The news is breaking that a Planning Inspector has recommended Town Green status for the Ashton Vale land that was targetted for Bristol City's new stadium (plus assorted other developments).
Spare a thought for the City fans whose hopes of a new stadium have been so carefully cultivated, and ruthlessly exploited, by the club as it pursued this speculative high-risk business venture.
It's those emotions that are football clubs' real stock-in-trade, the loyalties and goodwill without which the team and the stadium mean nothing. Just like money, the goodwill can be manipulated as part of a negotiation - and BCFC have certainly been doing that, aided and abetted by the Evening Post and certain senior politicians, in each of the somewhat suspect linked deals that underpinned the stadium project.
Now comes the big let-down for the fans whose ambitions had been raised, and probably brings on the anger that goes with it. The club, responsible for the whole fiasco in the first place, will certainly want to divert blame onto the Ashton TG objectors, the Inspector, and anyone else who's raised their head above the parapet.
It will be fascinating to see whether the promoters accept that the whole matter has been fairly and lawfully dealt with, or whether they go back to offering carrots to the fans and taking sticks to the objectors in an effort to get their way.
[Added 10.20pm]
They're wasting no time....
"There are a variety of options open to us and we will use all these options to fight this report. The anger must rest with the inspector and the evidence used to support it.
“This is a clarion call for Bristol not to be tramped upon this way. We need the people of Bristol to say this is absolute madness.
Colin Sexstone, quoted on Bristol 24/7
Cllr Simon Cook's not taking a very balanced view either. "The law behind this application is a complete nonsense, but I am utterly determined to find a way through it."
That's the official Bristol City Council / Commons Registration Authority view then?
The report itself - all 250 closely argued pages of it - can be read from the same official page.
9 comments:
Though of course you come from an entirely neutral view with this blog where you happily take offensive comments simply throwing shit around to stereotype people by interests.
I'm assuming I should read 'Make' for 'take' in that comment, Anon?
Is anyone claiming a neutral view? This post is written from my own position of sympathy for the people making so much effort to protect their green space, plus a distaste for the way the club has been trying to railroad its ambitions through at the expense of the public. It draws, too, the feelings I've experienced as a football fan in the past.
Of course it's opinion. But it's supported by the evidence. Tomorrow Steve Lansdown will play his part in reinforcing and mobilising the anger.
No. I intentionally meant take. You have taken comments on this site from people who were clearly intending to categorise football supporters as some sort of caveman Neanderthal.
Why is this their green space? What gives YOU the basis to declare this?
Sorry I got that wrong. I don't recollect this blog getting comments like that - but if it has, or if it does, I'd only delete them if they're especially offensive in some way - and reluctantly at that. So far, I don't think I've censored anything on here.
I agree no-one should stereotype all football supporters as caveman Neanderthals any more than they should say (as many often do) that the Greens want to take us back to the stone age. But I bet there are more football fans who meet the first description than there are Greens who meet the second!
I don't think I have declared Ashton Vale as anyone's green space - but I welcome the Inspector's recommendation, as you know.
Football club interested parties are very quick to take offence but not slow in dishing out the abuse. Comes from Sexton and the directors setting the agenda-they need to show a bit more tact and diplomacy themselves. Looks so far that they have duped fans into thinking that this was a done deal.
"... offensive comments simply throwing shit around to stereotype people ..."
"some sort of caveman Neanderthal"
Well excuse me Mr/Ms Anonymous. Who is the one stereotyping here anyway? You are!
Homo neanderthalensis is just as good as any old Hom. sap. thank-you very much. They are no longer in a position to defend themselves, but have been negatively stereotyped by some chauvinists.
Add to that the fact that some of our ancestors were Neanderthals who must obviously therefore have had sexual relationships with our H. sapiens ancestors.
We are all Neanderthals now.
"So far, I don't think I've censored anything on here."
Well done Pete. If only more people were like you.
There are two people who comment on here who currently have blogs and have deleted comments from me for absolutely no good reason that I can see, as my comments were not in any way offensive.
Silencing other pepple like this is pretty low and underhand, in my view. By definition it is hidden from others and so I guess these individuals think they can get away with it.
Interestingly, in my experience it is always small-minded politico types who go in for censoring comments. In the case of the two here, they are both left wing. They might like to know that they are keeping such company as Iain Dale and the Daily Mail who also seem to hate and fear differing perspectives on life.
If I was getting the kind of comments that regularly get added to BEP articles, I'd be sharpening the blue pencil...
I've had the same experience as you, GxE Interaction, on the other Stockwood political blog (the LibDem one); my comment was deleted because it was considered to promote the green case! Clearly unsuitable!
Then our Tory councillor backtracked on a promise to mention the politically neutral 'savestockwoodsgreensites' blog in her "In Touch' newsletter. She said she'd looked at it and found some comments unacceptable. Out came the true blue pencil!
Yep, there's a case for censorship, but not if it reduces publications to blatant propaganda.
You can support the recommendations to give the fields at Ashton Vale Town Green Status by signing this epetition.
http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/petition/1206
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