Pleased to get to pop along to the action held today by @thejuryalliance.bsky.social outside Bristol Crown Court. The right to trial by jury is an essential part of the checks and balances in our legal system. And the changes proposed, would likely actually cost more! #Bristol #defendourjuries

🎉 It’s happening! Direct Oxford–Bristol trains start on Monday, running every two hours from Monday to Saturday. Weekday Oxford departures are at 0700, 0903, 1103, 1303, 1504, 1904 and 2103: the journey takes ~1hr10.

From Monday, direct rail services between Bristol and Oxford will run regularly for the first time since 2003. The Green Group lobbied the ORR to support the bid from @gwr.com. These services provide important additional connections as well as extra capacity between Bristol, Bath and Swindon.

How should WECA pay for franchising? We know that people in the West of England want more control over the buses through franchising. But there are a few different ways to fund it, with different pros and cons. Read our explainer below, and let us know what you think!

So happy to see the Portishead line actually progressing with spades in the ground! I love that a Pacer was the best they could find for the PR opportunity 😅

Brussels has long carried a reputation as one of Europe’s most congested metropolises: a city of traffic jams, polluted air, and streets dominated by cars. Yet in recent years, the Belgian capital has become an unlikely case study in how bold political leadership can reclaim urban space for people.🧵

Green-led @bristolcouncil.bsky.social received a glowing peer review from @local.gov.uk this month. It specifically noted how moving to a committee system has strengthened democratic engagement and transparency. But the Labour govt wants to stop all of that… news.bristol.gov.uk/press-releas...

It's happening! 📢 On Tuesday, MPs will consider an amendment to enable local leaders to ban pavement parking in their area. We need you to help us get this amendment on to the Bill. Ask your MP to agree to Amendment 265 when it's considered on Tuesday: https://bitly.livingstreets.org.uk/4tMU2Uq

Developers are expected to get approval for revised plans to redevelop a south Bristol shopping centre

France 🇫🇷 doubles electrification support to €10bn/year through 2030 — EVs, heat pumps, industry. The reason? The Strait of Hormuz crisis making fossil fuel dependence impossible to ignore. Geopolitical shocks don’t just raise prices. They change what’s politically possible.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Bristol’s Green leadership has been praised in a new, politically independent report from the Local Government Association. The evidence is clear: strong leadership, real collaboration, and a city moving forward together. We’re proud of how far we’ve come. And we’re just getting started.

For the first time ever, heat pumps outsold gas boilers in Germany in 2025. 48% of all new heating systems installed last year were heat pumps. Gas fell to just 39%. A decade ago, heat pumps had a 7% market share. The transformation has been remarkable.

Congratulations Yassin!!! The city's first Somali Lord Mayor! Can't wait to see you shine! 💚 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Have just requested this for my birthday!

“Exceptional hardship” is granted (for proven habitual road crime offenders) in around 1 in 5 cases—yet the definition of exceptional is “rare and extraordinary”. In the UK, 5 people will die today in a road collision. We should prioritise safe travel, not leniency for repeat offenders.

Pedestrians now have less time to wait for the green man at stand‑alone push‑button pedestrian crossings

The Bristol Green group of councillors submitted a supporting letter for this application. Direct services to Oxford will provide important extra connectivity whilst also adding capacity between Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon.

In amongst the mayhem, the UK grid is showing some insights into what is possible in the coming years. Terrible weather so no solar for us, but we get free electricity regardless thanks to @octopus.energy Agile and extremely low carbon intensity generation Imagine being a fossil fuel shill rn

Gosh. A franchised Bus Service delivering services that people both need and want. Can't wait for this to happen in the West of England Combined Authority area. Might have to wait while though, because it's not in the Mayors Transport Vision.

It's WECA scrutiny tomorrow and I have so many questions written up that I could easily fill the entire 2.5 hours myself! Will be asking the mayor when we can expect some answers on much needed bus reform (cc @reclaimourbuses.bsky.social)

✅ As my colleague @tobywells.bsky.social points out, "franchising is such a good idea that it was universally supported by all parties" in the mayoral elections. ❌ But now she is in power, Labour's mayor is dragging her feet. 🚌 We need better buses, not more Labour delays and broken promises.

Green councillors are supporting the introduction of direct trains to Oxford, with an open letter to GWR. “These services will offer improved connectivity to and from our city, enabling and incentivising more of our residents to make sustainable long-distance journeys,” says @tobywells.bsky.social

We've been making steady steps forward in recent years, but now we need to take a huge stride. The political stage is set for a real alternative that challenges the elites and gives power to the people. We need to grab it with both hands with @zackpolanski.bsky.social as our next Green Party leader!

