ODS and Courtside are thrilled to announce the successful completion of a major refurbishment project at the Bury Knowle Pavilion, marking a new era of leisure and community engagement in Oxford.
The project has transformed the old tennis pavilion into a vibrant community hub, enhancing the local area with new amenities and activities.
This refurbishment is part of a broader £600k investment in the site, stemming from a 15-year agreement between Courtside and Oxford City Council. Courtside’s innovative operating model focuses on increasing physical and social activity by revitalising under-utilised public buildings in local parks.
The newly revamped Bury Knowle Pavilion now features an attractive café space adjacent to the tennis courts, alongside enhanced leisure activities such as a multi-use games area, mini-golf, and shuffleboard. This transformation creates inviting public spaces for families, youth groups and local residents to gather and participate in both social and sporting activities.
The complete overhaul of the Bury Knowle Pavilion involved gutting, extending, and modernising the old timber-framed structure to accommodate the new café, which now serves as a central gathering spot for visitors. Despite the building’s dilapidated state and strict planning restrictions that prevented its demolition, the refurbishment has preserved its historical essence while introducing modern amenities for the enjoyment of visitors and residents of Headington.
Mitchell Carter, Associate Director of Construction at ODS said:
“We are thrilled to have opened our doors. Now complete, these exciting new facilities will help realise our mission of bringing people together and encouraging them to be active, serving as a base for connecting the community and encouraging physical and social well-being, while protecting Bury Knowle Park as a place of rest and recreation for future generations.”
Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for A Healthy Oxford at Oxford City Council said:
"These brilliant new facilities in Bury Knowle Park represent a significant investment in the well-being of our community. This new, inviting space builds on the Council’s work to encourage physical activity and social interaction, helping to foster a healthier, more connected Oxford. We are committed to ensuring that everyone in Oxford has access to high-quality recreational facilities, and I am excited to see how residents will benefit from this new community hub."
Two teenagers in Bristol were killed with "fearsome weapons" in a case of mistaken identity during revenge attack
were fatally attacked in Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West on 27 January
Bristol Crown Court heard the pair had met at Mason's home that evening and were walking down the street when they were set upon by a group that had driven past them in an Audi Q2 car
Five people in the car were looking for revenge after bricks were thrown through a window at a property in Hartcliffe earlier that evening
described how the group – allegedly Anthony Snook
16 and 17 – had gone to the area armed with “some pretty fearsome weapons”
In CCTV images captured by a camera on Mason’s home
people can be seen leaving the vehicle and attacking Mason and Max before getting back into the car which then drives away
was played to the jury in the trial of Snook
which opened at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday
Mr Tully told the jury: “The case concerns a double murder
The Crown’s case is that the five defendants who sit in the dock are jointly responsible for killing two young boys
“Almost immediately upon leaving that address
as they walked onto the street they were passed by an Audi A2 car being driven by Anthony Snook
“The other four defendants were passengers in his car when he drove past the two boys.”
a property in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol had been attacked – with at least three young people throwing bricks through the windows of that address and injuring a woman
and three teenage boys left the area in Snook’s car
they had some pretty fearsome weapons,” he told the jury
“The five occupants of the car drove from Hartcliffe to Knowle West
they were on the hunt for the people they thought were responsible for the attack on the house
“As they drove past Max and Mason walking down the street
they thought they had spotted the people responsible for the earlier attack – or at the very least
Max and Mason had absolutely nothing to do with any earlier incident and no connection whatsoever with those events.”
