Bristol City Council Archives - The Bristol Cable

Bristol City Council

Illustration of a three tower blocks held by rope falling on three people's heads, on a pink background

As Bristol battles to build affordable housing, developers are still gaming the system

The Cable has uncovered a brazen attempt by prolific property developers to escape building affordable housing, at a time when the city is still falling well short of its own targets.

Matty Edwards

Explainer

Explained: What do council funding reforms mean for Bristol?

Matty Edwards

Features

A man with glasses and a beard stands in front of a park playground, showcasing a casual yet thoughtful demeanour.

Project helping new dads cope with parenthood faces uncertain future

Matty Edwards

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Neil Maggs

Listen: Bristol Unpacked, with former Lord Mayor Paul Goggin on homelessness, mental health and the struggle for south Bristol votes

'It's been eventful', says Paul Goggin, of a life that has featured both rough sleeping and local politics. He joins Neil Maggs to talk housing, faith, and whether Labour should fear Reform in wards like Hartcliffe and Withywood.

Alex Turner, Neil Maggs and George Colwey

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Neil Maggs

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Amanda Sharman on leading the charge for boat-dwellers’ rights

Alex Turner, George Colwey and Neil Maggs

Group of six cheerful young people posing together in front of a colorful graffiti wall with the word 'Hartcliffe' (partly obscured) on it.

Area in Focus

South Bristol’s new youth centre is technically in Knowle West. Can it deliver for kids from Hartcliffe too?

Hannah Vickers

Opinion

Recent floods show once again that it’s high time to formally recognise the rights of the River Avon

Rivers are rights-bearing beings that deserve to have a voice in our decision-making structures – and to be treated as life-sustaining ecosystems, not vessels to carry away human waste.

Becca Blease

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Neil Maggs

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Samira Musse on community power, how to consult with people, and giving kids confidence lessons

What do the powers-that-be get wrong when they come to talk to communities – and how could this be done better? And why are youth services so crucial?

Alex Turner, Neil Maggs and George Colwey

Features

Urban street scene showing a cyclist in the foreground and a lineup of parked cars on either side, with commercial buildings.

‘Liveable neighbourhoods’ have caused uproar in east Bristol. How will they fare south of the river?

The council has started consulting on making large areas of south Bristol friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists. What do residents want – and have lessons been learned about how to communicate with them?

Alex Turner

Reports

An aerial photo of a row of buildings, where one of the roofs has collapsed

One of Bristol’s worst ‘eyesore’ buildings has partially collapsed. What is the council doing about it?

The roof of a building owned by a notorious Bristol landlord has caved in, after years of attempts to force him to clean it up.

Alex King

The Big Story

Two adults and a young child stand on a high-rise walkway with a twilight sky in the background. Both adults are wearing colourful headscarves.

Enduring trauma, and a struggle for justice: one year on from the Barton House high-rise evacuation

On 14 November 2023 an east Bristol tower block was evacuated over fears it could collapse, making national news. A year on, residents tell the Cable about the disruption to their lives, the ongoing impact on their wellbeing and their children's – and how a community has been left traumatised.

Priyanka Raval

Opinion

An illustration of tower blocks that look old and battered, with tools laid out in front of them

‘Bristol’s council housing failings are shocking – but are just the tip of a massive national iceberg’

Decades of underinvestment in council homes by central government have led to unacceptable living standards for tenants, in our city and across the country. A national solution is needed.

Paul Smith (Elim Housing Association)

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