Map shows how Bristol could be connected by woodland and river paths

Focus is growing on the benefits of natural habitats within urban areas

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, March 26. 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, ecological emergency co-ordinator, said: “Bristol has a really exciting natural landscape. 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 strategy” focuses on how to embed all of these benefits into council decisions across a range of areas, including new developments.

But there is a natural divide in Bristol. In some parts of the city like near Eastwood Farm, herons can be spotted nesting at the top of tall trees next to the river with no buildings nor roads in sight. In other parts, like Bedminster, there are few trees and parks and birds are rarely heard.

This divide will become increasingly apparent with hotter weather. Another map shows how different parts of Bristol are more vulnerable to heat, such as Lawrence Hill, St George and Hartcliffe. Leafier areas such as Stoke Bishop on the other hand are not considered vulnerable. And a third map shows where parks and green spaces are located, as well as their quality too.

Over the past five years this sort of thinking has become more prevalent in councils across England. 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. The 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.

Despite the ambitions within the strategy, the reality on the ground however is sometimes different. Last year contractors chopped down several tall trees on the Harbourside next to the Cottage pub, to make way for new homes being built by Goram, the council-owned developer. The formerly leafy waterfront walk now looks barren in comparison.

Polluted rivers and brooks are another concern. Earlier this year Wessex Water denied that untreated sewage had turned Brislington Brook brown, after a local councillor photographed pollution he suspected was coming from storm overflow drains. The water company suggested silt or runoff from nearby roads could be to blame instead.

Silt from construction sites on the northern outskirts of the city is also reportedly polluting the River Trym. This summer more details are expected about new plans to clean up the rivers in Bristol, after political pressure grew in 2024 with a motion agreed by councillors.

Conservative Councillor Mark Weston said: “With all the housebuilding on the edge of the city, a huge amount of silt runoff goes through the Hazel Brook, and then into the Trym, and then into the Avon. Almost no effort was made, at least initially, to try and dam that, so it just floats straight through.”

Sustainable drainage systems are now becoming more common, which reduce pressure on sewers from rain. These are essentially small spots of shrubs and soil, which soak up rainwater. But there are ongoing complaints from some local residents that they are poorly maintained.

Another solution is giving residents water butts. These collect rainwater, reducing the demand on the sewer network and preventing discharges of untreated sewage. A pilot has given out dozens of water butts to people living in Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle. Last year Bristol Water gave out 1,750 water butts, to preserve drinking water and reduce pressure on the sewers.

Campaigners called on the 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 the 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.”