Welcome to 2010.  Over the past few weeks with the disappointment of Copenhagen (grrr), the importance of a grass roots response to climate change and peak oil is even clearer. If you couple the very cold winter (brrr), which highlighted both vulnerabilities in national food supply as well as uninsulated lofts on our streets (faster melting snow on the roofs is the clue), you can see why we feel so strongly about what we are doing.

This newsletter has a highlights of 2009; you can download the whole thing here.

It includes details of our next meeting, some thoughtful stuff and requests for specific help that is needed. Here’s poster for our next meeting on Wednesday February 10th – click on it to download it and stick in your window:

Click on image to download poster

So what now?

First a brief reflection as 2009 was our birthing year and what a year it was!

Organising the Montpelier Spring Clean; our room and exhibition at the Montpelier Art Trail; the website; two very well attended open meetings; the Bean Feast; a sold out showing of The Age of Stupid; supporting the 20mph successful speed limit campaign; supporting home improvement workshops; the Good Energy link up; the Winter Fair. Yippee!

What will 2010 be like for Transition Montpelier?

We have had one core group meeting already (see the website for minutes) and we are very keen to translate the momentum we have built through the one-off events last year into themed projects this year relating to Energy, Food, Green spaces and Streets. All of these are summarised very briefly below or (if appropriate) give them a click for further detail. And remember if there is an idea that you have, let us know and come and present it.

Next meeting:

Feb 10th – 7.30 Fairfield Resource Centre opp’ 26 Fairfield Rd

The aim of our next open meeting is to share and develop workable ideas around the themes and create groups who will be able to carry out some responses. Some ideas are already being progressed others are in their infancy. We will use the space available to enable project groups to develop ideas.

Energy – Lower our homes emissions and start working towards a community renewable energy project

Green Spaces – Improve the parks, abandoned land and verges, planting fruit orchard in containers etc

Food – Sharing suggestions for sourcing our food more sustainably, including the presentation of an innovative ‘growing streets’ idea.

Streets – Building on from Thali cafe bike stands and Picton Square feedback

Guest Speaker – We are thrilled that the meeting will open with a talk by Miguel Mendonca who is a Research Manager for the World Future Council. His background is in horticulture, geography, history, journalism, social science and environmental ethics and has recently published a book on renewable energy policy entitled “Powering the Green Economy: The Feed-in Tariff Handbook”. For more info on Miguel and WFC see here.

It should be another stimulating night. We will be putting posters up, can you put one in your window? It really helps. (download poster here)

Success

Getting these projects moving throughout the neighbourhood is reliant on people coming forward and contributing in the same brilliant way they did for the Bean Feast and Winter Fayre. Just over a longer period of time! We hope that in highlighting these projects now, you work out how you can play your part over the next year or so. One of the great things about Transition is working with others who share the same concerns as you. We know there will be time constraints but we assume you are interested in what Transition Montpelier is doing because you believe that it can make a difference here, as it is over hundreds of other areas around Britain and increasingly the world! So if there’s a theme that interests you there are bound to be a variety of ways in which you could undertake to contribute to its progress. Please come along and find out. Just a few hours of your time could make a big difference.

Cake

As ever refreshments will be provided but if you are coming could you bring something to share too? Bake a cake, bring some fruit whatever. We all like a bit of fuel to keep us going.

Constitution and Situations Vacant

Following the two major public events and the expanding influence of the council’s Neighbourhood Partnership scheme, we are extremely aware of the importance of formalising our existence as a group. Thanks to Bronwen we have a constitution underway, and to realise our aims of keeping everyone aware of our financial situation we will need a now treasurer as well as bookkeepers for the big events. Could you do this for us? If it interests you get in touch.

Painters. We get to use the Resource Centre for nothing. It is fantastic and they are very supportive. They have asked us to paint one room which is currently black and though great for films, not the best colour for a pupil referral unit! We have agreed to do it over 4 sessions on the weekend March 6th with Sat a.m as a prepping session with three coats of paint to get rid of the black. With music, tea and biscuits, it will be fun and straight forward. Who would be up for this? The FNCG will also help.

The Winter Fayre

The Fayre was great. Held on Saturday 19th December it ran throughout the day and early evening. We hoped it would bring many, many Montpelier people out and appreciate the strengths of our neighbourhood. The feedback has suggested that it did. For pics and a write up click here

Montpelier Park Group

Will be holding a very brief AGM in the Resource Centre before our meeting on Feb 10^th at 7.30pm sharp!

