Bristol City Council takes back control of Bearpit

The question of what should be done with the Bearpit has divided opinion across Bristol – and the council is now taking the matter into its own hands.

A thoroughfare used by thousands each day, centre of artistic expression and beloved community space, the sunken St James Barton roundabout has recently been plagued with a rise in anti-social behaviour and crime, as well as conflicting visions for its future.

The Bearpit Improvement Group and traders have both been at the heart of efforts to improve the area, but reached stalemate over how best to proceed, leading to the formation of the new Bearpit Community Trust (BCT) in November 2017 to take things forward.

Miriam Delogu described the decision to close Bearpit Social as ‘heartbreaking’

However, following the abrupt closure of Bearpit Social and Bearritos due to concerns for staff safety, landowners Bristol City Council say it is time to take back full control.

Asher Craig, deputy mayor with responsibility for communities, said: “Some great work has been done within the Bearpit over the last few years and I am extremely grateful to those involved for all of their efforts.

“A lot has been achieved, but we cannot ignore the unacceptable anti-social behaviour that has taken place recently, so it is necessary for us to take action and take back full control of the area.

“We need to ensure that this space is providing a safe and positive environment that people across the city can enjoy.

All graffiti will be removed from the Bearpit

“We will be focusing in the short term on cleaning up the area and dealing with the crime issues, and we will then begin to gather ideas to help us decide on a more long-term strategy that will encourage community spirit and support local businesses.”

Asher Craig says the council’s priority is to make the Bearpit clean and safe

Reacting to the news, Benoit Bennett, a former director of the Bearpit Improvement Group, told Bristol24/7: “I have kind of been expecting it for a while.

“Between the conflicting visions of what the Bearpit should be and the council allowing more than group to be involved, I’m not surprised they have got to start from scratch.

“It’s a shame for everyone who has put in a lot of work. The whole process is so involved and so complex that maybe it does make sense, I just don’t trust that they would have a vision that is right for the area.”

Volunteers took part in a community day of action in the Bearpit at the end of February

Darren Hall, a former board member of the BCT said he understands the council’s decision, adding: “It is shame however that there doesn’t seem to be any appetite to allow the recently-formed BCT to play a role in delivering the sustainable regeneration plans that we had been developing.

“In my view, the only way the Bearpit is going to be the gateway to the city that we can all be proud of is to create a space for community enterprise that will entice people to take the weight off for half an hour, rather than rush through or around it.

“Our plans included offering jobs and support to those who many would like to see moved on and to bring in social investment to make best use of what could be a great venue.

“Once the statutory agencies have addressed the immediate safety concerns, I hope the council will reconsider who is best placed to deliver this kind of regeneration. Given the right opportunity, I think Bristol’s amazing social enterprises could make a real difference.”

Craig confirmed that there will be opportunities for people to remain involved and to influence the future strategy for the space, but there will no longer be a community group in charge of the area.

The council’s immediate strategy will see the installation of new CCTV and graffiti and tagging will be removed by Bristol Waste until a new strategy outlining an approach to art has been agreed.

Information will be released in due course on how people can get involved with ideas on the future of the area.

Read more: A day of community action in the Bearpit