Petition for better plans

FORMER Liberal Democrat candidate for Central Zac Barker has raised a petition, supported by Bristol Against Tower Blocks, to oppose the current development plans for the area around the St Mary Le Port Church, pending the raising of a counter proposal from the developers that meets the petitioners’ concerns.

The petitioners believe that the proposed new buildings North and South of the St Mary Le Port Church Tower, A and B as designated on the development plans, are too tall, large and not in keeping in terms of design with the wider Castle Park area.

They note that the current plans means that street viewing of the St Mary Le Port Church Tower, which dates from Saxon times, will be obstructed from north and south in particular from the direction of Bristol Bridge. The petitioners therefore call for the aforemen- tioned proposed buildings to be reduced in height by at least three storeys, and the design of the buildings to change to be less visually high impact.

The petitioners recognise the importance of redeveloping the St Mary Le Port area, given its current tendency to attract social problems.

However, current trends by the Mayor and Cabinet to support high rise developments means that we feel that the council and the developers need to be compelled to negotiate for alternate plans to what is currently proposed.

To sign the petition, see https:// bit.ly/3e6uZr0.

Zac Barker Central Liberal Democrats