Brislington Community Partnership

Agreed.
5 BCP as a Neighbourhood Partnership will launch in February 2008.
7.4 BCP has received a bill for use of the community room. As reported in the minutes for October, the community association bears considerable overhead costs for the room and needs to recover some of these. Due to BCP’s effort and input in the community and Wicklea it is felt that BCP’s costs in this regard should be met by BCC funds. An option is to send the bill to Lorna Heaysman but, in light of future YB involvement, it would be helpful to BCP if a precedent can be set with regard to funding of the community room by BCC as support for BCP, so consideration by a more senior officer may be desirable.
Action: SP letter to Helen Ball & Les Compton
With regard to the future of Wicklea, there is a need for more input to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) discussions from the Wicklea user groups.
There is a need to urgently progress the ongoing repair issues at Wicklea.
Action: SP letter to Les Compton

8.1 Roy Marsh was directed to contact BCC Highways Dept. (not Highways Agency).

4.1 DW reported that BCP had experienced a busy year that signalled change for the partnership and for Bristol.
4.2 At the same time, BCP appears to be in much the same place as it was at the previous year’s AGM: we await the takeover of Wicklea by Young Bristol; we continue to work on the Action Plan; and BCP remains in the process of becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee and then registering as a Charity.
4.3 DW reported that the contractual process between Young Bristol and the City is developing positively and that longer leaseholds have been agreed.
4.4 However, BCP has to remain vigilant at this point to ensure that it continues to receive the promised support from the City. BCP continues to press the City to build into its Service Level Agreement with Young Bristol the need to provide space to BCP as a community partnership.

5.1 AP echoed the Chair in her review of the year.
5.2 BCP has been particularly busy with its Action Plan activities. Following the completion and distribution of its interim report, the Action Plan working group organised a series of workshop gatherings at church halls and schools in order to facilitate residents’ involvement in transforming the report into a plan. These events were relatively successful, with particularly good attendance at St Cuthbert’s, BEC, and St Anne’s Primary. The findings have been collated and analysed and working parties were set up to tap into community interest in this process. At the same time, BCP has made inroads with its City Council and service provider networks and the partnership achieved a high degree of visibility throughout the spring and summer, with both radio and newspaper appearances.
5.3 BCP has also met with Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, who confirmed her support for the partnership and was willing to listen to our views to inform her activities in the Wards.
5.4 BCP has also been busy organising cross-department discussions about the future of Wicklea with Young Bristol and the City (Young People’s Services, Community Development and Corporate Services). BCP would particularly like to thank Barbara Lewis, Peter Begley, Peter Main and Jackie Norman for their support and invaluable assistance.
5.5 In the past year BCP has also taken a more proactive interest in planning applications that affect our area. With Steve Pearce’s involvement in the Bristol Neighbourhood Planning Network and BCP’s concerns about the impact of the Regional Spatial Strategy we have brought planning applications to BCP meetings for discussion so that individuals can make comments via the City’s Planning Portal tool.

7.1 All officers stood down
7.2 For Chair, Angela Piccini stood uncontested
7.3 For Deputy Chair, Roy Marsh and David Waters were nominated. DW was duly elected Deputy Chair
7.4 For Secretary, Steve Pearce stood uncontested
7.5 For Treasurer, Theresa Driscoll stood uncontested, but agreed to continue in the role only until she could secure a replacement.
7.6 No Minutes Secretary is needed at this time, the Secretary to provide this service.
7.7 Committee members: Joules Taylor has agreed to continue in post as webmaster, also nominated to the committee are Ann Stobbs, Roy Marsh and Louise Bale.

8.1 AP thanked the meeting for showing faith in her ability to do this challenging job and looked forward to building an effective working relationship with Young Bristol and with Trevor Jones in particular. She also looked forward to strengthening links with VOSCUR, the Bristol Neighbourhood Planning Network and the Bristol Partnership.
8.2 It is important to get an early resolution to the process of incorporation (company limited by guarantee). SP will be dealing with this issue now.
8.3 The Neighbourhood Partnerships initiative within the city provides clear opportunities for BCP to accomplish many aims.
8.4 The Village Green proposal for the green space adjacent to Wicklea has assumed very large proportions as a project and it would appear that a natural home for this work is the green-mapping initiative that has grown from the CAP project.
8.5 CAP will continue to be an important area of work for BCP.

There has been limited attendance at the project groups meetings but a number of headline outcomes are planned. It is intended that a Dog Warden will attend the December BCP meeting.
A Green Mapping project is planned for the Brislington wards.
A meeting to start planning a Brislington Festival is planned for Weds 21st November at Wicklea. All CAP contacts have been invited and all are welcome.

At the user groups meeting with Trevor Jones it was proposed that there would be a committee to assist in the management of Wicklea. It is clear that the shadow management group is already positioned to help in this. BCP & the groups that use Wicklea need to position themselves so as to make useful input to the future management.
ESP may assist funding the use of the Community room by using it for adult learning programs.
The Chair needs to introduce herself to Trevor Jones.
Action AP to contact TJ

We have the usual crop of sub-divisions. The Bristol Neighbourhood Planning Network website has a growing number of examples of successful objections to these.
Queensdown Gardens: the application for town houses has been re-submitted, the traffic and parking concerns remain. Planning officers have remarked that where traffic & parking is a concern for local communities, timed and dated digital photos would be most helpful.
Latimer Close: 118 Dwellings, this is thought to be an example of unsympathetic redevelopment of an existing site with buildings that are out of character with local stock, too high & inappropriate mass.
Action SP to comment on behalf of BCP
Rochester Rd: the old children’s home site, a variation to the application that will increase density.

There is a meeting of the Schools Councils Partnership at BEC on the 12th November; SP will represent BCP at this with a small display. The schools councils will suggest topics for discussion by school heads and perhaps also for BCP. It was suggested that the schools could write letters commenting on the condition of facilities at Wicklea.
Local schools will be sign posting events for local community groups and will publicise the BCP website.

SP met with Carol Hayward (BCC) and Tim Erikson (from Minnesota, USA) regarding an e-Democracy initiative proposed by BCC and currently being used by a number of local communities world-wide, including the Greater Bedminster Community Partnership.
Action SP to circulate details
(Note, go to: forums)
The next meeting will be the last before Christmas, please feel free to bring your own festive goods along to share!