Last month Thirty4/7 held its first roundtable event with the leadership of Bristol City Council and developers in the private sector following the May 2024 local elections and the July 2024 General Election. Councillor Tony Dyer (Green Party), Leader of Bristol City Council and Councillor Andrew Brown (Liberal Democrat), Chair of Economy & Skills, shared their views on the Bristol and the wider region.
The Shift to a Committee System
Between 2016 and 2021 Labour controlled Bristol City Council, under the guidance of Mayor Marvin Rees. In May 2022 Bristol voted to abolish the role of mayor in a referendum and opt for a committee system instead. The mayoral system remained until the May 2024 election, when it was removed. Following the election, the Green Party increased their seats but fell short of an overall majority by two. Councillor Tony Dyer was appointed Leader of the Council while other Policy Committee Chair positions were shared among the Green’s and Liberal Democrats.
The new system sees the Green’s lead with Lib Dem support but is designed for all parties to work together. This was evident by Councillor Dyer and Councillor Brown coming together and sharing their visions, to our attendees, on the future of Bristol.
What challenges do the council face?
Councillor Dyer and Councillor Brown spoke frankly about the challenges facing Bristol while sharing optimism too, that these can be addressed. Bristol is a great city but it faces numerous constraints in future, everything from social care, transport, housing to planning, finances, and wider regional politics represent a hurdle for the new council to deal with.
It was widely reported in August that Bristol City Council’ had a deficit of £22 million. The Council faces a challenge in balancing finances while still delivering vital services for the people of Bristol and prioritising what those services are. Addressing this challenge calls for creative solutions, such as public-private partnerships to help maintain service levels despite budget constraints.
When it comes to housing, Bristol lacks affordable homes and is not building enough to offset demand. This creates instability rippling through the city from increased rents, more people seeking affordable homes, overcrowding in the market, and increasing prices also impacting on social services elsewhere. Land constraints in Bristol create a challenge in addressing this.
However, both Councillor Dyer and Councillor Brown noted that this is not an excuse. They called for developers to design sustainable communities that reduce social care strain and improve quality of life for residents while also being affordable. Addressing transport issues that blight the city is also on the agenda with the aim to review regional planning policy to manage this.
Part of addressing these challenges is through the opportunities presented by the Local Plan review which has cross-party oversight and reviews of relevant planning policy across the city. The Local Plan will shape the city’s development, while balancing existing jobs, housing, and transport issues.
Collaboration is key
Councillor Dyer and Councillor Brown are divided by party allegiance but are working together for Bristol. They called for developers and other influential figures in the city to collaborate with them. No one party has a monopoly on ideas and the Council is an open house for suggestions and criticism that can help improve governance and planning outcomes. But collaboration isn’t just for Bristol, it must include the wider region and organisations such as West of England Combined Authority, Core Cities, Western Gateway, and other international partners. To grow the city and region, local partners must be brought along the journey (one such example, is getting North Somerset Council into the West of England Combined Authority).
Building a better Bristol
Yes, there are many challenges to building a better Bristol but Councillor Dyer and Councillor Brown agreed that development and growth is very much the ‘name of the game’ in getting Bristol to where it should be. To do this they needed business in the city because if businesses thrive, the city thrives.
Their ask? Work with them in addressing the city’s challenges and ensure a thriving future for Bristol.