Residents and businesses in Patchway are being asked their views about how they would like to see the area around The Parade (Coniston Road) improved.
The area identified for works includes a parade of shops, maisonettes and offices, the square in front and surrounding blocks of flats.
Merlin Housing Society has money to spend on improvements to The Parade and surrounding area and wants to hear what local people and would like to see done. Residents and local businesses from the surrounding area have been invited to a drop-in event on Tuesday 8th January to have their say.
Merlin’s Patchway Area Manager Oonagh Lyons said:
“We want to make a real difference to the area and those who live and work in it are best placed to tell us what improvements are needed. We would therefore encourage all local residents and stakeholders to get involved and come along to our drop in session. We hope that this will be a real community effort, and to this end we are working with the police, the town council and the Southern Brooks Community Partnership.”
“There are some things that we will already be doing in the coming weeks, like extending the CCTV provision and improving the lighting as community safety is high on our agenda. But this event is a chance for people to tell us what they’d like there in the future. The community might want a play area for young children, or for a fruit and veg stall in The Parade. These are the sorts of things we want to hear from residents.”
“We’re confident that when this project is completed, The Parade will be a place where people enjoy living, and shops want to open but we need your help to make it happen.”
The event takes place at Coniston Community Centre on Tuesday 8th January between 1pm – 4pm. If you’re unable to attend you can post your suggestions to Merlin Housing Society, 3 – 7 The Parade, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5LP.
Knocking it down would be the best thing for it and building houses and some proper shops that people want and need
I don’t think they will be knocking it down Happy, and there are plenty of other houses coming all around us on the airfield and all it’s borders too at Almondsbury and Henbury, thousands of them.
It’s of its time, so yes, needs the spruce up they are trying for.
How else can they improve the area there though?
What are the proper shops people want and need please?
If you let them and us know then your wish list can be considered, thanks.
Every little helps.
I mean proper shops like a green grocer,butchers ,chemist.
They need to knock down the Labour club and build a pub/restaurant that everyone could use
Yes I would love a good family gastropub here. I always look at Southville as an inspirational area where miracles can happen, and whole neighbourhoods can be transformed over time.
@Happy
You’ll never see a local Green grocer again in this area. Tesco and the like has put pay to that. Same for the Butchers. There is a local Chemist on Rodway as you know, and I’d assume they do Pharmacy stuff at the GP surgery next to the Parade? If they don’t, they should.
The Parade is tired and half full. It’s a shame.
If I was spending the money it would be on CCTV etc to get rid of the loitering “yoof” who make the parade an intimitading place to go to. Make it better lit too.
I used to go to the Chippy there once a month or so (as the diet allows) but I gave up as it was a dark/dank place. Sad really as I was trying in me own little way to support a local shop. I’m sure the proprietor wouldn’t want the money they have spent on a children’s play area etc – but generally making the place look less run down.
(And I’m 34 and the Parade has always been a meeting place for the yoof) – perhaps that’s the problem? It’s dark and intimidating etc – I never went when I was 16/18, why would I go now?
The idea of a good Gastropub is laudable too – but I assume economics mean that Bradley Stoke get all that – they have 3/4? (Of sorts – if you class a Harvester and lots of Marston’s Chain pubs?)
Sad part is I frequent them there, as we don’t have it here.
Oh an last thing? Looking at the pic here? At least sort out the broken bin…general “smartening up” of the place wouldn’t go amiss….
Maybe im dreaming of the good old days when the Parade was first built it had many good shops my own Family had a shop there,Local children have always been hanging around the parade it didnt worry people then but over the years the sort of children that hang around now are more like adults( 17 or 18 year olds)and people tend to feel a bit intimitading by them.
I dont think there is any esay answer to make theParade look better but i agree it would be a start if they did tidy the bin up
FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE RAILINGS AT THE PARADE REPLACED. NOT ONLY FOR SAFETY REASON BUT BECAUSE IT LOOKS AN EYESORE.
THE UNDERPASS IS NOT WHAT A CHILD WOULD LIKE TO SEE PAINTED ON THE WALL, BUT WHAT AN ADULT THINKS A CHILD SHOULD PAINT ON THE WALL. THAT TOO LOOKS AN EYESORE.
THE SMALL CHILD PLAY AREA TO THE REAR OF LITTLETON COURT HAS BEEN USED BY TEENS DRINKING ETC THE LAST TIME I LOOKED THE GRASS WAS SO OVER GROWN THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO WALK AROUND IT.
