Corporate Strategy 2025 to 2030

About the strategy

The Corporate Strategy is our main strategic document and sets out what we're going to do over the next 5 years to progress towards our vision of working together for a sustainable and equitable Bristol that enables everyone to be safe, well and thrive.

The strategy is supported by our Business Plan and Performance Framework:

  • The Business Plan describes the specific actions we'll take to make progress on the priorities and objectives in our Corporate Strategy
  • The Performance Framework sets out what we'll consider as the main measures of success and good performance

We're writing these documents now and they'll be available in Autumn 2025.

There are 3 ways you can read the Corporate Strategy:

Our commitment to a sustainable, equitable and thriving Bristol

As an organisation, we have a significant role to play with other partners and communities to create a sustainable and equitable Bristol that enables everyone to be safe, well and thrive. This is our strategy for taking action to meet this vision by 2030 and beyond.

We need a sustainable Bristol where the:

  • health and future of our places is protected
  • city runs well without damaging the environment

We need an equitable Bristol where:

  • people have control over their quality of life
  • people have fair access to what they want and need
  • the opportunity for good life outcomes is equal

We need a thriving Bristol where:

  • communities feel safe and well
  • communities benefit from local economic growth
  • the diversity within and between our different communities can be celebrated

We've listened to communities, partners and colleagues in the council and have chosen 5 priorities to help us focus on reaching this vision. These are:

  • improving equity of outcomes in education and employment
  • supporting children's, families' and adults' health and wellbeing
  • creating safe, healthy neighbourhoods and affordable, safe and good quality homes
  • making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol
  • accelerating climate action and nature recovery

We're responsible for directly delivering on these priorities, but we also do our best work alongside our communities and partners. This strategy sets out the long-term work we need to do under each priority and identifies:

  • what is in our direct control to deliver
  • where we'll enable progress with partners and communities
  • where we'll campaign on issues that the council has limited influence over

Bristol is a city full of opportunity, cultural diversity and community strength. However, pressure on our services and finances, ongoing inequality in the city, a growing population and climate change are challenges we must address. This strategy sets out how we'll:

  • build on the opportunities our city affords to deliver better services
  • work in step with our partners
  • develop solutions with communities
  • take earlier action to deliver for our residents
Our priorities and plan

Our vision

Working together for a sustainable and equitable Bristol that enables everyone to be safe, well and thrive.

Working together

The organisation we want to be:

  • One Council: working together as One Council to deliver good services that run smoothly and effectively
  • One City: working well with partners across Bristol and beyond
  • Many Communities: we work alongside citizens and communities to make progress on our shared priorities and find ways to let communities lead on local initiatives
  • Prevention Focused: a focus on early action that achieves longer-term positive outcomes

Our priorities and objectives

Priority 1: Improving equity of outcomes in education and employment

  • Improve equity in educational outcomes and break the link between deprivation and poorer results.
  • Build a fair, green and thriving city economy.
  • Deliver regeneration which brings direct benefits to communities.

Priority 2: Supporting children's, families' and adults' health and wellbeing

  • Improve our population's health by tackling health inequalities.
  • Deliver early help which empowers people and prevents problems from worsening.
  • Provide stability and promote independence for those who draw on care and support.

Priority 3: Creating safe, healthy neighbourhoods, and affordable, safe and good quality homes

  • Prioritise the safety and quality of our existing council homes.
  • Work with partners to deliver new affordable housing which meets a range of needs.
  • Ensure all parts of Bristol have high quality and safe public spaces that meet the needs of their communities.

Priority 4: Making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol

  • Work with partners to improve accessible, reliable, affordable and sustainable transport choices.
  • Focus on areas with less reliable transport options to connect people and opportunities within and beyond the city.
  • Maintain essential city infrastructure for safety, longevity and accessibility.

Priority 5: Accelerating climate action and nature recovery

  • Reduce carbon emissions and drive progress towards Bristol becoming a carbon neutral city.
  • Improve the resilience of Bristol's people and places to the impacts of climate change.
  • Improve the management of land, water and buildings in the city for nature.
Our values and behaviours

Just as important as what we do is why and how we do it. Our values, and the behaviours they support, underpin our organisational culture. Developed by our own colleagues, these 5 values clearly set out the expectations of how we work with each other to achieve our vision and the priorities in our Corporate Strategy.

We are Dedicated: we strive to make a difference.

