Comments on: Is Bristol anti street food?

By: Cllr Mark Wright

Cllr Mark Wright — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:28:17 +0000

Nick, I have never heard of “The Spotless Leopard”. I have never objected to them. I don’t know where, who, or what they do. As it isn’t in the ward I represent I have no interest in their case. I have never mentioned them, ever, in any objection to anything. Martin Booth has portrayed my objection to the “Chomp” burger van as being against “The Spotless Leopard”, and it has clearly worked.

The “Chomp” burger van wants to be based under the bedrooms of a block of flats. I suggested a nearby location that wouldn’t wake residents up early in the morning, but evidently it isn’t to the liking of “Chomp”, or Martin.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 08:38:55 +0000

Councillor Wright

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 08:38:25 +0000

There were two objections. So Councillor Ward may have been sticking up for local residents, but he was sticking up for a pretty slim minority.

By: Ben Templeton

Ben Templeton — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 21:58:43 +0000

It is about fairness, and I think the local councillor is being treated pretty roughly here. He spoke up for local residents in a local planning application, yet he is being posited as an anti independent tesco loving individual. If people want to take out their ire on the councils planning decisions it would be more useful to look a bit further up the chain than a ward councillor sticking up for local residents.

By: Richard Nally

Richard Nally — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 21:47:12 +0000

You should be excited by and encouraging food like this. We have enough rubbish soulless food outlets around, embrace independent and heart felt fantastic grub that we are lucky to have. Do you really think we all want to eat Tesco and Subway for lunch? Bristol has an opportunity to keep growing in the right way, supporting healthy and local food is clearly a good thing. Why not just flatten St Nicks next and build another Costa?? it’s a no brainer.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 19:12:44 +0000

Dear Councillor,

Your snide reference to “nice,ethical, independent” retailers is unbecoming of an elected official. All people want to see is a sense of fairness.

Supermarket developments across the city have in recent years received thousands of legitimate objections yet been waved through. So when independent food stalls without the huge resources of the big supermarkets are refused a trading license on the basis of two spurious objections, people’s sense of fairness is rightly aroused.

By: Martin Booth

Martin Booth — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 18:01:50 +0000

Dear Cllr Wright, It’s quite rich of you to advocate objective write-ups when you publish political propaganda such as this which masquerades as a local newsletter: http://www.cabot-liberals.org/Cabot/201303_Cabot_News.pdf

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 17:24:35 +0000

That corner of Whiteladies and Alma Rd is currently full of Christmas trees being sold, and there’s often a recycling van parked there at lunchtimes, so I’m not sure why a food van would be such a problem.

By: Robert Dodd

Robert Dodd — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 16:58:10 +0000

It is very sad that the council are totally unaware of the quality of food served by the spotless leopard. Such a shame that they are unable to see what benefits this outlet would bring to the area, there are no other food outlets of this type for many miles, maybe the council should do more research on this rather than rely on one persons selfish opinion. They would discover an altogether more healthy and clean outlet than the neighboring businesses

By: Lexie J

Lexie J — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 15:42:44 +0000

I’m sorry but last time I checked there are very few if any vegetarian/vegan restaurants on Whiteladies road. Louise’s van wouldn’t be in competition with other businesses because she would be providing food that ISN’T already on offer elsewhere. I have worked for the Spotless Leopard and can tell you that
A. It is not unsightly, it is small and decorated with bunting.
B. Most food served is already prepared so food smells aren’t even an issue.

As someone who lives in an area of Bristol where local traders are strongly supported, I have to say Whiteladies road is fast becoming a clone of any other street in Britain, which chains popping up all over the place. Independent traders are what make a city special and should be supported by the council and allowed to trade regardless of whether they are in a permanent premises or whether they are a moving vendor as long as they are willing to pay rates to the council, which Louise would be and probably does anyway.