Baltic Wharf is closing - petition

[StephandJohn]

I don't think its been widely known until the last few days that Bristol City Council voted behind closed doors to give Caravan Club notice that they wanted the land back. This would be a direct hit on a lot of the nearest tourist businesses such as Bristol Ferries, SS Britannia and The Cottage public house as well as in the city itself.
It would be a great loss to motorhomers and caravaners as its such a unique place to stay.

Local campaigners have a website
www.savebristolcampsite.com

This includes a petition. We only need 3500 signatures to force the council to hold an open debate about their plans.

 

[Damian]

It has been known for some time in fact.
The problem is that the CC have only ever had the site on a lease, and that has now been called in, to build a school on the site as I understand.

 

[StephandJohn]

Thanks. Yes that's right but if you look at the savebristol website it seems local people are concerned over this proposal for a number of reason; one of which tisthat its not a suitable place for a school.
It will also affect the nearest businesses and Bristol Ferries who say that the campers in the winter provide their 'bread and butter'.
Lets hope they get enough signatures to at least make the council have an open meeting this time.

 

[Raywood]

Seems a very shortsighted decision which will lose the area a lot of tourist income. Not sure if it will do any good but I have signed in.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Me too, am booked in there mid May. Tried to get in a few times, but failed, eventually got in just in time by the sound of it.

PS - You know that councillors know what's best for you!! (And we vote for 'em!)

 

[StephandJohn]

Hi all
I have just received this from Matt in Bristol who is orchestrating the campaign

“Today I have emailed all 70 local council representatives for Bristol with the below. Very little response but just wanted to make them aware and try to get them talking. Also emailed Aardman (Wallace and Gromit) to try and get their support. (This is because there has been a big Wallace and Gromit campaign in aid of tourism in Bristol for the past 18 months.)

The plan for tomorrow is to contact the Chamber of Commerce (Bristol West) and also making contact with other influential businesses in the area. Councillors are worried about budgets and the one thing that may help us is if we can get local businesses to support us by providing an endorsement we can quote - perhaps with positive views of the site and concerns for the future plans.

980 online signs now! Will catch up with Lou this week to see how the paper petitions are doing.

All the best, Matt

Email sent to all Councillors 28.4.2013
Just thought we'd introduce ourselves and share our website with you: www.savebristolcampsite.com
Please take a peek as there is loads of great info on there. Our online petition has been going for a week and we're nearly at 1,000 signatures already. Paper versions are running too! BBC radio Bristol and the Bristol post have covered the story and there's lots of activity on Twitter, Facebook and online discussion forums. We're receiving a phenomenal amount of positivity from local people, businesses as well as visitors from far and wide; who feel that their bond with our wonderful city was made possible because of the campsite.
This campaign has been started by local people and our thoughts are that the Baltic Wharf campsite has been a fantastic asset to Bristol and the harbour community for over 30 years. Closure will have a devastating effect on the local harbour community, tourism and businesses. Although you represent [INSERT WARD], this is the only campsite in the whole of Bristol and closure, without public consultation, undermines the very principles of the [INSERT PARTY] party.
With just a little more thought we could keep a superb gateway to Bristol open, sustain the harbour community, and build a new school in a far more suitable and safer location. Please see our website for more information.
We would be very grateful if you were to help us inspire a debate on this issue and, hopefully, save this unique facility for the City.

 

[soldlisa04]

Sad to hear this. We finally managed to book a weekend in July as my sister and brother in law live in Bristol so are meeting up with us to show us the nightlife on the Sat night and stay with us in our van. I really hope that people sign the petition, which was easy to do and they keep this site open! Will be a shame if they don't.

 

[StephandJohn]

Thanks everyone for bumping this and for signing. Still a way to go but getting there.
We need 3500 signatures before the Council have to hold an open debate.
You can see the petition on the campaign website www.savebristolcampsite.com.

So far we have:
1407 signatures in total:

1057 online signatures
350 signatures on paper

 

[StephandJohn]

Hi all

Sorry for the silence, and for the length of this posting, but things have been happening.

• Our request, under the Freedom of Information Act (F.O.I.), for information about how the decision to close the campsite, and how the decision to use the land for a school was come to, was refused. We went to the CEO of the Campaign for Freedom of Information (C.F.O.) and he gave us all the necessary ‘ammunition’ to refute their spurious reasons and an appeal has now gone in. If this is refused we’ll go to the Information Commissioners Office (like an ombudsman). If we have to do this it will take about six months to get a ruling; however the help we got from the C.F.O. is compelling and in other campaigns we’ve found it usually works. Really the council officials don’t understand the F.O.I. Act and just go to a default ‘secrecy’ mindset. Hopefully once we’ve explained it to them they might change their minds.
I won’t put it all on here but if anyone wants to read it all please PQ me with your email address and I’ll send it.
• The letter below is from the campaign organisers. We got enough signatures to ask the council to have an open debate on it. (If you remember the decision was made by the mayor on his own and even a lot of councillors didn’t know about it until it was published in the papers)The next meeting is 22nd July and it would be helpful if we all emailed or tweeted the Mayor to ask for it to be included - details on here

Hello Steph,

Here's the link to the Open Letter to the councillors on our website: http://savebristolcampsite.com/open-letter.php
I think one of the best things to do now would be to ask forum users to read the arguments and, if they wish, email the Mayor direct with their concerns. He's the person who will make the final decision. If he only came to visit the people and businesses that rely on the campsite users then he might not be so confident. A school bus would be a great way of transporting children to a site that actually needs re-development without compromising people's livelihoods and 30 years of having a great asset for Bristol - a win-win!

Here's his contact details:
Twitter @GeorgeFergusonx
Email https://www.bristol.gov.uk/form/mayor/contact-mayor

The lead Green Councillor on the issue (1 of 5) came to visit the campsite and the local businesses that would be impacted by closure. On Twitter he suggested that Mayor George Ferguson visit as it made him pause to think about his reaction.

If we can get the Mayor to allow us to organise a visit for him then that will be our best chance of saving the campsite.

Onward and upwards!!!

Matt

So – lets hope we can all work together and carry on using this lovely campsite for a long while yet.

Steph