THE FEW PARKING PLACES NEAR THE SHOPS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO SHORT STAY PARKING. WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE SHOPPERS. I THINK THE BAKERS ARE FANTASTIC IF WE HAD A GREENGROCER I WOULD USE IT TOO.
I WOULD CLEAR THE AREA IN FRONT OF SHOPS SO THERE ARE NO HIDING PLACES. ZERO TOLERANCE WITH YOBS WHO ABUSE THE SHOPKEEPERS WE HAVE.
THIS AREA HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST IS THERE AN ELECTION LOOMING?
Hi Diane
No election looming, and this is not being motivated by anyone politically it’s being driven by Merlin in the first instance, good luck to them.
I thought I had finally found a solution to your railings issues last year when I tried to tackle it as a community project with one of our large aircraft employers utilising their apprentices as labour working on their repair and restoration as a win/win for them and us and the community.
All was going well with plans at town council level, but then the hand of SGC intervened and stopped the project as they said they had their own plans to replace the railings, making our project, time and investment futile.
Shame, but that’s where it ended. Do feel free to badger SGC as it’s up to them what happens to the railings, not PTC, they said they are going to do something, so I hope they will now, away from that I agree with all your well made points.
@ Happy
Bin is inherent of the problems. It’s that general malaise? I’m amazed that it can be left so long before simple things like that are sorted out.
If the area is s–t? Albeit a broken bin? But it appears it’s s–t? Well then, who cares? I applaud Merlin Housing Association for their efforts with (Government?) money?
Can only benefit us all. Spruce the place up. Give the whole flats etc a proper lick of paint – get more CCTV and DEFINITELY better lighting……
Merlin can’t deal with the errant children/young aduts of the “estate” – but they can hopefully show they are not forgotten with some spending in their surrounds.
RE MR TILEY. I HAVE TO SAY THAT MERLIN 3YRS AGO DID SAY THEY WOULD REPLACE SAID RAILINGS EVEN TOOK PHOTOS. BUT AS YOU SAY SGC PUT A STOP TO IT.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE RAILS AT THE UNDERPASS RUSTED AWAY. I RANG SGC AND ASKED THE QUESTION WHEN WOULD IT BE REPAIRED? I COULD NOT GET A DEFINITE DATE.
I CONTACTED OUR MP MR LOPRESTI. AFTER CONTACTING SGC HE INFORMED ME THAT THE MISSING RAIL WOULD BE REPLACED ASAP, AND THAT THE THE RAILS WERE DUE TO BE REPLACED IN 2017/2018 HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO 2013/2014.
I SUPPOSE IF CONISTON IS TO BE THE NEW BY PASS, WE SHOULD EXPECT SOME BENEFIT. SUCH AS REPLACING UNDERPASSES WITH PELICAN CROSSINGS. A SPEED CAMERA OR TWO. FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
A reminder that the consultation event takes place today (Tuesday 8th January) from 1pm to 4pm at Coniston Community Centre.
Interesting comment by Police Inspector Bob Evely, recorded in the minutes of the November meeting of Patchway Town Council, speaking with reference to the firework-throwing incident at The Parade in October 2012:
“The standard of the images obtained from the CCTV cameras at The Parade was not good enough and had no infra-red capability. The images could be improved by new equipment.”
Yes it’s all food for thought Diane, thanks for pointing all this out, it’s certainly all worth considering by Merlin, and PTC, and even SGC, as are all the failings noted in this column.
I would remove the useless green plastic figures attached to the walls built on the parade (most have been broken off). I would then remove the walls and bushes. These are used for teens to find behind and scare older people. Make the parade flat so you could see who and what is going on at the parade. Yes put some decent lighting, CCTV and maybe even make it somewhere a community police person visits to check on things from time to time. Does seem slightly strange we have a labour club and a sports and social club (pretty much the same thing). Why not make the labour club a decent pub selling nice food and getting to community to interact with each other.
I would like to see all the hidding places took down, regularary see drug deals taken place on the parade and sidings, kids on bikes being dealt to leaves a bad taste in anyones mouth. So more camera more patrols. Shops I love the bakery, we need more local amenities, butcher, groucer.
Somewhere to eat, but not a pub that going to play load music for the local residents. Labour club pulled down or at least a complete refurb with it then being a gastro pub.
Give the local kids something to do, give them a cafe with pool tables pcs that has people on hand to teach life skills, talk employment skills etc etc… the cafe doe snot have to open late to stop kids hanging around but offer the kids something to do and self respect will follow.