The jury were shown two machetes which Mr Tully said had been recovered following the fatal attacks
Max and Mason both sustained stab wounds and died from their injuries
Mr Tully said the prosecution’s case is that the five defendants “acted jointly and are all jointly responsible for what happened”
we say they were in it together,” he added
Tolliver and the three teenage boys who cannot be named because of their age
the 16-year-old boy and the 17-year-old boy are charged with murdering Mason together with the 15-year-old boy on 27 January 2024
Tolliver and the three teenage boys murdered Max on the same date
nine men and three women were sworn as jurors in the case
which is due to last until the end of November
told the panel that the teenage defendants have special educational needs
They will be assisted by intermediaries – professionals who will sit with the defendants to help explain proceedings – during the trial
Christopher Quinlan KC represents the 17-year-old boy
Anna Vigars KC represents the 16-year-old boy
and Kate Brunner KC represents the 15-year-old boy
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Two men who helped cover up a gang’s double murder of two innocent teenagers during a revenge attack have each been jailed for more than five years
who were stabbed to death by a gang of armed teenagers
Antony Snook, 45, had driven Riley Tolliver, 18, and boys aged 15, 16 and 17 to and from the scene of the murders in Knowle West, Bristol on January 27 this year
In my view it would be hard to find a more serious example of assisting an offender than this
Max and Mason had been wrongly identified as being the masked youths who had thrown bricks at a house in the rival Hartcliffe area earlier that evening
Bristol Crown Court heard how Westcott had arrived at the property within half an hour of the attack
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Just 20 minutes after that Snook left with two of the boys and picked up the other two nearby before heading to Knowle West
together with his partner and his mother arrived at the property two minutes after Snook and the others left
The five were all convicted of murder last month following a trial
was jailed for life with a minimum term of 38 years
while the others will be sentenced on Thursday
Westcott, of Whitchurch Lane
previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assisting an offender
Snook and two of his co-accused returned to the property in Hartcliffe where Westcott and Ogbourne were waiting
Westcott lit a fire in the back garden and items linked to the attack
Ogbourne arranged taxis to take the two teenagers to his flat and later provided them with a change of clothing
a “substantial amount of money” and a “burner” phone
Mr Tully said a total of eight weapons were later seized from the Hartcliffe property and a “question left unanswered by all of the evidence” was whether all of the knives used in the murders had originated from there
“What we do know was that there was something on an armoury of weapons with eight separate weapons found at the house
including two used in the murders,” he said
“Within two minutes of them arriving back Bailey Westcott is in the back garden carrying items of clothing
“That would suggest clearly a presence of mind when an initial clean-up operation is going on when it must have been apparent – with those two youngsters returning and carrying those weapons – that something very serious must have happened.”
Mr Tully said it was likely that clothing would have been bloodstained or had Max and Mason’s DNA on it
Wescott messaged one of the teenage killers
Then just go on like you don’t know what’s happening.”
The teenager replied: “I’ll just say I ain’t splashed no little kid.”
said: “Although he is not charged or accused of conspiracy offences or causing the incident
“It would be very plain and obvious that very serious violent offences had been committed with young boys coming back with weapons and discovery of the seriousness and gravity would increase with time.”
said his client was “horrified and appalled” at the deaths of Max and Mason
“He wishes to express through me his remorse for his involvement in this case,” he said
“He has genuinely expressed his regret and remorse and has accepted responsibility and not proceeded to trial with the extra distress that causes the families of the deceased.”
Jailing them both for five years and three months, Mrs Justice May said there was no evidence of what was said in that house prior to the murders
you knew probably better than anyone what set that attack on Max and Mason in train,” she said
“Within minutes of the attack on that house you were sending messages that the attack was carried out by ‘Westers’ and you went straight round to that house
“I am sure that you were well aware this was a revenge trip to Knowle West
You sent messages and you had influence over boys much younger than you
She added: “In my view it would be hard to find a more serious example of assisting an offender than this.”
the jury was told Snook’s Audi Q2 mobility car was driven around Knowle West for at least 12 minutes before the attack
The best friends had left Mason’s home on Ilminster Avenue and were going for a pizza when they were spotted by the defendants
who wrongly believed they were responsible for the earlier attack
and the three teenagers armed with machetes
jumped out of the car and chased after the two boys
Max and Mason are seen going to different sides of the street
each pursued by two people from the vehicle
Tolliver and the 15-year-old boy attacked Mason while the 16-year-old boy and 17-year-old boy chased Max
as he headed back to the Audi after attacking Max
A CCTV camera on Mason’s nearby house captured how the attack lasted just 33 seconds
from the car pulling up to the teenagers getting back in and leaving
Max and Mason sustained fatal stab injuries and both died in hospital in the early hours of January 28
came to the aid of the four teenage defendants and attempted to cover the murderers’ tracks by cleaning the weapons and disposing of clothes
“They knew what they were doing and the implications of their actions – they showed no regard for the lives lost by attempting to help the defendants get away with their crimes
“I hope their sentence shows the severity of what they did and why we will make every effort to hunt out anyone who aids and abets crime to take place.”
