From the Bristol Evening Post: http://tinyurl.com/9y5md
11:00 - 05 August 2005
A Bristol mother has condemned councillors for giving permission for a new footpath outside her home. Helen Fisher, a registered childminder who lives in Tibbott Road, Stockwood, said the new path would attract drug addicts and provide an escape route for thieves.
The new path will provide a link between Tibbott Road and the Whitchurch Railway Path.
Mrs Fisher, aged 35, a mother of two, said: "I can't understand why the councillors gave permission for this. Everyone in the area is against it, yet they still approved it."
She organised a petition and collected 81 names.
City councillors gave approval for the new path at a meeting of the council's planning committee this week.
They were told the narrow strip of land for the footpath will be taken from the site of the former St Silas Boys' Club which has now been levelled. The site is being sold off by the council because it is surplus to requirements.
Mrs Fisher said: "We've got enough exits to the railway path already. We don't want any more.
"It's going to be right next to our house and I'm worried that we're going to get drug addicts and abuse from the kids.
"It's difficult for children to sleep when you've got youths milling around or going up and down on their moped scooters."
The petition with 81 names was submitted to the committee by Tory Councillor Jack Lopresti, who said in a statement: "I am very concerned that such activity will undoubtedly bring with it problems of anti-social behaviour such as noise nuisance, intimidation, vandalism and litter - often fuelled by underage drinking.
"This would be entirely unacceptable for a quiet residential area."
Planning officer Zoe Willcox said there were other links to the railway path but not as many as on the popular Bristol to Bath cycle path.
She said the more links there were, then the greater the use of the path and therefore this created a natural surveillance of the area.
Avon and Somerset police objected to the new link because they believed it would provide thieves and burglars with an escape route.
The council's walking and cycling team put forward the idea of the new path to encourage more use of the railway path.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Evelyn Elworthy said there was no evidence of young people congregating in the area at the moment. Labour Councillor Peter Crispin said the new path would be straight and well lit and he could see no reason for refusing permission.
Tory Councillor Lesley Alexander said she was against it because of the anti-social behaviour problems on the Bristol to Bath cycle path.