Angela Piccini (Chair BCP), David Waters (Vice-Chair BCP), Theresa Driscoll (Treasurer BCP), Steve Pearce (Secretary BCP), Roy Marsh (Brislington Conservatives), Elizabeth Venn (Resident), Louise Bale (Resident), Ann Stobbs (Brislington Extended Schools Partnership), John Leah (Lancaster University), Alison Hender (Brislington Neighbourhood Centre), Andrew Grant (Friends of Nightingale Valley), Barbara Lewis (Councillor Bris E), Jackie Norman (Councillor Bris W), Joules Taylor (Webmaster), Colette Linehan (Resident), Sue Harvey (Resident), Mike Harvey (Resident), Peter Main (Councillor Bris W), Craig Hopkins (Resident), Ruth Booth-Pearson (Resident), PC Andy Bird (Police), Insp. Colin Salmon (Police), Jan Shaw-Bissell (BCC Garage Strategy Project), Sally Gilbert (BCC Garage Strategy Project).

Gill Luxford (Wicklea Shadow Management), Nic Lewis (Age Concern Bristol), Lorna Heaysman (BCC Community Development).

Steve Pearce

Minutes for April were sent out by post to all who do not receive them by e-mail along with a Freepost facility to enable those that wish to continue to receive minutes by post to tell us so. However VM did not receive this.
Secretary to rectify.

The minutes were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chair.

5. Area Green Space Plan. A meeting was held at Wicklea on 3rd July and there will be another on the 17th.
4. The Community Audit Group will continue to meet.

5.1 JS-B & SG gave an informative presentation on the Garage Strategy Project.
5.2 There are some 3500 garages across the city in an estate of 300 sites, many of which are pretty run down and the focus of various kinds of anti-social behaviour and crime.
5.3 There is a financial shortfall in the Housing Revenue Account that needs to be made good and the garages portfolio represents a liability in that it costs £600 to replace a damaged door and £1000 for a roof. As the garages are generally arranged in blocks of attached units, generally roof replacement involves repairs to more than one garage at a time. The Decent Homes Standard means that there is a requirement to make a considerable investment in the housing portfolio.
5.4 The desired out comes for the GSP are to increase the long term sustainability of the retained garage portfolio, minimise the amount of ASB and reduce the amount of management time devoted to derelict assets (50% of the garage stock is void).
5.5 Consultation. Garage tenants were invited to join a stakeholder panel that meets every 6-8 weeks to consider individual sites. Four Housing Associations (HA) are partner organisations of BCC. The Stakeholder panel has opportunity to make input to the planning process.
5.6 There are a number of options that arise from the review of the assets: Sale of sites to HA partners, sale on the open market, demolition and improvement for parking, improvement with a planned maintenance program, sale for use as commercial garaging/parking, sale for community use, incorporation in a site assembly process as part of the PRC program (not relevant in Brislington, leave as is.
5.7 Where development of a garage site is recommended, a feasibility study will be undertaken by a partner HA and a sketch plan proposal raised. Once development has been agreed a Planning Application will be submitted and the site sold, with planning permission.
5.8 Communication of decisions. The program was introduced to tenants in October 2007. When a recommendation to develop is reached a letter warning affected tenants of the potential loss of their tenancies will be sent, as will neighbour notices, councillors will be notified and site notices posted. Details of proposed developments will appear in the Evening Post and on the BCC planning web-site here.
GSP welcomes contact from concerned parties.
5.9 The only site in Brislington so far affected is the Hungerford Rd site that has been recommended for social housing. The August meeting of the Stakeholder panel will be looking at other sites in Brislington. GSP repeated an invitation to address the stakeholder panel, but not join it.
5.10 It was generally felt that a lot of the issues that will inevitably arise from the GSP could be more effectively dealt with by earlier and more broadly based Community Involvement. BCP perception is that the consultation process is not front-loaded and that the Statement of Community Involvement is not being applied. Better, front-loaded CI would probably save money in the long run. The SCI should apply, as should the pre-application CI protocol.
5.11 DW & TD have conducted their own review of the garage sites in Brislington and have concluded that development at Hungerford Rd will inevitably lead to many additional cars being parked on already badly congested surrounding roads. GSP requested sight of this.
5.12 For BCP there are 2 main issues: 1) the need to raise money for the HRA, and 2) a need to recognise that there are more stakeholders in the process than just the garage tenants.
5.13 The GSP is felt to not stand comparison with the Area Green Space Plan process in terms of Community Involvement.
5.14 Frustration was voiced at the past reluctance of GSP to meet with BCP.

