tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post5089339124864153939..comments2023-08-12T08:41:01.080+01:00Comments on Green Bristol Blog: A Complete Sham?Chris Hutthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01532451004057748734noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-24521472415505548242009-07-19T07:42:05.342+01:002009-07-19T07:42:05.342+01:00Excellent comments Tim, do ramble more. I for one ...Excellent comments Tim, do ramble more. I for one value input from people with interesting views on planning and architectural matters. <br /><br />Good point about the Redcliffe debacle being flagged up over two years ago by that Indymedia piece (http://tinyurl.com/n2848c), although it gives the impression that it was mainly the developer who was out of line. Red Cliff's (like it) last paragraph is a neat summary -<br /><br />"The council appears to have used "The Future of Redcliffe" exactly the way many feared: as a fig-leaf of consultation to keep the community quiet while big business continues as usual: saying one thing to the residents to obtain planning, then building whatever, whenever and wherever the hell they like."<br /><br />Interesting point about the Civic Society's apparent obsession with building heights, although it must be said that a line has to drawn somewhere and by drawing that line quite low they may more successfully resist the inevitable upward pressures. There is something to be said for being able to make out the interesting topography of Bristol and for church spires and towers not being lost in a sea of tower blocks. <br /><br />I feel that the most important aspect of new developemnt is how it's experienced at street level by pedestrians. The BCS/RFG letter refers to "underground car parking underpining most of the site" which generally means a pedestrian hostile environment with ventillation grills at eye level instead of say shops.<br /><br />Now I'm rambling. It would be good to hear more of your thoughts on these matters Tim. In fact if ever feel moved to write a short piece I'd be happy to post it up here as a new blog post.Chris Hutthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532451004057748734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-26843060068377416672009-07-19T01:04:01.327+01:002009-07-19T01:04:01.327+01:00When googling for 'redcliffe futures group'...When googling for 'redcliffe futures group', one of the top results is "Redcliffe - a community betrayed - Bristol Indymedia (February 2007)" which doesn't really make it look like they couldn't have seen this coming...<br /><br />I do hope they've got more luck with the rest of the The Future of Redcliffe plan though, there are many good things in there.<br /><br />Not sure what to think of the Redcliffe Village development, hard to tell from the plans/renders. The only thing I strongly dislike is that pastel green(!) corner bit of the "Centro East" development, which is just outrageously ugly, esp. in contrast to that old brick frontage next to it. Other than that, it looks like a bog standard mediocre mixed-use office/retail/flats development. Not sure how much more one can possibly hope for in Bristol tbh. It's not like we need more boring red brick buildings..<br /><br />Re. the Civic Society - they seem a good bunch of people and I've seen a lot of good suggestions/comments/objections from them on many planning applications, but (unrelated to redcliffe village) their policies on 'tall structures' (in Bristol that would probably be anything more than 3 stories high) are just borderline ridiculous and, IMHO, contra-productive, favouring monolithic bulky buildings in many places. I'm particularly sore about that 'The Eye' residential tower in the temple area that now looks completely out of proportion, like a building from 'Honey I shrunk the kids', because *clearly* it would have detracted from Temple Meads railway station if it had been 2 stories higher. I wish they'd put the same energy in turning Temple Meads station into a building where you don't feel like you need a shower as soon as you step out of it. (I'll stop now, since I'm clearly rambling..)Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-37846603883116893192009-07-18T22:47:49.475+01:002009-07-18T22:47:49.475+01:00I agree but it's really down to the personalit...I agree but it's really down to the personalities of the leading members. <br /><br />If they are natural conciliators or consensus seekers they will try to work with the council however many times they get shafted.<br /><br />What they need are natural belligerents like us.Chris Hutthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532451004057748734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-90275434358774070652009-07-18T22:28:58.656+01:002009-07-18T22:28:58.656+01:00The Civic Society's best years are behind them...The Civic Society's best years are behind them though.<br /><br />Recent years has seen them heavily defeated (not sure that word's particularly fair actually) over Canon's Marsh and the Industrial Museum among others and now this.<br /><br />Perhaps they need to to regroup and rethink?<br /><br />Maybe less 'partnership' with BCC and a little more 'engagement'?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-84204544535582830982009-07-18T21:32:00.520+01:002009-07-18T21:32:00.520+01:00Redcliffe Futures Group have been in a formal part...Redcliffe Futures Group have been in a formal partnership with the council on this for eight years and they obviously believed they had an understanding with the planners about the future development. So the betrayal probably came out of the blue. <br /><br />The Civic Society are a well respected body with a long history of constructiive engagement with the council and others over planning and environmental matters. They are not the awkward squad. <br /><br />If they are now using words like 'mockery', 'complete nonsense', 'farcical' and 'complete sham' then things are seriously awry. I've been a member for maybe 25 years and I've never known them use language like that in a public letter before.Chris Hutthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532451004057748734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225087846795766487.post-42597138672194963962009-07-18T19:32:21.358+01:002009-07-18T19:32:21.358+01:00The first I knew about this was the letter in the ...The first I knew about this was the letter in the Post (when it was all over).<br /><br />It's a shame they didn't let people know earlier what was happening.<br /><br />Perhaps more could have been done?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com