City of contrasts

Bristol is renowned for its period architecture, so it is little surprise that around a third of the city is a conservation area, but it’s not all olde worlde – there’s plenty of room for the modern too

With such a rich architectural heritage, it can be a tricky challenge to get the balance right between how the old is preserved and the new created and the both of them melded to create a flavour of the contemporary that can stand the test of time. But that’s the challenge faced by Bristol’s regeneration chiefs.

On top of that, of course, the city also faces the need to house a growing population, to regenerate, and to attract or retain business and investment to keep the city’s economy and social scene both vibrant and buoyant. Well, nobody ever said this kind of thing is easy.

“In economic terms, Bristol is a prosperous city nationally and internationally,” said the Bristol Partnership in its State of the City 2010 report, released at the beginning of this year. “Bristol’s prosperity is built on a wide and varied industrial base, including high-tech industries, business services, banking and finance, distribution and retail, and the creative industries. It is a beautiful city with an international reputation as a good place to live and do business, a thriving arts scene and a modern city centre.”

It is perhaps little wonder, then, that it lists highly in the ranking of so-called sustainable cities, as assessed by the organisation Forum for the Future, coming in at number four for the fourth year running, ahead of London. For all that, the city isn’t without its significant challenges.

“It is a city of contrasts: its relative prosperity throws these contrasts into sharp relief,” as the State of the City report added. “Furthermore, Bristol’s prosperity is not shared by all its citizens: many areas of the city suffer from multiple deprivations.”

According to the report, some 65,000 people – 16 per cent of the city’s population – live in the city’s most deprived areas. With a population of around 433,100 people, Bristol is the largest city in the South West and also one of the eight ‘Core Cities’ in E ngland (excluding London). The city’s population has increased overall by 11 per cent since 2001 and it is projected to see its population grow by a further 159,600 people by 2033, so it faces continued pressure of infrastructure, facilities, employment need – and of course housing.

The council is doing its best to deliver new homes, with 12 new council homes currently under construction, while last month it celebrated the completion of the 100th new home built as part of a prefab redevelopment programme. The latter is a long term project that began in 2003, and while it is not in itself adding to the city’s stock, it is intended to lever in some additional homes.

“Addressing the legacy of housing put up as a short-term measure many years ago has been a real challenge given the lack of capital funding,” said Councillor Mark Wright, cabinet member for housing and service improvement. “However, through a combination of hard work and an innovative partnership approach, we have succeeded in finding a solution to replacing these homes with a mixture of new houses, bungalows and flats fit for purpose. The partnership with Bovis Homes also means that a further 768 private and social homes, managed by a registered social landlord, are also being built.”

As for the 12, the numbers may be small, but it’s an all-important start on council newbuild. As Councillor Anthony Negus, cabinet member for strategic housing and regeneration, said: “This is nothing like the number Bristol needs to meet the current demand but it is a step in the right direction. Much of what we do in Bristol is retrofitting and raising [homes] to Decent Homes standard. Also, we sponsor and facilitate the delivery of affordable homes through private development.”

Negus has a strong regard for design as an essential aspect of regeneration and place-shaping. That’s hardly surprising as a former conservation architect. Indeed, the councillor, who is also the city’s heritage champion regards design as fundamental to the delivery of successful regeneration.

“Good design is something that is palpable,” he said. “It’s something that people can recognise and can enjoy, but more importantly good design is sustainable. I t’s going to create buildings that last longer because they have been thought through to be more adaptable.”

The city has recently revised its planning protocols in an effort to help encourage investment in Bristol by making the planning process easier to navigate. Negus said: “Securing new investment and making high-quality design an integral part of development management are both key priorities for Bristol. We want to make it easier and therefore more attractive for businesses which are looking to develop in the city to work with us.

“If investors realise that we are seriously looking to create, at every opportunity, the most attractive city that we can, then they will start to realise – and they do realise – that it will attract the right sort of staff that will want to come and live in this city.”

Getting that vision right, in theory as well as practice, is the key to a sustainable, living city where people want to live, work and play – whether it is homes, commercial and retail premises, public spaces, it’s all about creating modern buildings that will stand the test of time – and in time for the best of them to take their place among the city’s existing architectural heritage.