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and Max Dixon (Image: Bristol Post / submitted)One man and four teenagers are standing trial at Bristol Crown Court charged with the murders of teens Max Dixon and Mason Rist
The fourth day of the hearing started on Thursday
The five are jointly charged with the murders of both Max
who were stabbed near Mason's home in Ilminster Avenue
Two adults, Antony Snook, 45, and Riley Tolliver, 18, and teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of their murders. Today CCTV was released of the incident which sparked the alleged 'revenge' attack on Max and Mason
at Bristol Crown Court started on Monday (October 7)
The first two days saw the jury sworn in and legal arguments take place
In total the trial is expected to take eight weeks
With the assistance of the Press Association
we will bring you updates from each day of the trial
That's it from the first week of this trial
To continue to follow updates from the trial for the week commencing Monday, October 14, click here
Welcome back to this updates blog from the trial in Court 1 of five people for the double murder of Max Dixon and Mason Rist
At the end of yesterday's proceedings
prosecutor Ray Tully completed his opening statement to the jury
and today Mr Tully is expected to begin his case in more detail today
Over the past two days, Mr Tully told the jury that the two teenagers Max and Mason were killed in a case of mistaken identity - they had nothing to do with an attack on a house in Hartcliffe earlier that night
Mr Tully told the court that, from the moment the four teenagers got out of Antony Snook's car to the moment they got back in it, having fatally attacked Max and Mason, the entire attack was just 33 seconds. You can read more about that here
The jury has also heard a summary of the shocking injuries suffered by Max and Mason
which left them dying in the street near their home
And the court was also shown CCTV of an attack on a house in Hartcliffe just over an hour before the 'revenge' attack in Knowle West, which sparked the tragic events later. You can find out more about that here
Mr Tully is expected to begin his case in more detail with a closer look at the events leading up to the attack in Ilminster Avenue
We don't have a reporter in court today
but we will bring you any further updates from proceedings today through the Press Association
A CCTV video has now been released showing the attack on a house in Hartcliffe that sparked the revenge attack in Knowle West
that a woman at the house was injured in the attack
which happened at around 10pm on the evening of Saturday
about an hour and a quarter before the fatal attack on Max and Mason
The jury was also told that Max Dixon and Mason Rist had 'absolutely nothing to do with' the attack on the house 'whatsoever'
You can read the full story here.
The 15-year-old has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the second count in the trial
the jury has been told another of the teenagers standing trial for the double murder of Max and Mason has also entered a guilty plea - to the manslaughter of Max Dixon
who also cannot be named because of his age
has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to both counts of murder
The guilty pleas were submitted to the court at a preliminary hearing earlier this year
but have been the subject of reporting restrictions ahead of the trial
The teenagers are two of five jointly accused of two counts of murder
Mr Tully showed the jury images of two large knives found in the back garden of a house in Hartcliffe
The court was told the 16-year-old defendant accepts he had possession of the first weapon during the incident
The other blade the jury was shown has a 51cm long blade - and the 17-year-old defendant 'accepts he had possession of this weapon during the incident'
The court was given a summary of the post mortem report from Dr Russell Delaney
the Home Office pathologist who examined the bodies of Max and Mason.He said Mason had received two stab wounds and various abrasions
both wounds would have been 'unsurvivable'
and a second wound went eight and a half inches into his right side
straight through his liver.Max received one serious stab wound that went six inches into his right side
Mr Tully briefly summarised the statements made by the first police officers to arrive in Ilminster Avenue - who had been at an unrelated incident in nearby Newquay Road
They arrived within minutes and described the scene as 'chaos'
Mr Tully said.He said PC Ben Tucker was directed to a young man lying in the front garden of a house in Ilminster Avenue - it was Max and he was drifting in and out of consciousness
Prosecutor Ray Tully has continued with his opening statement to the jury
January 27 this year.He began this morning by going through what neighbours of Mason living in Ilminster Avenue saw as they rushed from their homes
driving home and passing the attack as it happened
said she saw two of the boys chasing were carrying 'a long black sword'
The case is due to resume at 10am when opening statements will continue
We will be reporting live via the Press Association reporter in court today
The conclusion of today’s proceedings involved the jury hearing an initial summary of the eye witnesses
who were in Ilminster Avenue at the moment the attack took place
listed the witnesses who saw or heard what happened
including several neighbours of Mason Rist who ran out to help the two boys
with Mr Tully continuing his opening statements
Mr Tully outlined the case against Antony Snook
the 45-year-old who drove the car that took the four teenagers from Hartcliffe to Knowle West
He said: "Antony Snook could not have been in any doubt as to what they were intending to do as he drove them around the streets of South Bristol for nearly a quarter of an hour
"We say he too bears full responsibility for what happened
Without his willingness to drive four ‘tooled up’ teenagers out looking to attack those they thought responsible for the attack [earlier in the night]
these two killings would never have happened
We suggest he bears as much responsibility as the others for what happened."
The fatal stabbings of both boys happened in just 33 seconds
The court has been shown a series of CCTV images in Ilminster Avenue
charting the timings and positions as the four teenagers chase and catch Max and Mason
The videos show the four teenagers got out of the vehicle they arrived in at 23 seconds past 11.14pm on that Saturday evening
and were back in the car at 56 seconds past 11.14pm
told the jury: "It took half a minute for these defendants to get out of this car
to chase the two boys to fatally attack them and to get back into the Audi and to be driving off."
