I am really disappointed by today's news that the plug has been pulled on the Bristol arena project, not least because there was always the feeling that it would never quite be made to happen, that the sheer will to pull off a development on this scale wasn't quite there.
I've made the comparison before between Bristol and Manchester, where they manage to deliver hugely ambitious schemes and have completely transformed the city over the past 20 years. OK, there is a lot of regeneration now going on in Bristol, including in the Temple Quarter, but the failure of the arena project is still a big blow. I hope this isn't the end of the road; Bristol badly needs a decent-sized venue and, as I said in today's Evening Post, there is more to regeneration than just building homes and offices.
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Regretably, the reason that anything worthwhile never gets off the ground in Bristol is down to the Labour Government refusing to fund it.
Vast sums of money are distributed to Labour's heartlands in the North and to the devolved administrations - they all manage to get shiny transport systems, Arenas and other infrastructure, whilst Bristol is continually bypassed.
Under this Labour government, our schools are some of the worst in the country, Bristol's cultural life is imploding and our public transport - well, words fail me. It's the Labour government that awarded First the franchise to decimate our public transport and force people into their cars, yet they do nothing to held this execrable company to account for their dreadful performance. We have non-existant sporting facilities and apart from the excellent Children's Hospital, crumbling medical facilities. Even our junkies get a bum deal, with very poor funding compared to other cities.
I'm sick to death of Labour shortchanging our beautiful city.
Yes, we've got some shiny (and empty) new schools, but even these were paid for using private money. A mortgage that will hang like a millstone around Bristol's neck for a generation.
All the useless Bristol City Council does is reduce services whilst increasing taxes. Parking charges, congestion charges, reduced rubbish collection, threatened home care for our old folks, plastic police instead of the real thing. Why?
Why is this happenning, Kerry? What have we done to deserve this?
Why do we get nothing but rabbit hutch flats and identikit chain stores?
Many Bristolians have had enough. I don't support the Tories or the Lib Dems and Labour hasn't delivered for Bristol, so where does that leave local democracy? What's the point in voting if nothing is ever achieved in Bristol?
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