I read it and understod it, its trash. Prosperous = Bad, but those who objected to Ashton Vale were also working class. Bristol is woefully behind every other major city in the UK, and indeed in Western Europ ... Tell that to the vistors on tours, or those from Tilburg, Dortmund, Prague whon are frequently at Ashton Gate. It isn't the football bringing gthem its the nighlife and culture also. Being a regaular I see that as subjective many major European Cities are dull v vibrant Bristol. The arena at this point cannot be built adjacent to Temple Meads due to a lease [due to a previous council] that will expire in the next couple of years. Funding for the build is in place, and also most of the infra structure to support it. Bristols popular culture is thriving. The arts are popular. Harbourside festivals are a plenty. Bris fest will be back, Upfest - See no evil will be back ... Bristol is the coolest City in the South West. Buses blame the Tories/Nu Labour - First bus - First Great Western exist because of their econmic ideals e.g Freidman. Nottingham - Mrs comes from there. Nice trams but it would require the banning of cars here to implement in a City also with areas that are listed. Finance .. Fanciful stuff. Your last statement!! The Ashton Vale project would not have brought visitors into the City. It was to be part financed via chain franchises and all visitors would visit services including hotels on site. That was its design intent was to keep people in, including fans and the associated revenue narrowly distributed. A arean at Temple Meads next to a major train station and very near independant businesses will spread revenue wider.
Ashton Gate will be re-developed. The Arena will be built at Temple Meads once those lettuces or whatever it is being grown in those greenhouses are finished. The Gas could build their stadium outside Bristol now if they had the money. The rest you can't change the buses and trains cos that is anti free market, you can't alter the roads cos that's anti car, you can't alter the transport cos there are more than three councils arguing over it, you can't have more car parks - no bus lanes less cycle paths cos thats anti green ..
You're at it again Cliftonville! Either not understanding or wilfully obfuscating what I've written. I never said that Bristol's prosperity was bad - simply that because the city is relatively well off, we don't get the Government and European funding that other cities, such as Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Leeds and Liverpool, receive. Bristol is woefully behind.... - again, you're just misrepresenting what I've said. we're woefully behind with our infrastructure - venues, stadia, sports facilities, public transport etc - that's quite obvious. Have you ever been to other UK cities? If so, were you blindfolded? Whenever I go to another major city I certainly note the tram/metro systems, arenas, ice rinks and stadia that they've got which Bristol lacks. The arena at this point can't be built.....funding for the build is in place... That's just plain wrong. There's a multi-million pound funding shortfall http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-24575744. The site adjacent to Temple Meads has been cleared specifically for an arena to be built there. It's relatively shovel ready - the problem is the funding and previously the political will to achieve it. Bristol's popular culture is thriving... You're confusing the words 'popular' and 'alternative' in that sentence. Upfest, See No Evil, Dot to Dot Festival and the Southbank Arts trail etc. are all great events which appeal to a certain metropolitan demographic, but if you wanted to see Coldplay, Disney on Ice, top level boxing, One Direction, Lee Evans etc. - i.e. 'popular' culture - you'd have to travel over the bridge to Cardiff or 100 miles up to Birmingham. Why should that be? Bristol is easily big enough for an arena. I don't disagree at all that Bristol is the coolest city in the South west - I reckon it's the coolest city in the UK outside London. That's not what the article is about. There's no reason why we can't have all the alternative cool stuff and have the arenas, stadiums and decent public transport as well. Buses blame the Tories/Nu Labour - First bus - First Great Western exist because of their econmic ideals e.g Freidman - that whole sentence is just strange. Other cities' public transport systems are privately-owned, but they happen to be far better; decent, integrated mass transit - ours is a pile of crap. It's nonsensical to argue that you would have to ban cars to implement a tram system in Bristol - it's just not true. It's also ludicrous to argue that new stadia, venues and facilities would not bring investment and tourists into the city. £50 million flows into Nottingham each year due to visitors spending when they attend large events and concerts at their arena. Football fans and visitors attending events at Ashton Vale would go into Bristol and spend and many would stay there too - it's daft to suggest otherwise. Sure, the plans include a hotel and some eateries, but you don't seriously think that everyone who visits Ashton Vale isn't going to visit central Bristol, less than 3 miles away? Bristol is a great city but is undeniably miles behind in respect of its facilities. Either you haven't read the article, or you're just being bloody-minded.
TIME IN THE PAST is not time now, there seems to BE a deliberate attempt to slow down traffic...happened in London as reported by Micheal Winner who on his way to work! used to know the times of each set of lights he went through..one day he noted most of them held up traffic for longer....shortly after in came the CC ..some time later amazing the lights or some of them went back to allow traffic through quicker.. Believe me Bristol is one of the lesser congested cities...slowest point is around Merchants quarter or cabot circus whatever it is called coming off the M32 but only at peaks in am pm for an hour or so..must go off into Bristol as the rush hour jhas calmed down and it will take me 15mins to get to BRI not 30 mins plus as it would at 9am........... BRUSSELS.....THATS S*****
Bristol is truly awful for traffic for a good proportion of most days, including weekends. I drive all over the country and the only worse place I've found is getting out of Liverpool on a morning and back to the M62/M6. Point taken about deliberately slowing traffic down though. This is done by having unintelligent traffic lights that stop a main road at 04.00 when the one other side road and pedestrian crossing in the same location are both empty. This causes unnecessary wear and tear on my car/brakes and heats up the environment. Where is our green George Ferguson on that one then ?!
