‘What Lockleaze needs’

I’ve lived in Lockleaze for more than a decade and it has always been a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood to live in. Of course, with any neighbourhood there are always negative aspects, but the positives in Lockleaze are now slowly beginning to outweigh the negatives.

Labelled by some as a cul-de-sac because of its separation from the rest of Bristol, and an unknown area of the city to many, for a long time Lockleaze has been viewed as a bit of a boring area in desperate need of renewal.

Last year, however, a £3.5m regeneration project at Gainsborough Square was completed and officially opened by Bristol mayor George Ferguson and Bristol North West MP Charlotte Leslie.

Overlooking the revitalised square with its brand new playground and green areas is The Hub community centre, along with 28 affordable new homes and business spaces helping to bring life back into the area.

As far as activities for young children are concerned, there is a lot for children to get involved in. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time playing at the park in Gainsborough Square and at the Lockleaze Youth & Play Space at the top of Romney Avenue, especially in the summer when there were events and trips specifically tailored to keeping young kids out enjoying the sun and having fun.

Though I didn’t go to school in Lockleaze, the Stoke Park Primary School is right in the heart of the area, which is perfect for parents living close by, and there are various other primary and secondary schools in the surrounding areas of Horfield, Filton and Eastville.

Although I had fun here as a young kid (and to be honest, as long as there were swings in a park, I was happy), as I’ve grown up, I’ve spent less and less time in the community because there simply isn’t enough to attract people to it.

There are still a lot of ways in which improvements in the area could be made to make it far more vibrant.

Apart from the small takeaways, local barbers and McColls, the shopping area is dead. If there were more shops, cafes, restaurants and possibly even an event space to open in Gainsborough Square, it would definitely be a bonus and would attract a wider variety of people, especially teenagers and young adults to head into Lockleaze.

For Lockleaze’s elderly residents, it has been a quiet area that is great to retire in. My grandma lived in a flat at the end of Downman Road and although she enjoyed the peace and quiet, she would have preferred to meet and take part in activities with other residents in the area.

Unfortunately, there aren’t much community activities that are appropriately tailored to meet the needs of the elderly, which is another aspect that needs to be improved.

As Bristol continues to grow and develop, it’s important that Lockleaze is included in these plans. Although there have been has huge improvements in the past few years to revive it and to ensure that the community are happy in the area, there is still so much more to do.

The residents of Lockleaze have voiced their opinions in neighbourhood meetings held by the residents’ group Lockleaze Voice. Earlier this year, they worked with the city council to put in place a new vision and plan to transform Lockleaze into a “spacious village” focused on retail and commercial investment, modern housing, village greens, improving public transport and much more.

I am excited to see what new developments will be happening soon to continue the rebirth of this community that I am proud to call my home.

Daisay Johnson is a 21-year-old multi-platform journalist born and raised in Bristol. She has a passion for all things digital, multimedia and music-related.

Read more: End in sight for derelict Lockleaze pub?