‘More homes, ambitious regeneration and better transport can make a meaningful difference’

A much more ambitious ‘brownfield first’ housing policy to promote regeneration and ease the pressure on the Green Belt.

Supported by a significant shift in transport policy to bus franchising, rail expansion and stopping the war on the motorist.

These are my top two objectives and here’s how I would tackle them.

The Labour government has got it wrong on housing. They have increased housebuilding targets on Bath and NE Somerset and South Gloucestershire, whilst reducing them on Bristol.

At the same time stripping away the previous strong Green Belt defence line. This is a disastrous approach.

It means Green Belt sites are now vulnerable to urban sprawl – the very thing the Green Belt was designed to defend against.

This is particularly acute east of Kingswood where the Council is planning to impose sweeping development on the Green Belt.

This is an environmental disaster – loss of green fields and building huge numbers of houses in communities that are car dependent and miles from employment sites, a city centre and the rail network.

Worse, it is creating a perverse incentive for developers to focus on these easy to develop green fields, rather than more challenging regeneration sites.

I want to shift the balance with a ‘brownfield first’ approach, using regional funding, partnerships and powers to support regeneration projects.

Steve Smith, who was also lord mayor while representing the Conservatives in Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze ward

We need to bring pressure to bear to develop more sustainable regeneration sites in the city.

This includes maxing out sites like Temple Quay and getting on with building homes in Broadmead. This is vital to help secure the future of the city centre.

Equally we need to develop new sites in ‘Frome Gateway’, Lawrence Hill, Fishponds and others to regenerate ex-industrial sites for homes.

Shockingly Bristol currently has around 16,000 homes with planning permission where work hasn’t started. That’s a town bigger than Midsomer Norton or Thornbury.

We must unlock whatever the hold-ups are and get these built.

Getting Bristol building on brownfield sites is crucial to delivering regeneration, boosting trade for local shops and businesses and easing the pressure on the Green Belt.

At a hustings held at Watershed, Smith said that people had the final choice in how they wanted to move around

My second priority is of course transport.

Regrettably the Labour Mayor focused heavily on self-promotion and gimmicks rather than making genuine progress to build a better bus network.

Under them over 40 routes have been cut and fares have gone up 20 per cent in the last year.

I will rapidly progress bus franchising. This is key to building a more sustainable network and ensure better service coverage.

In particular I want to ensure improved services for rural and suburban residents to be able to get to key facilities like the shops, hospitals and in many cases school.

Progress has been made on rail but I will go further and faster.

Five new stations, including Brabazon and Henbury, in two years is my ambition.

Coupled with this working to increase frequency on our existing network, like the Severn Beach line.

Finally, I believe it is time to end Councils ‘war on the motorist’. We have seen Councils, particularly Bristol, expect a blank cheque from the Mayor to bankroll their road closure programme.

Bristol have been imposing schemes like low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), the bus lane on Passage Road in Henbury and more.

They already have a shopping list to spend millions of your money closing more roads; the Park Street closure, more restrictions on the Portway, the list goes on.

I will stop this. I will veto your money being given to Bristol to close Park Street. I will scrap the current Labour Mayor’s planned 24-hour bus lane on the A4 between Bristol and Bath.

We must stop frittering away millions of pounds of your money on closing off ever more roads.

The Green City Council expect the whole region’s taxpayers to fund this fanciful approach with our limited regional transport funding.

Instead, I will protect your money and invest it in sensible public transport upgrades and improvements.

More homes, ambitious regeneration and better transport are the areas I believe I can make a meaningful difference to you and your community.

This in an opinion piece by Steve Smith, Conservative candidate in the West of England mayoral election on May 1

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All photos: Conservative Party

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