Mud Dock Deli

Simply Southville popped in to the new Mud Dock Deli that has just opened the other side of Gaol Ferry Bridge. Not only is this a welcome addition to the local food and wine scene, but this new development opens up a pedestrian route from the bridge to the M Shed.

You can read more about the deli on the Bristol Culture blog. People of Southville enjoy!

March date set for new Sainsburys application

The planning meeting to consider the latest application for a giant new Sainsburys for Ashton Gate is now confirmed for 2 March 2011. So if you want to object to the proposed store you must do it as soon as possible. You can send them in by writing to:

Development Management
City Development
Bristol City Council
Brunel House
St George’s Road
Bristol BS1 5UY

Or you can email them to development.management@bristol.gov.uk

Along with your objections you must include your name and address and quote planning reference 10/04777/P

Southbank Arts Trail - 8 an 9 May

The 2010 Southbank Bristol Arts Trail takes place this weekend, 8 and 9 May. This year, over 55 venues will be opening to show the art, performances and other such things of over 150 artists.

Wander the happy streets of Southville, Bedminster and Ashton, pop into homes, churches, bars, cafés, community centres and all kinds of other spots and see some interesting and diverse work.

Trail brochures, with a map, venue details, events listings and the like are available at several venues, including the Southville Centre, which acts as the main hub of the Trail. There you can see over 30 artists, musicians, makers, and all sorts under one roof, grab refreshments and contribute to a message to the future.
It's highly recommened!

Who to vote for in Southville?

Here at Simply Southville Towers we’ve been giving great thought who to vote for on 6 May. Of course we are voting both for an MP and a city councillor to represent us.

First of all let’s take a look at the Southville ward and the election to Bristol City Council. Well of all the candidates that are standing for Southville, the only one that actually lives in the ward appears to be Tess Green, the Green Party candidate. The other three live in Brislington (Labour) on the Portway (Conservative) and Cotham (Lib Dem).

It is really a two-horse race between Labour and the Greens. In 2006 the Green candidate won by seven votes from Labour, and in 2007 Labour got the seat by six votes ahead of the Greens. Labour candidate, Barbara Brown, has been quiet on the big issue in the ward - the proposed superstore development at Ashton Gate. Tess Green is firmly against it. So Simply Southville says back Tess Green on 6 May.

As for our MP, Labour’s Dawn Primarolo looks to be pretty safe in the Bristol South constituency. But at Simply Southville we say it is maybe time for a change. Labour nationally looks a spent force, so why not consider one of the two Dr Marks. That’s star gazing Lib Dem candidate, Dr Mark Wright, or the Tories hopeful Dr Mark Lloyd Davies. There are five other candidates standing in Bristol South. More details of the candidates and previous results check out the BBC website for our constituency.

A word of thanks to our outgoing Councillor Charlie Bolton. He's stepped down from the council but is the Green candidate for Bristol South.

So, go Green for Southville and vote for a Dr Mark in Bristol South.

Art for art's sake

Our local Arts Trail will take place on the weekend of 8 and 9 May 2010. You'll be able to see a range of arts and crafts in public places as well as private homes in and around Southville, Bedminster and Ashton.

Council confirms 20mph zone for Southville

So a quarter-of-a-million pounds is going to be spent on traffic signs in Southville to tell motorists that the new speed limit in the area is 20mph. No money to actually enforce the new limit or for physical traffic claming measures such as speed bumps. You can't argue with the fact that if you have an accident at 20mph the likely damage to other cars or pedestrians will be less, so from a safety point of view that's good. So will it encourage more people to cycle and walk around the area - one of the other stated aims? We think not. Perhaps proper cycle lanes, more considerate parking at junctions and crossings in better positions would?

Bolton to bow out in May

Local Green Councillor, Charlie Bolton has announced on his blog that he is stepping down in May at the local elections. Charlie has served the Southville ward for four years. Tess Green will be the Green Party prospective candidate for Southville. She stood last time, and lost to Labour's Sean Beynon by just six votes.

Read more on Charlie's blog.

Ashton superstore on the election agenda.

