News archive
To read the article from Green Futures Magazine, click on the link below: - http://www.greenfutures.org.uk/briefings/default.asp?briefingtypedisplay=3&id=2258
The land was originally sold to Redland Housing Association (HA) in 2001, when AVAG arranged for the former SGB yard to be divided up and sold to Redland HA and twenty self builders. The plan was for Redland HA to build six terraced bungalows to house elderly people. Unfortunately, Redland HA was unable to carry out the development and, although they attempted to pass the land on to another social landlord, this was not possible. For the second time since 2000, we had to fight off interest from private developers who stood to gain massive profits from building homes on the plot. AVAG realised that the only way of keeping benefits within the local community was to buy the land itself. The next steps are now being planned: Watch this space!
An article by Guardian reporter Steven Morris has resulted in the spreading of some negative views about the Ashley Vale development. This article was highly biased, put several people’s statements out of context, ignored key information that would contradict some of the claims and generally failed to report the positive impacts this development has had on the Ashley Vale area. AVAG members are currently taking action with the Guardian to rectify the damage done by this article. The following information responds to the accusations made in the Guardian, and we intend to add more detailed information about the context of the development, our positive and negative experiences and some of the lessons learned. The author of the article, Steven Morris, interviewed seven local residents about their views of the redevelopment of The Yard. These included four residents of the existing houses opposite the site, one self-builder and two travellers. However, in his article he chose to ignore or manipulate the information and opinions given by several of those interviewed, presumably in order to create a more ‘exciting’ story for his paper.
The article makes four main ‘accusations’ of the Ashley Vale project:
To respond to these accusations requires a lot of detailed explanation including the history of how AVAG developed, and the views and behaviour of individuals involved in the project at various stages. The following is a brief response to these accusations:
We disagree that the ethos of the development has been compromised – perhaps it is fairer to say that different individuals involved at various stages of the project have had their own views about what the ethos should be. By common consensus the ethos could probably be summarised using the following words: local action, self-empowerment, sustainability, affordable housing, better environment, safety, sense of community. In this context the development has certainly succeeded in providing affordable homes to local people, in empowering people to take action to improve their own environment, in training people in building skills, in providing local employment to skilled tradespeople and labourers and in making Ashley Vale a greener and safer environment. It has admittedly taken longer than anticipated for AVAG to deliver some of its other aims, including providing workshop and office space to local residents, but this doesn’t mean that the ethos has been compromised. Problems have also arisen where some of those originally involved with AVAG became disillusioned with the project and left the group, but rather than continuing to offer constructive criticism and positive suggestions as to how things should change, some of them have descended into bitter tirades that can have no positive outcome for the community. This has led to a lack of constructive engagement on some key issues. The self-builders were essential to getting the whole project off the ground, as they provided the bulk of the finance to purchase the site. In fact, they took considerable financial risks in doing so, as they each had to sign a contract to pay between £25,000 and £45,000 before the site had received its planning permission, for the scheme to go ahead. The majority of these builders could not have afforded to buy a house in St Werburghs even though the existing houses are relatively small, two- to three-bedroom terraced houses. Many of the builders have spent several years living in caravans on site and working long hours to build their own homes. The size of the houses is an issue of contention amongst some (not all) members of the community but we disagree that the self-builders should be labelled as “greedy”, although they were perhaps naïve in not realising that their homes would be so large until they had already gone up. Firstly they took considerable risks in taking on this venture; secondly they designed homes that they felt were appropriate for their current and future needs and thirdly they did this with the explicit or implicit consent of the majority of the existing residents. Many of the self builders are very idealistic about the environmentally friendly homes they are building and the kind of social and physical environment they are helping to create. Far from hoping to sell up and make large profits, to our knowledge all the self builders are planning to stay living here for many years as part of the friendly community they have built into.
AVAG has always invited the involvement of members of the travelling community living in the local area. Two travellers, Sarah Moody (who is quoted out of context in the Guardian) and Conrad, were actively involved with AVAG at various stages. Sarah wrote a letter of complaint to the Guardian (which was not published) explaining that she supported the project and had been attending meetings at the early stages, but had to move away due to work and therefore lost her involvement. After this, no other travellers came forward to represent their views, despite the fact that they were invited to meetings. The privately-owned strip of land along Mina Road, which was used by the travellers, was generally home to no more than three or four people at any one time; the remaining space was taken up by abandoned caravans and untaxed cars owned by residents in the terrace opposite. Although this land was needed to provide access to the new houses, reasonable provisions could have been made to provide alternative space for the travelling community, perhaps on the strip itself or on The Yard. However, due to lack of involvement or interest from the travelling community, these ideas were not taken forward.
Through AVAG’s work to develop a “Home Zone” in the area, the local community has been involved in an ongoing consultation exercise to determine how the road layout could be changed to make the streets safer and more attractive. It would be quite possible to designate larger parking spaces that could be used by the travelling community, and all local residents can have their say in this process. Travelling people still come and park their vehicles in the area, albeit fewer than in previous years, when the roads sometimes got extremely crowded.
