Agenda and draft minutes

The Democratic Services Officer welcomed everyone to the meeting and issued the safety information.

To note apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Emily Clarke and Cllr Tony Dyer.

Nominations for Chair were requested by the Democratic Services Officer.

Councillor Lisa Stone was nominated by Councillor Ed Plowden and Seconded by Councillor Christine Townsend.

There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED Councillor Lisa Stone was elected Chair of Area Committee 7 for the 2024/25 Municipal Year (unanimous).

To note the terms of reference approved at Full Council on 9th January 2024.

RESOLVED the Terms of Reference were noted.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors. They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declaration of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

None received.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Members of the press and public who plan to attend a public meeting at City Hall

are advised that you will be required to sign in when you arrive and you will be

issued with a visitor pass which you will need to display at all times.

Public forum items may be submitted about matters that relate to items that are on the agenda for the meeting or any matter within the terms of reference of the Area Committee provided the deadlines are adhered to.

Further information can be found in the Public Information Sheet attached to this agenda or within the Area Committees Terms of Reference.

Public Forum items should be emailed to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk.

Please note that the following deadlines will apply in relation to this meeting:-

Public Questions – Written questions must be received no later than 5pm on the 28^th November 2024.

A maximum of three questions per member of the public is permitted.

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and written statements must be received no later than 12 noon on the 2^nd December 2024. 

One written statement per member of the public is permitted.

The following items of public forum were submitted to the committee:

Questions

Statements

Within the time available, questions 1 and 3 and statements 2 and 4 were presented by members of the public at the meeting. Public questions will receive a written response from officers after the meeting as per the Terms of Reference.  

The Committee considered a report of the Director – Legal and Democratic Services setting out details of a petition ‘Make Hereford Street Two-Way Again to Ease Traffic and Safety Concerns’. The petition had reached the 200 signature threshold to qualify for an Area Committee debate.

Nick Jeanes, the petition organiser, was invited by the Lord Mayor to present the objectives of the petition.

The Area Committee debated the petition. Councillors Stone and Plowden spoke for the Green Party. Councillors Durston and Logan spoke for the Labour Party.

Following the debate it was:

RESOLVED: The committee supported the petition in principle and referred it to the Strategic City Transport Team for a response (unanimous).

To note the previous decisions brought forward to the new area committee boundaries.

The VCSE Investment & Social Action Officer introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

·         Under normal circumstances, the report would be a summary of the minutes and actions from previous meetings. However, due to the Area Committee restructure these are no longer comparable on a like-for-like basis.

·         This report summarises the decisions made in February 2024 which are now within the remit of Area Committee 7.

·         There are 11 proposals that have been approved by previous Area Committees and 2 variations.

The following points were raised in discussion:

·         Certain areas have been waiting a very long time for their transport related projects to be delivered. Any new decision at Area Committee to commit funding to transport projects is unlikely to be realised in the short term.

·         Members receive high volume of public enquiries related to these projects. 

·         Officers recognise the large backlog of transport projects and have recommended a fallow year on transport projects until this can be cleared, including reviewing previous decisions that may no longer be practical.

·         A 6-month Area Committee update report detailing project status will be published in February.

·         The transport department is holding many vacancies so has capacity issues.

·         The new boundary for Area Committee 7 was welcomed as being more logical considering the amount of interaction between Filwood and Windmill Hill.

RESOLVED: the report was NOTED.

To consider the community resources update.

The VCSE Investment & Social Action Officer introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

·         Updated Area Committee Terms of Reference follows approval at Full Council.

·         The updated Terms of Reference introduce additional functions. Further work is required on the detail of these new functions including the Equity Fund, and proposals will be brought to the group of AC Chairs for discussion, once they are elected

·         The Committee was asked to note the Section 106 funding available for tree planting.

·         £30,576 of S106 funding specifically for tree planting was allocated by the Area Committee in July 2022. However, this scheme is now undeliverable due to services being found under the ground in the proposed planting location. The Committee is asked to unallocated this funding. The next agenda item requests reallocation so planting can be delivered.

The following points were raised in discussion:

·         There was a discussion on the £71,096.41 of S106 funds held for “The provision of alternative Community Facilities within Bedminster, Southville and Windmill Hill Wards” (21/05556 / Fmr Salvation Army Hall, Dean Lane, Bedminster) . For these funds to be used, a full project proposal would need to be submitted in time for the May Area Committee meeting so it could be considered.

·         This is an unusually high level of unallocated funding due to high levels of development in the area.

To consider and make decisions on tree planting proposals.

The Bristol Tree Officer introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

·         Previous allocations towards tree planting could not be delivered due to the presence of fibreoptic cables at the sites.

·         The report contains a list of proposed sites for the new allocation of £22,590.75 of S106 funding for tree planting, along with site maps.

The following points were raised in discussion:

·         Some of these trees will be new, others will be replacements.

·         The fibreoptic cable was not in the location that was indicated in the maps. Moving it would cost more than £100k.

·         It would be helpful to have a ward map showing tree coverage, especially street trees. Some of the proposed sites are on street where services allow for this.

·         Heat maps should provide priority areas for the planting of trees to mitigate heat, such as in Southville.

·         Street trees tend to only be deliverable where roads and pavements have the space to accommodate them and services will allow.  

·         Filwood members will expect future proposals to include their ward.

RESOLVED: Area Committee 7 agreed to unallocate £21,160.25 of S106 funding specifically for tree planting that was allocated in July 2022, in order to approve the new proposals.

RESOLVED: Area Committee 7 approved tree planting project proposals as set out in the report. (5 For, 0 Against, 1 Abstain)

Councillor Ellie Freeman introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

·         This is a request for the Committee to approve a change in use from two previous allocations (Ashton Vale Playing Fields and Ashton Vale Play Area).

·         After further investigation, the original playing fields proposal for a path around the football field is not deliverable as it would require extensive landscaping, beyond the original scope and budget. The change proposed is for a fence along the front edge of the football field, an entrance sign and noticeboard.

·         The Play Area proposal provides a play option for younger children of wooden sculptures that they can explore in a trail.

·         If approved, the community would be consulted on the details.

·         The remaining balance between the original (£61,880 of CIL) and new proposal (£57,443 of CIL) for the playing fields will be returned to the Committee for allocation. 

RESOLVED: Area Committee 7 approved change of use of funds as set out in the report. (unanimous)