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting or receiving your comments via the website.

Bronwen, Ciaran, Dan, Ed, Jane, Jess, Ralph, Richard, Sally, Shiona, Simon, Steve, Tim – The Transition Montpelier core team

In a nutshell:
- 2 pilot areas in Bristol, Montpelier is part of ‘Inner East’ Pilot
- All roads will be 20mph except Ashley Hill, Sussex Place, Ashley Road, Lower Ashley Rd, plus Sevier St/James St/ York St through St Werburghs, and even Mina Rd will stay at 30mph if the current plan isn’t changed!

As it stands, it is just the side streets that would become 20mph, not the ‘through routes’. This is bonkers – the busier streets are the ones busier with pedestrians and bikes. Some of these roads are already known for accidents, hard to cross, and near schools.

For the pilots to be a proper test, and to have a significant effect, all the roads listed above should be 20mph. It will be clearer for drivers, and will mean far fewer ‘20’signs will be required.

Both Jon Rogers, our local councillor and executive member for transport, and influential architect George Ferguson are saying they think all these roads listed above should be included…it just needs enough people to email 20mph@bristol.gov.uk in support.

Many consultations are a sham I hear you say -….but we know that this one is different…if enough people write in and push for all these roads to be included, it will happen.

Please help by doing it now – but if you’re busy, you have until 30th September! Helpful hints are given below!

Please email them at 20mph@bristol.gov.uk

Thanks!

Steve Meek

Living Streets Bristol branch

Living Streets – the national charity that stands up for pedestrians

www.livingstreets.org

livingstreetsbristol@gmail.com

Need help drafting your email or letter? Here is some things you could say.   Please don’t forget your name address and postcode

Dear Traffic Management Team

I write as an individual local resident in response to the proposed 20mph pilot in my area

I support the planned introduction of 20mph limits but am concerned about the exclusion of…. Road(s)

Possible reasons you could use:

• This road is dangerous/hard to cross/ used by schoolchildren
• Speed of traffic discourages cycling
• Speed of traffic discourages social contact on the street
• Noise
• schools close to these roads
• Ashley Road, Ashley Hill, Sevier St/York St, Mina Rd and Sussex Place are key pedestrian and cycling roads.

There are 3 schools close to these roads, plus many children cross Ashley HIll near the railway bridge to get to the new Fairfield secondary School near Muller Rd.

Ashley Rd is the widest of the excluded roads but particularly hazardous at the eastern end. Near the junction with Sussex Place and Lower Ashley Rd, it is very busy with pedestrians who cross between the cars. Two pubs, a busy cafe, bookmakers and ingrained illegal parking serve to bring large numbers of people onto the road just where vehicles accelerate to beat the lights.

Ashley Hill is very dangerous for pedestrians. Proposed changes to Hurlingham Rd may stop some accidents there but will serve to increase speeds further by removing that congestion point. This will further endanger, intimidate and discourage pedestrians – including school children – crossing at the narrow island refuge on Ashley Hill near the railway bridge.
Even as a driver, Ashley Hill is dangerous – try turning left onto Ashley hill from Fairfield Rd - a common route out of Montpelier. Visibililty is very poor. It is only because cars queue to get into Hurlingham that it is possible to get out at busy times.
When turning right onto Ashley Hill from the bottom end of Old Ashley Hill (near Cobourg Rd) Pulling out is hazardous as cars and vans accelerate hard uphill from Sussex Place.
Sussex Place is the main southern conduit to St Barnabas School. There is no zebra crossing. Crossing it is hazardous with or without children and the only other option for those not fleet of foot is to walk along into Sevier St then across Ashley Hill where there is a crossing – but this involves crossing 4 roads. That’s why people nip across between the cars.
Sevier St/ James St/ York St is already a rat run – bringing unwelcome traffic westwards trying to avoid Lower Ashley Rd.  It bisects a residential area. Let’s make it 20: there is a preschool and a school by the railway bridge, shops in several places so for safety reasons again, 20mph from the railway bridge westwards is fully justified.
Mina Rd. What are they thinking of? Much of the traffic exceeds 30 as it enters from J3, which is why the flashing 30 sign is there. This is not a ‘through route’ but a narrow shopping street opposite a park, used as a rat run – exactly what the council should be trying to stop.

Your Name Address & Postcode