Ward profiles 2021: Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston – ‘It has its ups and downs’

In days gone by, ships sailing up the River Avon towards Bristol would unload their cargo of gunpowder in two sheds built next to the river in Shirehampton.

The ammunition was stored here so that it would not accidentally ignite when in Bristol’s docks, with a private home known as the Powder House now within the Grade II-listed late 18th century stone jetty and sheds.

Nowadays, most large ships no longer choose to make their way up the Avon. Instead, cargo is unloaded in Avonmouth, where the creation of a freeport – a key platform of WECA mayor Tim Bowles – was earlier this month roundly ignored by Rishi Sunak in the Budget.

Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston ward is Bristol’s largest in terms of area, being more than double the size of the next biggest.

As well as its titular neighbourhoods, it also contains Shirehampton, Coombe Dingle, Blaise Castle, Kingsweston and parts of Sea Mills.

Nicky’s Nosh has been trading for almost five years – photo: Martin Booth

On a patch of land underneath the M5 in Avonmouth, between West Town Road and the Portway, Nicky’s Nosh was doing a brisk trade soon after 10.30am on a recent Monday morning.

A small bacon roll here costs £2.50 and coffee £1.20, with Nicky knowing all of her regular customers by name.

“I’ve been here almost five years now,” she told Bristol24/7. “Is Avonmouth a good place to be? It has its ups and downs.

“There have been a few problems but I’ve got the sort of face you don’t want to mess with,” she laughed.

Meadow Street in Avonmouth – photo: Martin Booth

Nowhere in Avonmouth is too far away from heavy industry, with some back gardens backing onto huge buildings belching smoke.

Premature mortality in Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston is significantly worse than the Bristol average, with the cause of death from respiratory disease almost twice the city average.

As well as the danger in just clocking on for some of the jobs in this area – tragically highlighted in December 2020 with the death of four workers killed in an explosion at a site off Kings Weston Lane – fly tipping is also an issue to raise the hackles.

Fly tipping in Lawrence Weston – photo: Martin Booth

Close to the entrance to Lawrence Weston’s BMX track on Henacre Road, a ‘no fly tipping’ sign was having no effect whatsoever on Monday, with a dumped mattress even leaning against the bonnet of a Bristol City Council van.

Much of the nearby field is currently fenced off as more than 125 new homes prepare to rise from the ground in a development called Century Park.

The developers, Curo, bought 10.2 acres of land from Bristol City Council in February 2018 and promise that 30 per cent of the homes will be affordable housing for social rent and shared ownership.

The new houses will be built behind Long Cross, with the other side of the development bordering Kings Weston Lane, the link between Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth.

Century Park is one of three sites identified for new housing in the Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Plan – photo: Martin Booth

In 2016, this ward elected one Tory councillor, Matthew Melias, and two Labour councillors, with one of those, Jo Sergeant, recently quitting the party.

Alongside sitting councillor Don Alexander, Labour’s other candidate in May (and likely new councillor based on past results here) is Daphne Chikwere, who lives in Lawrence Weston.

So far, their only confirmed challengers are the Green Party’s Simeon Rowsell, Robert Triggs and Jackie Walkden. But they are highly unlikely to offer any credible challenge to Labour and the Tories, with the Greens receiving just six per cent of the vote here in the 2016 local elections.

“I am putting myself forward to be your Labour councillor in Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston (AL&W) because I believe I can help deliver the visions of a better AL&W,” Daphne says on her website, where her campaign issues include more reliable and affordable local bus services, ensuring new developments have genuinely affordable housing. keeping libraries open, and reducing littering and fly-tipping.

“I am a council tenant,” she says. “My children attend the local schools. I use the local GP services and the same roads as you all, whether by car or bus. Our experiences about the services in the area are the same.

“Therefore, who better to fix our issues than our very own selves? I love AL&W ward as much as I love living in Bristol. Therefore, I will fight your corner in council meetings to bring the necessary changes needed in our community.”

Main photo: Martin Booth

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