While many believe that the redevelopment of the Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Factory in Greenbank will have positive benefits for the community overall, many are increasingly concerned about the sale of a strip of publicly owned land along the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, currently the subject of a consultation by Bristol City Council. If the sale is approved, the 170m long strip of mature hedgerow- habitat for foxes, badgers, and birds- would be destroyed and developed into a 7-storey tower block and “cycle houses.” There is also concern about the 250 parking spaces proposed for the development, likely to generate a significant amount of traffic in this currently quiet corner of Easton.

read full story / add a comment

Three elderly people have been killed, and one seriously injured by motor vehicles while crossing to Tesco from Eastville at Junction 2 of the M32 within the past 12 months. Local residents and safety campaigners have called upon the City Council and Highways Agency to stop the slaughter at Junction 2 by lowering the speed limit, installing a pedestrian crossing, and shutting the entrance to residential Stapleton Rd. to motor traffic from this junction.

read full story / add a comment

The Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance (www.tfgb.org.uk) will be holding a FREE public meeting at the Jurys Hotel, Prince St on
Tues 9th December 7.30pm to discuss improving local transport in 2009. Next year is a critical year for determining our future travel choices and quality of life. Will we get an Integrated Transport Authority or continue with the West of England partnership? Will we get a south Bristol ring road or improved buses-even a tram system? read full story / add a comment

Bristol City Council today attempted to put the lid on a growing crisis of disillusionment with its handling of the Cycling City project by indicating to the Evening Post that the public would not be welcome at a meeting to be held this evening in Horfield to review the secretive contents of the Cycling City plan. Members of the public, for whom this is the first opportunity to examine where £23 million in taxpayer funding is to be spent, are outraged. Cyclists are inviting the public to bring their bikes and attend an emergency mass cycle ride to the "closed" meeting in protest, meeting at the sails by the fountains in the City Centre at 5:30pm, and riding to Horfield. read full story / add a comment

Bristol Cyclists are demanding improvements to the Cycling City plan, a £22 million set of projects intended to double cycling in Bristol in the next 2-3 years. They claim there has been inadequate public consultation, and many crucial parts of the plan have been left out, such as a "bicycle expressway" link across the M32, 20mph speed limits, and adequate on-road cycle lanes. read full story / add a comment

It hasn’t been an easy week for the organisers of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and the Bristol Museum, or their sponsor and proud wildlife destroyer— sugardaddy Shell Oil Company. All week, concerned individuals from around Bristol have been exposing the truth about Shell and the public institutions who are helping to greenwash them. read full story / add a comment

What is Chooseday?

We are all becoming aware of climate change, but how can we do anything about it? It all seems too big and complex. Something needs to shift.

How would it be if Tuesdays became a focus across the Bristol region for us all to re-imagine our lifestyles - a day on which we choose to live differently.

This is Chooseday — why don't you join in? read full story / add a comment

We began our cycle ride from Bristol International and rode 134 miles to Heathrow Airport, mostly along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath, which, if improved might one day provide a high quality level cycleway between London and Bristol. Along the way, Sleazyjet, FryinAir, and company clamored for more cheap flights, more runways, and more CO2!!!........

…....The truth is this: Climate Camp wasn’t just an isolated event– it is emerging everywhere. We are more numerous than the corporations, we are more powerful than the politicians, and we are going to win…. because losing– allowing ourselves to cross that 2 degrees centigrade boundary is– unthinkable.

Read full article, with pics and video at:
http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/camp-for-climate-action-2007-heathrow-airport/ read full story / add a comment