We take Ownership: we accept personal accountability.

We are Collaborative: we come together to reach shared goals.

We are Curious: we ask questions and explore possibilities.

We show Respect: we treat each other fairly.

Working together: the organisation we want to be

A key part of reaching our vision for a sustainable, equal and thriving city is that we work together, both internally as one council and with partner organisations and communities.

We have 4 goals that we need the whole organisation to take forward:

  • One Council
  • One City
  • Many Communities
  • Prevention Focused

One Council: working together as One Council to deliver good services that run smoothly and effectively

What good looks like

We work seamlessly together regardless of our internal departmental structures, with a shared understanding of our priorities and a focus on collaborating to deliver outcomes for citizens. People will be able to get the information or support they need, reaching the right service at the right time and in the right place.

What we need to do to get there

  • Develop a new framework for the way the council operates which will help services work together on achieving our objectives and delivering better outcomes for citizens.
  • Develop a Medium Term Financial Strategy that sets out our approach to being financially resilient while delivering on our ambitions.
  • Develop and deliver our Workforce Strategy to ensure we develop an even more collaborative culture and give our workforce the skills they need to deliver good services.
  • Design our services based on user needs and good evidence, making processes as simple as possible.
  • Make good use of digital technology and innovation to make services better, faster and cheaper while improving access and reducing barriers to people interacting with the council.
  • Improve our use of data and review our governance processes so we can make timely and well-informed decisions. We'll be open to feedback and will seek opportunities to be peer reviewed.

One City: working well with partners across Bristol and beyond

What good looks like

We act as a trusted partner, working and encouraging others to collectively deliver wide-scale change for the city, the region and the country.

What we need to do to get there

  • Work as part of key partnerships like the West of England Combined Authority (known as the Mayoral Combined Authority or MCA) and the NHS to demonstrate an ability to deliver for the region.
  • Work across sectoral boundaries to involve a wide range of partners in civic participation, working towards the shared goals of the One City Plan.
  • Maximise our role as a UK Core City, and our established expertise, to convene, build and exert regional, national, and international influence that benefits the city.
  • Become an active partner of central government's Plan for Change, demonstrating where action in Bristol can be replicated on a wider scale.

Many Communities: we work alongside citizens and communities to make progress on our shared priorities and find ways to let communities lead on local initiatives

What good looks like

Our decisions are shaped by the priorities and experience of communities, and there's equal opportunity for people to share their views. We trust and empower individuals and communities to make a positive difference, and in return they have more trust in us. We're making it easier for communities to work with us to take action on local issues, and we recognise when the best thing is to simply get out of the way.

What we need to do to get there

  • Build on our co-production approach to engaging communities, focusing on being a visible presence in communities and involving people at the beginning of any potential change.
  • Work across the council to make it easier and clearer for citizens and communities to reach the right people or service in the council.
  • Develop a One Council approach to how we better equip communities to make progress on our shared priorities.

Prevention Focused: a focus on early action that achieves longer-term positive results

What good looks like

We manage risk well and get ahead of problems before they occur, investing in activity which builds resilience and prevents harm. This can mean all sorts of things, from early support to help families stay together, to maintaining roads and other infrastructure before they need repairs. In everything we do, we aim to provide the right support, in the right place and at the right time.

What we need to do to get there

  • Develop a council and city-wide Prevention Framework which ensures all our decision making promotes health and resilience.
  • Remove or join-up processes which make it difficult for communities to get early support and tackle their challenges together.
  • Make targeted investments in areas where it is both morally and financially right to take earlier preventative measures.
Our priorities: what we're focused on achieving

Over the next 5 years, we'll focus on 5 key priorities:

  • improving equity of outcomes in education and employment
  • supporting children's, families' and adults' health and wellbeing
  • creating safe, healthy neighbourhoods and affordable, safe and good quality homes
  • making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol
  • accelerating climate action and nature recovery

For each priority, we have 3 main objectives.

For each objective, we describe the main ways we'll make progress.

Priority 1: Improving equity of outcomes in education and employment

Why this is a priority

Bristol is rightly viewed as one of the UK's most successful cities, but it's also a city of deep inequality. Children and young people's education is too often negatively impacted by deprivation, race or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and access to fulfilling and well-paid jobs is not evenly spread across Bristol.

