Work Underway at New College
Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 17:12, Fri 14 November 2008:
WORK UNDERWAY AT NEW COLLEGE
Work is continuing at pace on the Hengrove Park development. With planning permission now secured on all major parts of the scheme, I joined residents, councillors and contractors a few weeks ago to see work on site begin. Today saw another chapter open – with the first turf cut for the new City of Bristol College site. Along with Principal Keith Elliott and students of the College, I went along to see work get underway. The new site will provide state of the art training and education for our communities. As well as focussing on young people, the College will also provide opportunities for adults who want to develop skills or retrain for another job. I will keep you updated as work continues.
POST OFFICE CARD ACCOUNT - SAVED!
I was delighted to hear the announcement that the contract for the Post Office Card Account has been awarded directly to the Post Office. This is great news for the 10,000 people living in Bristol South who use a Post Office Card Account for receiving their benefits or pensions. Nearly 600 people raised this important issue with me, and I made representations on their behalf to James Purnell, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This is also good news for the post office network – it was estimated that, without the Post Office Card Account, up to 3,00 post office branches would have closed. The Government has taken account of the economic climate and social conditions and has, I am sure, made an excellent decision.
ENERGY BILL AND FEED-IN TARIFFS
Last week the Energy Bill went through its final stages in the House of Lords. The measures in this Bill will encourage a diverse, secure supply of electricity while helping the UK make further progress towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The Bill will enable the greater use of renewable energy and cutting edge low carbon technology such as carbon capture and storage. I was very pleased last week when the Government introduced an amendment to the Bill to include a renewable energy feed-in tariff which will mean a guaranteed price for small-scale electricity generation. Along with the Planning and Climate Change Bills, the Energy Bill will ensure our legislation underpins the long term delivery of our energy and climate change strategy.
HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY ACT
The Queen gave Royal Assent to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill yesterday, bringing it into law. This is a very important piece of legislation, and I was pleased to have significant involvement in it as it progressed through the House of Commons. The new Act will help scientists who are working to cure terrible diseases, as well as remove unnecessary barriers for same sex couples who want to have children.
BRISTOL - A GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CITY
I was delighted to hear last week that Bristol has been shortlisted for the European Green Capital Award. Bristol is one of eight European cities to reach this stage, and the only city from the UK to get this far. The purpose of the Award is to help cities become healthier and more attractive places to live, and the winning city will be one that has demonstrated consistently high environmental standards with plans in place to further improve and develop these in the future. Bristol received a further accolade this week when it was ranked first in the annual Sustainable Cities Index. The Index measures environmental impact, quality of life for residents and “future proofing” – ie how well cities address issues such as climate change, recycling and biodiversity. Bristol City Council’s involvement in projects such as Cycling City and the Greater Bristol Bus Network, as well as its new Parks and Green Spaces Strategy and high recycling rates have helped Bristol gain a well deserved green reputation.
CALL FOR SITES
The City Council is currently looking at how land should be allocated, as part of the process of deciding on the development of Bristol in the next twenty years. They are trying to involve local people as much as possible in this process. So, if you know of any land in your neighbourhood which could be better used – say as a community facility – or even land that should stay as it is, then please let the Council know. You can visit www.bristol.gov.uk/bdf to find out more. Alternatively, just get in touch, and I would be happy to pass on your views to the Council.
ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just email Primarolod@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH. Alternatively, for more information on what’s happening in and around Bristol South, you can visit www.bristolsouthlabourparty.org.uk
Comments
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Posted by Steve Knowlson, 21:51, Wed 3 December 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I must admit that a smile spread across my face when I heard that Bristol had been shortlisted for the European Green Capital Award. This smile then became uncontrollable laughter as I thought about the absurdity of the situation.
What had the shortlisting judges found so very green about Bristol? Was it our fantastic fully integrated, reliable, well used, affordable, user-friendly, delightful public transport system?
Or perhaps it was the glorious sight of Bristol City Centre on a Saturday or Sunday morning? Or maybe the prospect of a massive incinerator that's on it's way to our fair city?
It could even by the wonderful land grab of parks and green spaces that Bristol City Council is currently engaged in.
I wonder, I wonder - perhaps it could be a complete sham, dreamt up by political expediency as a fig leaf for Labour's local and national failings?
The possibilities are endless.....