From Robin via Dan - a MAG update

[Dan Cook]

Hi
It's been a while since you've heard for me or MAG - for various reasons, the main one being the focus on Mont Park over the last year. We are now making progress with our improvement proposals being assessed and costed by the Council, and about £90k has been initially identified as a budget towards works for the Park. If you didn't join the Park mail group a year or so ago, and want to know more about what is going on now, let me know and I will send you a copy of the proposals and put you in touch with those liaising with the Council.

Can we 'take stock' now of who holds which pot of paint for the painting over of tagging on Mont Alley, St Andrews Rd, Richmond Rd, Bath Buildings and/or Picton Street ? Apart from the need to keep a track of this and report back to Denise James of Bristol 'Clean and Green' initiative, I want to use a pot myself to remove some tagging near me (with the owners permission) on Richmond Rd ! If you still hold a pot of paint, or know someone who does, can you mail me back with details - ie. how much is left, which colour, and who has the pot ?

I'd be interested to hear other neighbours' views, but I feel that Mont streets around lower Richmond Rd, Bath Buildings and Picton Street are once again in a diabolical state - the shredded paper all over the space between Bells Diner and Gallifords being the most obvious example. Perhaps it is no worse than it ever has been, and some will say it's a lost cause trying to improve the situation. I find it really hard to pinpoint the main reason - is it one or other of the waste collection services, householders' and businesses' lack of care in separating, packaging and putting out their waste, non-residents passing through and dropping litter, the winter wind and rain - or just a combination of all of these factors...?

Is anyone actually keen to see if we can do something again, collectively, about it, and, if so, what should be done ? (apart from on-going feedback or complaints to the various waste collection services). e.g. one opportunity is that Clean & Green is holding a series of "spring clean ups" to take place over Feb-April 09, and there may still be the scope for Mont streets to be included in this programme.

At same time, I'm aware of a few people interested to revive the Montpelier Transition Group (which started up a while ago, is linked to the wider Bristol Transition group and about how we can shift to more sustainable neighbourhoods, towns and cities, and reduce carbon footprint). I would like to suggest that supporting this initiative might offer a better way forward for dealing with the above issues long term than continuing the 'action group' approach, which tends to burn out quite quickly. Also it might just bring people in this neighbourhood together under one network, who are concerned not only about the immediate problems affecting our day-to-day environment and quality of life, but also the 'bigger picture' of where we are headed as a community and society in these difficult times ??

Robin

ps. I've circulated those who I know have been actively involved or interested in the waste collection / tagging / clean-up issues, via MAG, in the last couple of years, and other group / business contacts (Montpelier Conservation Group, Fairfield Comm Group, the Village group, the Cadbury, Apperley's, Bells, Radford Mill). If I've got this wrong, or you've moved away, let me know. Equally, if you know of a neighbour who might be particularly interested in these issues, please forward this mail.

pps. my own resources to service on-going debate by email and/or organise meetings, without any group to support this, are strictly limited, so please be patient for a reply - and dont forget we have at least one on-line networking site that we could all make more use of...