‘Only a vote for Labour will bring the community-led investment Southmead deserves’

I want to put Southmead’s priorities first – I want to stand up for the people who live here and secure the investment Southmead needs.

I am experienced in standing up for communities as I have spent my adult life standing up for working people.  I have been a Trade Union official in the postal industry for fifteen years. I now want to be your councillor for Southmead and will take the same level of dedication I have spent fighting for postal workers to you, and will always put residents’ interests first.

Local residents all agree that the area needs investment.

If elected, I promise to:

·       Protect and enhance Southmead’s greenspaces

·       Improve safety and tackle antisocial behaviour

·       Secure investment in youth facilities

.       Help Council tenants access the newly announced investment to upgrade their bathrooms and improve energy efficiency

·       Ensure the Arnside, and Glencoyne Square regeneration continues to be community-led

Despite not yet being elected, I have already achieved half of one of my pledges. The past few weeks, I have been extensively lobbying the Labour mayor and cabinet to stop the planned housing development on Doncaster Road Park.

This was a success, and the housing plans have now been scrapped. The plans were at an early stage, but I am pleased I have helped to secure this announcement and put residents’ minds at ease.

The Labour administration has committed to keeping the park a park, but I will, of course, secure legally binding commitments to protect it from development for generations to come, by getting it granted the same status as other parks in Bristol in the Local Plan.

This past week, I have also been pushing for the Lake Road point closure to be taken out of the plans for the number two bus route. I have visited the area with the Cabinet Member for Transport, who agrees the road closure isn’t fundamental for the route to be a success, so he now will be looking at alternatives. This is an example of how I can get stuff done for Southmead.

……………………………………………….

Read more: ‘Protecting Doncaster Road Park should have happened long before a by-election’

……………………………………………….

However, on Doncaster Road Park, Brenda and I are now going further, and are having discussions with the Council about improving park facilities and enhancing this important green space – including more tree planting.

This brings me on to another of my commitments – securing investment in youth facilities in the area. The mayor has promised to bring at least two Youth Zones (a youth centre with specialist facilities, such as climbing walls, music studios, sports pitches) to Bristol. Knowle West is getting the first as it has high levels of inequality and a lack of high-quality play provision.

Southmead shares some of these problems and, like Knowle West, has a large catchment area, meaning a lot of young people could use it. I’m committed to working with the local community to bring Bristol’s second Youth Zone to Southmead and I am confident we will be successful.

Improving youth facilities will give children and young people something to do outside of school hours, which should, in turn, also help tackle antisocial behaviour in Southmead.

It is also important note that the Labour administration in Bristol have kept Children’s Centres open in the city including the much valued Southmead centre in the face of severe government austerity cuts.

I recognise that something also needs to be done in the short term, so I will secure funding for CCTV and improved lighting in key areas, and regularly meet with the police and other authorities on behalf of residents, along with councillor Brenda Massey.

Doncaster Road Park is one of the most popular green spaces in Southmead – photo: Google

Labour has recently announced massive investment in council housing in Bristol. I have spoken to residents on the estates who have raised antisocial behaviour with me, so will ensure some of the council house funding is used for CCTV in communal areas. The funding package for council homes also includes £12.5m for bathroom repairs and £80m to make homes more energy efficient – which is all the more important with the news after the Tory Government decision to raise the average energy bill by almost £700. I will help Southmead’s council residents access as much of this funding as possible.

I will be a community focussed councillor and will keep local residents informed and involved with all my work. The regeneration of Arnside is a huge investment in the area. Any project of this scale needs to have the local residents at its heart and is community-led. I want to ensure this good work is continued, by holding regular meetings with all the key community stakeholders.

This is just a small section of what I plan to do, if elected on Thursday, February 17, for Southmead.

It’s worth remembering that there was only an election last May. Labour came first with the Tories a close second, with the other parties trailing behind. The election will be between my community-led, progressive vision for Southmead, or the Tories – whose main focus at the moment is cutting services, and increasing taxes and the cost-of-living for working people.

Our visions for Southmead could not be in starker contrast. Only a vote for Labour will bring the community-led investment Southmead deserves.

Main photo by Tom Renhard

Read more: Former cabinet member who lost seat could make a swift return to City Hall

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: