Ward profiles 2021: Central – ‘The history of the area is its main strength’

The eyes of the country were once more trained on Bristol’s Central ward as violent clashes erupted on Sunday night.

Fast-evolving yet steeped in history, this area of the city has garnered a fair share of attention over the centuries – from the Queen Square riots of 1831, described as the bloodiest in the UK, to the momentous toppling of Edward Colston’s statue last June.

The events that unfolded on Sunday thrust the city centre reluctantly into the spotlight again, with scenes that are likely to be talked about long after the last traces of unrest have been removed.

Covering Castle Park and Broadmead, the BRI and Jamaica Street, down to Queen Square and Redcliff Hill, Central ward contains buildings and symbols from which tales that are centuries old can be woven as well as new developments that are already shaping the future skyline.

The Queen Square riots of 1831 were described as the bloodiest in the UK

Beyond the heritage and headlines, there are the residents with their own unique challenges, and communities and business owners striving to find a way to survive the double blow of a declining high street and the devastating impact of the pandemic.

And amidst all of this, there are pom-poms; hanging from the railings of a park in the middle of blocks of housing, there for no reason other than to spread some joy and bring people together.

“We wanted to show connectivity between residents in Redcliffe,” says Yvonne Long, chair of Redcliffe Residents Action Group and Neighbourhood Forum and brains behind the new pom-pom project.

The Church Road resident wanted to start something positive that everyone could get involved in after what has been a very challenging year for many and launched the project with the help of Faithspace.

She says there is a real mix of people in the area, which is physically divided by the main road running through Redcliff Hill and roundabouts at either end, and the community is growing ever stronger.

Yvonne has welcomed the news that something is being done to improve safety on Church Road after years of pressure from residents, saying it is currently a rat run.

Pom-poms deck a park in Redcliffe to spread joy and bring residents together

Central ward has a significantly higher premature mortality rate than the city average, according to Bristol City Council data.

It is also an area of the city with some of the highest levels of air pollution. A clean air zone is set to be introduced from October this year as part of the drive to tackle the noxious fumes.

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Read more: Details of Bristol’s clean air zone finally confirmed 

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Down the hill and past the historic church that gives the area its name, Redcliffe is set for some big changes.

Redcliff Quarter, just one of a number of major new developments in the ward, was recently taken on by new developers who are going back to the drawing board with plans.

Voting is now open on the Redcliffe & Temple Business Improvement District which, if agreed on, could result in more than £5m of investment for the area over a five-year period.

Russ Leith wants to see the bombed-out St Peter’s Church in Castle Park transformed

Past the ever-evolving cluster of homes and businesses of Finzels Reach and over the water stands Castle Park, which was once home to the largest Norman castle in England and is now overlooked by the tallest residential tower in the city.

Russ Leith, chair of the Friends of Castle Park, believes the history of the area is what makes it so special.

Russ has been working on plans to transform the bombed-out St Peter’s Church, saying it could be a significant opportunity and tourist attraction. Yet, despite securing £25,000 of funding to illuminate the historic building in 2019, the work has still not been done.

“More investment is needed in Bristol Central to deal with the sickening effect of tagging and graffiti, which is showing signs of getting worse,” says Russ.

One area that has been kept pretty much tag-free in the last year or so is the Bearpit. Once a mismatch of colours, the sunken St James Barton roundabout that has been the subject of much debate over the years is now a much, umm, barer version of its former self.

The Bearpit looking much barer than it used to

Following the resignation of Paul Smith in 2020, Central ward has been represented by just one councillor, Labour’s Kye Dudd, who is also the city’s cabinet member for transport. Dudd has played a key role in the roll-out of new measures designed to aid walking and cycling across the city.

Standing to contest the seat in May will be Ani and Simon Stafford-Townsend, a married couple who are both running as Green candidates.

A recent recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Community Heroes Medal, Ani is a milliner by trade and devised a reusable Covid mask with integrated filter, while Simon is a psychotherapist and, among other things, is involved in the petition to return Colston Street to its historical name of Steep Street.

Jen Smith and Zac Barker are running for the Lib Dems. The pair have recently started a petition for new accessible public toilets, with changing facilities, for the city centre. They say cuts in public toilet provision is “an affront to the rights and dignity of residents and visitors”.

Central ward is not included on the Conservatives’ list of candidates and the Lib Dems are yet to confirm candidates.

The Galleries shopping centre is another part of Bristol city centre set to be redeveloped

All photos by Ellie Pipe

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