'Absolutely disgusted' Bristol campaign groups join forces in frustration over council's 'broken promises'
Three campaign groups in south Bristol have joined forces in response to ‘broken promises’ from the Green-led council.
The South Bristol Community Coalition has been formed this week by campaigners to regenerate Whitchurch Athletics Track, reopen Eagle House Youth Club and save Yew Tree Farm.
It has brought together campaigners from Whitchurch, Knowle West and Bedminster Down who share a frustration towards the council.
The group has been launched by community activist Carol Casey, who says she is "absolutely disgusted” with the Green Party.
“The purpose of it is for us to come together to show strength in South Bristol,” Casey told BristolWorld after the group’s initial meeting this week.
“We're against the decisions the council is imposing on us - it’s not what the community wants, but what we're being told we have to accept.
“By having a larger group, it makes us more powerful.”
Frustrations the coalition has include that the former Eagle House Youth Club in Knowle West is still being leased to a controversial church despite a local community group wanting to run it as a youth club again.
The Green Party had pledged to terminate the church’s lease within six months of last year’s local elections - but failed to do so.
Other concerns include that the former Whitchurch Athletics Track is still set to be lost to housing as part of the council’s Hengrove Park housing development.
While farmer Catherine Withers, who now has to leave Yew Tree Farm in Bedminster Down, is unhappy that the grazing licence had not been issued to her despite being told the council would do so.
In response to the coalition, the council commented on the campaigns for the youth club and the track - but not the farm.
On Whitchurch Athletics Track, Bristol City Council’s leader Tony Dyer said: “The Hengrove Park development includes 1,435 homes that our city desperately needs, half of which will be affordable. This will include hundreds of social homes designed to meet South Bristol’s need for truly affordable housing given its large levels of social deprivation.
“A range of new sports and leisure facilities are being delivered as part of the Hengrove Park development. This sports provision must reflect the needs of the diverse local area, so as well as the campaign group, we will work closely with Bristol City Council’s sports development team and Sports England on developing them.
“This is an alternative option to re-opening the old athletics track, which closed in 2010 and has been earmarked for development. Retaining the running track would be a material change that would require the planning permission to be revisited, which took years to secure, considerably delaying the delivery of much needed homes in South Bristol. I do not feel this would be the right decision when we have such an urgent need to build new homes for our city.”
On Eagle House, Dyer added: “I am aware that a pledge that was made before the election that we would commence the process of terminating the current lease at Eagle House within six months, unless unforeseen legal complications arose.
“This was investigated and unfortunately, there are no legal grounds to terminate the lease early without potentially leading to a drawn-out legal process that could actually delay releasing the community facilities for local use. However, I can confirm that the council has no intention of renewing the leasehold with the current holder when it ends in 2026.
“I will be working with local councillors and officers to ensure that community facilities either at Eagle House or any potential redevelopment will be made available to the local community on a sustainable footing at the earliest possible time.”
The South Bristol Community Coalition hopes to meet again in a couple of months, with more groups invited to join.