CP CS - Bristol Harbourside

where is bristol harbourside located

• in the SW of city (bristol) south west england, which is bordered by counties of somerset and gloucestershire

• the harbour covers 70 acres

• is the former natural tidal river avon (from mouth of the river avon it is 10.5km)

what is the brief history of the harbourside?

• early 13th century = the port developed, already existed prior but began substantial development when the course of river frome was altered to aid accessibility

• late 17th century slave trade with west africa developed

• by 1800 there had been a decline in accessibility as ships got larger so a floating harbour was designed to help this to keep up with competition in the tobacco trade (opened 1809)

• the port declined over time with accidents becoming more frequent due to the size of boats and closed in 1977

• in 1980s regeneration began due to the number of warehouses left derelict

What was the harborside involvement in slave trade

• 500,000 enslaved Africans were carried on Bristol ships.

• early 18th cent 5-20% of profit was made from trading of black slaves

• 1737 overtook london as number one slaving port

• the enslavement ended in 1807 by an act of parliament in britain

• Edward Colston became a member of the Royal African Company and took an active part in the slave trade. He visited Bristol and joined the Society of Merchant Venturers so had a strong role in the slave trade

his statue was torn down in 2020 by BLM protestors

What are some characteristics of the locale of bristol harbourside?

• ss great britain = at one point largest passenger ship in the world (mid 19th cent) - now a museum ship

• M shed = museum for the cultural history of bristol

• variety of restaurants and nightclubs = motion at totterdown basin

• finzels reach = housing (ex sugar refinery)

What ward is bristol harbourside part of?

hotwells and harbourside

What are the demographics?

based on 2021 census data

• population = 6035

• average increases per year = 2.6%

• majority of people aged 16-34

• 2/3 people born in the UK

• 75% white population

• fairly even between religious and non religious people (predominant religions are christianity and muslim)

How does the young population of the harbourside impact the character?

• there is a larger range of nightlife in the area boosting the economy and further bringing in tourism, as is close to the university

• aimed towards students with large proportion in the area - with higher levels of disposable income

• culture = young residents are more likely to engage in cultural and creative activities

• reduces car dependency

• increases in leisure facilities eg gyms

What are the characteristics of the harbourside economy?

• majority of jobs are in the financial and insurance industries with the harbourside having a large amount of office spaces, companies etc

• property prices on average are higher than city average

• average household income between £40 and £90 thousand

what have been the main regeneration efforts on the harbourside over time?

1. public spaces and infrastructure (harbourside walkways)

2. culture and recreation (museums, restaurants, galleries)

3. residential (modern apartments and office spaces)

4. sustainability (eco friendly developments, repurposing of historical buildings)

5. events (annual bristol harbourside festival)

Who has funded regeneration of bristol harbourside?

• bristol city council

• grants from the UK government

• Private businesses such as lloyds

what is the level of education?

61% of people have a degree or higher (20% higher than city average)

higher than average attainment 8 score compared to the rest of the city

what is the prevalence of crime?

366.9 per 1000

75% of locals feel safe out after dark

however antisocial behaviour and overall crime rates are significantly high potentially due to it’s nightlife

what is health like?

91.8 % of the population is in good health

75% residents engage in good amount of physical activity each week and has one of the lowest obesity rates in bristol

How is bristol harbourside represented in the media?

• 2020 edward colston statue brought large amounts of cultural conflict

• may have poor representation due to its history

• seen as vibrant and inviting

What have been the downfalls of regeneration?

• affordability issues = influx of high end developments means property prices are high (gentrification), means many residents are unable to afford to live there. may result in the displacement of residents in the long term

• loss of local character = focus on commercialisation leads to loss of uniqueness of the place - with an influx of chain stores

• transport and congestion may be increased due to increasing population and tourism.