RESIDENTS were jubilant as the Greater Fishponds neighbourhood committee voted to save all the green spaces previously under threat of being sold by the city council.
Lodge Hill open space and green spaces off Delabere Avenue, part of Gill Avenue, Bracey Drive, part of Duchess Way and Snowdon Road were all deemed to be valuable places for recreation.
It was standing room only at the Vassall Centre on Gill Avenue last night as more than 100 residents urged the neighbourhood partnership to reflect their wishes by refusing to sell off any of the sites.
The votes, most of which were unanimous, were taken by Eastville ward councillors Steve Comer (Lib Dem) and Mahmadur Khan (Labour), Frome Vale councillors Lesley Alexander and James Stevenson (both Conservative), and Hillfields representatives Phil Hanby (Labour) and Patrick Hassell (Lib Dem).
In 2010, public consultation started on the council's Parks and Green Space Strategy, which identified green spaces across the city that potentially could be labelled as "surplus to requirements for recreation" and sold off. Most of the proposals were met with public protest.
After the council made initial decisions on each green space, a cross-party working group report led to councillors recommending that the cabinet hand the decision-making power to Bristol's 14 neighbourhood partnerships. They now have the final say over which sites should be sold or retained – but only the ward councillors sitting on each partnership are able to vote.
If partnerships choose to sell all off their designated sites, a maximum 70 per cent of the proceeds could be returned to the community to reinvest in existing parks and green spaces. However that "incentive" percentage can be cut dramatically, depending on the overall value of sites cleared to be sold off.
Applause, cheers and whistles from a very vocal public welcomed each green space that was saved.
After the meeting campaigner Louis Wright, who had organised protests and petitions against the possible sale of the island of land between Delabere Avenue and Halbrow Crescent, Oldbury Court, said: "To be honest, I think it's (the green spaces strategy) been a waste of everybody's time, money and energy. The cabinet failed to listen to 500 signatures against their proposal.
"What it boils down to is that local councillors and politicians cannot balance their books at the moment and they need to make money."
He pointed out that on two occasions at least the air ambulance has landed on the green as there are very few places in the area where it can come down in an emergency.
Josie Ennis has lived on Halbrow Crescent for all of her 63 years.
"I'm very happy," she said. "It's very important for us to keep our green space – especially for the children in the area."
Her husband James added: "You can't send the children down to Vassalls Park, where you can't see them, because we don't think it's safe."
Fred and Margaret Coltman, who have lived in Delabere Avenue for 56 years, were also pleased and relieved that the decision had finally been made to save the patch of land.
Mr Coltman said: "The loss of this area would have increased the road danger to children and increased the stress of parents, who at the moment can view their children at play.
"We know the negative, true reason for the proposed sale – money. The national and local politicians need to feed their huge spending agendas."
Originally identified as green spaces in this area were part of Abingdon Road open space and Begbrook Drive open space. The council is looking into the possibility of building a new school there in future to keep up with demand.
The vast majority of green spaces originally earmarked for "disposal" by the council cabinet have so far been saved by the partnerships.
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