Bishopston & Ashley Down Labour Party The website of the Labour Party in Bishopston & Ashley Down ward
As part of our promise to help the Gloucester Road retail area continue to thrive I, working with Mayor Marvin Rees, have established a multi-partner working group for Gloucester Road.
The inaugural meeting of this group was held last week, bringing together the Mayor, Councillors, Bristol City Council, Bristol Waste Company, Destination Bristol, and the Bishopston Cotham and Redland Street Scene Group. The Gloucester Road traders were represented by the Business Improvement District, Gloucester Road Central and the new Gloucester Road Enterprise And Trade association (which encompasses the whole road).
Opening the meeting, Marvin made it clear that the common aim should be protecting and nurturing the diversity of Gloucester Road’s businesses, and that cross-stakeholder working in this way is key to the present, and future, wellbeing of the road as a retail area. This is especially pertinent within the bounds of decreased budgets across the public sector, and it is hoped the working group can achieve more together than apart.
The working group discussed a range of topics, including crime, street scene, traffic, parking, tourism and how to support the road’s economic development. Many of the attendees committed to taking various actions across all subject areas discussed.
The meeting followed on from informal discussions between stakeholders, and from a meeting held with traders and the Mayor earlier in the year. The working group will now meet regularly as a forum for multi-partner working and collaboration.
It was great to have such a collaborative and productive discussion with such a wide array of stakeholders. It’s exactly this kind of co-operative working that we need to increase the road’s success and to make it more resilient for the future. There is a clear recognition from the city-wide stakeholders involved that Gloucester Road is a brilliant asset, not only to our local area but to Bristol as a whole. I’m therefore eager to see the results of the working group moving forward, as we work together to promote and improve the road.