Like many cities, the opportunities for good work are harder to come by for adults with learning needs, Disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and those with caring responsibilities. Breaking the link between deprivation and educational outcomes, and building a thriving and inclusive economy are essential to:

  • becoming a fairer city
  • tackling poverty
  • supporting the national government's ambition for breaking down barriers to opportunity through growth

Our Priority 1 objectives

Objective 1.1: Improve equity in educational outcomes and break the link between deprivation and poorer results

What the council will deliver
  • We'll work with our maintained schools and nurseries to improve attendance, inclusion and educational outcomes.
  • We'll target funding to all education providers to help them improve inclusion for children and young people with SEND.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with education providers and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE) to develop and deliver a shared education vision which improves educational outcomes for children and young people from deprived backgrounds.
  • We'll develop and deliver a plan through joint work across the school workforce, in priority places and using the wider resources of the city.
  • We'll work with our local SEND partnership to make sure that children and young people with SEND and their families are at the heart of our practice.
What the council will campaign for
  • We'll work with the Department for Education (DfE) to develop our partnership approach to breaking the link between deprivation and poor educational outcomes as part of the government's wider mission to Break Down Barriers to Opportunity and address child poverty.
  • We'll partner with central government to test national approaches to improving SEND inclusion and outcomes.

Objective 1.2: Build a fair, green and thriving city economy

What the council will deliver
  • We'll use our role as a major employer to increase access to good work and training for people who traditionally face barriers, including a focus on supporting young adults into employment.
  • We'll develop a culture strategy which builds on the strength of our diverse culture and creative industries and ensures fair access to cultural opportunities.
  • We'll support the sustainability and growth of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the diversity of our local high streets.
  • We'll focus on inclusive economic growth in areas of high deprivation, with a focus on South Bristol.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with regional partners, including Bristol's universities, as part of the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA), and international partners to attract investment for our key growth sectors including clean energy, digital technology and AI and Bristol's cultural and creative industries.
  • We'll work with partners to decarbonise industry at Avonmouth and deliver a green industrial park and a local green skills academy to meet our net zero ambitions.
  • We'll work with health partners to address economic inactivity and ensure that there is employment support for those who face barriers.
What the council will campaign for
  • We'll call on government to join skills funding into one system, giving the council and the MCA more power to provide an accessible and diverse set of opportunities, including apprenticeships, which meets the needs of local people.

Objective 1.3: Deliver regeneration which has direct benefits to communities

What the council will deliver
  • We'll drive forward regeneration in the city, such as Temple Quarter, Western Harbour, Filwood and Lawrence Hill, which will deliver new jobs for local people, improve access to affordable housing and provide improved public space.
  • We'll use local planning policy and our position as a major landowner in the city to create spaces for smaller creative and culture organisations and businesses.
  • We'll prioritise connecting areas of deprivation with the opportunities that come from regeneration of places like Temple Quarter and Avonmouth.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work as part of the MCA and with national government to draw investment into key regeneration areas, and work with partners to make sure local people are upskilled to deliver these regeneration projects.
  • We'll set out clear expectations to private developers to deliver community and cultural assets and contribute towards our climate and nature targets.
What the council will campaign for
  • For government to go further on the record investment in Temple Quarter, and to continue to drive investment into other key areas of regeneration across the city to deliver affordable homes and a thriving local economy.
How we'll know we're successful with this priority
  • Attendance at schools and the outcomes for children and young people from our key groups (children eligible for Free School Meals, children supported through an Education, Health and Care Plans, children from minoritised communities and those who are supported by a social worker) will have improved at all key stages year on year.
  • The proportion of young people from the most deprived areas of the city who are not in education, employment or training will have reduced.
  • Bristol will be on its way to having the most productive economic growth of all city regions. This growth will be characterised by thriving local businesses, people having fairer access to a range of skills and improved quality of life and pay for people in our most deprived areas of Bristol.

Priority 2: Supporting children's, families' and adults' health and wellbeing

Why this is a priority

Good health and wellbeing is a vital part of living a good quality life. It should be possible for everyone to live healthily, happily and independently, but there are currently stark differences in health between places and communities in Bristol.

Tackling these inequalities with our partners and citizens and communities will help create the conditions for people to live healthily and to thrive within their communities. For those who need it, we must also make sure people can access local support at the right time.

