Cameron Centre Site Update
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust
Supporting residents to achieve positive change for themselves and their community.
UPDATE
What Next for the Cameron Centre Site in Lockleaze?
By the end of October 2024, Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust (LNT) are required to hand back the keys to the Cameron Centre (on Cameron Walk) to owners Bristol City Council. LNT have rented the site for the community for many years.
Bristol City Council are re-developing the site – including the old police station next door - into 37 new homes, and demolition will begin in November 2024. All of the new homes will be affordable, with 50% of the allocations delivered through our Lockleaze Local Lettings Policy.
It is the end of an era. The Cameron Centre has been a key community space in Lockleaze, hosting a community hall, a library and a kitchen and offering a home to countless sports clubs, religious services, dances, playgroups, birthday parties and other events. It is a cherished place for people of all ages, faiths and needs to come together.
Serious Concerns about New Community Space
LNT are campaigning to ensure that Bristol City Council provide an affordable, like for like community space.
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust have long raised concerns that whilst Bristol City Council have undertaken to give LNT ‘preferred bidder’ status to run the new space, the rent the Council are now proposing to charge for the space will be unaffordable and this will hugely increase community hire costs. Therefore, as LNT have worked hard to maintain affordable hire costs for the community, a large increase in rent is not acceptable.
LNT’s new CEO Melissa Blackburn said:
‘Across Bristol, local organisations like ours need Bristol City Council to get behind us and support the work we do in our communities. We can’t do that work with sky-high rents. So we’re putting the Council on notice that we will continue to campaign for an affordable community space in Lockleaze.’
What Next
LNT are currently supporting the groups that use the Cameron Centre to relocate into The Hub (which we’re currently refurbishing for the community, re-opening in November 2024), or into the Old St James Church on Romney Avenue (which LNT have taken on in order to replace space lost by the demolition of the Cameron Centre). Both those spaces will be available to ensure there is an uninterrupted provision for residents.
Lockleaze Library
The closure of Bristol City Council’s Lockleaze library at the Cameron Centre means Lockleaze has been at risk of losing its library service. Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust has proposed that we will host a pilot library service in The Hub on Gainsborough Square. This will be a temporary measure which will provide a reservations and returns service for residents with improved accessibility. LNT will continue to campaign with residents for a proper library service in Lockleaze.
Working with and for our community
Meanwhile, LNT will be going out to ask the community over the next six months about how the new community space should be used, and how they think the Council should approach a space that has always been such a key part of Lockleaze. This is part of a new drive by LNT to create a new Community Plan for 2025.
Editors Notes:
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust is the anchor community organisation for Lockleaze, supporting residents to create positive change for themselves and their community. You can see what we do here: www.lockleazehub.org.uk
Further questions about Cameron Centre / Police Station new housing development should be directed to: housing.development.hra@bristol.gov.uk. Bristol City Council’s Bristol Local Plan, which includes policy on community space, can be found here.
LNT has developed a Local Lettings Policy which has been adopted by Bristol City Council, which means that 50% of all new homes built for social and affordable rent in the Ward will be allocated to those with a connection to Lockleaze. You can read the full policy here.
Lockleaze Library has existed since 2016 and LNT campaigned hard with the community for the service to come to Lockleaze.
The Hub, Fedden Buildings,
Gainsborough Square,
Lockleaze, Bristol BS7 9FB
Registered Charity Number: 1063275 Company Registration No: 3372115