Court artist Elizabeth Cook has been at Bristol Crown Court this morning for the trial to document proceedings
The first sketch below shows Anthony Snook (right) sitting beside Riley Tolliver
Welcome back to Court 1 at Bristol Crown Court
where proceedings are resuming after the break for lunch
Prosecuting barrister Ray Tully is resuming his opening statement for the jury
and is guiding them through a series of still images taken from CCTV cameras on various homes along Ilminster Avenue
which create a timeline of the fatal attack on Max Dixon and Mason Rist
The jury has been led through a summary of what happened in Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West
just as Max and Mason left Mason’s home and were passed by the Audi car
Mr Tully KC explained how the two boys started to run back down the road within seconds of the four defendants leaving the car and coming towards them with weapons
A range of different CCTV cameras on people’s homes along Ilminster Avenue filmed what happened to each one of the defendants
Mr Tully explained that as the two split up
The jury was told that 18-year-old Riley Tolliver
and the 15-year-old boy continued chasing Mason
suggesting to the jury that he had already landed a blow
but on his way back up the road towards where the car was
Mr Tully said this showed how it was a joint attack
He told the jury: “We suggest it is important to remember this
that ultimately which defendant attacked which of the two boys came down in reality to no more than random chance
“The defendants were after both boys
When Max and Mason divided up as they ran away
the defendants also had to divide up to ensure they could get them both
that decision was made on the hoof in a split second
Both of the boys were the target of those who got out of the car
“They didn’t care which of the two boys they individually got
so long as all four of them got both of them – which is sadly what they were able to do.”
He added that it was a ‘statement of the obvious’ for the jury to think about what the 17-year-old did
Mr Tully added: “He attacked one boy and
when given the chance to attack the other boy
Mr Tully is now going into detail about what happened earlier in the evening at the house in Hartcliffe that was attacked
He said there would be a timeline of comings and goings from the house
He told the jury: “CCTV picked up an unknown car close to the house
they are then seen throwing bricks towards the property before running off.”
referenced ‘years of rivalry’ between Hartcliffe and Knowle West
explaining how the postcodes of BS13 and BS4 play a part in that
and how this will be something that will come up again in the trial
He told the court: “For quite some time now
for a number of years there have been rivalry between two areas of South Bristol
Sadly some of the divisions that have existed in the past seem to be part of the origin story of the events of that night.”
Mr Tully has told the jury that each of the defendants ‘accept they were present’
He says it's the prosecution's case that they were ‘acting like a pack’
and were jointly responsible - including Antony Snook
who remained in the car while the attack took place
He told the court: “Each of the defendants accept they were present when Max and Mason were killed
There’s levels of debate and discussion of what each of them was doing there
“We say the defendants all acted jointly
each played a different role but we say they were involved in the attack together
Each of them was armed when leaving the car and went on the chase after those two boys with weapons
“We say they were acting like a pack
They wanted at the very least to really hurt both boys
They had gone armed and wanted to inflict serious arm on those they wrongly thought responsible for the earlier attack,” he added
said Max and Mason were not responsible for the earlier attack on the house in Hartcliffe
He told the jury: “They had nothing to do with it whatsoever.”
The court has just been shown CCTV from Mason’s own house
It shows Max arriving and calling for Mason to go to the local pizza shop
They walk off down Ilminster Avenue and very soon are passed by an Audi car
It turns around and Max and Mason are seen running back past the house
The court is told that the pair are attacked off camera
and the film then shows the car arriving back outside the house and the teenagers getting back in
Ray Tully has opened the prosecutions case and is explaining to the jury what happened the night Max and Mason died
He has outlined that the sequence of events that Saturday evening started with an attack on a home in Hartcliffe
windows were smashed and a woman was injured
a car driven by Antony Snook drove to Knowle West
and had four passengers - the four teenagers now in the dock
Mr Tully said they were ‘tooled up’
and were carrying 'fearsome weapons' and ‘out for revenge’
and were looking for those who they thought responsible for the attack on the house
Good morning and welcome back to Court 1 at Bristol Crown Court
We have had two days of legal discussions and the process of selecting and swearing in a jury for this trial
will be able to begin his opening statement
The jury and other people involved in the court case are currently being shown how to use the iPads through which all the evidence will be presented in the case
We are expecting the prosecution to begin its opening statements to the jury on Wednesday morning
Mrs Justice May told the jury the four teenage defendants will be referred to by the first names during the court proceedings
She said all four have been diagnosed with ‘communication difficulties and having special educational needs’
people with the defendants to help them understand the proceedings.She then explained to the jury that the case will last around eight weeks
and the court will be sitting between 11pm and 3pm each day
She said that the court days ‘will seem short for you’
but explained that this was to allow the young defendants to be given time at the start and end of each day to understand what has been happening
She also explained that the young defendants are currently located away from Bristol.“They all have travel times that are really some distance away from Bristol
in one case several hours away,” she said.The jury and others involved in the case are now undertaking training on how to use the iPad system onto which the evidence will be presented during the case
The jury has been sworn in and the first thing they were told is that all five of the people in the dock have been charged with two counts of murder
in Bristol on January 27 this year.They were told 45-year-old Antony Snook
18-year-old Riley Tolliver and three teenagers
and step in should any of the jurors have to step down during the trial
This is standard practice in a trial that will be running for more than a couple of weeks
and the jury is finally being sworn in now
The courtroom is packed with the five defendants sitting in the dock
along with the Crown Prosecution Service's team filling the three rows of desks in the court itself
With five defendants each having their own legal representatives
and this morning discussions have continued between barristers and the judge around the logistics of the case
and no evidence or opening statements have yet begun
Welcome to Day 2 of the trial of five people for the murder of Max Dixon and Mason Rist
We are expecting the court to resume sitting at 11am
and the process of establishing a jury of 12 people to continue
We should begin with opening statements later on today
A second defendant has been named ahead of the trial of five people accused of the murder of two teenagers in Bristol
died after being stabbed in Ilminster Avenue
is accused of their murders on January 27 alongside Anthony Snook
who cannot be named because they are still under the age of 18
About 50 potential jurors were whittled down to 18 after being called into the courtroom at Bristol Crown Court today (Monday
including whether they would be available to sit on the jury until the end of November
Trial judge Mrs Justice May told them: “The defendants face two charges of murder relating to the death of two teenagers earlier this year.”
