£50 million investment for Bristol’s priority infrastructure

An additional £50 million will be invested in priority infrastructure across the city in plans announced today by Bristol City Council’s cabinet.

The Investing in Bristol’s Future package will help stimulate the city’s economy and create new jobs. It will focus on urgent investment needed in services such as school places, transport and elderly care.

The package will include:

• Additional funding for school places in the city of £20 million
• An additional £10 million for the three Bus Rapid Transit major projects as part of Bristol’s contribution (on top of the £5m already pledged). This additional funding will therefore reduce the amount we need to raise through a business rate supplement or work place parking levy to meet Bristol’s overall £42 million contribution.
• £6 million for other urgent transport projects in neighbourhoods across the city
• Elderly Extra Care Housing - £5.5 million to be available to create partnership opportunities with private providers to stimulate more extra care housing schemes in the city. This enables the elderly to live independently for as long as possible with care available if needed. It builds on our successful programme of 600 extra care flats, the latest scheme will open in April this year.
• Aids and Adaptations - £ 0.5 million additional funding to help the elderly live independently.
• £6 million for a new Bristol East swimming pool at Bristol Brunel Academy.
• £2 million for the Hartcliffe Way recycling centre

Council Leader Barbara Janke said: “Bristol is recognised as one of the most economically strong and resilient cities in the country. We’ve been successful over the last year in attracting Government and European funding but we cannot rely on external funding alone.

“For our city to continue to thrive we have a responsibility to invest in essential infrastructure in order to meet the challenges of being a successful city with a rising population. In doing so we will help stimulate the city’s economy by helping to drive growth and create jobs.

“There are pressing needs and we must make the necessary provision now. This is why we are proposing the Investing in Bristol’s Future package of £50 million to focus primarily on funding for essential school places, much needed transport infrastructure and future extra care housing for our ageing population to ensure they can live independently.

“The capital package also includes proposals for a new swimming pool for Bristol East which is a long overdue investment for this community, and a much needed third recycling centre for the city on Hartcliffe Way to serve South Bristol.

“We will raise this extra capital by borrowing sensibly at historically low interest, and fund the repayments through savings in our revenue budget - £1.5 million this year. The way the council works is changing. It is becoming much more responsive and efficient - and this is allowing us to make the modest additional savings needed to support a major capital investment programme in our city at a time when the local economy most needs it."

The proposals will be discussed by the council’s Resources Scrutiny Commission on Wednesday 11th January, then Cabinet on Thursday January 26th. The final proposals will then go to the Full Council budget meeting on 28th February.