It follows intervention from Bristol Live and a local councillorThe Create Centre at the Cumberland Basin area of BristolThe Create Centre at the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol is one of the affected locations(Image: Create Centre)

Council chiefs have conducted a U-turn after increasing the charges for community groups and charities to hire a council venue for just one evening from £200 to £1,500 – after intervention from a local councillor and Bristol Live.

Bristol City Council brought in a corporate and wedding venue management company to take over several of the publicly-owned event spaces, including the M-Shed, City Hall itself and the Create Centre at the Cumberland Basin. Bristol Live reported that local charities and groups, like the Bristol Naturalists’ Society, were told that hiring the Create Centre for its monthly meeting would now cost £25 per person, plus VAT, instead of an hourly booking fee – which hiked the cost of their regular meetings from around £200 to a whopping £1,500.

That was branded ‘ridiculous’ by one city councillor, and Bristol Live highlighted the plight of community groups left priced out of booking council-owned venues. But now the council has admitted it ‘may not have’ told the venue management firm, Restaurant Associates, that local community groups and charities should not be charged the same as corporate bookings, and the council has conducted a U-turn and reverted the costs back to what they were before.

Cllr Andrew Varney (Lib Dem, Brislington West) said the increase quoted to the Bristol Naturalists’ Society was a ‘ridiculous situation’ and added: “How can this be justified?”

Cllr Varney called on the council to think again and told Bristol Live: “These new fees are prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of our local clubs and societies. Asking over a thousand pounds so that a local group can use a room for a couple of hours is ridiculous.”

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Bristol City Council never responded to Bristol Live’s questions about the booking fee hike, but now, Bristol City Council has backtracked, and told community groups, clubs and societies that they wouldn’t be charged the corporate rates, and their booking fees would revert to what they were before the council contracted out the management of the venues.

In an email to one of the groups, seen by Bristol Live, a council officer admits the corporate venue company brought in to manage the venues, Restaurant Associates, ‘may not have been told’ it was council policy to charge affordable fees to local groups.

Andrew Varney was elected in Brislington West in 2021(Image: Supplied)

“We have met with Restaurant Associates and discussed some requirements for local charities and local community groups in the way we offer venue hire,” the council email said.

“This information may not have been provided when they have set up their pricing structure working in partnership with Bristol City Council,” they added.