Hello again from Serena and George, your Green Party councillors for Clifton Down. We hope you have enjoyed the summer break.
Welcome to students
As the autumn term beckons, we’re looking forward to warmly welcoming students to our area, whether you are new to Bristol or returning for another year.
The University of Bristol’s Community Liaison team is running a Students Move In campaign, with support from student ambassadors and resident associations.
On Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th September, the Community Liaison team and partners will be taking part in the Destination Bristol event during the UoB Welcome Week 2025 at a pop-up stand outside Royal Fort Gardens.
More welcome events are planned throughout October, including one in our area, so watch this space. In the meantime, students and long-term members of our community can reach the Community Liaison team by emailing community-living@bristol.ac.uk
Libraries update
Disappointingly, there has been misinformation spread recently about library closures. So we’d like to set the record straight.
As Green councillors, we understand the value of libraries to Bristol’s communities – as places to grow a love of reading, to learn, as important resources for those in digital poverty, or for those who simply need a warm space. We have the fantastic and much loved Redland Library here in our community, supported by the wonderful Friends of Redland Library Group.
The library budget was protected in the Greens’ final, balanced budget for this year. After years of underfunding and neglect, we are now working hard to ensure the library budget does not have to be reduced in the future.
However, we know that the service needs significant reform to be fit for purpose. A group of councillors from all parties is currently conducting a root and branch review of our library service. It is looking at current and future needs of communities and what a good quality library service means to residents. This task and finish group, which includes Serena, sits under the Public Health and Communities Policy Committee.
This work includes looking at having libraries open at the times of day most useful for their communities, what other activities could take place in the buildings, and whether library outlets could be opened in other venues.
One of the key areas this group is looking at is how to make the service financially sustainable in future. The group has been engaging with library users, ‘Friends-of’ libraries groups, and others who want to see a revamped service that meets the needs of Bristol.
Recommendations on a new Libraries Strategy will be brought to a public meeting of the Public Health and Communities policy committee in November this year, ahead of wider consultation with the public in 2026.
Good news on the buses
We’re really pleased about the recent improvements to buses in our area.
Several bus services running through Clifton Down now include an hourly service throughout the night. This will make getting home safer for anyone enjoying a night out and for the many people who work at night including in hospitality and healthcare. From August 31, the numbers 1, 2 and 5 buses are running additional journeys to provide an hourly service throughout the night.
Some bus routes have been extended too. The 77 and the 5 are operating to the University of Bristol’s Stoke Bishop campus via Westbury Park.
By next spring we can look forward to electric buses on Whiteladies Road too !
Helping hand for high street businesses
Are you a small business, charity, CIC, arts or cultural group, or sole trader, looking for new premises? Then the council’s vacant commercial property grant scheme could be for you.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to help you start trading from a vacant commercial property. It needs to be either in Bristol’s designated city centre, or on one of 46 designated high streets which includes Whiteladies Road.
Your organisation will employ fewer than 50 people, have a turnover of £10.2 million or less, and a balance sheet showing £5.1 million or less. Your organisation must meet one of the trading status criteria below:
• New to Bristol’s commercial property market
• Returning after at least a 6-month absence
• Expanding into an additional property (not relocating).
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Friday November 14. But it’s best to apply as soon as possible as, if all available funding is allocated before the deadline, the scheme may close early.
Find out more about all the criteria and other details by searching ‘Vacant commercial property grant scheme’ on the council website.
Councillor surgeries
The next ward surgery will be on Friday September 5 from midday to 1.30 at Redland Library on Whiteladies Road.
Contact us:
George Calascoine: Cllr.george.calascione@bristol.gov.uk
Serena Ralston: Cllr.serena.ralston@bristol.gov.uk