A total of 12 of them will be selected and sworn in tomorrow
The process of selecting a jury will continue in the morning
A firefighter battles a grassland fire on Knowle Hill (Image: Avon Fire and Rescue )Firefighters have issued a stark warning after a large fire broke out at a beauty spot and spread over more than five acres
Fire crews attended a grassland fire which spread across Knowle Hill
between the village of Chew Magna and Chew Valley Lake
which covered an area greater than two football pitches
The large fire posed a significant risk to local wildfire
Group manager Ben Thompson said: "Fires are often preventable
"We’re asking everyone to follow our simple safety advice when spending time outside, particularly as we approach the warmer weather
"What may start as a small spark can quickly escalate into a dangerous fire
endangering both the environment and people’s lives.”
As temperatures are set to rise this week, Avon Fire and Rescue service has issued a warning to residents and visitors to help them stay safe.
Grass fire on Knowle Hill(Image: Avon Fire and Rescue )Avon Fire and Rescue has urged people to follow essential tips to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Firefighter Thompson said: "By following these simple steps, we can all help ensure that our countryside remains a safe and enjoyable place for everyone.”
As summer approaches, the fire service are working to increase awareness of wildfires and the risk they pose.
If you see a fire, follow safety advice and act quickly.
Do not attempt to tackle a fire yourself, call 999 and leave the area as soon as possible to keep yourself safe.
Beginning his career at the Bedminster Fire Station in 1974
Mr Lovell rose through the ranks of the Avon Fire Brigade over three decades of service
He retired in 2005 and then sat as a councillor on the Avon Fire Authority for many years
He was first elected as a councillor in 2007
and was also cabinet member for social care during his time at the council
Tributes were given during a full council meeting on Tuesday
which a “coach-load” of his family were attending
Green Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, said: “He was a fantastic guy, the king of Knowle West. I’m a Hartcliffe boy myself
You can knock on every single door in Knowle West and Hartcliffe and you won’t find someone who has a bad word to say about Jeff Lovell
He didn’t get involved in party politics stuff
What Jeff wanted to do was serve his community
as a working class kid with a speech impediment
People like Jeff give encouragement to people like me
both councillors for Hartcliffe and Withywood]
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“Because once you see somebody else doing it
you start to think ‘maybe my Bristolian accent isn’t that bad
maybe people aren’t going to take the mickey of me and not listen to me’
I already miss Jeff — he was the epitome of a nice guy
and I’m sure his family misses him so much more than I do.”
Mr Lovell attended the IRA bombing of Park Street
which he later described as “quite an awakening for a young laddie”
He later worked as an investigative photographer
A funeral was held on December 17 at the South Bristol Crematorium
followed by a wake at the Folk House in Whitchurch
said: “There’s two words that come to mind when I think of Jeff: love and pride
He was immensely proud of his fire service career
so proud he was that a working class Wester could become Bristol’s first citizen
“Jeff loved the fire service, he loved the Labour Party, he loved his service to the city, he loved his fishing, he loved his mates, he loved being lord mayor, he loved his Folk House. But the most important thing to him, always, is his family.
“And we were proud and loved him back. His funeral was testament to that: it was standing room only, and there was an honour guard from the service. So farewell Jeff, we’ll miss you mate.”