So the election campaign has kicked off in Southville with a couple of electioneering leaflets stuffed through the letterbox of Simply Southville Towers.

First one on the mat was the Southville Rose the organ of ‘Your Labour Team: working hard in Southville and Ashton’. Is it just us but does ‘Southville Rose’ sound like a hooker you’d find in an old wild west saloon. ‘Howday partner, my name’s Southville Rose, can I show you a good time?’

Our MP Dawn Primarolo is now in favour of the proposed Sainsbury’s development at Ashton Gate describing it as a ‘win-win situation’. So Dawn’s in favour despite not seeing the planning application. Bit of a turnaround from the Tesco application when her silence was deafening for months. Young Sean Benyon says: ‘On the face of it these proposls make much more sense.’

Comedy quote from Southville Rose is Young Sean commenting on the new 20 MPH zone for Southville saying: ’ Locally, Labour have been campaigning for lower speed limits for years.’ So why didn’t you introduce them when Labour was in power in Bristol, preferred to wait until the Lib Dems took over? Please rearrange this quote: ‘on jump bandwagon the’.

Next on the mat was the Bristol Reporter from the Lib Dems, well at least we think it’s the Lib Dems as they’ve decided to put out their four page newsletter with a blue masthead. What’s wrong with your goldy, yellowy, wee in the snow colour? Perhaps you think Tory voters are so stupid that they’ll be tricked into voting for you?

One things for sure you you’ll know that ’councillor’, ’south Bristolian’, ’prospective Lib Dem MP’ , ‘local campaigner‘, ‘south Bristol’s next MP’, ‘astrophysicist’, ‘astronomer’ Mark Wright is standing for parliament for the Lib Dems. There’s even eight, rather cheesy, campaign pictures of Dr Mark so you can see what he looks like.

On the Ashton Gate superstore saga Dr Mark says: ‘The effects of moving Sainsbury’s there will depend on how big the new store is. If it is huge, it would be little different to the Tesco plan. If it is more modest [ed - do you get ‘modest’ superstores?] there might not be any problems.’ Oh come on. It’s going to be bigger than the current Sainsbury’s store (that was just a bit smaller than the proposed Tesco Extra) and will still have the same problems about transport, air quality and being against the Council’s own core strategy.

As for the Tories, nothing from them yet. Will they becoming out to play in Southville? And nothing yet from the Greens, perhaps they are still deciding on whether the environmental impact of producing election leaflets is against their core beliefs?

Big Five with George Ferguson

Southville's favourite architect, George Ferguson, is appearing on BCfm's 'Big Five' programme tomorrow night at 9pm. Hosted by Southville based presenter, Andrew Parsonage (pictured), the show asks people to list the five moments that changed their life and the music that reminds them of those times.

For more information on the Big Five, take a look at Bristol Community radio's website. You can hear the show on 93.2fm.

What a week!

Last week battle lines were drawn and all sides of the 'Tesco at Ashton Gate' debate were preparing for a final push before Bristol City Council's planning committee meeting on 5 November. Well what a major change in such a short period of time.

$teve Lansdown and City decide that they want Sainsbury not Tesco for Ashton Gate. Planning meeting postponed and then the application is withdrawn. Planners recommend a 'yes' to the stadium but not all the housing that goes with the scheme. And BERATE decide its work is done and announce it is disbanding.

Simply Southville would like to pay tribute to BERATE and especially Chris and Tom who have given so much time to the campaign. BERATE wanted to stop Tesco and a third superstore in greater Bedminster. It did it.

We will have to see what the Sainsbury application brings and there will still be community concerns about traffic, pollution and the impact on local stores. Simply Southville will be watching! However, it has to be better than what was originally proposed by City and Tesco.

Will there be a BERATE2? Who knows?

Follow Simply Southville on Twitter

You can now hear the latest thoughts from Simply Southville Towers on Twitter.

So if you're a tweeter why not follow us online.

Now you see him, now you don't

Illusionist Derren Brown returned to Bristol on Sunday night to perform unannounced at the Tobacco Factory in Southville. Brown studied at Bristol University and lived in Clifton after graduating in 1994.