The housing for the elderly was not AVAG's responsibility, but that of Redland Housing Association (HA), which bought the six central plots on the site in May 2001. Redland subsequently failed to do anything with the plots. It announced its intention to sell its land over a year ago and since then has been looking for someone to purchase the plots for approximately twice the price at which it originally purchased the land, assisted by AVAG. Other Housing Associations were offered first refusal to purchase the land from Redland HA but none were interested. AVAG is now trying to prevent the land from being sold to a commercial developer. Its aim is to purchase the land itself and employ local builders to construct low-cost timber-framed homes, possibly for sale or rental, in line with the original ethos of the site development. There have admittedly been difficulties in developing the Office Block for workshop space for local people. The original costing for the substantial renovation work needed (to convert this virtual shell into a safe and usable space that conforms with Building Regulations) turned out to be far too low, and AVAG has since been wrestling with different options for how to proceed. The process of acquiring planning permission was also held up for several months during 2003 due to an obscure complaint from a local resident about the lift shaft that AVAG planned to provide for disabled access to the top two floors. This is the same local resident who has simultaneously been criticising AVAG for the delays. An improved plan for the Office Block is now emerging, which aims to maximise benefits to the local community and minimise costs by employing local labour and providing training in the renovation work. We hope to make considerable progress during 2005 – better late than never!
On 21st Febrary, The Guardian published an article about Ashley Vale Action Group. The directors of AVAG recognise the difficulty of covering such a complex issue in half a page, commend the Guardian for their brave but unsuccessful attempt, and congratulate them on their spelling.
The first phase of Ashley Vale Home Zone has been completed after permission was granted by the Highways Authority last month. The Home Zone has been designed by local residents to help slow down vehicles, control parking and improve the visual appearance of the street. Most of the works were part of the planning requirements for the AVAG self-build scheme and have been paid for by AVAG and the self-builders. Local residents have contributed materials, labour and plants. Traffic islands, visibility blocks, and a narrow give-and-take running lane have been introduced to slow down the speeding vehicles which have been a persistent problem in the past. A number of planters will soften the hard landscape and make the whole area a nicer place to live and visit. These will be planted and maintained by locals for the benefit of everyone who comes to this area.
Residents in Ashley Vale have put together a proposal for a Home Zone to be introduced in area. The Homezone would involve the redesign of the street layout in order to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists. Earlier this year, AVAG secured a grant from the Social, Economic and Environmental Development Programme to commission an independent survey of all residents and businesses in the area. The survey, carried out by SUSTRANS, found that there was a high level of support for a Home Zone. As a result, residents formed the Ashley Vale Home Zone Group to draw up preliminary designs for each street in the area. Residents for the section of Mina Road nearest the tunnel have reached a consensus about their preferred design (see plan). The proposed design addresses residents' concerns about speeding vehicles and anti-social parking whilst still allowing vehicular access to the rest of the neighbourhood. A fully-costed proposal for this section of the Home Zone has been sent to Bristol City Council. Discussions are also well-advanced for the rest of Mina Road where there is interest in a shared surface to provide a safe environment for children to play in. The design for Watercress Road, beside the City Farm, is also likely to incorporate an element of shared surface, whilst residents in Hopetoun Road are considering dividing the road into two separate areas with landscape parking.
AVAG plans to renovate the existing office block in the former scaffolding yard. There will be a consultation event for prospective tenants and other interested parties to view draft plans for the building and to offer feedback on Sunday 29th September from 2-4 pm in the Office Block, The Yard, 228 Mina Road, St Werburghs. Come and make your views heard!
AVAG has been given the go-ahead to start building having agreed on the planning conditions with Bristol City Council. The large metal shed and the brick shed on the western edge of the site have already been removed in order to make way for the self build houses and the housing association bungalows for the elderly. Brick from the shed has been retained for recycling within the project as hard core to help raise the finished level of the gardens. The metal shed has been taken off site and will have a new life as a milking parlour on a farm in Aust. The first self-build house is already taking shape and more work will start over the summer.
The Ashley Vale Action Group has been awarded a grant by the Department of Trade and Industry's Domestic Photo Voltaic system field trial to provide photo voltaic (PV) panels for each of the houses in the self build project. PV panels generate electricity for domestic use by harnessing energy from the sun and so contribute towards a reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The project will generate a total installed capacity of 23.76 kWp with each house generating 1.08kWp. The DTI will fund 79% of the project with the balance coming from the self-builders in the form of labour (for the installation) and a cash contribution. The Domestic Photo voltaic system field trial is designed to allow low income groups access to solar power in a market where the cost of installation would otherwise be prohibitive. Once the panels are installed their performance will be monitored for a two-year period. The government has commissioned the trials in order to help develop a sustainable PV industry in Britain.
AVAG has been working with ESD Ltd (Energy for Sustainable Development) to prepare and implement the project.
office block home zone
The Ashley Vale Action Group has completed the purchase of the former scaffolding yard in Mina Road, Bristol. The money for the purchase was raised by selling twenty plots around the edge of site to individual self-builders and six plots in the centre of the site to Redland Housing Association for homes for the elderly. The existing office block will be retained by the Action Group to be renovated and rented out to local small businesses.
