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1/ After attending tonight’s Extraordinary Full Council meeting on #BristolArena, and having followed the subject closely for quite some time, I’d like to share my thoughts. I intend this to be my last tweet/thread on the arena – at least for the foreseeable.
2/ First, having listened to the Mayor and others, I remain of the view that an arena at Arena Island is the best location. I’m pleased this was reflected in the unanimous results of the vote (50 to 0), which included the mayor and cllrs from all parties!
3/ It’s clear the majority of Bristolians support #BristolArena ; from the ram-packed chamber (I happily sat in an overflow room), the ratio of submissions, the various (admittedly unscientific) polls by the press & public, and – ultimately - tonight’s unanimous vote.
4/ It was also clear that there are – no surprises – some articulate and reasonable views from those who remain opposed or unconvinced. We should all be able to debate these views respectfully – and this was the case tonight.
5/ A less pleasant thought; I was sat next to a kindly older lady who I could see was hesitant to clap in support of the Mayor in the presence of such a large opposition. Passions have run too high, Bristol has been divided, and I want no further part in adding fuel to the fire.
6/ A memorable moment came when Cllr Matthew Melias (con) made a no-nonsense speech in support of the arena, but also reached across the aisle to defend the Mayor against accusations & implications (mostly on Twitter) of “taking a bung”. I think he was right and decent to do so.
7/ I’d like to extend an apology to @MarvinJRees. I do not believe he is corrupt or taken bribes. I disagree with him on the arena - but I think he’s wrong not stupid. Listening to him tonight made me realise he genuinely wants to do the right thing, and I respect him for that.
8/ To summarise Mr Rees main point: He acknowledges Arena Island is the best location in a perfect world. In his view this is outweighed by the financial liability of an arena; I.e. the arena may be affordable now according to KPMG (as the arena rent would cover borrowings)….
9/ …but the future is unknown. Economic shocks may come, such as Brexit. If, for example, visitor numbers drop and/or the operator go bust, the council may be left with an empty building and the remaining ‘mortgage’ to pay. This seems a fair point worth addressing…
10/ My concern is 1) he gives this too much weight as the risk seems low – arenas faired relatively well during the last recession and are growing strong today; and 2) he doesn’t address the risk of not building the arena in the centre!...
11/ No central arena means no boost to surrounding hospitality/retail. No central arena means one at Filton and a strengthening of Cribb’s (especially as it’s soon to expand), and ultimately the decline of the city centre! I fear it will result in fewer jobs ‘overall’, not more!
12/ I find the mayor’s other arguments unconvincing. E.g. his politicised use of the term “vanity project”; or his reference to other spending priorities whilst ‘fudging’ capital vs revenue spending. But these were well rebuked by Cllrs at tonight’s meeting...
13/ It's not up yet, but I suggest anyone interested watch it on YouTube: youtube.com/user/bristolci… If you don't have time to go through it all - worth skipping to the last hr or so when the Cllrs start.
14/ They say a wise leader keeps strong opinions, weakly held. It’s clear the Mayor has held tight to his opinion and will drop the arena tomorrow. When the dust settles, I’d much rather be proved wrong and see a strong and vibrant city centre. Time will tell!
15/ P.s. Thanks to all who’ve followed me on this issue (not loads admittedly)... and those who made it to the end of this very long thread :-)
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