A fight for community space
Community space is under threat. The Council is pushing forward plans to build 1000 homes in Lockleaze and they currently have their eye on the Cameron Centre and Police Station site for up to 50 homes and some ‘ground floor active frontage including library and potentially cafe/community space’. There is no commitment to keep the same level of community space that we currently have nor to enhance community space despite the lack of community amenities already (both local pubs closed down, very few places to socialise) nor is there a commitment to allow the current tenants - Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust - to remain as tenants in the new development.
The Cameron Centre has been community space since Lockleaze began, starting with an older peoples forum and then leased to Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust from 1997 - an organisation led-by residents to support residents to achieve positive change for themselves and their community. For the last 24 years it has been the home of Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust and used by residents for community forums, Islamic Friday prayer group, Somali women’s group, worship and Christian church House of Grace, Aikido, Karate, Lockleaze Library, computer access and private hire for birthday parties and the like. It is also a source of income for Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust and without it we would struggle to survive. The Council are consulting on what next for the Cameron Centre but instead of doing it with us they are doing to us. They are not committing to community space in its place and they are not committing to Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust as they key tenant or owner.
Southmead Development Trust was recently awarded £7m and free land for their development at Glencoyne Square, Ambition Lawrence Weston awarded £1m and 35 year lease with no rent for their new community space - we don’t begrudge neighbouring communities their success, we know how important it is to have the strong community organisations that respond to emerging needs and advocate for the community, and create opportunities - we just want to know when is it our turn?
For some time LNT has been talking to the Council about this site coming up with business plans, drawings and proposals; we see it as an opportunity to meet resident need as identified in the community plan and various community engagements, and to provide new sources of income to sustain community services. In particular, we have been speaking with Raised In Bristol, a social enterprise nursery, who set up in Easton Community Centre to provide high quality nursery care, local jobs at living wage with development opportunities, and profit share back into the community, and in so doing kept the community centre open. Raised In Bristol, working with Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust could support ongoing costs of community space and community engagement and help fund new space such as computer access and study or co-working space, and other needs around affordable places to socialise and opportunities for new businesses in Lockleaze.
We think new homes are important with 15,000 on the housing register in Bristol and 500 of those people from Lockleaze in need of housing, hence our own community led housing project focused on meeting Lockleaze housing need. We have set up the residents planning group and we have been working with the community to respond constructively to developments to make sure that houses meet community need, fit with the character of the area and also development is focused not on just delivering houses for a city wide need but also building community in Lockleaze. That is why it is so crucial that this development on Gainsborough square does not just become more houses but is an opportunity for much needed services such as places to socialise and nursery places, as identified in our community plan, and a place to grow jobs and the local economy (and some houses).
Please join us in the fight to save community space and respond to the consultation asking for
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust as key anchor tenant on favourable terms as seen in Southmead and Lawrence Weston
Community as partners not consultees
Space for a nursery, cafe, community facilities and new businesses
Council to focus on building community not just building houses