Our Priority 2 objectives

Objective 2.1: Improve population health by tackling health inequalities

What the council will deliver
  • We'll work across the council to make sure we consider and prioritise health in our decision making, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for communities who experience the poorest health outcomes.
  • We'll use evidence, including the lived experience of our communities, to prioritise programmes which tackle the most significant health inequalities in our city.
  • We'll focus on developing public health programmes which directly tackle the city's biggest health inequalities.
What the council will enable
  • We'll continue to work with our health sector partners to drive more funding towards preventative healthcare and plan for the right health infrastructure, such as doctors, dentists and pharmacists, across the city.
  • We'll work closely with communities to support local health initiatives which are led by local people.
What the council will campaign for
  • Improvement in early intervention by investing in health-promoting services.
  • We'll engage in long-term NHS and healthcare reform by calling for more investment in preventative services and community-based support.

Objective 2.2: Deliver early help which empowers people and prevents problems from worsening

What the council will deliver
  • We'll prioritise making it easier for people to access earlier support, whether that's through a more accessible council 'front door' or through working with partners to build on the available support in the community.
  • We'll ensure there's a greater range of professionals able to support children, families and adults at an earlier stage, with a focus on supporting people to stay safely within their own homes and communities.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with partners in the community including schools, the VCSE and health partners to provide a local, accessible and clear offer for families to shift funding and support towards early help and intervention which is based within neighbourhoods.
  • We'll invest in communities who are developing supportive networks for adults and enabling people to thrive.
  • We'll work with partners to understand the causes of homelessness for specific groups and coordinate advice and support services more effectively to improve homelessness prevention.
What the council will campaign for
  • The government providing longer term funding for Bristol's approach to early help, including longer term investment in key programmes like Family Hubs.
  • We'll also advocate to government for pooled budgets to support closer health and care integration, resolving joint-funding challenges where guidance is unclear.

Objective 2.3: Provide stability and promote independence for those who draw on care and support

What the council will deliver
  • We'll focus on supporting families to keep vulnerable children safely at or near their homes and families.
  • We'll develop the local and regional care market so adults with care needs can stay at or near to home.
  • We'll prioritise supporting children and young people who have experienced care to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives, making sure that this ambition is shared across the whole council.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with the Keeping Bristol Safer Partnership, our formal safeguarding partnership with the NHS and police, to improve the city-wide approach to supporting children, adults and communities and keeping them safe.
  • We'll support the development of a more diverse range of local care providers in the city which means care is more personalised, opens up local job opportunities and keeps our investment within the local economy.
  • We'll use our influence and example to support other partners to take on more formal corporate parenting responsibilities and practice.
What the council will campaign for
  • Provision of specialised supported housing and accommodation which equips people with care needs to live as independently as possible, making sure steps are taken to tackle excess profit-making in the care market.
How we'll know we're successful with this priority
  • We'll make positive progress on tackling the major health inequalities which contribute to differences in healthy life expectancy between communities, including obesity, food poverty and mental health.
  • An improvement in health outcomes alongside our ability to provide the right support, in the right place and the right time will result in more children, families and adults being empowered, and gaining support within their community.
  • We'll continue to make positive progress towards meeting statutory regulation for children's and adults' social care, including the quality and timeliness of our assessments when children and adults require support. This increase in early help interventions will also lead to fewer people requiring more intense interventions.
  • For those who require care, more children and adults will be supported to live with their family network or within their home, reducing the number of people who need to live away from Bristol.

Priority 3: Creating safe, healthy neighbourhoods and affordable, safe and good quality homes

Why this is a priority

Having a safe and good standard home is one of the most important influences on a person's wellbeing and quality of life. We know the same is true of living in safe neighbourhoods, where there are a variety of well maintained, accessible and clean public spaces. We know that access to a home which meets the right standards for living, or closeness to such public spaces is not fairly spread for everyone in Bristol. We have an opportunity to improve this by focusing on the quality of our council homes, working with partners to deliver more affordable housing and to work with communities to deliver improvements to public spaces like parks and community facilities.

Our Priority 3 objectives

Objective 3.1: Prioritise the safety and quality of our existing council homes

What the council will deliver
  • We'll focus our investment on improving the safety, health and quality of our council homes, including tackling damp and mould, removing cladding and making important repairs.
  • We'll work more collaboratively and openly with people who live in our council homes on these improvements, and will make sure that we have an efficient and fair way of dealing with complaints.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with housing providers and use new powers in the private rented sector to drive forward improvements across housing in the city.
  • We'll work as part of the MCA and the Bristol City Leap Partnership on delivering warm and energy efficient homes, including developing green skills for the region.
What the council will campaign for
  • Addressing the skills and funding shortage in the housing sector to deliver decent, low carbon and safe homes at scale.

