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‘Community sentiment is moving beyond frustration and towards anger’
Nearly a year after the main play equipment at Bellevue Road Park was removed on safety grounds, parents say they are still waiting for Bristol City Council to deliver on its promise to restore the much-loved Easton playground.
The climbing frame was taken away in September 2025 with no prior warning, prompting a community campaign and a petition that attracted almost 1,000 signatures calling for investment in the park.
In response, Bristol City Council said replacement equipment and safer surfacing would be installed later that year alongside wider improvements funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
is needed now More than ever
But almost a year on, campaigners say there has been no work on site, no confirmed timetable for refurbishment and little communication about when families can expect the park to reopen.
The empty space at Bellevue Road Park play area where the climbing frame used to be
Andrew Walls is one of several local parents pressing for answers about the park’s future. He has written repeatedly to the council for updates on behalf of local families who say the loss of the play area has had a lasting impact on the neighbourhood.
In his latest email, copied to local media, he wrote:
“Community sentiment is moving beyond frustration and towards anger, driven largely by the absence of communication and meaningful engagement.”
He added that the lack of transparency was “becoming increasingly difficult for local families to understand or accept” and called for either swift progress or “clear and reliable information” about what residents can realistically expect.
Earlier this year, Walls asked Easton ward councillors to explain why no visible progress had been made. His questions included whether procurement had been completed, whether CIL funding had been formally allocated and what barriers were delaying the project.
In a response sent in April, Easton ward councillor Jenny Bartle apologised for the lack of information, saying she had already asked the council’s head of parks Richard Fletcher for an update but had not received a reply.
Bartle confirmed that £70,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy funding had been awarded to improve the park, including resurfacing works, more natural and informal play opportunities and the reinstatement of the climbing frame.
She told Walls she hoped to provide more information within a couple of weeks.
However, campaigners say no substantive update has since been provided and no work has begun on site.
Local parent Andy Walls said the play area has become a “broken little scrap of land that’s been forgotten”
Walls said Bellevue Road Park had been far more than somewhere for children to play.
“We would come here most days,” he said. “It was a place where children met other children and parents met other parents. There are so many reasons why people value it.”
While he said parents understood why unsafe equipment had to be removed, he believes the council has failed to keep the community informed.
“I think it’s fair enough if something’s unsafe (to) remove it,” he said. “But there has been no action and that’s what angers most people. It’s been close to a year and nobody knows any more than they did before.”
Walls said families were now concerned about what the loss of the play area meant for the wider community.
“It used to be a real melting pot of social cohesion,” he said. “Now it’s just this broken little scrap of land that’s been forgotten.
“They’ve overlooked a really important part of the community and the way it supports families and young people.”
He added: “The community will continue to pursue a fair and transparent explanation of what is planned for the park, and when delivery can realistically be expected.”
Bristol24/7 requested a comment from Bristol City Council but it did not respond in time for publication.
Kiran Dhami is reporting on St George, Easton and Eastville as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media.
This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from the Nisbets Trust.
All photos: Kiran Dhami
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