Green perspectives on Stockwood and Bristol. Mostly.

Sunday 22 November 2009

Oh No Jon, No Jon, No Jon, No

""Do nothing/minimum" is always an option"
Jon Rogers, re South Bristol Link, this blog, 28th October

"There is no point in asking people whether they want a scheme, that has been asked before, and we have, based on all the information, going back years, already decided to proceed to the next stage."
Jon Rogers, re South Bristol Link, email, 13th November

Cue a batch of questions for answer at next Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, in an effort to find out what the options really are, and to bring some of the realities of the road-plus-BRT Link into the public domain.

More of those later. Meanwhile, Vowles the Green has been tabling more challenging questions for Cllr Rogers at the same meeting. Like how can exponential economic growth, promoted as a 'Core Value' in the city's future, be 'sustainable'? Very fundamental question that. I'm looking forward to the answer, while not really expecting one!

2 comments:

Jon Rogers said...

Thanks Pete

This sounds like a song title!

I look forward to answering your questions on Tuesday, which I will do with officer help and to the best of my ability.

The West of England Partnership WoEP has already progressed with proposals for RFA2 funding for the South Bristol Link route under my predecessor, Mark Bradshaw.

WoEP consulted on options for the scheme in Winter 2008 and results of that consultation were published in June 2009.

WoEP are now (Nov 2009) consulting on the preferred route.

Jon

Pete Goodwin said...

Very quick response, Jon! Thanks.

This sounds like a song title!

It is (or at least a bit of the lyric) - I thought maybe you'd have heard your grandmother singing it!

I look forward to answering your questions on Tuesday, which I will do with officer help and to the best of my ability.

The West of England Partnership WoEP has already progressed with proposals for RFA2 funding for the South Bristol Link route under my predecessor, Mark Bradshaw.


.... but prior to defining exactly what the scheme involves. I can't help thinking something like strengthening the rail infrastructure would make a far better transport investment - and much more future-proof.

WoEP consulted on options for the scheme in Winter 2008 and results of that consultation were published in June 2009.


Options.... yes, five of them - but not on 'do minimum', nor on the scheme that's being promoted now. Which makes it a bit irrelevant.

WoEP are now (Nov 2009) consulting on the preferred route.

Note THE preferred route - only one, not even the 'do minimum' alternative. The equivalent of an election with one candidate and no option to reject him/her.

Still, you'll see the questions for Tuesday go quite a lot deeper, being based on what we do know from the published Appraisal of the previous options, and with a side reference to the Bristol Partnership's 'Peak Oil' publication, which should put the whole scheme in a new light. Mostly, they're intended to clarify and put on record exactly what the current position is. It would be great if the answers actually do that - but based on years of asking questions, I'm not holding my breath!