Thursday, July 29, 2010
Don't go breaking wind on Clifton Downs .
Oh! you would think that this newspaper story was an April Fools' Day joke but sadly it is not. Jon Hacker erected a windbreak and began to enjoy a picnic with his family on Clifton Downs in Bristol. Along came some Bristol City Council workers who ordered him to remove the windbreak because it was a "semi-permanent structure".
Well okay, I can understand the rules behind the ban to erect any post, rail, fence, pole, tent, booth, stand, building or other structure. This is to stop people taking the mickey and living or running a business on Clifton Downs. It is also in place to stop large families or groups from taking over a large area of public space for their own personal use. But putting up a windbreak is no different from erecting a folding chair. It is a shame that these council workers did not put their brain in gear before they drove the 4X4 across the Downs to confront Jon and threaten him with a fine.
Oh! you would think that this newspaper story was an April Fools' Day joke but sadly it is not. Jon Hacker erected a windbreak and began to enjoy a picnic with his family on Clifton Downs in Bristol. Along came some Bristol City Council workers who ordered him to remove the windbreak because it was a "semi-permanent structure".
Well okay, I can understand the rules behind the ban to erect any post, rail, fence, pole, tent, booth, stand, building or other structure. This is to stop people taking the mickey and living or running a business on Clifton Downs. It is also in place to stop large families or groups from taking over a large area of public space for their own personal use. But putting up a windbreak is no different from erecting a folding chair. It is a shame that these council workers did not put their brain in gear before they drove the 4X4 across the Downs to confront Jon and threaten him with a fine.
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