Broadwalk Shopping Centre campaigners Laura Chapman (left) and Helen Evans-Morris(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)Residents are claiming a historic victory after they persuaded developers wanting to build 850 flats on the site of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Bristol to reduce the number of new homes by almost half - and change controversial tower blocks that overlook a park into three-storey townhouses instead
The new plans for what could become ‘Redcatch Quarter’ were unveiled for the first time today to local residents, who raised thousands of pounds to challenge the plans proposed by Broadside Holdings. The plans for as many as 850 flats on the site of the shopping centre in Knowle have now been reduced to 492
and instead of three 12-storey tower blocks facing Redcatch Park
there will be a development of 92 three- or four-bed townhouses
The plans still include a series of blocks of flats up to 10 storeys that on the Wells Road and Broadwalk corner
and the amount of retail and community space that was part of the development has been reduced too
The leaders of the community group that took the city council to a Judicial Review and challenged the way they gave Broadside Holdings planning permission for more than 800 flats back in the summer of 2023 said they were happy with the compromise deal
Presenting the plans to local residents at two public meetings today (Feb 26)
who was the signatory to a £10,000 legal challenge
told residents that she felt they had got the best compromise possible
She told the meetings that even if the residents' group had won the Judicial Review and got the planning permission quashed
the developers may well have simply resubmitted the same plans and ultimately won permission on appeal from the Government
“We’ve always supported the redevelopment of the shopping centre – despite the accusations we’ve received of being NIMBYs – but we knew in our gut that there had to be a better solution than 12 storey towers looming over Redcatch Park,” said Laura
For the first time we – and we hope the wider Knowle community – feel confident that this really is the best possible scheme for Knowle,” she added
the plans were brought back before the same committee and narrowly passed
“Knowle deserved better than the tower blocks
and went out to fight for our community,” said Laura
“It’s been a long 18 months and we’re so happy to have finally reached a mutually-acceptable plan for Broadwalk
which we couldn’t have done without the leverage gained by the threat of the Judicial Review,” she added
Road cleared and traffic returned to normal
accident cleared on Broad Walk in both directions from A37 Wells Road to Kingshill Road."
Broad Walk in both directions partially blocked
slow traffic due to accident from A37 Wells Road to Kingshill Road."
Slow traffic due to accident on Broad Walk in both directions from A37 Wells Road to Kingshill Road."
Knowle (Image: Google Maps)There was slow traffic near a major A road in Knowle this morning (Sunday
January 19) following an incident on Broad Walk
said: "Road cleared and traffic returned to normal
accident cleared on Broad Walk in both directions from A37 Wells Road to Kingshill Road."
You can view all the latest updates on this in our live blog below
Harriers secure back-to-back wins in WM Women’s Regional League Premier…
By Matty Paddock - 16/09/2024
HARRIERS hit Knowle for seven last weekend to secure a second successive league victory thanks to a 7-2 win
Mia Badland firing home before Alex Nicklin doubled the advantage three minutes later
Knowle pulled a goal back on ten minutes as a frantic start to the game continued
Harriers then establishing their lead courtesy of Chloe Whyley’s finish into the top corner
Senna Robinson made it four for Harriers to ensure the visitors went into half time in a commanding position
Badland showing great composure to make it 5-1 just past the hour
Badland’s hat-trick was completed just six minutes later with an emphatic finish before the Harriers scoring for the day was rounded off by Robson who capped a superb debut with her second for the day
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and three teens who cannot be named Credit: Elizabeth CookA driver who allegedly took four armed teenagers to a street where two boys were fatally attacked has denied that his defence case is “nonsense”
Antony Snook, 45, admits driving Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys aged 15, 16 and 17, to and from the scene of the alleged murders in Bristol but denies any knowledge of weapons or violence.
Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died from stab wounds shortly after leaving Mason’s home in Ilminster Avenue in the Knowle West area at about 11pm on January 27 this year, Bristol Crown Court heard.
The court heard that the two boys, who were close friends, had been wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at a house in the neighbouring Hartcliffe district earlier that evening.
Giving evidence, Snook told the jury of nine men and three women that he believed he was driving his four co-accused in his Audi Q2 car to a “safe house” following the attack on the Hartcliffe property.
He said that the boys directed him to the Knowle West area and shouted “stop”, claiming he believed they were outside the safe house.
The court has heard there is a rivalry between the Hartcliffe and Knowle West areas of South Bristol.
Snook insisted he did not know the boys were carrying weapons and was looking in his rearview mirror at the time Max and Mason were attacked, as he wanted to perform a three-point turn in his car.
The landscape gardener said he was then aware of a boy – Mason – lying in the road, telling the jury: “That was the first time I seen him.”
When asked what he believed had happened, Snook replied: “I thought they had got into a fight or something. I didn’t want to be involved with it.
“I didn’t think it was something that cost two people their lives.”
Following the incident, the four boys got back into Snook’s car and he dropped them off before returning to his home.
Snook said he “wasn’t paying attention” to what was being said in the vehicle at that time, and could not remember if there had been a conversation.
