vote counts equally. Each of the councillors
has only one vote when it comes to decision making, and the future
of Bristol Rovers will be decided by representatives from across
the city and not just those nearest the ground. Use your vote wisely
this Thursday. If you don't bother voting then you can't complain
when decisions go against your opinions or beliefs.
Now, which one shall I put my cross next to?
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