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KATE RESPONDS
We all applaud development providing it is sympathetic, planned with the community in mind and not detrimental to the overall character of the original settlement. Much of The Vale and The Ashlands building is so cramped, because of developer greed, that there is insufficient room outside for the residents to park their vehicles - let alone their visitors! And what good is a garage that is too small for car doors to open properly inside them? Portishead has actually been catapulted forward not gently moved - with a further 2000 dwellings being built in the next 18 months the infrastructure will be at its limit and no projects in hand to ease this. No one, not the council, the local authority or the planners took proper time to consider the leisure needs of the young and not so young in Portishead. Only now the Council try and regain face by addressing these issues very much years too late when they have supported the sale of land that so easily could have been utilised. Portishead has always been a delightful place to live - witha storng community spirit. No one has an objects to more housing, so long as this goes hand in hand with a proper increase in community facilities - common sense you would think. We have a right to want to build on the community spirit and protect the town centre instead of fragmenting the area. Sympathetic quality improvements - such as the development of the Wesley centre - now a modern complex. Development to improve an area YES ... but not the rapid creation of cramped, ugly and over-priced future ghettos - NO. The Power Station site was no loss. However, a modern, unwelcoming high price blot without shops, integrated services or sympathetic communal areas does not make for good land use. What is now in an icon will not endure the ravages of weather and time. In 40 years' our children will we will be saddled with an ugly, sprawling suburb that has no community spirit at all. The leisure centre was in place before Port Marine, North Somerset have made no effort to improve the outdoor pool in years - if this is not addressed in 2007 I doubt it will survive (nothing to do with population increase). The local shopkeepers are being driven out because of the arrival of large retailers and their lower prices. With 2 cars per new dwelling there is no prospect of the 'drive out' being curtailed, however many businesses offer in-town employment. Too much, too quickly will ultimately destroy Portishead.

david
i have read all the comments on the page, my view is how can local people afford these homes? i watch as i go past in the morning to bristol the queues to get to the interchange are just getting longer. infrastructure before development is the key keeping a happy and stable healhty envoironment and keep the wealth from the newly generated economy in the local coffers and to give us all a sense of local identity instead of becoming faceless transients with no idea of the beauty of the people who live next door. but governments dont care because they are making billions on planning permission. then when the developments finished they will charge us to drive to work HOW INSULTING.

JK
I'm not entirely convinced that being located on the coast but with all the facilities of a town so close to Bristol and the opportunities that presents is a bad thing. Nowhere stays the same and places must thrive or die. Portishead is probably in a very strong position to have the best of both worlds. It does have its own town council and feels very much like a place that is positively thriving and buzzing with a strong community. I can think of many towns further into Somerset that struggle to keep their high streets trading and to attract young families in to use local services. I also come from a town near Bath that has changed significantly over the years and is now extremely popular for incomers but, although that means change it has also provided a lot of new opportunities. I can't think of anywhere that has stayed the same.

Patricia Gardener
Well said Kate ... I share your views We have both lived here the same amount of time. Portishead doesnt feel like my home town anymore. When you were Kate North and I was Patsy Duncan we could enjoy Weston Woods, see Suzie the Donkey down Donkey Lane and walk to the village through the Combe Fields via the kissing gates. I tell my children and will tell my small grandchildren of the wonders of old Posset ... it makes you want to weep for their loss... This is not whinging but a wish to preserve what is good against having change for change sake. It goes alongside wishing for a sense of community and society which despite reports are alive and well in some parts of the world and which unfortunately Posset seems to be losing. I think I want to move to Pill ....

Tim
The times are changing, but you are not. The probelm is in your minds. You are focused on the olden days and need to accpet modern development. Stop whinging.

Stuart Standring
The majority of forthcoming homes are as a result of land re-generation rather than ‘sprawl’ and ‘development cancer.’ Portishead is being moved gently into the 21st century. I can’t see how the development of the town is to it’s detriment. Without the increase in population there would be no Leisure Centre, the outdoor pool would close, no new library (as proposed) and the High Street, with it’s banks, post office and many independent shops would eventually become unsustainable. Many villages and small towns have suffered this demise. I applaud North Somerset Council for its sympathetic plans for Portishead, which include more retail and commercial property which should help curtail the drive out of town to work. I am proud to be a Portishead resident looking forward to the future rather than mourning it’s past.

Juanita da souza
I confess, I am one of the many 'in-comers' to Portishead and have bought one of the newly built houses. We chose to relocate here because it is both vibrant (new marina) and traditional (high street). I know people do not like change but surely it is better to look down the hill at a smart new marina rather than a power station? I agree on one thing though, The Black Horse is the best pub!!!

Kate Strong
A message to Steve Wright - I was Kate North and can remember your family in St Mary's Road - the fields are still there but Oh Boy how other parts of the town are suffering - The Black Horse will live on - have no fear!!

Keith Simpson
I live at Lipgate Place in what was part of the original Portishead. Like you I love the town but am disheartened by the ruthless destruction of what made the town so nice to live in. The question is really - where might this development cancer stop?

Steve Wright
I'm now living in Canada - have been for last 25 years. Your video was very interesting, I use to live on St Mary's road surrounded by fields and woods, then when married live in Nailsea for 5 years before leaving for Canada. It is always a shock to come home and try and find my way around a strange town. Please tell them to leave the Black Horse alone!!

Wilco
Weston has grown so much north worle is now the place to be so peaceful we moved from portishead which is now very busy and worle is much better by a longshot !!!

Bob Manning
I agree whole heartedly with Kate. I live in Vancouver British Columbia, B.C. Canada. We still have lots of open country but the same thing is happening here. Money is the driver. The Developers don't give a stick of the countryside or controlled development. Vancouver is becoming more like Toronto and Mountreal. Too many roads, too much traffic and too many people. Greedy developers don't care. I fell sorry for Kate, but the world marches on and the governments don't care.

baker
you need more work there to stop the people coming to bristol then they can walk to work thats how to get cars of the road.

Brian Furnivall
Sad to say,that in my opinion not only has Portishead become a overspill for South Bristol,so has Nailsea and many other Towns.The question is,'Where are people to find they're dream home'.