Brislington West Liberal Democrats, Jos Clark and Andrew Varney, have been leading the campaign for the Brislington Greenway, an active travel corridor, community space and haven for wildlife, along the old Brislington Railway Line since 2016. Labour-run Bristol City Council have consistently opposed our campaign and have earmarked this corridor to construct the Callington Road Link instead. 

Out and about in Brislington West with Jos and Andrew

Another round-up of local news from your hardworking Lib Dem team: 

Jos and Andrew wrote the following letter to residents,

You may have been surprised to see the bright yellow, metal hoops which appeared almost overnight on the small green on West Town Lane. We were as surprised as you as the council neglected to inform your local councillor about the project and also failed to consult local residents to seek their views before commencing with the project. 

‘The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.'

This is part of the preamble to the constitution of the Liberal Democrats and the reason so many of us were angry this week when MPs at Westminster voted not to offer free school meals to vulnerable children during the school holidays.

Andrew Vanrey, Lib Dem candidate for Brislington West, said, ‘As a recipient of free school meals when I was younger, I know what a difference it made to my mum, who was struggling to raise three kids on her own’. Jos added, ‘It’s truly shocking that in the 21st century, we still have millions of children living in food poverty’.

Following the reckless vote in Parliament, the Bristol Liberal Democrats wrote to Mayor Marvin Rees imploring him to explore the possibility of Bristol City Council paying for free school meals for poorer families instead.

 

 

 

'Both Crispins Fish & Chips and The Loddeka have pledged to support  those eligible for free school meals. Thank you'

 

 

 

The Brislington Lib Dems are cleaning the War Memorial ready for Remeberance Day

We recently announced that our local Lloyd’s Pharmacy on Sandy Park Road would be closing permanently at the end of October, 2020. Many people got in touch with us to see if anything could be done. Jos initially contacted the pharmacy chain to see if there was any chance they might reverse their decision. She also spoke to the local GP practice and the Avon Pharmaceutical Service Negotiating Committee. What she discovered was quite concerning. 

Many local pharmacies are likely to close down.

The Brislington West Lib Dem view on Air Pollution

Air pollution isn’t new. However, only in recent decades has the scale of this problem become fully understood. The statistics are staggering: in 2016 the World Health Organisation found that air pollution was responsible for 4.2 million deaths. Closer to home, a 2017 study concluded that air pollution in Bristol can be linked to around 300 premature deaths each year.

‘Andrew and Jos in Brislington Village, where air pollution regularly exceeds acceptable levels’