Objective 3.2: Work with partners to deliver new affordable housing which meets a range of needs

What the council will deliver
  • We'll continue to invest in the direct delivery of new social housing, identifying land that can be used to deliver affordable housing.
  • We'll deliver an increased supply of temporary and supported accommodation, and will re-design our Housing Options service to improve the prevention of homelessness, and moving people on from temporary accommodation into longer-term and stable housing.
What the council will enable
  • We'll prioritise ways of making affordable housing delivery more attractive and work with partners including Goram Homes to incentivise delivering homes for social rent and other affordable housing.
  • We'll work as part of the MCA to direct investment towards new housing, and with Homes England to draw in additional funding for affordable housing delivery.
What the council will campaign for
  • Increased investment into social housing from partners and central government to ensure more affordable homes are delivered in the city.
  • We'll campaign for regeneration investment to be made in the areas of Bristol that will deliver the greatest housing benefits.
  • We'll advocate for investment into our planning team and increased powers to make the most of unused land for housing delivery.

Objective 3.3: Ensure all parts of Bristol have high quality and safe public spaces that meet the needs of their communities

What the council will deliver
  • We'll work proactively with communities to improve the quality and safety of parks, focusing investment on areas of deprivation and on delivering new green spaces in urban regeneration areas.
  • We'll consider creative ways that libraries can serve their local communities while being financially sustainable to run.
  • We'll work with Bristol Waste to make sure our waste and recycling services are efficient and well run, and streets are kept clean and clear.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with VCSE partners and communities to find the most effective ways of giving communities ownership and influence over community buildings and land.
  • We'll use planning policy to drive investment into improvements in public spaces, working alongside communities to make sure changes promote safety and wellbeing.
What the council will campaign for
  • Increased devolution of powers and long-term funding to local authorities to allow the council to work with communities to invest in community assets like parks, libraries and culture.
  • We'll campaign for a greater focus on protecting and developing play and community space through national planning policy.
How we'll know we're successful with this priority
  • Our housing service will meet all the safety, efficiency and quality standards laid out in regulation, and we will be seen by more of our tenants as a trusted landlord.
  • We'll listen to tenants and engage with tenants regularly.
  • People who live in our council homes will feel they are safe, listened to and satisfied that issues such as damp and mould are dealt with promptly.
  • More widely, the standard of our housing across the city will have improved.
  • We'll continue to deliver new council homes year-on-year, but we will have also created the conditions for partners to increase the supply of homes that meet a range of needs.
  • Our work with partners on homelessness prevention, including tackling Bristol's housing affordability, will lead to a reduction in the number of people at risk of homelessness or those needing homelessness relief.
  • The percentage of residents who are satisfied with public spaces (like parks and libraries) will have increased, particularly in areas of deprivation where satisfaction was low.
  • Our improvement to public realm will have contributed to an increase in feeling of community safety and a reduction in serious violence.

Priority 4: Making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol

Why this is a priority

Reliable, safe, accessible and well-connected travel options are vital to connecting people to opportunities and contributing to a thriving region. Having these options is also vital to promoting health, improving air quality and tackling carbon emissions. Bristol is currently too congested, has ageing roads and bridges, and has a public transport system which doesn't serve the city and its aspirations as it could. We must focus on connecting people with each other, work and other opportunities in the city and the region, with a focus on improving our public transport, walking and wheeling.

Our Priority 4 objectives

Objective 4.1: Work with partners to improve accessible, reliable, affordable and sustainable transport choices

What the council will deliver
  • We'll prioritise changing some of the major roads in the city to make it easier, safer and more attractive for people to use public transport and to walk, wheel or cycle.
  • We'll prioritise introducing a Workplace Parking Levy to fund further improvements to public transport and active travel.
  • We'll continue to strengthen our engagement with Disabled people and groups on transport related issues, delivering changes with an ambition for Bristol to become the UK's most accessible city.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work as part of the MCA to unlock the full set of devolution powers available to transform our public transport system for the city and region.
  • We'll support the region's plans to have more control over where and when our buses run.
What the council will campaign for
  • Bristol and the West of England to be a significant focus of investment from government for major improvements to our public transport system. This will support Bristol's ability to develop and maintain a thriving and inclusive economy as well as reduce the city's carbon emissions.
  • We'll press central government to prioritise measures for healthier and cleaner air as part of a wider focus on rebalancing the country's transport system.

