September 2024
New season Of Deep Litter Collection begins:
Date: Saturday 5.10.24
Time: 10.00 - 11.30 am
Meeting Point: Cut through extension of Parry's Lane close to the White Tree roundabout - now used for coach and heavy transport parking.
More details on the events page
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The following is a recent communication between Friends of the Downs and Bristol city council:

Gypsy/Roma/Travellers 
August 2024
The Gypsy/Roma/Traveller community made a further visit to the Downs last month. Predictably large amounts of rubbish were left behind for the hard pressed Downs team to remove. There is a certain irony in that the Massive Attack concert on the other side of the Downs at the same time  was billed as the  greenest  event to date, yet the Travelling community seem able to despoil the Downs without it seems any sanction or penalty.
Questions {in red} to the City Council about how the Travelling community is managed produced the following responses:

Thank you for contacting me in relation to Travellers encampments on The Downs. 
 
Was a possession order sought? How long does it take?
The first part of this question is the easy bit to answer: Yes, we did start the process of seeking possession. As soon as possible after any new site arrives, they are visited by the GRT Team. They are spoken with to establish who they are, where they have moved here from and what their plans are – i.e., how long do they plan to stay. Where we can, we try to establish some rapport and ask if the group would be prepared to move to our Transit site in Avonmouth. We are very open and honest with group members about our plans to evict. We carry out a welfare assessment and do what we can to support  any health and welfare needs and we serve a trespass notice on group members instructing them to leave.
 
After we have visited the site, we then prepare a written statement in advance that will be used in court and the “land owner” – in this case, the Parks Department – prepare a statement to confirm that the land belongs to us. All this information is then passed over to BCC’s Legal Department who will put it together and make an application to the County Court for a hearing.
 
The second part of your question is the difficult bit – how long does it take. On the BCC side of things, GRT Team, Parks and Legal can all act fairly quickly, but the unknown factor is how long we have to wait for the County Court to offer us a hearing date. This is totally out of our hands and there is little that we can do to influence it. At a minimum, it will take two to three weeks.
 
What area does the order cover?
When we submit an application, we always request that the whole of Durdham and Clifton Downs is covered and not just a specific area where an encampment may be situated.
 
Does an order apply to an incumbent group or to all?
An possession order can only be made against a group who are using the land at the time of the order. If possession is made against Group X and they leave, the same order cannot then be used against Group Y if they arrive two weeks later. However, if Group X returns within a certain length of time, the original order can be used against them.
 
We would not wish to cover ALL travellers as this would be discriminatory and unlawful.
 
Legal costs?
There most definitely are costs that the council has to cover, both for the case going to court and for the order itself. I am afraid that I do not know what these costs are.
 
Are there attempts to pursue prosecutions for fly tipping, etc?
Yes, absolutely. Sometimes, this can be very frustrating. We might see a wagon loaded with waste on a Monday evening and come back on Tuesday morning to find an empty wagon with the waste on the floor next to it. It seems a straightforward case, but the law requires proof and, unless it can be proved beyond doubt who tipped the waste, we cannot pursue a prosecution. With this most recent encampment, we got very close to a prosecution as we had video evidence of a truck caught in the act of fly tipping. The owner can be fined and/or have their vehicle seized, but as soon as the Enforcement team starts to move in, that’s when the group left. I would NOT encourage people to start videoing future encampments as this may place them at risk.
 
Can Travellers do as they please? Is there any sanction?
You are correct in saying that Travellers come to the Downs regularly. In fact, Travellers have been recorded as setting up stopping places on The Downs for well over 300 years and the area is on the historical Traveller trade routes. I am disappointed to read that the public perception is critical of how we work with them. As I hope that I have shown above, every encampment that we have involves a large amount of staff hours, across a number of departments, following every step that we have within the law to have them removed. Our challenge is that the law is slow, but it is the only tool that we have.
 
