Neighbourhood Forum brings community together
Neighbourhood Forum (NF) meetings continue to be a great way for local residents to have their say, share concerns, and hear updates on what’s happening in the area. Around 50 residents attended the most recent meeting on 30th September at Clifton High School, which featured updates from councillors alongside contributions from representatives of the Police, the University, and Bristol Waste Company.
A wide range of local topics were discussed including; the future of the WH Smith site and the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House, student behaviour, vans on the Downs, balaclava-clad bikers, Jacobs Wells Baths, Hotwells School, and proposals for more 20mph roads.
The meetings are open to everyone, and residents are encouraged to come along, ask questions, and get involved in shaping local priorities. Do email either of us if you want to receive details of the next meeting.
Here is some more detailed information about three of the topics discussed.
High-speed e-bike riders
Masked riders using high-speed e-bikes continue to cause concern across the city. Following several fatal incidents, elsewhere in thecountry, involving riders without helmets during police chases, officers are now taking a more cautious approach.
Rather than pursuing riders, Avon and Somerset Police are focusing on gathering intelligence about those involved and identifying them intheir home environments. This shift in strategy requires greaterbackground investigation, and some residents have noticed that visible enforcement activity has reduced in recent months.
At the recent Neighbourhood Forum meeting, police representatives addressed questions from residents. They emphasised that the young people involved are generally not believed to be engaged in wider criminal activity and that the current focus is on intelligence-building and prevention.
However, we know that groups of youths on speeding bikes can be very intimidating and we will continue to raise our concerns with thecity’s head of policing to ensure that community safety remains a priority.
20 mph update
Local residents have been campaigning for more roads in the city to be 20mph rather than 30mph speed limits. 20mph speed limits make our roads and pavements safer for everyone including pedestrians, cyclists, wheel chair users and drivers.
Plans are being put in place for a Traffic Regulation Order in 2026 that will significantly increase the number of 20mph speed limits in the city. We are pleased to say that this list will include the Hotwell Road and we will keep you updated on likely timings for implementation.
Restoration at Jacobs Wells Baths
Over £2.5 million has now been raised towards the ambitious renovationof Jacobs Wells Baths, breathing new life into one of Bristol’s most historic buildings.
Significant progress has already been made on the old pump room, which was in particularly poor condition due to asbestos and severe rusting in the original tanks. This space has now been largely restored, and once the project is complete, it is hoped the pump room will become a stunning new events venue.
Because the building sits directly against the hillside, essential roof repairs are being carried out mainly from inside the structure rather than outside — a complex process now well under way. The wooden floor, damaged by years of water ingress, has had to be removed, though plans are being explored to reuse it elsewhere in the building.
With careful restoration continuing, it is hoped that Jacobs Wells Baths will begin to reopen for community use from 2028.
Hotwells Primary School
At their board meeting in early October the Cathedral School Trust provisionally took the decision to go ahead with their proposal for the amalgamation of Cathedral Primary School and Hotwells Primary School. This is the Trust’s proposed approach to address the falling numbers of primary school age children in the area. This decision is subject to approval by the Department for Education regional board because it is a ‘significant change’ in school organisational arrangements. The DfE will consider the Cathedral proposal at their November board meeting (date to be confirmed).
This is a very disappointing decision because we have done everythingpossible, as community members and with a wide group of parents, to demonstrate to the Trust our strong feelings about losing Hotwells Primary School in its current form and to put forward a better alternative proposal. We appreciate the consideration which the Cathedral board gave our proposal and we have asked the Chief Executive of Cathedral School Trust to share some of the key
information that supported their decision. This will then help us to
submit relevant statements and detail to the Department for Education Regional Board meeting in November.
Contact us
Jerome Thomas: cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk
Paula O’Rourke: cllr.paula.orourke@bristol.gov.uk