Objective 4.2: Focus on areas with less reliable transport options to connect people and opportunities within and beyond the city

What the council will deliver
  • We'll prioritise making improvements to make it easier to get from the furthest parts of the city to areas of major employment and regeneration such as Temple Quarter and Avonmouth.
  • We'll engage with residents, businesses and organisations to introduce inclusive and fair measures for easier, greener travel between neighbourhoods.
  • We'll use some of the income generated from the Clean Air Zone to fund supported bus services for areas with less reliable transport options.
What the council will enable
  • Through the MCA we'll work to unlock major funding for our transport network plans and make sure that significant changes to the city's transport network benefit people in areas with less reliable transport options.
What the council will campaign for
  • More affordable fares for public and low carbon transport options and investment in a more extensive and accessible network for walking, cycling and wheeling.
  • We'll work with transport providers in the city and region to develop improved accessibility across our transport network.

Objective 4.3: Maintain essential city infrastructure for safety, longevity and accessibility

What the council will deliver
  • We'll deliver our programme of highways improvements including pothole repairs, resurfacing of roads and drainage improvements alongside finishing our 5 year programme to restore 8 historic bridges that cross the New Cut of the River Avon.
  • We'll take a proactive approach to maintaining the city's key infrastructure to prevent accidents and disruption happening in the future.
  • We'll have started to deliver significant improvement to our ageing harbour infrastructure which prioritises flood defence, improves transport connectivity and supports nature recovery.
What the council will enable
  • Working with the MCA and with other stakeholders to secure the long-term funding required to deliver infrastructure which promotes a shift to public transport, creates an accessible city and improves the city's resilience to the impacts of climate change.
  • We'll work with communities through Area Committees to make more of our highways infrastructure accessible.
What the council will campaign for
  • Longer-term funding for highways authorities to allow us to plan future repairs which make all our roads, bridges and our harbour safe and accessible for the long-term.
  • We'll advocate for a fairer national system for funding highways budgets.
How we'll know we're successful with this priority
  • We'll have increased the number of bus and cycles lanes and people will feel more confident in cycling, walking and wheeling (active travel) around Bristol. This will lead to more people using public transport or active travel to get around.
  • Satisfaction with bus services will have improved and the number of serious road casualty incidents will have reduced.
  • We'll have improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions from transport.
  • Bristol will be on our way to being the UK's most accessible city, and the most deprived parts of Bristol will have better access to economic regeneration areas, such as Avonmouth and the city centre.
  • There will be a costed programme of work to address essential city infrastructure requirements.

Priority 5: Accelerating climate action and nature recovery

Why this is a priority

Bristol has made significant steps towards reducing its carbon emissions and some of our land and built environment is now being managed differently to positively impact nature, wildlife and people. There is, however, more that needs to be done, including increasing efforts to protect people and places from climate risks such as flooding and extreme heat.

We must focus on getting the right investment and partnership to secure a better future for Bristol and ensure our transition to carbon neutrality is just and inclusive.

Our Priority 5 objectives

Objective 5.1: Reduce carbon emissions and drive progress towards Bristol becoming a carbon neutral city

What the council will deliver
  • We'll reach net zero for the council's direct emissions by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from our offices, buildings and vehicles, and will improve the energy efficiency of council homes and other council services.
  • We'll reduce the emissions from our construction projects and work with our suppliers to reduce emissions from the goods and service we buy.
What the council will enable
  • We'll invest in changes which make it possible for residents and businesses to reduce their emissions.
  • We'll support City Leap to deliver decarbonisation projects across the city, including expansion of the city's low carbon heat network.
  • We'll support the increase of skilled jobs and community engagement to support a just climate transition.
What the council will campaign for
  • Strategic investment in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise to accelerate the process of achieving net zero carbon emissions in the city. This includes investment in improving the energy efficiency of homes, reduce their carbon emissions and create local skilled jobs.