Bristol is not woefully behind other Cities. You said you it yourself it is prosperous. Bristol is a success, a diverse and prosperous success. Bristol bucked the recession, hardly a shambles. Bristol's popular alternative culture in essence is hardly alternative anymore. it is worth millions. its arts millions ... Yes me and my Mrs have lived in other Cities. I have also lived abroad and traveled extensively ... My ees were open. Buses blame the Tories/Nu Labour - First bus - First Great Western exist because of their econmic ideals e.g Freidman - that whole sentence is just strange. No it is straightforward. The Free market created Bristols poor transportation. Bristol cannot without Government intervention create a integrated transport system. It will not happen try telling first Great Western "we want you to co-operate with other competitors". There are four councils to contend with, conflict of interest ... Cities like Birmingham, Manchester have transport authorities, Bristol does not, back to the Government there to intervene. Mayor Fergie hasn't the clout to sort them out. It's also ludicrous to argue that new stadia, venues and facilities would not bring investment and tourists into the city. £50 million flows into Nottingham each year due to visitors spending when they attend large events and concerts at their arena. Football fans and visitors attending events at Ashton Vale would go into Bristol and spend and many would stay there too - it's daft to suggest otherwise. Sure, the plans include a hotel and some eateries, but you don't seriously think that everyone who visits Ashton Vale isn't going to visit central Bristol, less than 3 miles away? Ashton Vale was an out of Town development. Cardiff/Nottingham those stadiums are within the City boundaries and you can spend hours visiting local amenities. The opposite of Ashton Vale. It s ten minute walk to West Street/North Street and the rest? No. A arena at the identified site at Temple Meads will be of far more benefit. People visiting gigs in Queens Square e.g. Massive Attack or the harbourside swell the coffers of local shops and bars. Ashton Vale they would have drived ... Mr Sexstone stated such at a Q&A. That was a design intent of the project. It is not daft to suggest that the greater benefit is a arena inside City v a privately owned stadium outside, or very close to the City limits.
It would be of overall benefit to the city in general until people want to park at/near the venue, or have something other than Temple Meads station to look at or do if they actually get there. Then there is the likely disruption to traffic whilst building takes place in one of the worse affected traffic blackspots at present. Building such an arena would definitely be a step in the right direction but it's not the nicest of areas, and it would need a lot of other enterprises to open (eateries/bars etc) in the immediate vicinity, along with proper parking and infrastructure.
Its a superb site and will overlook the river, Temple Meads and will be on clear view to people arriving by train. The park and ride is a mile and half away away, buses and trains pass every few minutes. The constant building of offices in Temple Way etc does not cause havoc with the traffic. Feeder road will be used to access the site as it is now for businesses. The whole area will be revitalised. Land around the feeder will be developed e.g Cattle Market Tavern, a bridge will connect Temple Meads and the arena site. The turning bay on the feeder will be used to create a additional scenic feature. There is also a clear synergy with the small music venues in the area e.g Louisiana, Thekla, Thunderbolt, Tunnells and Fleece. Tonight Councillors agreed half the funding.
west town lane bath road by the lidl supermarket a severe case in mind outside of rush hours......... Liverpool is an amazing place...beg to differ but it one City I feel ill at ease in after leaving the Liver bird area...but just love the flow of traffic everywhere whether heading for the m6 n or south... tunnels can be a bit of a pain though, but the alternatives are ****e!!!! Manchester is good in places around the outskirts ****e in middle all day...same for Leeds..Brum is fair until you get off the expressways.. Soton and Pomps similar...Derby stoke most midlands places c*** although Coventry from m40 through to M6 is a pain..never really been in the centre... pick a top 5 city to drive in I would include Bristol....
I work with people all over this country, and I've got to be truthful they all hate coming to Bristol because of the traffic congestion. What you are forgetting is if you know your way around a City you then know the quickest routes. The thing is we are discussing Cardiff v Bristol for it's infrastructure. Cardiff is a capital which attracts shed load of visitors. It holds the 6 nations and other big sporting events, in possibly the best location going. If you have ever been to Cardiff on international day you will understand what I'm saying, but the town really comes alive with thousands upon thousands defending on the City centre. There could be possibly upto three times the capacity of the stadium in the town bars. Even when Wales play away the town is buzzing. Plowing thousands of £'s into the City centre bars restaurants and clubs. Compare that to a City with 2 football clubs getting at best 20k between them, indicates why Cardiff is streets a head.
please log in to view this image A nice picture of the harbour side and this part of Bristol looks alright to me.
That's my point, it's hardly on the doorstep. As an example I went to Birmingham to see Black Sabbath in December. I parked at the NIA which is where the gig was, and on the doorstep was Broad St with loads of bars, restaurants, shops etc all within a 5 minute walk plus an outdoor ice rink, Birmingham Eye, funfair etc. As Redordead says, people hate coming to Bristol because of the traffic and I deliberately leave home at 06.15 to drive to work in Gloucester every day because if I leave an hour later, the journey will take me 2 hours, the first of which will be spent getting from home to the M32. Even knowing the quickest routes doesn't help. It's awful.
Lads I don't come from Bristol so can give an unbiased opinion - Bristol is a great city - people are (generally) friendly - nightlife good. However the political leadership seem unwilling to embrace development (especially sport) that will keep the city moving forward.
Although your opinions are very admirable and correct bluebaldee you are wasting your breath on someone like cliftonville who will never have his opinion altered or changed no matter how much sense is hammered into him. You have offered nothing but facts something he dearly loves and he ignored them, debated back with nonsense that was way off topic, as per. Save yourself sometime and aggregation and ignore.