He told the jury: “I just thought it was something stupid between Hartcliffe and Knowle that I had been dragged into.
“I didn’t realise anyone had been seriously hurt.”
Adam Vaitilingam KC, representing Snook, asked: “Did you go over to Knowle intending the passengers in your car to carry out violence on anybody?”
He insisted that he had not seen that Riley Tolliver had been carrying a baseball bat when he picked him up on the way to Knowle West.
Ignatius Hughes KC, representing Tolliver, asked Snook: “You left with two kids and you picked up two more kids, one carrying a baseball bat, to drive to Knowle West to look for the people who attacked the house?”
Mr Hughes asked: “The whole purpose of the journey was to frighten the living daylights out of those who had done it, if you could find them, so that they wouldn’t come back and do it again?
Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, asked Snook that his case was he was driving four boys to a “safe house”, did not see any weapons before or after the incident, or any violence taking place.
Mr Tully said to Snook: “I’m going to be suggesting to you that that is complete fiction on your part.”
Mr Tully said: “That is a nonsense. You knew exactly what you were up to and what they were up to.”
Mr Tully asked: “Your case is that you were taking these boys to a safe house? I suggest you’re taking the jury for a ride, aren’t you”
A CCTV camera on Mason’s house captured how the attack lasted just 33 seconds – including the Audi stopping, four teenagers allegedly jumping out and attacking the two friends, returning to the car and it driving off.
Mason and Max sustained fatal stab injuries and both died in hospital in the early hours of January 28.
The 15-year-old boy on trial has admitted murdering Mason but denies murdering Max. The 17-year-old boy has admitted manslaughter relating to Max but denies murdering Max and Mason.
Snook, Tolliver, the 16-year-old boy and the 17-year-old boy are charged with murdering Mason, together with the 15-year-old boy, on January 27 this year.
Snook, Tolliver and the three teenage boys are charged with murdering Max on the same date.
were attacked in the Knowle West area of Bristol
Credit: PAA second man has been named among the five people on trial accused of murdering two teenagers in Bristol in January
were attacked in the Knowle West area of the city on the evening of January 27
They were taken by ambulance to Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
where they died in the early hours of the following day
About 50 potential jurors were called into the courtroom at Bristol Crown Court
which includes asking whether they would be available to sit on the jury until the end of November
Trial judge Mrs Justice May told them: “The defendants face two charges of murder relating to the death of two teenagers earlier this year.”
Those 18 potential jurors were sent away and on Tuesday 8 October 12 of them will be selected and sworn in
10 Dec 2024The redevelopment of South Bristol’s biggest shopping centre will go ahead - but local residents are claiming victory after the developers agreed to scale back their plans
The property development company that bought the ailing shopping centre has now agreed to scale back their plans
which would have seen three 12-storey blocks of flats and other residential blocks built on the large site between the Wells Road and Redcatch Park - and in return the leader of the residents' campaign group that was challenging the scheme in the courts has agreed to drop the judicial review
the chair of the Broadwalk Redevelopment Community Group (BRCG)
said: "As we have stated from the start
our actions have always been driven by pragmatism and focussed on securing the best outcome for Knowle
We have negotiated extensively and - after much soul-searching - we feel that the new scheme is the closest we are going to get to a mutually acceptable solution."
Laura told Bristol Live her decision to drop the judicial review
in return for developers Broadside Holding scaling back their plans
was not a change of opinion about the controversial way the scheme was dealt with in the summer of 2023
She thanked the members of the public in and around Knowle who supported the community group's actions - they raised thousands of pounds to take the council to a judicial review after the scandal of last summer's planning U-turn
the then head of the Labour Mayor’s Office
had met separately with the developers in between the two meetings to talk about how to get the plans approved
which was due to be heard by a judge this month
the leaders of the Knowle Neighbourhood Planning Group had been meeting with the developers to thrash out a compromise for a smaller scale development - and that has now happened
who resigned from the planning committee in protest at what happened during the summer of 2023
“This is a major victory for the local community in South Bristol,” he said
“I am hugely impressed by the work of local residents Laura and Helen who have been so courageous and determined
crowd-funded and supported by their neighbours
to challenge the power of the developers and the misuse of power and procedure at City Hall by the previous administration
Residents of Knowle outside City Hall on Wednesday
ahead of meeting of the full council at Bristol City Council
campaigning against the awarding of planning permission to the 'Redcatch Quarter' development to replace the Broadwalk Shopping Centre(Image: Helen Evans-Morris)“The former local Knowle councillors failed their residents by too readily accepting the developer’s claims that there was no viable alternative to the over-dense development originally proposed
I was then forced to resign from the committee after the former chair forced this through in a very underhand way
which led to the legal action against the council
“This shows what can be achieved when people stand up for their neighbourhood
and credit is also due to the developers for recognising how unwelcome their plans were with local people
“I look forward to working with the local community
the new local Green Councillors Cam and Toby
and the planners to make sure that we continue to strive to get the best possible deal for Broadwalk
but also to see the Green Party’s vision for gentle density to start to be embraced across the city,” he added
Broadside Holdings will now put forward a fresh planning application to revise their original scheme
The firm's development manager Francis Hilton said: "In February of this year we publicly pledged to work diligently alongside Laura’s BRCG group and other stakeholders to agree a pathway from outline consent to detailed design
committing our best efforts to reduce the scale of the scheme
"Throughout these discussions, council officers have provided guidance to support the aim of identifying alternative development proposals. The discussions have looked at alternative forms of development for the Broadwalk Shopping Centre which tale account of the objections previously made in relation to the 2023 scheme.