He was third on the bill at the Raleigh Road theatre to fellow magicians Peter Clifford and Peter Wardell.

Recently we've had Peter Andre at Asda, Derren Brown at the 'Baccy Factory, who's next? Cheryl Cole at the Spotted Cow!

It's game over for Tesco!

It's all change on the superstore front! Last night the council announced that the special meeting to consider Tesco's planning application on 5 November was cancelled without an explanation given. This was followed up today with the Evening Post suggesting that Bristol City has now struck a deal with rivals Sainsbury's. It wants to relocate it's Winterstoke Road store to Ashton Gate. Struth what a 24 hours! So did $teve Lansdown know that the Tesco proposal was likely to fail because the area already has enough supermarkets?

So for the immediate future its good news that the Tesco proposal looks to be dead and buried. But we will have to wait to see what Sainsbury's want with the site. It looks likely that any planning proposal from Sainsbury's won't materialise until spring next year.

You can read the full story on the Evening Post website.

Bristol blogosphere buzzes with Tesco talk

Harold Wilson once said ’A week is a long time in politics’. Well having been away from the keyboard at Simply Southville Towers we’ve had a bit of catching up to do with cyber comment on the proposed Tesco development at A$hton Gate.

Having had a summer sabbatical Southvile Roads blog sprang back into action to comment on the sudden appearance of yellow lines around A$hton Gate making match day parking more difficult. Perhaps they need a new stadium. Strange.

On the BERATE website we find out that God is now on the side of the anti-Tesco campaign, as Bedminster Churches condemn the superstore plan.

At long last our local MP Dawn Primarolo has come off the fence on the Tesco issue and is now swinging on the gate. The Evening Post reports: ‘Ms Primarolo says in a statement: "I would prefer to see affordable and social housing at Ashton Gate. I do not believe there is a shortage of supermarkets in the area. Bristol City Football Club own the majority of the land on the site and I accept that they need to maximise the return for the sale of this site, in order to build the new stadium. This stadium would be fantastic for the future of our city, and is essential to progressing the World Cup bid. It is for members of the Development Control Committee to decide on the appropriateness of this application." See why she’s a politician? She’s tried to appease everyone in one statement. No outright ‘no’ to the superstore, just a ‘prefer’ to see houses. Roll on the election.

The Bristol Blogger reports on the Council trying to sell its share of the A$hton Gate site to the multi-millionaire Lansdown on the cheap. You have to read the comments alongside this post to see some of our elected members squirm and spin. The Bristol Blogger also reports on the growing wealth of Steve ‘there is no other way to fund this stadium, honest Guv’ Lansdown. And for a bit of fun the BB has created a make-your-own-mock-Bristol-City-need-a-store poster. Hours of fun.

Simply Southville says, 'No to a suprstore and no to Tesco'.

Girls get naked if Tesco stopped

Malago Women's Institute members have pledged to produce a nude calendar if the planning application for a new superstore at Ashton Gate is rejected by the Bristol City Council planning committee on 5 November.

Simply Southville isn't sure this will be a critical move in the planning battle, but as they say, 'every little helps'!

New petrol station for Southville

The Asda supermarket on Coronation Road has started work on a new petrol station in its car park. Here at Simply Southville we have mixed views about the development. On the plus side it will mean a cheap supply of petrol for local residents. On the minus side it means a loss of spaces in the car park, which can get very busy at times, and may lead to more trips into the area as motorists seek a cheaper fill-up.

Can't help thinking is Asda trying to protect its customer base, with the threat of a Tesco at Ashton Gate (complete with its own petrol forecourt)?

BOB's back this Saturday

Best of Bedminster (BOB) Show takes place on Saturday 26 September from 10.30am to 3.30pm on North Street Green. There will be all the usual competitions including best jam, best wildlife photo, best cake and best mini garden, as well as stalls from local environmental groups, a Dr Bike session, refreshments from the Malago WI, entertainment, games and all round fun.

Every little helps to see through the Tesco spin

If there's something strange in your neighbouhood? Who you gonna call? Spinbusters.

