Bristol

Welcome to the Bristol section of the CPRE Avonside Web site. There is no separate District Group for Bristol but members in north Bristol are represented by the South Gloucestershire District of the Branch and those in the south of the city by North Somerset District.

Our Aims

CPRE champions the concept of urban renaissance because a healthy, pleasant environment in our towns and cities goes hand in hand with a healthy and attractive countryside.

We therefore support the provision of attractive, well designed and good quality homes close to shops, public transport, schools, leisure facilities and workplaces. Sustainable cities also depend on reliable public transport systems, while green spaces in towns and cities, whether communal areas or in private gardens, matter just as much to people as green open spaces in the countryside and are vital for the good health and quality of life of residents of urban areas.

As a major city which is continually evolving and developing, Bristol generates a constant stream of planning applications which have implications for the character and quality of its environment.

We are able to monitor and respond to just a few of these applications. For local residents who are concerned about proposals for their area the CPRE Planning Help website offers useful guidance on how to respond to applications, while the Planning Finder website is a useful tool for tracing the latest applications in your area.

Bristol City Council Consultations

Bristol City Council is also currently consulting on a number of draft policies relating to the future development of Bristol. CPRE has responded to some of these, including:

• Bristol Development Framework
  This contains the key planning policy documents which will guide Bristol’s growth over the next 20 years.
• The Core Strategy
  This is a key document within the Bristol Development Framework, setting out the council’s strategic approach to shaping the future of the city. The final stage in the preparation of this document is the Preferred Options Paper which went out for public consultation during January and February 2008. The draft Core Strategy will then be submitted to the Secretary of State in June 2008 for independent examination. Click here to read our response to the preferred options paper.
• The Statement of Community Involvement
  This is another document within the Framework. This sets out the Council’s strategy and methods for involving people in plan making and development issues.
• Bristol Parks and Green Spaces Strategy
  This outlines a 20 year investment programme for the future provision of green space and the facilities and services that should be provided.

The Greater Bristol Area

The greater Bristol area extends into South Gloucestershire in the North and North Somerset to the South, and this adds to the complexity of the range of policies and proposals which affect local residents and which are of concern to CPRE. Current examples include:

• Regional Spatial Strategy for the South-West
• Bristol International Airport Expansion plans
• The Green Belt

Roads

• The Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study
• The Joint Local Transport Plan
• The South Bristol Ring Road

For submissions and comments by the Avonside Branch and its Districts on some of these issues, see the Branch and District sections of the website.

Support Us

If you would like to support CPRE by becoming a member, you will find details on the CPRE website. If you are already a member and would like to take a more active role in influencing decisions about Bristol’s future then we would be pleased to hear from you via the Contact Us page.