The regeneration of the shopping quarter can’t come quickly enough, according to visitors
Bristolian Carol (left) was much less impressed than tourist Yvonne (right)(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Broadmead has been labelled a “cesspit” and slammed as a shadow of its former self by fed-up Bristolians. The state of Bristol’s Shopping Quarter made headlines once again recently following a social media rant from Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of ex-MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
“Bristol really brought home the malaise we are suffering from in our country,” she concluded her post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It felt like a city that had given up.”
Bristol Live set out to see if that withering assessment was fair, and headed to Broadmead on an overcast September morning to speak to other shoppers. Those canvassed did not hold back in their critique.
“It’s a cesspit, they should bulldoze it all down,” Carol Porter, a 72-year-old who has lived in Bristol her entire life, said. “It’s covered with filth, druggies and drunks.
“I only come down here if I’ve got to. I used to meet my friend here every three weeks, now it’s (at most) every eight weeks, it’s getting so bad.”
Tessa, a fellow shopper, agreed with Ms Porter’s damning verdict. “It’s pretty horrendous,” she said. “I used to enjoy coming into town but now I just try to get in and out as quickly as possible.”
Carol Porter says Broadmead is in need of improvement(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Ms Porter, from Whitchurch, was reluctantly accompanying her grandson on a shopping trip. She said she had rarely seen the city centre in as grim a condition as in the present day.
“Who wants to come here?” she asked. She said her daughter, who worked at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, had to call people during her brief walk through the city centre after work to get to her car because she feared for her safety.
Vivienne Kennedy, director of the Broadmead Business Improvement District, acknowledged the frustration many people had at the state of the shopping area, but said any solution would take time.
“We absolutely recognise that some people feel frustrated about the challenges facing Broadmead right now,” she said. “We are actively working with our partners to collect the right data and build a fair picture of the issues.
“There isn’t a quick fix, but there is a shared determination to make sure the city centre is welcoming, safe and sustainable for the future.”
Ms Westwood pointed to new openings such as The Climbing Hangar and La Mart as signs of life in Broadmead, along with the lease extension of Sofab Sports.
Other new openings are set to breathe life into Cabot Circus. A huge new Marks & Spencer is due to open this autumn, in the site formerly occupied by House of Fraser.
Major Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo is also set to open its first Bristol store, with an exact timeframe for the opening still to be announced. And the feedback from visitors to Broadmead wasn’t universally negative.
Yvonne Gentile, who was on holiday in the UK from Kansas City in the USA, said she was enjoying her time in the city centre.
“It’s great,” she said. “There’s plenty of people around, lots of shopping opportunities.”
“I like it.”
Yvonne Gentile said she liked Broadmead during her visit(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
John, from Horfield, didn’t see it quite the same. “It’s pretty bad,” he said. “The sooner they get rid of The Galleries and start it all again the better.”
Plans to demolish The Galleries and build new offices and restaurants, along with hundreds of homes and student flats, were approved at the start of the year. An exact timeline has yet to be put in place.
BID director Ms Kennedy said the regeneration was important, and pointed to a few initiatives which have been put in place to make sure the city centre didn’t become a ghost town once the project got underway.
“Looking ahead, we know regeneration of The Galleries will take time, but the area is not being left to drift,” she said. “Initiatives such as Broad Meadow, which has created welcome green space in Broadmead, and leisure and cultural offers like Roxy Lanes and Shredenhams are helping to keep the area active.”
An area nearby to The Galleries is also set for major regeneration. The Quakers Friars area, which until recently housed the city centre’s only Apple Store, will also be completely redeveloped by Hammerson, who also owns Cabot Circus.
Ms Kennedy hoped events such as the Christmas Market, due to open on November 7, would continue to draw crowds to Broadmead amid the upheaval.
“While the redevelopment journey is long-term, we are focused on ensuring that the streets remain lively, safe and appealing throughout,” she added.