Councillor Helen Holland

Dear Helen Holland

I write to you in your capacity as Lead re the Arena project.

I am (inter alia) Chair of Bristol Arena Concern (BAC).

We have a website, bristolarenaconcern.org.uk which describes our aims.

One aim is to try to secure some consultation about the arena.

Our policy position is that (although some of us have reservations about the choice of site) we accept the arena being built near Temple Meads, but we wish to be consulted and reassured over such matters as: traffic and parking control, crowd control, and noise.

We would also like some fairly minor amenities, principally a footpath and cycleway through (or along the side of) the site from Temple Meads to the Three Lamps junction and maybe with additional access near Totterdown Bridge and on the northeast and northwest sides of the site. It would be good to have one route with steps and one with no steps for use by cyclists and wheelchair users.

BAC also supports my campaign for there to be an "Integrated Passenger Transport Hub" on the site as promised by the SWRDA, or elsewhere adjacent to Temple Meads Railway station.

Our main concern is our complete exclusion from any consultation. A recent article in the Evening Post indicated that planning and design are being undertaken. An executive of SWRDA was quoted as saying "every time there is a change we have to go back to the drawing board". My view is that they should not be doing anything other than sketching until after they have engaged in meaningful public consultation.

There is no point in consulting the stakeholders after spending months developing and agreeing an expensive, detailed plan. No point other than as a public relations exercise dressed up as public consultation.

We ask that we may be kept fully up to date on developments, and that on behalf of local residents you insist on there being some effective public consultation before plans are virtually finalised.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Petter

Chair, Bristol Arena Concern