Challenges

• Urban change in Bristol has brought various social, economic and environmental challenges
• Deprivation


  The degree to which a community or individual is deprived of amenities and services
• Measures of deprivation

  • Education (no one in a household has at least level 2 education, and no one aged 16-18 years is a full-time student)
  • Employment (if any member, not a full-time student, is either unemployed or economically inactive due to long-term sickness or disability)
  • Health (if any person in the household has general health that is bad or very bad or is identified as disabled)
  • Housing (if the household's accommodation is either overcrowded, in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating)
• Deprived communities often have high population densities, congested roads, few parks and shops, and experience high levels of unemployment and crime
• 31.8% of households in Bristol are deprived in one dimension (from education, employment, health, or housing)
• 15.6% of Bristol's population lives in some of the most deprived areas in England
• Many council-run estates and high-rise flats in Bristol need modernisation, and these areas experience high levels of crime and unemployment
• Inequalities in housing


  The demand for housing in Bristol has seen house prices rise significantly between 2010 and 2023, with average prices more than doubling from £168,050 to £356,686
• Bristol has a relatively high proportion of local authority housing, with 13% of the housing stock owned by the local authority compared to the average for England of 6%, but in 2023 almost 17,000 families were on the waiting list for council housing
• Bristol has the highest rate of homelessness in the southwest of England, with an estimated 1,972 people homeless in the city in 2021
• The high number of students studying at Bristol's two universities has increased pressure on housing, especially for rental properties
• Bristol is one of England and Wales's most highly qualified areas, largely due to the high proportion of residents with a level 3 (A level or equivalent) and level 4 (a degree or equivalent) qualification
• Despite the above-average proportion of people having achieved a degree, the proportion of students achieving level 1 and 2 qualifications is below the national average, and Bristol experiences considerable inequalities in educational attainment
• Less affluent neighbourhoods in Bristol such as Hartcliffe and Withywood, Filwood and Lawrence Hill record higher levels of poor health and lower life expectancy, coupled with an increased incidence of premature death
• In 2022, Bristol's employment rate was 82.5%, the fifth highest of all UK cities, but there are significant inequalities with high levels of unemployment in the south of the city and close to the city centre
• Urban change in Bristol has created a range of environmental challenges, including dereliction of industrial buildings, construction on brownfield and greenfield sites, and waste disposal issues
• The evolution towards a post-industrial economy in Bristol, driven by high-tech and service industries, has resulted in numerous warehouses and historical buildings falling into disrepair
• Preparing brownfield sites for redevelopment presents expensive challenges, such as waste clearance, land decontamination, and establishing contemporary infrastructure
• Bristol's population is expanding at roughly 1% annually, and dealing with household waste and debris from clearing deteriorated land poses a significant hurdle, with a shortage of landfill sites and alternative solutions like incineration plants producing greenhouse gases
• The escalating population of Bristol, coupled with the demolition of old slum housing, has increased demand for new accommodation, leading to urban sprawl with the city expanding towards both the south and north
• Factors contributing to urban sprawl in Bristol include the city's rapidly growing population, scarcity of affordable housing in the city centre, competitive demand for land on brownfield sites, upgrades to transport infrastructure, and a preference among many people to reside in quieter, less polluted semi-rural areas
• The construction of extensive housing estates, motorways, and service infrastructure at the rural-urban fringe has sparked controversy, with local residents and environmentalists expressing worries about the loss of rural landscapes and the effects on wildlife biodiversity and habitats
• In response to the rapid urban sprawl, the Bristol and Bath Green Belt was established in 1966 to safeguard land from new developments, but it does not cover the entire rural-urban fringe, and several developments have taken place on lands that were once open countryside
• Increasing traffic congestion levels, noise, and air pollution are areas of concern in Bristol and Bath
• In response to the rapid urban sprawl jeopardising the two cities' autonomy, the Bristol and Bath Green Belt was established in 1966
• The green belt covers a vast area and land within it is safeguarded from new developments, such as housing and industry due to stringent planning regulations
• The green belt's rigorous planning rules do not cover the entire rural-urban fringe, and several developments have taken place on lands that were once open countryside
• Developments on lands that were once open countryside

  • Transportation links around the city, encompassing the M32, M4, M5, and M49 motorways
  • The out-of-town retail park at Cribbs Causeway located adjacent to the M5
  • Modern industrial estates, such as Aztec West, situated near the M4-M5 junction
  • Leisure facilities such as Ashton Court golf course and other related developments
• The South Gloucestershire Council has proposed to construct 1,200 homes in Harry Stoke, a quaint village near the junction of the M4 and the M32 northeast of Bristol, in an attempt to address the area's housing shortage
• The proposal has faced significant opposition from local residents who believe the development will amplify noise and traffic congestion, damage local habitats, and elevate the risk of flooding, and may adversely affect residents' mental well-being due to the potential loss of open spaces and rural landscapes
• Commuter settlements


  Areas where many residents travel to work in different locations
• Bristol sees more incoming commuters for work than those leaving for jobs elsewhere, with many commuters residing in the immediate rural-urban fringe and others covering considerable distances, opting to live in places like Weston-super-Mare in Somerset and South Gloucestershire
• Commuter settlements


  • Clevedon in North Somerset
  • Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire
• Following the abolition of the Severn Bridge tolls in 2018, more people are opting to live in South Wales, where the cost of property is generally lower