News / Ecological Emergency
Bristol ‘should be connected’ by network of woodland and river paths
Bristol should be connected in future by a “green grid” network of woodland and river paths according to an ambitious new plan.
Bristol City Council is planning to put much more focus on creating the opportunity for people to get out into nature, with better parks and green spaces.
Nature should be seen as a “form of critical infrastructure” according to the new strategy which was approved by councillors on the environment policy committee on Thursday.
Trees, for example, provide shade which will become increasingly needed as the climate heats up, bringing more frequent extreme heatwaves, while also reducing the potential for floods.
Naomi Chatfield-Smith, the council’s ecological emergency coordinator, said Bristol has “a really exciting natural landscape”.
Chatfield-Smith said: “We’ve got an internationally recognised gorge, we’ve got the River Avon, we have a really exciting water catchment, and parks and green spaces across the city that residents cherish.”
Benefits also include boosting wildlife, providing spaces for people to exercise and relax, and making places generally nicer to live in.
The Blue-Green Infrastructure Strategy focuses on how to embed all of these benefits into council decisions across a range of areas, including new developments.
Bristol’s overall ‘blue-green’ map – image: Bristol City Council
Different parts of Bristol such as Lawrence Hill, St George and Hartcliffe are more vulnerable to heat. Leafier areas such as Stoke Bishop on the other hand are not considered vulnerable.
One example inspiring Bristol’s strategy is the new Mayfield Park in Manchester, which opened in 2022 and was the city’s first new park in a century.
Mayfield Park covers six and a half acres, but is planned to double in size to support the huge number of new homes being built nearby.
Campaigners have called on Bristol City Council to be more ambitious with its plans to create a network of walking routes through nature.
And they suggested the council should commit to improving green spaces within central Bristol, given the huge number of homes planned to be built.
Susan Carter, a campaigner from Bristol Walking Alliance, said: “We’re disappointed that what has emerged is less ambitious than expected.
“There isn’t a forward programme of co-ordinated city-wide action, and also there’s no provision for monitoring and evaluation.
“We’re very keen to have a green grid linked walking routes across the city.
“This is an ancient proposal that’s been put forward for as long as I have been working on these issues and it would bring a lot of benefits.
“But there’s only a suggestion that there will be green grids via regeneration plans in regeneration areas.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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