 Unfortunately, when we have complaints coming in from the general public about encampments on the Downs, they are often filled with a high volume of racist language and hate speech directed at Gypsy Travellers. I imagine that you probably see similar comments coming in with the enquiries that you receive. It is so sad that people consider it appropriate to use language about this one ethnicity that they would never dream of using about other ethnic groups or individuals. I am sure that the presence of Gypsy Travellers can be an inconvenience for many Downs users, but I would welcome any suggestions that you may have about how we can work together to help reduce racial intolerance.
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September 2024

Some new and updated events from
Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project.
See our events page here for more detail
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August 2024

Free to download the Spring 2024 Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge Newstetter. Click here
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New autumn events from Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project.
See our events page here for more detail
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Last chance, for the time being, to give the Downs a bit of a clear up.
Final scrub clearance at Peregrine Watch this Sunday, 21st 9.30 - 11.00 All tools provided.
Thanks so much,
Robin: [email protected]
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The next scrub clearance is Sunday 30th June at 09.30 meet at peregrine watch on Circular Road. Register with Robin as usual: [email protected] 
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More scrub clearance - another date for your diary:
Next one Sunday 23rd 09.30 register with Robin: [email protected] 
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Want  to get involved with some scrub clearance?
Why not join the next working party Sunday 16th June at 09.30. Please sign up with Robin:
[email protected] .....Fathers especially welcome.
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Latest Chairman's report - May 2024. See side panel on this page.
Previous Chairman's reports have been moved to www.friendsofthedowns.org/previous-chairmans-reports.html

The previous newsletter Winter 2024, number 52 is now available for downloading here: https://www.friendsofthedowns.org/newsletters.html
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New in April 2024
Want to get involved in something interesting?
Monitoring on the Downs
One of the legal requirements of animal husbandry is that the Downs goats are checked daily, including weekends
If you would like to help with this we need relatively nimble checkers able to attend for a couple of hours at weekends. The work involves visually checking the animals for any obvious signs of injury or ill health, checking the  fencing and checking the water supply. Why not do something unique, purposeful and special and   join our band of goat monitors -Support and full training will be given.
This year we are also looking to recruit further Butterfly monitors. Our butterflies are disappearing. The state of the UK's Butterflies 2022 report has revealed the alarming news that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s. This intriguing insect is under threat like never before. Our monitoring work is important and the data gathered feeds into a national database. 
If you think you can help with the goats or the butterflies and can contribute just a few hours a month or just want more information please contact our FODAG coordinator Martin Collins  at [email protected]
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New in March 2024
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Just announced: coming up events organised by Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project:
click here to see more detail on our events page
March to May 2024
‘Tweet talk’ – native wildlife in depth birdsong workshop.
Sunday 24th March 10am-3pm £30.00.

‘Scrambling among botanical jewels’ – discovery walk in the Avon Gorge. Sunday 7th April 10am-12pm £10.00.

‘What floats your goat?’ – family fun Easter holiday session on the Downs. Friday 12th April 10am-12pm £10.00 per child.

‘Dawn chorus spectacular’ – discovery walk with breakfast.
Saturday 13th April 5.15am-8.00am £22.00.

'Downs Bioblitz' – City Nature Challenge 2024.
Saturday 27th April 10.00am-11.00am Free of charge.

‘Tapestry of trees’ – Granny Downs discovery walk.
Saturday 4th May 10.00am-11.30am £8.00.

and finally...
Sunday 19th May 10.15am-12.00pm £10.00
Highwaymen, colliers and loo ladies; legionnaires, suffragettes and Cavaliers; gibbets, turnpikes and flying machines: all have played their extraordinary part in the fascinating and hidden past of Bristol’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – the Downs.
Full details on the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project:
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FOD+AG January Deep Litter Clearance (DLC)
Date : Saturday 16th March
Time : 10.00 - 11.30am
    Meeting Point : Sea Walls Scots Pine Corner
Target Areas :
A. wooded Edge of the Gully to first corner then across Circular Road and left through Wildflower meadow not covered on 24th February.
See the Events page for more information.
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New in February 2024

Download the Autumn 2023 edition of the Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge newsletter from here.
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FOD+AG January Deep Litter Clearance (DLC)
Date : Saturday 24th February
Time : 10.00 - 11.30am
    Meeting Point : Near the S. end of Ladies Mile where the parking bays on the right come to an end.
See the Events page for more information of this and future dates for you diary.

