News / KNowle West
Plans to relocate threatened youth facility revealed
Funding has been approved for a new youth facility in a deprived area of the city, following concerns about the loss of play space.
Bristol24/7 revealed in March how residents in Knowle West are enraged about plans to remove a ball court in the middle of their estate.
The facility on Filwood Broadway is part of an old swimming pool site, which a developer wants to build homes in place of.
is needed now More than ever
But on Tuesday, Bristol City Council’s cabinet approved up to £300,000 for the provision and maintenance of a new multi-use games area (MUGA) in Knowle West.
The location of the MUGA is to be decided, but one being looked at is Filwood Playing Fields, which is near Filwood Broadway.
A multi-use games area (MUGA) on an old swimming pool site is set to be replaced with a new one elsewhere in Knowle West – photo: Charlie Watts
Community activist Carol Casey says the council should instead be spending money on retaining and enhancing the existing ball court on Filwood Broadway.
“If they got money for a new MUGA, it should be on the swimming pool site,” said Casey, who is an independent advisor for Avon and Somerset Police.
“The money should be for doing the court up and creating an outdoor gym and cycle track around it.
“They could have a really nice area there for the youths which is in the centre of Filwood.”
The former Filwood Swimming Baths site has been undeveloped since the pool was closed in 2005 and then demolished. Now housing association LiveWest wants to build 29 homes there.
Community activist Carol Casey is not happy that the ball court on Filwood Broadway is to be removed to make way for new homes – photo: Charlie Watts
The ball court on Filwood Broadway would be the third in Knowle West to be removed, with one on Airport Road and another on Broadbury Road also lost to housing developments.
“There is significant local concern around facilities and the loss of MUGAs in the area,” admitted the council’s cabinet member for housing, Tom Renhard, on Tuesday.
“What this [funding] does is show that we are listening to local communities and ensuring that we’re bringing forward replacement options.
“When we’re building homes, we need to build communities.”
Residents in Knowle West are also concerned about the demolition of a former cinema building on Filwood Broadway to make way for housing, and have launched a campaign to save it.
Filwood Playing Fields has been identified as a potential location of the new MUGA – photo: Charlie Watts
The £300,000 approved by cabinet on Tuesday will also go towards providing floodlighting for the football pitches at Filwood Playing Fields, where Mendip Broadwalk FC play.
A further £405,000 was also approved, which will be added to a £1.35m pot allocated for improving the public realm of Filwood Broadway.
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo: StreetSpace
Read more: Empty shop converted into martial arts school
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
