Ashton Vale Fields were considered for Village Green status earlier this year by an Independent Inspector. To the developer’s and City Council’s great surprise, she recommended it receive the status.
StillWaters writes: Ashton Vale Fields were considered for Village Green status earlier this year by an Independent Inspector. To the developer’s and City Council’s great surprise, she recommended it receive the status. For Ashton Vale residents, it is about retaining an area of green belt and a Site of Nature Conservation Interest for the local community and visitors to the area. This area has been used for over 60 years by residents of all ages, proven by oral, written and photographic evidence provided under cross-examination and accepted as the truth by the Independent Inspector.

The area may not look like much at first glance (owing to damage caused by boreholes and hedge-grubbing by the new landowner, overly-keen to start development), but ramble over the entire area and you will see there is quite of lot of wildlife there - snipe, swans and other wading birds that choose to use the wetlands when flooded, migrating songbirds stopping for rest and food, otters hunting in the brooks, butterflies, dragonflies, bats, owls, reptiles - the list of flora and fauna recorded on the site could go on and on.

We decided it was necessary to provide a rallying point for those in Bristol’s community that were actually in favour of the Independent Inspector’s decision, after seeing the free and widespread (and often inaccurate) publicity supplied by The Bristol Evening Post to the petition in favour of a football stadium on the site. It was a combined concern for the community in which we live, the local environment and freedom of speech. It is there for anyone to sign who wants to support the Village Green at Ashton Vale Fields and the continued protection of green belt land in the UK.

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Our petition may not get as many votes as the pro-stadium petition for exactly the reasons of intimidation and bias stated above but, in the short space of time it has been available and with very limited advertisement, those who wanted to voice their concerns by signing it have done so and are continuing to do so.
Thank you for your support.

Petition link: http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/epetition_core/communi.../1206

Please also see: http://www.ashtonvalewildlife.com/ http://www.ashtonvaleheritage.co.uk/