Well when it comes to a proposed giant superstore development at Ashton Gate, who do you believe? Bristol City, Tesco or BERATE the campaign group against the development. Well now the planning application is in, Bristol City Council has employed a firm of consultants to give them an independent view. To see through the spin.

DPDS Regional Limited have had a look at the application and this is what its found.

Spin - The area needs a new store
Busted - The application has not demonstrated a retail need for the development.

Spin - A new store won't impact on the existing stores
Busted - yes it would. Taking trade from Sainsbury, Asda and local retailers.

Spin - The store is accessible
Busted - Yes but only by car. It offers poor access by walking, cycling and public transport.

Spin - It will create 400 jobs
Busted - The jobs created by Tesco would be off set by job losses elsewhere.

Spin - The store boosts economic and physical regeneration?
Busted - The application offers no evidence for these benefits, and therefore the council should give little weight to this arguments.

You can read the full report online.

The report concludes that without the case put for this to be an enabling development for the new stadium, its analysis would point to a refusal of planning permission. This means that the Planning Committee has to weigh up the benefits of a new stadium against the harm to Southville, Ashton and Bedminster and the vitaility of the current retailers in the area.

It's not a knock out blow to the development. But it is a pretty hefty right hook. If you are against the proposal don't sit back. Keep campaigning, Keep saying TesNo!

Read more about this story on the Evening Post website and on Bristol 24/7.

Big turnout at public meeting for Tesco development

Just back from the BERATE public meeting and impressed to see a full house (well church) with around 200 people attending the meeting. Shame it wasn't 202 people but our MP, Dawn Primarolo and Bristol City Chief Executive, Colin Sexstone, couldn't make it!

Although the meeting was open to pro and anti Tesco supporters, during the hour-and-a-half meeting not one person stood up in favour of the development. Even with the assurance of two police officers in the room!

The BERATE campaign refreshed its arguments against the store, which I won't repeat here ( see previous posts on Simply Southville or visit the BERATE website). However, Simply Southville did find out some of the interesting new facts and news. These are:

• The traffic assessment provided for the application by BCFC looks a bit shaky and nobody has done any work on what a new 30,000 stadium at Ashton Vale and a Tesco store would mean on match days in the future.


• As well as the 900+ e-signatures on the petition on the council's website there are a further 1,200 on a paper petition.


• George Ferguson announced that he and a fellow architect are going to donate time from their respective practices to provide an alternative sustainable vision for the Ashton Gate site. This will be complete with a proposed commercial value for such a development.


• City and its spin doctors are offering pre-paid letters for people to sign and send in to support the development.


• The Tesco proposal is an 'enabling' application, meaning that it is formally linked to the stadium development.

I believe (but not 100 per cent sure) Southville's two city councillors were in the audience, but neither decided to make a comment or ask a question. Strange for politicians!?!

So the fight continues and it was good to see new people coming along tonight to join the campaign. It's not too late to write in and oppose this application.

BERATE launches anti-superstore film

Local documentary film maker, Lucy Swingler, has produced a new film that documents the campaign to prevent the building of a giant Tesco Extra superstore at Ashton Gate Stadium.

You can watch the film now on YouTube.

During the 10 minute film, local residents and shop keepers in North Street, Southville, describe the history of the street, their shops and the area, and explain why its such a great community to be part of. They also explain why they don't want the new superstore at the stadium site and what they would like to see there instead.

Lucy, who has worked on a range of historical and factual programmes says that she was motivated to create the film after talking to shop keepers about their worries over the store. She says: 'I use the North Street shops a lot, so I wanted to show the real fear that some have that a store will put their livelihoods at risk and jeopardise the regeneration that's taken place here. I also wanted to capture the central role that North Street now plays in the community.'

The film will be shown publicly for the first time at the meeting arranged for tomorrow night at St.Francis's Church on North Street (7.30pm). Local politicians, councillors and members of the city's planning committee, as well as a representative from Bristol City Football Club and local community groups have been invited to come along to discuss the proposed store and see the film.

Chris Uttley, speaking for the campaign said: 'We hope the film will be viewed as part of our submission to the planning application. Hopefully it demonstrates to the council and others the human face behind the damage that we believe the store will do to our community and why we value what we have now a great deal.'