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Green councillors have gained a commitment from the council that local residents will be given monthly updates on the progress being made towards the completion of Bristol North Baths.
At a Bristol City Council Cabinet meeting on Tues 5th April, Councillor Martin Fodor secured a commitment for improved communications as well as a review of the project once completed, to ensure that lessons are learnt for the future.
Councillor Martin Fodor, who tabled the question to the Mayor said:
“I am pleased that the decade-long saga of the Bristol North Baths is finally reaching a conclusion. The first priority is to get the new library, flats, replacement public toilets, and shoppers’ car park restored, and find a resolution to the new uses for the old Baths building. But we also need to ensure that lessons are learnt for the future. I am glad that, as a result of my question, the Mayor has committed to a review once the project is completed.”
“Many local residents have had concerns about the lack of communications which has led to misinformation and rumours. I therefore hope that the Mayor’s commitment to give monthly updates to local residents and ward councillors will mark a new and open approach with a commitment to keeping everyone abreast of progress and timescales. We plan to make sure these reports are indeed regular and that updates are clear and get circulated locally to keep everyone informed.”
Image: Rob Brewer
Notes:
1. Webcast of the commitment given in Cabinet on 5th April 2016: http://www.bristol.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/218632
2. Cllr Fodor’s question to the Mayor:
QUESTION SUBMITTED BY GREEN COUNCILLORS to CABINET – Tues 5th April
AGENDA ITEM 6: Funding to complete Bristol North Baths Development
Cllr Martin Fodor
I welcome steps being taken to complete the long running development fiasco of Bristol North Baths which started a decade ago.
I gather that once contracts are in place and work restarts there is due to be an 8 week completion of the modern parts of the development. This is good news as new residents are keen for their flats (some have even sadly lost mortgage offers along the way). The public toilets need to be reinstated on the site; and then once its fit out is completed the relocation of the library is good news that many residents have been waiting years for.
It’s also positive that the opportunity is being taken to reopen negotiations with the Bishopston Medical Practice, as their current plans are only temporary and are going to affect local residents (as was clear in Development Control).
Can the Mayor assure local residents, traders and councillors that:
· After a decade of plans and development issues, steps are being taken to ensure that Bristol North Baths will be put back on track for completion. Can you assure us that ward Cllrs and local residents will be kept fully informed so that accurate information is made available in a timely manner and that the restoration of the shopper’s car park is in the early list of things to be completed, as local traders need to know this.
· Some of the problems that have beleaguered this project are bad luck, but it is clear that over the decade long lifetime of the project, mistakes have been made by the Council. Can you confirm that, without delaying the development further, a full and publicly available review of the project once completed will be made so that similar mistakes are not made again?”