Queens Parade BS1
Website of the residents of the Queens Parade area in Central Bristol
May 2011

Useful information

Refuse and Recycling - CHANGE OF COLLECTION DAY
Please note that since the Council contract has been awarded to May Gurney, our weekly collection will still continue for both normal refuse and also recycling, unlike most of Bristol. The only change is the collection days which is now Thursday for ALL items: black box recycling, cardboard, normal black bin/bag refuse and food recycling. Variations due to public holidays can be found on the Bristol City Council website.

Please do not put rubbish out earlier than necessary - the foxes will rip open the bags and the rubbish will be strewn over the streets.

Parking of contractors' vehicles
We have had it confirmed from Traffic Management and Parking Services that in certain circumstances vehicles belonging to contractors working on our properties may in fact park for free in the parking bays. This information is provided in good faith and we do not take any responsibility for its accuracy or for any consequences. However, we suggest you fill in your address, put in the date and print this document to be displayed in any contractor vehicle window. Download the parking document by clicking here.

How to park legally in our bays
A number of us have wondered what constitutes legal parking in terms of how much of the vehicle needs to be in the bay. We now have been given the definitive answer: as long as the wheels of the vehicle are in the bay it is legally parked.

Noise or other problems at Winkworth House
If you experience noise or any other issues due to the Bristol University hall of residence, Winkworth House, you can call the Senior Resident there on 07810 507 517. They are usually very helpful and responsive.

Graffiti incidents

Two recent graffiti incidents were foiled by residents, one quite spectacularly on the wall of Price Waterhouse in Brandon Hill. The police arrested the culprits and the Parks Department have cleaned up the mess. The other incident was an attempt on the end wall of No. 14 Queens Parade where the vandals were interrupted before they could make a proper start. Please help us to reduce this crime in our neighbourhood and also please report any graffiti you see to Bristol City Council, via their website http://www.bristol.gov.uk and choosing "Report" from the menu at the top of the page.

Park Street & Brandon Hill Conservation Area: draft character appraisal released

This area is one of 33 Conservation Areas in Bristol and the Council undertaking an appraisal of each one. Our area has recently had its appraisal and the draft report is now out and available for download from the Council's website. It does make for interesting reading and indeed echoes many of the concerns and anxieties already made public by this Association.

The main issues raised are

  • Unsympathetic alterations & loss of traditional architectural details
  • Poor quality shopfronts and signage
  • Loss of garden area to car parking
  • Loss or poor maintenance of traditional street surfaces or hotchpotch of modern replacement materials
  • Poor maintenance of traditional street furniture
  • Poor maintenance of boundary walls, railings, park features
  • Proliferation of adverts and traffic signage
  • Threat to key views and panoramas from new developments

Improving Our Area

Our area is an attractive place to live in and the Residents Association contributes to that. Recently the Association has been taking stock of its achievements and this list is of some of the things that are helping to improve our quality of life.

  • Park railings – formerly broken now replaced
  • Park railings – now properly painted
  • Graffiti – an unceasing nuisance but we are starting a quick obliteration response of our own, contacting the Council and getting landlords to play their part in removal. Taggers have recently been intercepted
  • Barbecue damage on Brandon Hill – we are trying to limit this
  • Cars on pavement – danger and damage – we are working closely with two Council officers to find ways round this. Contact with school parents has been made
  • Parking - we are advising on draft schemes put forward by Council officers to solve this problem
  • Neighbourhood Watch – we receive communicate regular communications from the police over this
  • Neighbourhood Partnership – we are part of a wider forum in Bristol and link with a number of agencies to improve our community. New committee member to represent tenants in this area
  • Planning issues – we are in regular contact with the Planning Office
  • Damaged kerbs - proper repairs now in train after pressure put on Bristol City Council
Smashed railing were finally repaired
Graffiti is frequently and quickly removed
After many years of neglect the railings have been painted
Barbecues are now prohibited reducing park damage
If you have any comments please email us on info@queensparade.org.uk.
main terrace

Queens Parade is a charming Georgian street bordering Brandon Hill Park, in BS1, Central Bristol. All the houses in the street and in neighbouring Brandon Steep and York Place are Grade II listed and the entire area is a conservation zone.

Just across College Street car park from the Cathedral and Library and behind the Council House, this street ought to be one of Bristol's proudest and best kept. It comprises a principal terrace of 14 houses dating from around 1795, the historic Brandon Cottage, once home to the Bristol Savages, the grand and imposing parkside Brandon House, and the continuation of the terraces from numbers 15 to 18 towards St Georges's School, one of Bristol's most favoured primary schools which is also in the street.

The main terrace consists of six storey generous houses with sizeable rear gardens, some with rear terraces, and all with enviable views of the park. Many of the houses have been restored in recent years and are exceptionally pleasant and roomy to live in. This combined with the convenience of a city centre location within walking distance of all amenities means that "The Parade" should be one of Bristol's most desirable residential streets, full of the resonance of Bristol's history and heritage.

However, Bristol City Council has generally neglected and ignored this area for decades, even though it is in the very back yard of the Council House. More specifically: (1) they have introduced various parking regulations over the years which discriminate against residents; (2) they have made owner-occupiers jump through highly inconsistent planning hoops in restoring their properties while letting most landlords off scot-free with little legal compliance; and (3) they have failed to provide the proper restoration, repairs and maintenance of the park, railings, pavements, street surfaces and so on.

Among other things, this website is provided to draw attention to these issues. It is an initiative of the Brandon Hill Residents Association.

For the previous 4 year, the residents have been asking the Council to address the problems specifically by:

With major issues like climate change, the economy, housing shortages and the demographic time bomb facing all of us, residential areas in the inner city have an important role to play. People living in city centres have far lower car usage and often represent a higher proportion of home workers. Restoring older housing stock can be environmentally much more friendly than building new. Restored and well-maintained streets add to the tourism attraction of the city overall. And the historic heritage that is all of ours is then protected and handed on to future generations.

City centres with residents are safer places to be in and feel more balanced and part of society overall rather than centres where people only go for work or pleasure. These streets are an important residential element of Bristol city centre and the residents in general wish to ensure that they are well-maintained and attractive for all.