Saturday 27 February 2010

Bristol… A city too rich to help and too weak to influence


New article on Bristol 24-7 by yours truly.  Read it here

1 comment:

  1. Hi Tony

    I very much agree with your take on our city, I call it our city because although you live in what is called South Glos, it really is part of the greater Bristol area and should be classed as such.

    Successive governments have had the opportunity to right this imbalance, but at the end of the day it's a question of divide and rule.

    For years the conurbation of Bristol has been ignored because of this division.
    Arguments used to be a norm between northavon and Bristol residents because of the higher rates paid by Bristolians, with the more well off residents of Northavon saying why should we be a part of Bristol and pay more rates.

    There is a scenario happening now, where Broadlands school in Keynsham has more pupils from Bristol than from the district of BANES so they are going to close it.
    Keynsham is separated from Bristol by a couple of fields and 2 miles by road, it is full of ex Bristolians and is an overspill from Bristol, yet is governed from Bath, 9 miles and a large social divide away.

    A collective voice and administration is required to redress some of the past and present injustices.

    The boundary needs to be expanded to include the whole conurbation. We seem to have a social divide where the people living outside the boundaries of Bristol don't want to be associated with the city that they make their living from, It's a form of snobbery.

    I am not referring to you Tony but to the people who say "oh yes I'm from South Glos"
    when they live in Patchway or Downed, when really they live in the City of Bristol.

    Anywhere else in the country and they would say
    "I'm from Manchester" though come from Stockport, or "I'm from Liverpool" but come from St Helens.

    It only happens here.

    Good story

    Rich.

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