The development co-ordinated by the Ashley Vale Action Group has been given planning permission. The proposed development of the former scaffolding yard will consist of 20 self-build residential houses, six housing association bungalows for the elderly and the refurbishment of the existing office block. Bristol City Council's Planning Committee were unanimous in granting approval for the development. Councillor Tessa Combes, Chair of the Committee, said the proposed development was exciting and innovative combining sustainability with a community-led mixed-use development. In his report on the scheme, planning officer Ian Collinson says, "The scheme represents the essence of Local Agenda 21, with local residents working together to create a sustainable development where environmental, social, economic and community needs are addressed." The Action Group will now proceed with the purchase of the site by the end of the month. For news reports see:
The planning application co-ordinated by the Ashley Vale Action Group will come before the Planning Committee of Bristol City Countil at 2pm on Wednesday 14th March. The application is for 20 self-build plots and six housing association bungalows for the elderly and it retains the current office block. The Planning Officer has indicated that the application will go forward with his approval. This follows some months of negotiations, particularly over the issue of car-parking spaces which AVAG has wished to keep at a minimum. The picture shows the elevation of the self-build houses on plots one and two.
Click here for elevations of more of the proposed buildings. Click here for the layout plan for the whole site. We expect to complete the purchase in the Spring. Picture: seasons greetings from the Ashley Vale Action Group and the Self-builders.[Collage by David Kelson.] Meanwhile, the Ashley Vale Action Group is continuing its negotiations with the owners of the site. Picture: the selfbuilders meet with members of the Action Group. The owners of the scaffolding site have applied for planning permission for the site. Their outline planning application only considers change of use to residential with retention of the current access. The Ashley Vale Action Group considers this application to be a cynical attempt to raise the price of the site. Our costings show that no commercial developer could make a profit from the site unless they paid far less than the owners are asking for the land. Local residents have signed a letter objecting to the planning application on the grounds that they wish to see mixed use on the site and that they are concerned about the increase in traffic. Concern about traffic and support for mixed usage were both clear outcomes of the Action Group's consultation exercise. Although not officially part of the planning application, a draft layout plan was submitted with the application. The Action Group has complied a list of points showing that this plan is not a credible proposal. Meanwhile, local MP Val Davey has written to the owners of the site urging them "not to lose sight of the creative proposal and offer from the Ashley Vale Action Group."
The Ashley Vale Action Group's 'Planning Day', held at St Werburghs Farm Fair on Saturday 17th June, was a great success. About 250 local residents took part and gave overwhelming support to the Action Group's ideas for the development of the site. The consultation exercise was based on the 'Planning for Real' technique and was overseen by an independent consultant from the Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation. Visitors explored their own ideas for the site by placing idea cards on a large wooden model whilst feedback on the Action Group's ideas were obtained through a brief questionnaire. As many as 99% of people said they would like to see the site developed by local people rather than a commercial developer, and 92% said they would like to see mixed work/residential use of the site. Local MP, Val Davey, also offered her support: "This project is important, not only for its content, but for the community activity it encourages," she said. A full analysis of our findings is available in our consultation report. The Ashley Vale Action Group has put in an offer for the purchase of the former scaffolding yard. Our offer is based on extensive plans which will be further developed with other residents and the rest of the local community at a Planning Day on Saturday 17th June at the St Werburghs City Farm Summer Fair. Everyone is welcome to come and contribute their ideas for the development of the site. Our offer also takes account of the various development constraints on the site. Commercial developers, who may only consider such issues after making an offer, are likely to withdraw once they have looked more carefully into the commercial profitability of the site. The development constraints include: affordable housing the culvert demolition costs foundations
The commercial developer, MacAlpine, who had submitted draft plans for the site to Bristol Council has decided not to buy the land. Instead of having to fight a defensive anti-development campaign, this has freed the Ashley Vale Action Group to think about the development of the site in more positive and creative ways. We are now setting up a company to buy the land and to promote innovative self-build housing on the site. So far everyone we have approached has been very supportive and enthusiastic. Plans for the development of the 2 acre former scaffolding site
are being discussed with Bristol City
Council. The high-density housing proposed by Modus
architects on behalf of MacAlpine Housing, would double
the number of houses in the area north of the railway
tunnel. At a residents' meeting on 8th February there was
general agreement that although development of the site
would be welcomed in principle, the unimaginative and
uniform design of the Modus plans did not reflect the
nature of the surrounding community. It was agreed that
an action group would form to intervene in the planning
process as early as possible. A number of residents
volunteered to become core members of this group.
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A further point of debate has been planning gain - the request for a developer to conduct off-site works to ensure that they don't make a profit out of a development without returning something to the community in which it is located. Since AVAG is a non-profit making community action group, AVAG believes that it would be inappropriate to apply planning gain in this case. We are hoping to be able to resolve this issue at the planning committee. 
