Rees: ‘We are delivering on our promise to Bristol’

Bristol is a bold, ambitious city that is changing for the better, bringing opportunities for all and raising its global profile, according to the mayor.

Marvin Rees spoke confidently of how his Labour administration is delivering on its promises in his annual speech that touched on the usual subjects of housing, transport, the environment and the long-awaited arena decision.

But opposition councillors painted a rather damning picture of the city’s political machine, with accusations that the mayor is too thin-skinned, puts words before actions and is ruling over an increasingly divided chamber.

Addressing the full council meeting on Tuesday, Rees said: “Two years in and I’m feeling extremely confident that we are on a good delivery curve. We have a strong management leadership in place and a council that’s leaner, lower cost and focussed on delivery.

“Turning the council round has been a much bigger job than expected. There has been a history of failure that you all recognise.

“When I talk to government today, I hear the same story over and over again – of how Bristol has not been outwardly focussed for many years.

“All of that mood music is changing. I hear over and again that we are now seen as a positive city, better placed to attract the inward investment we need to deliver.”

Housing:

The mayor says he is delivering on his promise to build more homes

A key issue in the mayor’s election manifesto and one that, by all accounts, his administration is delivering on – something even his opponents tend to agree with.

Rees said his team is on track to build 2,000 homes a year by 2020, with 800 of these affordable.

He outlined key housing schemes, including “a substantial build of council homes for the first time in thirty years”, bringing empty homes back into use, developments in Lockleaze, Southmead and Hartcliffe and work to tackle homelessness.

On a more controversial note, the mayor talked of his ambition to “build higher and with greater density, delivering an exciting skyline that reflects a bold and ambitious city” – a vision that some vehemently oppose.

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Read more: ‘The entire appearance of Bristol is under threat’ 

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Economy:

Here, he didn’t pull any punches:

“The UK retail crisis is affecting many cities. Provided we behave like a major city, shaking off the village attitude that often prevails in our political environment, we can face that challenge,” said Rees, adding that the council’s international strategy and growing profile abroad is crucial for trade and inward investment.

Transport:

Ongoing roadworks at Temple Gate are part of a wider plan to improve traffic flow around the city

Admitting that this remains a key issue for the city, the mayor, said: “The key challenge remains making a systemic change to the way people travel in, to and around Bristol.”

He added: “I do not support the flawed belief that modal shift will occur simply by making it harder to travel around the city, or that car drivers are the enemy.

“We will not achieve a move away from private cars without an affordable, sustainable alternative.”

And yep, this means the ambitious ‘Bristol underground’ could still be on the cards, with a tantalising promise of more progress soon.

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Read more: Could Bristol have an underground system within 10 years?

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People:

“Enabling our city’s young people to get off to the best start in life and raising aspirations has always been a focus for me,” said Rees, adding there is an urgent need to increase school places, something his team is working to address.

Among the achievements listed were the decision to keep all of the city’s children’s centres open, introducing council tax exemption for care leavers under the age of 25 and applying to the World Health Organisation for Bristol to become part of a global network of age-friendly cities.

Students at Fairfield High School are getting involved in planting more trees in Bristol

Culture, sport and the environment were all raised as key issues. The mayor took the latter as an opportunity to take a dig at some of his opponents, saying: “Some people talk about the environment, using it as a platform to display their sense of moral superiority.”

He said the Labour administration is delivering on the environment, will double the number of trees in Bristol by 2050 through the Talking Trees programme and has launched a prospectus for £1billion of investment to “transform the way the city generates, stores, distributes and uses energy”.

And onto the ever controversial topic of the Bristol Arena:

A vision of what the arena could look like by Temple Meads

Here, Rees gave perhaps the strongest hint yet as to what his final decision might be on the location of the arena as he laid out the parameters of the criteria he will be using.

“I have to consider the value for money report,” he told the council chamber. “That says building the arena on Temple Island brings £375m of economic out-turn and 650 jobs.

“A mixed-use site, including a conference centre, hotel and residential brings an economic out-turn of £900m more output and over 2000 jobs. That is a big decision, a big statement and a big impact on the city to walk away from.”

He talked about the potential impact of increased traffic in the city centre location and said the site at Temple Meads may not be big enough to accommodate the major acts it’s intended for, concluding: “I will ensure you that when I make this decision, it will be without emotion. It will be determined by facts – facts that make sure I make the right decision for Bristol and for the next fifty years.”

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Read more: Opposition leaders unite to ask Rees for clarity over arena decision

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Responses from other parties:

Mark Weston

Mark Weston, leader of the Conservative group:

The Tory councillor for Henbury and Brentry took the opportunity to hit back at criticism of Government-imposed austerity, arguing that his party is decreasing a deficit that will only be passed onto future generations.

He went on to attack the Labour council, saying: “I actually see us as quite a divided city. Divided between the centre and the suburbs, the city does not represent the communities on the outskirts.

“I see our parks under threat and I see our toilets closing. Our outer parks and communities look like a litter bomb has gone off at the weekend.”

He accused the mayor of dismissing anyone who disagrees with him, saying: “Thin-skinned politicians is not what we need. We have to work together and I see a divided city and a divided chamber.”

Eleanor Combley

Eleanor Combley, leader of the Green group:

“Sometimes it feels like the words take priority over the reality, so that it becomes more important that you can put on your election leaflets that you have kept the children’s centres open than to actually safeguard the services they provide,” the councillor for Bishopston and Ashley Down told the mayor.

“This city needs more than words. It needs openness and transparency, a genuine commitment to a democracy that gives people a real say in the decisions that affect their lives.

“Opening up your plans to scrutiny and possibly criticism can be hard, but it does lead to better decisions.

“If we are serious about building a better Bristol for all our futures it is going to take more than fine words to get us there, we need actions that live up to them.”

Anthony Negus

Anthony Negus, leader of the Lib Dem group:

The Cotham councillor added broad support for the council’s One City vision, but was damning in his summary of Rees’ leadership.

“As councillors, we should all work collaboratively and a lot of people outside of this council would not support what’s been said about collaboratively working,” said Negus.

“I would rather work with people in this chamber, but instead we are scratching away trying to get information that should be available. We need to be able to help and assure our electorates that things are being done in a way that we believe in.

“The best decisions come out of things where people do not agree. We have got to be bigger and better and have higher expectations to make it clear what we want to achieve.

“Most of us broadly support what you are trying to achieve but we do not like the way it’s being done.”

Read more: Rees: ‘The political conversation now in the city is about inclusion – and that’s special’