Protecting Bristol’s nighttime economy

A vibrant melting pot of creativity and culture, Bristol continues to attract crowds for its diverse night life.

But the city risks becoming a victim of its own success as an expanding population exacerbates an acute housing problem and much-loved venues close their doors for good – giving rise to new developments.

Just some of the challenges facing Bristol’s night time economy include:

• The rate of closures that has seen the demise of venues such as the Surrey Vaults and the Bierkeller, with Blue Mountain and Lakota due to follow suit.
• Lack of Security Industry Authority trained staff.
• New music licensing rules that will see many venues facing “exorbitant hikes” in fees.
• Cumulative Impact Zones, whereby councils mitigate against potentially negative effects of entertainment in crowded zones through licensing restrictions.
• New developments close to existing venues.
• Landlords taking premises back as the value of property increases.

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Read more: Famous Stokes Croft club announces closure

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A new advisory panel has been set up to address these issues and preserve the city’s night scene, while taking responsibility for ensuring it is an inclusive environment in which businesses and people can flourish.

Chaired by Marti Burgess, head of corporate SME at law firm Gregg Latchams and co-owner of Lakota, the group will influence council policy-making and involve stakeholders from hospitality, transport and emergency services.

Marti Burgess says the formation of the panel is an important step to preserve the city’s nightlife

“Bristol is a great city to live in and one of its best assets is its nightlife,” said Marti.

“It does not matter what age you are or what you are in to, Bristol caters for all with its great restaurants, bars, pubs and of course its fantastic nightclubs and live venues.

“All of this is underpinned by our anarchic approach to culture and creativity, which has resulted in our rich and diverse music scene.

“Long may it continue. I see this panel as an important step to ensuring that those of us working within Bristol nighttime economy are heard when big decisions are being made about the development of the city.”

Broadly defined as leisure activities and support services between 5pm and 5am, the UK nighttime economy is worth £66 billion annually, according to figures from the Night Time Industries Association.

Proposed night view of Bristol’s harbourside following Watershed’s expansion

Proposals for the £12m expansion of Watershed on Bristol’s harbourside mark the latest in a line of venues to undergo major works, following in the footsteps of Colston Hall, Bristol Old Vic and St George’s.

Hailed a “public declaration of creativity in the heart of the city” by Watershed CEO Clare Reddington, plans for the six-storey extension of the cinema and arts centre are yet another indication of a willingness to invest in the cultural offering.

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Read more: Watershed unveil plans for six-storey extension and new cinema

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There is a strong impetus to protect the creative, cultural elements that make the city what it is, but with the fast pace of change, it is a difficult balancing act to meet the needs of residents and venues.

To an extent, this puts greater impetus on business owners to operate responsibly, adhere to licensing rules and give staff a fair deal. This is aided by the rise of technology such as the Bristol-based app Tip Tap, which is set to make tipping more transparent.

Speaking about the new panel, Nicola Beech, the council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “Bristol is a massively successful cultural city – the bar is already set really high.

“We want to see our nighttime economy flourish in the face of change and I am convinced establishing a collective, independent voice will give us the right foundation to build from.

“We need to future proof our fantastic nightlife and put in place the right conditions for it to grow safely and authentically.”

The Agent of Change principle, which puts the onus on the party that’s initiating change – whether it be developer or venue – to mitigate against any impact on existing buildings in the area, has gained Government backing and is included in Bristol’s draft Local Plan.

Chris Sharp has welcomed the creation of a panel to give a collective voice to the city’s venues and nightime businesses

But owner of The Fleece Chris Sharp – whose business has faced the dual threat of new development and a sudden hike in business rates – says there are still many challenges to be overcome.

“There is an increasing use of central space for residential purposes despite Agent of Change legislation,” he told Bristol24/7.

“Bourgeoisification of venues like the Stag & Hounds will also be a problem, as the gig culture is not seen as overly middle class and aspirational.

“There is also the continuing problem, shared with the high street in general, of business rates being set at ludicrously high levels. The Government has belatedly started thinking about this, but I doubt they will do anything terribly useful in the short term.”

He added: “I think the advisory panel can only be a good thing and I’m hopeful we can achieve positive results. A united voice is always harder to ignore.”

Accessibility remains a huge issue for disabled people in Bristol

Improving inclusivity:

For Laura Welti, the manager of Bristol Disability Equality Forum, the city has a long way to go to make its nightlife inclusive and accessible to all.

“If they are to have any chance of succeeding, it’s essential that the panel includes disabled people who are in contact with other disabled people with a wide range of impairments,” she told Bristol24/7.

Laura said disabled people experience multiple barriers, starting with getting out in the first place. All too often, the one wheelchair space on buses will be occupied and cabs frequently can’t accommodate wheelchairs.

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Read more: ‘No longer can we ignore the unfair discrimination against disabled people’
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Further issues include accessibility, lack of adequate disabled toilet facilities, over-crowded venues and hazardous floors and pathways that pose problems for people with limited mobility, as well as assistance dogs, and a failure to provide enough disabled seating so wheelchair users can enjoy performances alongside friends and family.

“The first thing the council needs to do is make accessibility a condition of every business that requires a licence – or provide evidence of what accessibility it is not ‘reasonable’ to expect of them,” said Laura.

“This should also include all taxi companies (as opposed to individual drivers) by requiring a minimum number or percentage of accessible taxis to be on duty.

“As with all sectors of the community, feeling safe is a big issue, but it should be noted that there is an increased risk for disabled people due to their being perceived as ‘easy targets’.”

Emergency services and health care providers:

The busy nighttime economy can put immense pressure on already-stretched emergency services and hospitals. Representatives on the panel will work with key stakeholders to mitigate against this and improve safety for all.

An example of this in practice is the mobile treatment centre, operated by South Western Ambulance Service (SWASFT) in partnership with other agencies, which is set up to look after people who become vulnerable through excess alcohol.

Instead of sending those who are unable to look after themselves – but are not ill or injured – to hospital or police custody, SWASFT will look after them in a temporary treatment facility.

The aim is to best meet the needs of those patients who are vulnerable due to an excess of alcohol, while also reducing the pressure on other valuable resources, such as hospital emergency departments and police custody suites.

The panel will meet quarterly to collectively reach solutions for some of the key challenges facing Bristol’s night time economy. The work will feed into Bristol City Council’s City Centre Revitalisation Strategy.

Main image: Messenger at the Fleece. Photo by Mike Evans

Read more: The future of Bristol’s live music scene