No Report.

6.2.1 The final version of the CAP was launched at the APAG Fun Day on 6th July. Leaflets and hard-copies of the report are available and will be circulated as appropriate, or can be downloaded from the BCP web-site.
6.2.2 AP thanked everyone involved with this process over a period of 2 years and pointed out that everyone in BCP has ownership of our CAP and needs to be involved in its delivery.

6.3.1 The main concern surrounding the Respect project at the moment surrounds finance. The audit trail application to release £5k from BCC will be signed at this meeting and funds from ESP are also awaited. AS reported that PAYP (positive activities for young people) funding may be available, Youth Opportunity Fund money also.
6.3.2 Awards for All application has been returned, unsuccessful, and appears to have gone missing at Wicklea. Further applications are in progress.
6.3.3 Skateboard money is now spent. Requested that cross funding be permitted of the Skate project until ESP funds arrive. Approved by Management Committee.
6.3.4 Funding is to be applied for to provide defensive covering for the sports hall walls and floor.

6.4.1 Matters are in the BCC court as regards Wicklea. YB is waiting for BCC to go beyond a 25yr lease. Reported that Southville Centre is on a 999yr lease.
6.4.2 User groups have been issued with rent demands for Wicklea, some much increased and without consultation.
6.4.3 Ben Barker has reported that Neighbourhood Partnerships pay no rents to BCC as the council funds these.

AG reported that conditions were very wet in the Valley on Sunday and that conditions in the brook were nice and clear.

Joules is pleased to report that the calendar on the site is proving to be very useful.

6.7.1 The Fun Day on 6th July was a great success and the weather proved to be very kind with a dry spell for the duration of the event.
6.7.2 AP thanked Arno's Park Action Group for the invitation that allowed the launch of the CAP to go ahead.

BCP has commented on the application for the site adjacent to 109 Wick Rd. Former ESSO filling station site on Bath Rd—Refused due to noise from the waste handling site across the river.

Agreed.

8.1 Summary reports of the PACT session are attached to these minutes.
8.2 PACT is proving very popular and useful but penetration of the initiative into some parts of the 2 wards is less than was hoped. Discussions on how to improve on this continue. AP, SP & CS to progress.
8.3 The unofficial school-leaver parties resulted in the seizure of 150 cans of alcohol, a dozen or so officers were involved. A good idea well executed.
8.4 Experience gained with recent speeding issues is showing that perceptions of vehicle speed is often at variance with the fact when speeds are measured.
8.5 The garage in Brislington village has applied for the grant of a 24hr off-license for alcohol sales. This has been reduced. Police observe that not enough notice is given of these applications.

No report

10.1 DW attended a Voscur assembly meeting at which Councillor Terry Cook gave a presentation on Neighbourhood Partnerships. Part of the presentation indicated that 50% of the elected council members must be present for a NP meeting to be deemed quorate. There was some debate over this and there will probably be more all across the city.
10.2 AH reported that Brislington Neighbourhood centre is looking for more management committee members.
10.3 CL reported on a possible extension of the "Monarch's Way" foot & cycle path in the Avon Meads area and a possible new foot & cycle bridge over the river at Eastwood farm.
10.4 A Locality Governance meeting is being held on Wednesday involving school Heads and others in children's and young people's services to set priorities for ESP etc. This will be another multi-agency initiative.
SP to attend.
10.5 A new database giving information on activities for children, young people and others can be found at:

OneBigDatabase

10.6 A feasibility study is currently underway on the Callington Rd Link.
10.7 AP will be unavailable to Chair the August meeting of BCP. DW will be available to act as substitute.