Stockwood's Cllr Jay Jethwa has tabled some party-politicking questions for next Tuesday's council meeting. They suggest that the LibDem administration has gone out of its way to protect its own council wards, when choosing which open green spaces to put up for sale to fund the Parks and Green Space Strategy.
If true, that would be very serious malpractice. But it looks much more like Jay's convenient political interpretation of what some of us had forecast long since. Wasn't it inevitable that sites for sale would be identified in outer, poorer, areas, to fund a strategy that largely benefits the wealthier wards of the city - which do tend to elect LibDem, or Tory, councillors? Jay and her fellow Tories chose to ignore that obvious fact when they welcomed the PGSS strategy a couple of years ago, so it's a bit late to play party games with it now. She also conveniently ignores wards like our neighbours in LibDem-held Hengrove, which is every bit as threatened by land sales as we are in Stockwood.
So try again, Jay. But remember that blue glass house that you're in. Remember how your minority group held the Labour group to ransom a couple of years ago (same time as you approved the land sale policy in the PGSS)? Your blessing for their entire city budget was conditional on including £215K on play parks - exclusively in Tory wards. That really set the standard for party self-interest.
[Good grief! That's the second time I've defended the LibDems against Tory attack! Why don't they do it themselves?]
5 comments:
I'd argue they are selling parkland where they have it. What greenery is there in Cabot ward other than Castle Park (longstanding threats), queen square, and the bits of grass under the hotwells bridges? Cotham only has the park by the station and freemantle square, Redland -one park.
Compare that to lockleaze: a big bit of greenery up to purdown camp, some parkland on dovercourt road "only used by dog walkers" -with the road access for a lovely retail outlet opportunity.
They plan to sell off land in Kings Head Lane Park and thats in the Tory held Bishopsworth constituency. I don't know what that proves, but we will be fighting the plans just the same. Although there is an arguement for building on some "green spaces" these should always be as a last resort after all previously used land has been developed. As for the promise that all monies raised will be used to improve our open spaces; I simply don't believe it!
Bristol City Council is choosing to ignore the 1,500,000 sq ft of empty office space in the city centre which needs redeveloping and the acres of empty industrial sites all around the city. We are facing a crises of empty commercial/industrial space yet they are seeking to sell off green spaces first. Its insane.
harryT
Pete, you are doing so well in defence theres no need to change the formatiom. No. 1 shirt Goodwin!
Jay Jethwa may be excused for not understanding the policy proposed by Labour, re-aligned by the Lib Dems, at Council, but look, oh my goodness, she is now promoted to attack!
For years Jay relied upon her counterpart, the Tory Teams fiersome (nothing gets past me) David Morris, not dropped once for the Tory team in 16 years.
Now Jay finds herself on the field the ball at her feet and YES! Can you believe it? It's in the net. Sadly though, her own net. Jay has scored an OWN GOAL.
Football metaphor(ic)
SteveL: Yes, it's inherent in the whole strategy that land sales would be in the places where the land is. I'm not suggesting that it's a conspiracy to rob the poor for the benefit of the rich. But it was always forseeable that it would work out that way.
I've not looked at the Lockleaze plans.... are they really suggesting retail development, or is that your own take on it?
Post a Comment