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Local news relating to the GCCC Planning Application

7th March LATEST NEWS - GCCC Planning Applications to be heard by Development Control (North) Committee on Wednesday 10th March at 4 pm at the Council House. PLEASE COME ALONG TO SUPPORT US! We know this is an inconvenient time for many people - so if you are able to come we really need your support. Link to the Planning Officer's Report on the main (hybrid) application here.

3rd March 2010, LATEST Planning Committee Meeting on 10 March. Please attend and support the Howzat? campaign. You still have time to make your views known on GCCC's hybrid plan through the Council's application planning page.

17 February 2010, Council Plans to Teach New Primary School Pupils In GCCC's Jessop Stand Conference Suite

HowZat? supporters have been in touch with us to voice anger and concern over Bristol City Council plans to house the first intake to the new Bishopston Primary in a function suite in the Jessop Stand. The Bristol Evening Post published a story on 30th of January, outlining the council’s proposals. It would appear that construction of the new primary school is now scheduled to be completed later than expected, in December 2010. It is proposed therefore that thirty pupils aged between four and five years will spend the majority of their reception year being educated in the Cricket Club’s Jessop Stand. HowZat? is amazed that the council considers this a satisfactory situation. It is our opinion that children at the very start of their education should be within a school setting, with access to adequate facilities suitable for pupils of this young age. We fail to see how the Cricket Club facilities and environment can be considered appropriate for schooling reception age children, however temporarily.

In our ‘Case Against…’ document that we submitted to formally object to the GCCC expansion application we set out our concerns regarding how the Cricket Club’s planning application will negatively affect the new Bishopston Primary. The proposed student block will result in overshadowing of the school site including the play area for many months of the year. This situation would no doubt be made worse if the school is expanded to two form entry (420 pupils rather than 210) as is being proposed. The GCCC revised noise assessment study retains the suggestion that the school will have to have INSET days (shut to pupils) on major match days due to the noise disturbance.The cricket club and Bristol City Council appear to be forming a close bond regarding the new Bishopston Primary school. This is in stark contrast to the views of the GCCC Chief Executive in 2007 where he raised, in a letter to the Council, noise pollution and health and safety concerns that would result from the school’s proximity to the cricket ground. We must trust in the planning committee that the recent developments with the Jessop stand will not in anyway influence the outcome of the cricket club’s planning application.

If you have concerns regarding schooling in the Jessop Stand or other concerns regarding the proximity of the new school to the proposed GCCC development we advise you to contact:

Councillor Clare Campion-Smith, Lib Dem Children & Young People Executive, clare.campion-smith@bristol.gov.uk

AND/OR

Annie Hudson, Strategic Director – Children, Young People and Skills, Bristol City Council, The Council House, College Green, BS1 5TR

You may also of course wish to object to the GCCC expansion application on issues regarding the impact on the new school, details of how to do this are on this website.

Link to Evening Post Article:

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/horfield/Bristol-pupils-school-life-begin-cricket-club-places-crisis/article-1782638-detail/article.html here.

11 February 2010, MP withdraws Support from Cricket Club Redevelopment Plans

Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West has now said he is no longer prepared to support the Cricket Club in its redevelopment proposals for a 20,000 seat stadium. This follows a recent meeting between HowZat? Group members and Mr.Williams where we discussed our campaign for a less damaging development at the cricket ground explaining our objections to the current plans.

Attempts by Stephen Williams to get the Club to discuss alternative proposals were rejected by the Club who have simply said that they will await the outcome of the current planning application.

Mr.Williams had originally supported the 'World Class West' campaign launched by the GCCC in 2008 for a 10,000 seat stadium. This was the basis on which the Club sought local political support for its scheme before it then doubled the size of its redevelopment proposals ! The local MP’s opposition comes on top of the publication of a survey by local ward councillors which found widespread local opposition to the GCCC plans.

11 February 2010, Further Consultation about the Planning Applications 09/03891/P and 09/03894/F

Currently the two planning applications proposing the redevelopment of the County Ground are due to be heard at the 10 March 2010 Development Control North Committee. However, the Council is currently undertaking further consultation on a number of revisions to the existing plans. Many people in the local area will have had, or will be receiving, a letter dated 10 February to that effect. It invites further comments within 14 days. The plans will be available on the City Council’s planning website here .

(http://e2edocs.bristol.gov.uk:80/WAM/findCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=09/03891/P)

Howzat? are currently studying the revisions although at first glance we do not believe they significantly alter the overall shape or scale of the development or any of the main objections to the original proposals. We will be issuing further information on our website within the next few days advising people on how they might respond further.

The planning application’s submitted, and the official objection deadline may have passed, BUT you can still object to GCCC’s overexpansion plans. Click here to find out how you can still object.

15th October, HowZat? story in the Bristol Evening Post here.

8th October. The GCCC plans have been submitted to the Bristol City Council Planning Office.

The two application numbers are: 09/03891/P for the modernisation of the cricket pavilion, club accommodation and gym, and 09/03894/F for the stand development. The applications are not yet available on the Bristol City Council website, but as soon as they are we'll provide links to the applications - if you're on the HowZat? mailing list, you'll get an alert as soon as they're available.

27th September. Feedback wanted on traffic and parking restrictions

We have now clarified the process likely to evolve in terms of any traffic restrictions linked to the County Ground expansion. These are likely to be separate from the planning application. However, we do know that the traffic engineers have had longstanding concerns about some parking issues in the area, particularly parking on junctions, so they probably see this as an opportunity to fund some of these works !

Apparently the Club's traffic consultants drew up the proposals displayed at the last consultation meeting. They have sent them to the Council for comment. The Council would then normally undertake extensive consultation by leafleting households in the wider area with the proposals it wants to take forward.

Following an assessment of comments the Council will then publish a formal Regulation Order which again will be open for comments before a final decision is taken. It would be very useful if HowZat? could submit some considered comments to the Council traffic engineers before they publish any proposals for consultation.

Can we therefore ask that anyone with concerns looks again at the traffic proposals on the Cricket Club's web site display boards at http://www.gloscricket.co.uk/pdf/cricket/ground-development/Exhibition-Boards-revised.pdf and emails comments to howzatgccc@googlemail.com so that we can collate them.

We already have some initial estimates of parking spaces likely to be lost from double yellow lining and the Nevil Road match day closure. However, we also do want to get a feeling as to whether permanent all year round parking restrictions on certain named junctions are felt to be necessary for road safety reasons. Any comments on the overall traffic management scheme for big match days also welcome. Any views as quickly as possible please!