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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT July 2024

I hope by the time you read this summer has started. Despiteconstant meteorological reports that successive months are the hottest on record there have been many days when a warm jumper has been the order of the day and the thermostat pressed into service. On Monday 10th June the Downs Committee under the chairmanship of the new Lord Mayor met to discuss a range of agenda items. Top of the agenda was a report from the FOD+AG led Downs Advisory Panel. The report was presented to the committee and foremost from the Panel was a recommendation that the Downs Committee urgently consider a recent significant spike in blatant breaches of the Downs byelaws. This has led to numerous complaints to FOD+AG, the DAP and directly to the Council. You will have seen from the monthly news bulletin that the Advisory Panel (DAP) urged the Downs Committee to reinstate the out of hours uniformed mobile patrols, in the interim instigate a month-long security blitz on bylaw breaches to try and halt this escalating problem and to seek support from the Police to assist with enforcement. The recommendation to Committee made the front page of the Bristol Post, see: www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/security-patrols-calledstop-downs-9335873. The Committee acknowledged that there was a significant problem but cited finance as a stumbling block to providing a regular security presence. They did however agree to consider a temporary arrangement to halt the current spiral of decline. On 14th June DAP representatives met Councillors Gooch and Williams at City Hall to discuss the vehicle dwelling situation. They have committed to following up on this wholly unacceptable situation. At the time of writing, we have heard reports that vehicle dwellers in Parrys Lane have been served 14-day eviction notices. To date little seems to have happened as many still remain and some have just relocated to other parts of the Downs. We will be watching developments and continue to press for a suitable resolution. I am pleased to report that FOD+AGs reach has become international. We have had a request for an interview to discuss roadside vehicle dwelling from one of Norway's largest newspapers, Aftenposten. I do need to make a correction to previous byelaw information. in that the flying of drones is in breach of the byelaws. The Downs are in fact an area designated as a location where you can fly drones. Early in June the Downs once again endured a visit from the Gypsy/ Roma/Travelling community. Around fifty caravans parked up near Ladies Mile. Whilst recognising the rights and needs of a particular community the Downs did suffer a series of anti-social incidents including, quad bikes driven dangerously around the Downs, children using catapults to fire on passing cars, booked areas for education compromised, and mounds of fly tip rubbish for the Downs team to remove when they finally decamped. The City Council's enforcement team were able to invoke a previous possession order and clear the site in good time. The Downs Committee also endorsed a DAP recommendation detailed in the June news bulletin from an organisation called Black to Nature. to encourage Visibly Minority Ethnic (VME) children and families to relate to nature in a positive way. The Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project have agreed to work with Black to Nature and organise educational visits at the Downs. In addition, the Downs Committee agreed on a DAP recommendation to create a Downs Geology Trail. FOD+AG is delighted to welcome Dr. Kate Noakes to our committee. Kate will become a co-opted committee member until our AGM when the whole committee stands down and those proposed will stand for re-election. The Downs Ambassadors continue to keep a watching brief across the Downs, reporting on anything of concern or interest. If you are a regular user of the Downs and feel you could help, please contact us. You may have seen reports in the local press about a Downs Committee suggestion that those living closest to the Downs should pay a small levy or precept on their Council Tax. This could be used to help fund extra maintenance tasks and one-off initiatives like paying for security patrols.

