CLLR JOHN KIELY

As previously mentioned John is the Council representative on the Bristol/Gaza link a fantasic organisation that is not only keen to develop cultural, educational and other twinning links but is also raising money for much needed medical supplies and other equipment for the people of Gaza.  A convoy from Bristol set off just before Xmas and arrive in early January 2010 with these supplies. There is going to be an event at the Council House in mid Feb to hear how the convoy got on and to no doubt discuss plans for future twinning and other events. If you want to be keep informed etc the website is: bglink.ning.com

John Kiely was contacted in the recent snow by Moorfields House residents desperate for their walkway around the flats to be ‘gritted’  following John’s intervention it was carried out the very next day.  But residents were also concerned about other issues around the lack of visitors parking and condensation. John has therefore arranged a in early meeting between resident’s and the housing dept to discuss these and any other matters of concern.

One of the shameful ’spin-offs’ of Labour ‘ethnical’ foreign policy is the detention of assulym seekers children in detention with them.  A number of our local primary and secondary schools have seen school friends carted off by the immigration service with their parents to these holding centres.  Next week John has been invited to a meeting at the City Academy, Russell Town Ave, to hear first hand experience from these families.  John Kiely adds “I can remember a time when Labour believed in Internationalism and social justice, what a sorry lot they are now, eroding our rights, involved in 2 wars and treating those who have escaped violence from overseas like criminals.”

At Full Council last Tuesday (10/11) John welcomed a new planning policy strategy that will restrict the number of flat conversions and promote the building of bigger family homes.  John was also delighted that the Bristol to Bath cycletrack is going to be protected from Labour’s plan to turn it into a rapid bus lane.  In his speech on Tuesday John also voiced his hope for an improvement in the service being offered by some parts of the planning dept to him and local people.

Bristol Lib Dems promised to create Neighbourhood Committees as part of its plans to decentralise the Council and through them give local Councillors and residents more say and control over the delivery of services.  Following consultation local  residents felt that rubbish, fly-tipping and the general appearance of the inner-city should be the top priority for the partnership.  A meeting took place last Monday 9th November 2009 at the new Netham Pavilion were over 50 people turned up to dicsuss the issue of cleansing and the way forward.  John adds” A lot of really good ideas came from the meeting, alongside comments that things need to improve.  These neighbourhood committees will have significant amounts of money to spend and our one will use it to try and get improvements in cleansing.”

As part of Democracy week Easton ward Cllr John Kiely was invited to meet with students from the City Academy on Tuesday 10th Nov 2009 to discuss democracy.  John was keen to hear from students about what they thought were the most important issues facing them, whether it be locally, nationally or even internationally. John adds “There is no doubt that because Easton ward has one of the most diverse communities in the City that students are well versed not only on what  needs to be done locally, but they are also keenly aware of  matters in other Countries.

Many Easton ward residents are surprised that the Easton ward Green party get there leaflets printed over a 120 miles from Bristol…….in Ruislip, Middx.  We hear a lot from the Green Party about carbon footprints and buying locally and yet they cannot even find a Bristol or even West Country printer for their recent A5 flyer. We assume that whoever delivers these flyers has to return to the Middx area and so therefore this is really a 240 mile trip!               One has to say pretty wasteful

John has been working closely with the Bristol/Gaza twinning association and was even invited to speak from the platform at their recent launch event.  Alongside all the usual work being undertaken by the extremely hardworking Bristol Gaza link committee including the planning of a convoy to Gaza later this year, they have also set up a Website linked to individuals and organisations in Gaza, John has joined, why don’t  you? John adds “This link is important, not just because it is serves a practical purpose of bringing relief to these hardpressed peoples, but it shows them that others in the world see their plight and the injustice they are suffering.”

Local residents are rightly outraged to have been issued with fixed penalty notices for leaving their ‘wheelie bins’ out in Mildred St. Anyone who knows the area will see that the houses have no front gardens and storing the bins in their back gardens is not a sensible option.  A number of residents have come up with an alternative plan for the storage of their waste prior to collection and have arranged a meeting with Council officers to talk through their proposal.  Both John and Zahir will be in attendance to offer their support to local people over this difficult issue.

John Kiely has been joined by long time Chelsea Park resident Zahir Malik (no relation to former Cllr Abdul Malik) in fighting for the people of Easton ward.  Zahir who is the IT manager at the Beacon Centre on Russell Town is also a well known broadcaster on Bristol Community FM radio (his 8 year old son is the UK’s youngest radio host on that station).  Zahir joined John Kiely in fighting Labour’s further education cuts announced over the summer. John adds “I am delighted that Zahir has agreed to become part of the Easton ward Focus team, his experience of working at the City Academy with a wide cross section of the local community will be iinvaluable.”