News / Finzels reach
Protesters disrupt new bridge opening
Protesters angry at the lack of social housing within the city disrupted the private opening of Bristol’s newest bridge.
Officially named and opened to the public on Friday morning, the bridge connects Castle Park with the £250m new Finzels Reach site made up of private rental flats, affordable homes, offices, leisure and retail units.
On Thursday evening, impassioned protesters barred the entry of Finzels Reach officials onto the bridge before gaining access to the bridge itself despite security measures.
is needed now More than ever
Invited guests arriving by boat were unable to walk across the bridge to access the site and were eventually forced to leave Castle Park.
The protest was organised by the Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now (Acorn).
Acorn’s Bristol coordinator Jane McDowell said that she hoped Thursday evening’s protest would highlight the need for social housing in Bristol.
The Facebook event for the protest organised by stated that “we want social and truly affordable housing for all, not luxury apartments for the wealthy”.
Gavin Bridge, director of Cubex, developers of Finzels Reach, said: “We decided to develop the site broadly on the basis of an existing planning consent and agreements negotiated between Bristol City Council and the previous developer.
“These involved a total of 437 new apartments to meet a variety of different housing needs, including affordable, private rental, private sales and 55 affordable homes, which are already built, occupied and operated as socially rental housing.
“Alongside the homes, there will be almost a quarter of a million square feet of new office space, shops, restaurants, a micro-brewery and a 168-bedroom new Premier Inn hotel.
“New car-free public routes through the site and a new bridge over to Castle Park are designed to encourage the public into the area and help connect it back into the heart of the city.”
Read more: New cafe with a side of hot yoga opens in Finzels Reach
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