‘The city needs to heal’: Cable readers on what should happen now, following the ‘Colston 4’ trial

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with the new sheriff in town, Chief Constable Sarah Crew on crime, protest and if the police can be an “anti-sexist and anti-racist” force

With Bristol likely to continue to be at the forefront of protest as well as other criminal justice issues, time will tell how Crew’s “citizens in uniform” interact with the rest of the city.

Investigations

MP urges council to stop housing families at Imperial Apartments, as documents reveal concerns over ‘incompetent’ security

Documents seen by the Cable confirm issues reported by residents at the controversial South Bristol apartment block.

Alex Turner

Reports

Rehab centre closure decision delayed amid backlash over plans

South Bristol Rehab Centre could be shut down as part of the council's plans to cut £19.5m from its budget.

Adam Postans (Local Democracy Reporter)

Reports

Children ‘missing out’ on free school meals

Children could be missing out on free school meals because of schools not checking often enough for eligibility, according to Cabot Primary School's business manager.

Amanda Cameron (Local Democracy Reporter)

Video

Watch: The new documentary celebrating Bristol's inner-city walks

The film profiles a grassroots project called Slow Ways which hopes to get more people walking further – with all the associated benefits.

Aphra Evans and David Mathias

In Disrepair: Bristol’s broken renting system

This series will tell the stories of renters in Bristol, dig into how the pandemic has affected the crisis, and, crucially, what can be done about it.

Council commits to crackdown on benefit discrimination against renters

Following a renter-led campaign by Shelter, councillors from across parties voted to support the Labour motion pledging to tackle landlords excluding renters who claim benefits.

Matty Edwards

Have you experienced problems with your landlord since the pandemic started?

We want to investigate rogue landlords, poor conditions and council enforcement to help inform the debate on solutions.

Have your say

The Bristol Cable

‘Marginalised people are worse affected by the housing crisis’: the Bristol renters facing discrimination and bias

Bristol City Council have pledged to stamp out discrimination in the private rental sector. But it’s not always clear cut.

Matty Edwards

Bristol Unpacked Podcast

Fascinating and challenging conversations from characters on big topics facing the city and beyond.

Listen: Bristol Unpacked on a £23 million gap in the council's budget, with Craig Cheney the councillor holding the city's purse strings

After 12 years of central government imposed austerity, that purse is much smaller than it needs to be.

Listen: Bristol Unpacked on acting in new drama Outlaws and living with real bank robbers, Longwell Record's Ian Aitchison

What was it like acting with Christopher Walken when his previous biggest role was playing a genital wart 20 years ago? Southmead-born Ian Aitchison runs...

Former mayor George Ferguson, on his highs, lows, beef with Marvin and being ‘radical’ as a former Merchant Venturer

The red-trouser wearing self-described “establishment rebel” and first and former Bristol mayor George Ferguson joins the podcast this week.

Bristol and the Climate Crisis

Investigations

Uncovering injustice and wrongdoing

Investigations

A year after opening, some residents fear for their safety at controversial south Bristol flats

Imperial Apartments, a converted Hengrove office block where many flats do not meet space standards, was opened in 2020 to private renters and people facing homelessness. There are serious concerns about conditions there – but with Bristol’s bleak rental market cutting off housing options, some s...

Alex Turner

Revealed: Untreated sewage is being dumped into our rivers thousands of times a year. Who’s to blame and can it be stopped?

The surge in popularity of wild swimming during the pandemic has highlighted the extent to which our outdated sewage system dumps waste into rivers – including the Avon. The Cable asks why, and speaks to local campaigners pushing for change.

Billy Stockwell

Bristol and the Climate Crisis

‘Covid meant I didn't have a job any more’: dozens of Bristolians face eviction after pandemic ban lifts

Hundreds of people across the country have lost their homes in hearings lasting just 10 minutes, an investigation has found. In most cases, judges couldn’t take Covid-related hardship into account.

Alex Turner, Fatima Hudoon and Jacob Moreton

Video

Watch: Reactions to Colston 4 verdict after defendants walk free from court

Following the landmark trial's conclusion, this video captures the moment the defendants walked free, and reactions from those involved.

Priyanka Raval, Sandro Gromen-Hayes and Aphra Evans

Video

Watch: The government blocked Bristol's plans for tackling drug overdoses. This Scottish activist took matters into his own hands.

Cranstoun Project Lead Peter Krykant set up his own safe consumption room in a van in Glasgow. The idea has support in Bristol, so what will happen next?

Aphra Evans

Video

Watch: The filmmakers behind 'Rooted in Bristol' discuss land, race and inequality

The new documentary, which premiered at Afrika Eye Film Festival, profiles Bristol’s Black and Afro-Caribbean food growers who discuss the importance of equitable access to land.

Aphra Evans

Join 2,700+ Cable members redefining local media

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Bristol and the Climate Crisis

Could a camera developed in Bristol that can ‘see’ methane leaks offer a path to curbing industrial greenhouse gas emissions?

UN scientists argue that cutting methane offers the fastest, most effective way to reduce the rate of global temperature rises.

Aphra Evans

PHOTOESSAY: Protestors demand action on climate crisis

With negotiations ongoing at the COP26 climate summit, Bristolians took to the streets on Saturday to march for a greener future.

Guy Peterson

Features

Andreas Malm: 'Why climate activists should engage in acts of sabotage'

Environmental protesters need to rethink their tactics, argues a Swedish scholar of human ecology who came to Bristol this week.

Sean Morrison

Cable Community

The Bristol Cable is not just a publisher, it's a community of 2,700+ people

Co-op Community

‘A monumental moment in history’: Cable readers react to the Colston 4 being cleared

Most readers expressed support for the Colston 4 and criticised past inaction from the council, while others had concerns about what their acquittal meant for the fate of other statues.

Matty Edwards

Co-op Community

5 things the Cable learned this year

As we reflect on 2021 and welcome 2022, one thing is clear: together, we can reshape the media and with it, our city.

Marianne Brooker

Why we’re dedicating time to investigate the renting crisis in Bristol

We’ve been collecting the experiences of readers to investigate how Bristol’s rental market has gotten even tougher since the pandemic.

The Bristol Cable

Coronavirus in Bristol

The latest on how the pandemic is affecting our city

Bristol's Omicron peak still weeks away, as hospitals declare internal critical incidents

Bristol is seeing very high rates of infection, but this isn't translating into lots of people needing hospital treatment, say health leaders.

Stephen Sumner (Local Democracy Reporter)

Long Covid and the frontline of mass unemployment

Over a million people are still unwell months after catching Covid-19. With sick pay quickly running out, thousands could lose their jobs and face financial ruin.

Jess Connett