Firefighters have issued a stark warning after a large fire broke out at a beauty spot and spread over more than five acres
Fire crews attended a grassland fire which spread across Knowle Hill
"We’re asking everyone to follow our simple safety advice when spending time outside, particularly as we approach the warmer weather
As temperatures are set to rise this week, Avon Fire and Rescue service has issued a warning to residents and visitors to help them stay safe
Avon Fire and Rescue has urged people to follow essential tips to reduce the risk of wildfires
Firefighter Thompson said: "By following these simple steps
we can all help ensure that our countryside remains a safe and enjoyable place for everyone.”
the fire service are working to increase awareness of wildfires and the risk they pose
call 999 and leave the area as soon as possible to keep yourself safe
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Police are appealing to find this man after a bus driver was punched in Knowle(Image: Avon and Somerset Police)A bus driver was punched in the face in Knowle
suffered blurred vision and was taken to hospital for treatment
Avon and Somerset Police said the assault took place in Novers Lane at around 1.30pm on Friday
Investigating officers have released a picture of a man they would like to identify in connection with what happened
The man in the photo is described as black and around 5ft 8ins tall
He is wearing all black clothing and black/white/grey Nike trainers
were stabbed to death after being chased by a gang of armed teenagers in Bristol
Teenagers who murdered two innocent boys in a case of mistaken identity during a revenge attack have apologised for their crimes
were stabbed to death after being chased by a gang of armed teenagers in Bristol on January 27 this year
16 and 17 – had been driven to and from Knowle West by Antony Snook
as part of a revenge mission after a house in the rival Hartcliffe area was attacked by masked youths
The two boys had been wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at the house earlier that evening
The five defendants were all convicted of murder last month after a trial at Bristol Crown Court
while the others returned to court on Monday for the start of a two-day sentencing hearing
told trial judge Mrs Justice May his client had only started to learn to read and write
since being remanded into custody after the murders
He said Tolliver lacked “nurture and positive role models” while growing up
and added: “The deaths of Max and Mason are unspeakable tragedies but looking at this young man with all of the lacking skills he has
Mr Hughes said Tolliver had written a short letter addressed to the judge and families of Max and Mason
Printed and in a mix of capitals and lower case
and I will carry this for the rest of my life
also told the court: “He is sorry beyond words for what he has done
and it is a genuine expression of how he feels
“The letter was written with the help of a support worker because he could not have done it on his own.”
Miss Brunner said empathy was missing from his childhood and he suffered “appalling neglect”
“There is a shocking fact that empathy seems to be a new concept to him,” she said
One factor is the neglect that he suffered
and pouring into the gap that this left is the violence and conflict of his upbringing
“Rather than being socialised in a normal way
he was indoctrinated into a horrifying reality where children were regularly armed with ferocious weapons and violence was normalised.”
The barrister said psychiatrists had found the teenager had a mental age of eight and a half
and said he lacked the skills to make rational choices and understand the consequences of his actions
described his client’s upbringing as “bleak and desolate” and said he had suffered from “malign influences”
“Where were the adults in his life?” he said
He added that the teenager “thinks about the harm he’s caused the families every day”
the court heard that about an hour after the attack on the Hartcliffe property
Snook left with two of the boys and picked up the other two in a nearby street before heading to Knowle West
His Audi Q2 mobility car was driven around Knowle West for at least 12 minutes before the attack
A fire was lit in a back garden and items linked to the attack disposed of
In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Day
Knowle Gate Care Home recently visited Marie Curie Midlands Hospice to show appreciation for the incredible work of its staff and volunteers
Knowle Gate’s Wellbeing and Activities Coordinator
delivered beautiful flowers as a token of gratitude
bringing smiles to those who dedicate their time to caring for others
to discuss how Knowle Gate could support the hospice throughout the year
the care home has pledged to assist with donation collections in March and will host a dandelion badge collection kit to raise funds for the hospice
along with highlights of the latest sector news and more from The Carer
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