Stockwood

Stockwood ward stretches from Wells Road in the west to the heights of Stockwood overlooking Stockwood Vale in the east.

Need to check whether you live in this ward? Click on Bristol City Council's ward finder.

Stockwood returns two councillors to the Bristol City Council; at present both of them are part of the minority Conservative group. One of the two seats came up for election in May 2010 - the other will be in May 2011.

In recent years, the Green vote in Stockwood has risen as far as second place,  and the main challenger to the Tories.

Read the April 2011 'Green'un' ward newsletter.  Yes, with colour!   Yes, with links!

Peter Goodwin, who lives off Sturminster Road, is the Green Party candidate for the city council elections on 5th May 2011.

Peter is now retired after a career in local authority social services, and also has extensive experience in local politics as a campaigner on green issues.

• He's one of the driving forces behind the Friends of Stockwood Open Spaces, a residents' group set up to protect and improve our green spaces for the benefit of local people and wildlife.
• He's been working with our present councillors in the Neighbourhood Partnership and the Stockwood Community Group.
• He's worked with Cycling City and Sustrans to improve the Whitchurch Railway Path and the links to it.
• He's made a strong case in the council chamber opposing the sale of our green spaces.
• Peter's blog, 'Stockwood Pete' looks at Stockwood and Bristol issues from a green angle.  He's helping develop the new "HandS ON" (Hengrove and Stockwood Online Neighbourhood) Forum and Blog.   It aims to make local democracy more accessible and responsive than is possible with a meeting every few months - and at the same time to be the place where all can publish and read local news and announcements.

Looking ahead to the next few years, Peter sees big changes in Stockwood and Bristol that will need very sensitive handling.  If more housing development must come, it's got to be sustainable...  it's no use just adding another estate with little or no employment and people over-dependent on cars to get to work in a world of ever-dwindling, ever more expensive fuel.

"Public transport's a very long way from what it should be.  My key priority is an Integrated Transport Authority, although at present our neighbouring Tory councils are preventing that from happening.  I especially want to see cheaper travel, smart ticketing (like London's oyster card), and good real-time information for passengers.

"And if there's one opportunity that Bristol must not miss, it's the chance to use the Plot 6 development site at Temple Meads as a rail/bus/river transport hub, with the station's Digby Wyatt shed providing a comfortable, warm, safe, well-lit waiting and ticket area for travellers to and from all parts of the city - and beyond.  At last we're beginning to get a response from other politicians on this - but it's a race against time,".

Pete fears that deep (and unnecessary) cuts in public services are bound to hit the most vulnerable in our society.  After a career working in local authority social services, he understands how councils can 'spin' cost cutting measures to make them look like improved services

Contact Peter Goodwin at stockwoodpete (at) gmail.com