Robert Westlake
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT MAY 2024

At long last the weather seems to be improving and we can look forward to some dryer days. To say I have never known weather like it would be an understatement. Prior to becoming involved with the Downs, I worked in Bristol's Parks for nearly fifty years and never witnessed such persistent wet weather and poor ground conditions. The impact of all this rain has manifested itself on the Downs with Downs League and University fixtures canceled or postponed; a phenomenon almost unheard of on the Downs. It should be acknowledged that matches that did take place were down to the graft and dedication of the Downs operational team. Later in this edition you will be able to meet a couple of the dedicated Downs staff and learn what working on the Downs means to them. On FODAG’s behalf I have attended numerous meetings, including our own monthly committee meetings, Downs Committee and Downs Advisory Panel meetings, meetings of the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Group and as you may have seen from the monthly bulletin a meeting with the newly appointed Downs Development manager Luke Mackenzie. The future of the old Zoo North car park has again been questioned. The Downs committee proposes entering into a partnering arrangement and reopening the car park to Downs users. In acknowledgement of the financial need to recover income lost from the Zoo we have cautiously supported the proposal but would only do so if there were assurances that the plan is above and beyond any further legal challenge. On behalf of FODAG I have asked the Lord Mayor as Chair of the Downs committee to give those assurances. During my time as Downs Ranger part of my duties included the welfare of our goat herd. I was involved in overseeing the construction of the compound, the transfer of the livestock from the Great Orme and attending to all their physical needs. One of the legal requirements of animal husbandry is that the stock is checked daily, including weekends. And dear members this is where you might be able to help. We need relatively nimble members able to attend for a couple of hours at weekends. The work involves visually checking the animals for any obvious signs of injury or ill health, checking the security of perimeter fencing and gates and checking the water supply. The goats' quarters in the Gully can be quite a magical place. Little can compare with an early start on a summer morning. In this quiet hour, the world balances on the edge of dreams and waking. The early morning mist, a transient veil, whispers secrets to those who care to listen. Just you and the goats experiencing perhaps for a fleeting moment something unique, purposeful and special. Why not join our band of goat monitors - support and full training will be given. This year we are also looking to recruit further butterfly monitors. Our butterflies are disappearing. The state of the UK's Butterflies 2022 report has revealed the alarming news that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s.This intriguing insect is under threat like never before Our monitoring work is important and the data is fed into a national database. If you think you can help with the goats or the butterflies and can contribute just a few hours a month, please contact us. This summer the Downs will be hosting a full programme of events. Funderworld has been and gone but we still have Winestock. The University Graduation Ball, The Lady Boys of Bangkok, Race for Life, Pride and back-to-back events the Forwards Festival and Massive Attack. The season concludes with Circus Extreme. We will again be holding our members' summer social on Wednesday 17th July from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Downs Cafe. Please come along, enjoy a drink, a snack and a chance to meet fellow members for a convivial couple of hours. In an effort to deter motorists from driving on to the Downs this summer the operational team will leave an unmown two metre strip all around Circular Road. For now, members, revel in the summer, find communion with nature, enjoy the Downs and Gorge and please be careful out there. Robert Westlake.
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FROM THE FOD+AG COMMITTEE.
Over many years FOD+AG has tended to take a benevolent stance towards van and caravan dwellers around the Downs. This position was mostly based on live and let live for some of our citizens who may have found themselves homeless or those who had chosen an alternative life-style. The Downs are huge and half a dozen camper vans could be reasonably accommodated.
The Downs Committee have taken the view that this is really a Highways problem and does not impact directly on the Downs. This is no longer the case, Downs users are being impacted and neighbours lives blighted. FOD+AG has in recent weeks consulted with and taken soundings from regular users of the Downs, neighbours of the Downs, and even City Council officials. We have recorded incidents of regular users feeling intimidated in certain areas, that areas have become no- go areas, litter bins near campsites needing emptying twice a day, evidence of human excrement, exposed gas bottles, damage to grass verges, physical threats, all quite apart from contravening current parking regulations.
FOD+AG’s view now is that this an escalating problem that potentially will get worse if not resolved. FOD+AG will continue to press for action by all those with responsibility for the upkeep and good
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Website: www.friendsofthedowns.org
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Facebook: @fodagbristol
governance of the Downs.
The Committee