Bristol, Cosmetic Liberalism & Gentrification
Wherever I go and whoever I meet, as soon as I mention that I live and work in Bristol I get the same response, ‘Oh wow! I love Bristol, such a cool city.’ They will then proceed to tell me about the time they visited Bristol and inadvertently joined a protest march, or ended up in a women’s only zine making workshop. And yes, Bristol has a lot going on - lots of culture, festivals, bicycles and unusual characters.
This was the image of Bristol that drew me here in 2013, knowing only two people and having no place to live. But I wasn’t worried, because I just knew that Bristol was the right place for me. I would meet like-minded individuals, make ground-breaking theatre and finally be able to pull off high-waisted jeans. It was going to be awesome! Needless to say - things didn’t quite go as planned. I really did try to live up to the ‘cool Bristol’ stereotype, but alas, I didn’t fit the mould. I was too tired and cynical to be one of that crowd, so I decided to retreat - away from the trendy people and their uncomfortable trousers.
However, once I cut myself off from ‘trendy Bristol’, I become more invested in what I like to call ‘Real Bristol’ - families who have been here for generations and forge their own smaller communities, often on the outer edges of the city in areas that are not dubbed as ‘up-and-coming’ - not yet anyway. This awareness has mainly come through my place of work, where I interact with people from all walks of life, such as the elderly, the homeless and those who are simply down on their luck. I have also learnt a great deal through my partner and his extended family. Having lived a pretty nomadic life myself, it seems unusual to me for an entire family to all be rooted in one place and be so aware of where they come from. I have witnessed two very different sides of Bristol, and although it is true that there is an air of liberalism that sweeps through the city - tearing down statues and chucking them in the river for example - I fear that we are forgetting about ‘Real Bristol’ whilst more and more people flock to the cool city covered in graffiti.
The term gentrification has been heavily associated with Bristol for a long time now, and it does have its perks because it can heighten an area’s appeal which in turn attracts more people, and therefore more money for local amenities. However there are some serious negatives such as rising house prices and rental rates (some of the highest in the UK). This means local residents are having to leave the areas they consider home in search of more affordable terrain, particularly in areas such as Easton and Ashley Down.
New franchises popping up every other week is causing local businesses to suffer financially or even close down. The term ‘out with the old, in with the new’ seems appropriate here - appropriate, but certainly not fair. For example, last year it was revealed that heritage lamp posts were being removed from Knowle and Bedminster and were re-erected in the popular area of Clifton, where they were more in keeping with the cobbled streets and beautiful Georgian houses. This is a prime example of what gentrification has done - taken away what makes an area unique, tampered with it and repackaged it to attract middle class, working professionals and their hard earned cash.
“Well Bristol clearly needs more affordable housing to accommodate the increasing population”, I hear you cry. This is an obvious solution, but where are they going to build affordable housing without wiping out local businesses or green spaces? According to the council, the answer seems to be high rise flats. In South Bristol alone there are two sites where this will be introduced, Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle and a little further down the road in Totterdown. Broadwalk is part of a new multi-million redevelopment deal which includes a leisure park, office space and a twelve storey high rise containing over 400 flats. This in theory could bring profit to the area and accommodate the already increasing number of people moving to Knowle, but how will this affect the local inhabitants? New and improved amenities could bring more convenience and some possible job opportunities, and a lot of the local community were in favour - but more were opposed. Some are concerned that these new attractions will stick out like a sore thumb amongst the rows of modest houses, and some of those that live close to the shopping centre fear that the looming tower will actually lower the value of their property. It is more likely that house prices and rental rates will skyrocket once the complex is built, and another viable option for first time buyers and lifelong renters bites the dust. Although the prospect of a brand new shopping and dining experience sounds appealing, I have to wonder if this is going to be constructed with the local community in mind or whether it is an opportunity to gain credibility and attract more people and their money, money, money?
Similarly in Totterdown plans have been finalised to build a 15 storey high rise by the Totterdown Bridge. Although it was hotly contested, the plans will be moving forward - which is a big thumbs down for several reasons. Firstly a high rise is not going to fit in with Totterdown’s iconic multi-coloured aesthetic, and could arguably tarnish this view and lower the area’s appeal. More importantly, it will put more pressure on local shops, doctors and dentists surgeries which are already oversubscribed.
Secondly, having lived on this side of town for many years I am aware that the traffic along both the Bath and Wells road isn’t really bad - it’s soul-destroying! It doesn’t take a genius to realise that cars stacked bonnet to bumper every single day of the working week means that traffic congestion and pollution are already a huge issue. The buses aren’t much better, overcrowded to the point where two or three buses might drive straight past you in the morning, because they are full to the ceiling!
“Then let’s improve the bus services,” you suggest - great idea! I used to think Bristol’s buses were fantastic because they were pretty frequent, clean and fairly affordable, which was good enough for me! However I have always lived close to the main roads and am very mobile, but not everybody is that fortunate. When it was announced that the 51 bus was going to be cancelled, there was upset amongst the Knowle and Hengrove communities as it was often the only frequent bus that ventured through those parts and directly to South Bristol Hospital. Without it, elderly and less able people were going to struggle with everyday activities, unable to travel to the shops or doctors independently. Since it’s cancellation there have been a few other buses that cover parts of the same route, but they are more infrequent and none of them quite fill the gap in the bus schedule that the 51 has left behind.
Due to its ever increasing popularity, Bristol is incredibly stressful to navigate around regardless of whether you drive, walk or use public transport. Even when the main issues, such as the lack of reliable buses, constant traffic and roadworks that drag on for years are addressed, the results are not overwhelming. There seems to be more of a focus on the bigger projects, such as The Metrobus or building huge new ring roads, instead of thinking more simply. For example, children from more deprived areas are not benefiting from what the city has to offer because many of them simply cannot afford the fare - there is currently no scheme to assist them with travel expenses. Perhaps there needs to be more inward focus and support, rather than trying to turn Bristol into the metropolis that no one wants it to be.
All of this said, I am pleased to see that within these smaller communities there is still a lot of fight left. For years, there have been protests against the permanent closure of Jubilee Swimming Pool. It might be a small facility, tucked away from sight, but many that live nearby feel it is still a necessity. Some might argue that the Hengrove Leisure park is not far away, with a bigger pool and better facilities - why would you choose to go to a piddly little pool with limited resources? Well the elderly locals can access it easily, whilst parents want to take their children to the place where they learnt to swim. It’s also more convenient for local residents, as the bus routes from Knowle to Hengrove are not great (depending on where you live).
Each time closure has been threatened, the locals' response remains the same - don’t disregard something just because it isn’t a major attraction, that doesn’t mean it is any less important. This fervour to protect precious parts of the city is what makes Bristol so special, and I hope they keep fighting. Otherwise there might not be anything left but tower blocks and artisan bakeries all covered in graffiti.
Written by Katie McFaul
After travelling from place to place (much like Madonna in ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’), Katie finally settled in Bristol and spends her time helping animals in need, eating biscuits and constantly being late for everything. Her likes include vegan cuisine, movies of any description and writing god awful poetry. Her dislikes include slow walkers, narrowmindedness and talking about herself in the third person.