Bristol City Council is spending nearly £440,000 to buy out the tenant of two street food kiosks at St James Place, Broadmead, as part of a major city centre regeneration scheme.
(Image: Bristol City Council)
Bristol Live readers have been discussing plans for the City Council to spend nearly £500,000 compensating the tenant of two street food kiosks in Broadmead, which sit in the way of major redevelopment work.
The council, which owns the St James Place site near Primark, is redesigning the junction where Union Street meets The Horsefair, Lewins Mead and Rupert Street as part of wider city centre regeneration plans. These include new housing, pedestrianisation, and dedicated routes for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.
The two kiosks, Cornish Bakehouse and Rana’s Dhaba Junction, have now been vacated after the council agreed a £440,000 payment covering potential lost earnings until the end of their leases in 2032. A third unit in Merchant Street, operated by the same tenant, will remain open.
Council documents state the kiosks obstruct the proposed junction layout and could not be relocated or reused. They are due to be demolished in the coming months.
A council spokesperson confirmed the changes are part of a wider programme funded through government transport investment, with further works including removal of structures, replacement of street lighting and public realm improvements.
Commenter igglesofBristol101 thinks: “The money would be better used repairing existing roads and pavements first. This area works fine as it is, so there is no need to change it. Anyone making these decisions should not be rewarded for them. The city functioned better years ago, but over the last 15 years it has declined. Almost every road into Bristol has potholes, and yet they say there is no money to fix them all, while there is funding for work that many see as unnecessary.”
Jules P asks: “Why do we need the junction to change? It works well the way it is doesn’t it?”
Duncan G complains: “Look at the absolute state of that! We don’t need buses and we don’t need cycling lanes. People need to get to work in their cars!”
John S agrees: “If people can’t get in and out of a city easily by car then they’ll stop coming altogether. Slowly making it harder and harder and Bristol will shut down to people and shops will close.”
Pete C replies: “I don’t understand why people insist on driving into the centre and paying at least three times more than park and ride, when park and ride is less stressful, nearly as quick thanks to bus lanes, and much more fuel efficient because you avoid sitting in traffic trying to get through the centre.”
Simon W adds: “Car parks are never going to be the solution. We do not need more bike lanes either. What we need is trams built along the existing bike lane routes in Bristol, providing a reliable option for everyone in all weather conditions.”
James K points out: “Most workplaces already provide parking. Bristol is also reasonably well served by buses and cycling for getting around efficiently. The main issue is that travelling by car can be slow and congested, and this scheme is intended to address that.”
Linda M says: “The Green Party is ruining Bristol. Money spent on the Portway has left pavements so wide they feel excessive, while traffic lanes for real road users have been narrowed. Emergency services will struggle to get through when it is busy. So many roads have dangerous potholes that are being ignored. We also do not need more high rise buildings in the city centre. There is no need to turn Bristol into London.”
Martin M agrees: “Broadmead is a ghost town as it is. Bristol’s heart is being ripped out.”
Michelle H adds: “More money wasted changing things that already work well. Bristol is losing its identity and starting to feel like a smaller version of London. Prices are rising and road layouts are being altered despite the transport system already working effectively. It functioned fine before, including with the flyover. If it is not broken, it does not need fixing.”
Is Broadmead being improved or just endlessly redesigned? Would you prefer investment in roads and services instead of city centre schemes? Have your say in our comments section.