Local Councillor Ellie Freeman and I were pleased to see the Festival Way reopened after a long closure (with a well signed diversion route). It’s been done to a good standard, with a bat corridor and lots of trees. Although it could have been widened beyond 3m.

♻️ Bristol City Council are set to spend more money on tackling street litter and flytipping. ♻️ Green Council Leader, Tony Dyer, confirms that the Green Led Council will listen to the public and inject much needed investment into tackling street cleanliness.

The world did not end when the bridge was closed for two years between 2015 & 17. Twenty-four thousand pedestrians and cyclists use it daily; those numbers will only increase if motor vehicles are excluded. Bonus: the bridge will need a lot less maintenance!

This would be a big improvement when walking with the kids Agree with @tobywells.bsky.social that current layout is a poor use of space: “Prince Street Bridge carries far more pedestrians and cyclists than it does people in private motor vehicles, but they’re squeezed into a much smaller space”

About that claim that #Bristol is selling 1200 council homes...

WECA Scrutiny meeting is coming up on Monday 27th Jan. This time we have some scrutiny specific papers on: 🚍 Bus Franchising 👩‍🏫 Adult skills programmes I'd really appreciate comments and Qs from the public submitted to the meeting! westofengland-ca.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocume...

Working my way through the devolution white paper. It looks like the mismanagement of WECA over the past years means it won't be able to have greater control of its budget (integrated settlement) or greater levels of devolution.

It's brilliant news that more transport powers will be devolved. Local politicians know best what's needed & how to integrate the options locally. Now we need a mayor who will show leadership on this, which is something we've not seen from Labour.

My maiden speech today in the council chamber was about openness and transparency. The new committee model sets us up in good stead, but we are still not getting it right all the time. Culture shift is required across the council, for both officers and elected members.

The biggest obstacle to building more homes (that people can actually afford - that part always gets left out!) is not council planning committees. It's the systematic underfunding and weakening of local authorities, and Labour is to blame just as much as the Tories. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In this coverage we also hear from @tobywells.bsky.social directly www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea...

Brilliant story about victory for people power pushing back against developers in Knowle. Super proud of my Green Cllr colleagues @edplowden.bsky.social who took an early stand and @tobywells.bsky.social and Cam Hayward who have worked hard for this outcome. www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol...

Hey UK folks, am I missing something? A transport minister with “the most compelling vision for transport that we’d seen in decades” resigns over a pretty irrelevant sounding thing in her past that was resolved and properly reported. Why do good people resign too easily and bad people never resign?

Transport secretary announces a progressive transport agenda, then "resigns" the next day over a minor misdemeanor from a decade ago which was already known about...

There are so many questions to be asked about this. Greens asked for the meeting to be webcast as there is significant public interest in understanding whether this is incompetence, cronyism or corruption - but we were told no. I worry about the impact it is having on trust in local politicians.

What is just as worrying is that we were asked to submit our questions on this *in advance*. There is no constitutional process for this and it stinks of trying to limit scrutiny of this decision by the previous Labour administration. Greens will be robustly challenging this in committee.

A one-page report to the Audit Committee at Bristol City Council outlines the results of its investigations into the council's 'Stepping Up' programme over the past 6 years. Read the full story here: www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol...

We have an emergency protocol in Bristol when the weather gets this cold. Being out in sub zero temperatures often results in death, here’s everything you need to know about what to do when you see someone sleeping out & rough. Action will save lives www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol...

Great to see this legislation coming forward, WECA needs to be gearing up to take advantage of it ASAP.

From @edplowden.bsky.social : “I would like to see the metro mayor do what some of the other combined authority mayors have done: announce that they’ll use their own funding to maintain the £2 fare cap." (1/2)

A glitch has occurred in Totterdown. Nothing to see here. Please move on.

Yes! Some more Bristol Green councillors have arrived here 😄 Please follow @lisastone70.bsky.social & @is0belrussell.bsky.social!

Well done to everyone involved in the investigation and the court case. I hope the families can take some comfort in knowing that justice has been done, although of course nothing can compensate for the loss of the 2 boys.

don't know if it's properly escaped British containment yet but I really need the whole world to know that Rivals is maybe the single most entertaining TV show made this year, I promise you that even if you think "horny Brits who work in TV in the 80's" isn't your thing: it will be your thing

I'm actually missing the algorithm a bit. I don't have time to scroll through everything, so with chronological I could miss important posts. Are there any feeds I can use that will curate my feed?

I am thrilled to announce I will be the @thegreenparty.bsky.social candidate for Mayor of the West of England combined authority. As Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council I bring experience and a commitment to collaboration to the role.

I'm actually missing the algorithm a bit. I don't have time to scroll through everything, so with chronological I could miss important posts. Are there any feeds I can use that will curate my feed?