Objective 5.2: Improve the resilience of Bristol's people and places to the impacts of climate change

What the council will deliver
  • We'll make the city council's operations and services better prepared for, and able to withstand the impacts of, climate change such as heatwaves and flooding.
What the council will enable
  • We'll enable residents to be more resilient with information and advice and will develop planning policies which require new developments to contribute to the city's climate resilience.
  • We'll work with partners to develop green and blue infrastructure, such as increased tree canopy and restoring waterways, which provides protection from extreme weather.
What the council will campaign for
  • Funding for infrastructure investments that support local biodiversity and protects residents from the adverse effects of climate change such as natural flood defences and urban tree cover.

Objective 5.3: Improve the management of land, water and buildings in the city for nature

What the council will deliver
  • We'll improve the management of natural green spaces, create new wildlife friendly habitats and improve wildlife friendly practices to boost the amount of council land managed for nature.
  • Our practice will set a strong example to other organisations and landowners in the city.
What the council will enable
  • We'll work with our One City partners and across the West of England region to support nature recovery and connect residents to nature in and around Bristol.
  • We'll listen to, and work with, local communities as we balance the need to manage land for nature and continue to make these spaces accessible.
What the council will campaign for
  • We'll advocate for the powers and resources to accelerate nature recovery, and for national government to prioritise the health and ecological benefits of nature in planning policy.
How we'll know we're successful with this priority
  • Bristol City Council will have become carbon neutral for its direct emissions from its buildings and vehicles, and we will have supported the city to make significant steps towards its carbon neutral goal.
  • The council will have improved procedures and contingencies in place to respond to climate impacts such as flooding and extreme heat, with new infrastructure in place to protect places from these impacts.
  • Bristol's biodiversity, including our tree canopy, will have increased, with more of our land, water and buildings being used for nature recovery.
  • Overall, the amount of financial investment available for climate and nature action will have increased, and the number of organisations and communities active in climate action and nature recovery will have increased.

Delivering and measuring progress

This Corporate Strategy sets our most important priorities so it will influence everything we do as an organisation. To make sure we prioritise the objectives that are set out in this document, we'll develop a 2 year Business Plan which will outline more detailed plans for how we'll meet our objectives. The Business Plan will also detail which policy committee takes the lead for each objective.

To make sure we're clear about whether we're making the right progress, we'll also develop a Performance Framework which will outline more detailed measures against the 'how we'll know we're successful' on each priority. The Performance Framework will run alongside each Business Plan. This strategy will also guide how best to work together as One Council and focus on outcomes for citizens.

We call this work our Operating Framework, which will be supported by key organisational strategies such as the Workforce Strategy, Digital Strategy, Medium Term Financial Strategy and Corporate Landlord Strategy.

This strategy is strongly influenced by Bristol's One City Plan. The Plan is co-created by many different partners, lasts up to 2050 and sets a shared set of goals which can best be achieved by working in partnership for the good of the city. This strategy is influenced by the longer-term vision and goals of the One City Plan, but it also communicates our specific objectives and contributions in relation to the plan.

A snapshot of Bristol
  • Population estimate (2023): 483,000
  • The population has grown faster than the national average over the last decade
  • By the early 2030s, the population is expected to go past 500,000
  • Bristol residents come from 185 different countries of birth and speak 90 main languages

If Bristol were 100 people

  • 17 out of 100 would be children aged under 16, 70 would be working age and 13 would be older people aged 65 and over
  • 72 out of 100 would be White British, 9 Other White, 7 Asian or Asian British, 6 Black or Black British, 4 Mixed ethnic groups and 2 other ethnic groups
  • 51 out of 100 would not have a religion, 32 would be Christian, 7 would be Muslim and 3 would have other religions (7 prefer not to say)
  • 9 out of 100 would be full time students
  • 6 out of 100 would be LGB+
  • 1 out of 100 would be Transgender
  • 11 out of 100 aged 16 or over identify as a Disabled person
  • 72 out of 100 people would be satisfied with their local area
  • 32 out of 100 people would be satisfied with the way the council runs things, 41 would be dissatisfied, and 27 wouldn't feel strongly either way
  • 83 out of 100 people would think traffic congestion is a problem locally
  • 11 out of 100 people would find it difficult to manage financially
  • 15 out of 100 would live in areas which are in the most deprived, and 6 would live in parts of the least deprived
  • 57 adults in the most deprived areas of Bristol would feel they do enough regular exercise each week, compared to 73 adults in the least deprived areas
  • 22 out of 100 children aged under 16 would live in low income families
  • Whereas 42 out of 100 people would have a degree or higher, only 32 out of 100 young people in Bristol would go on to Higher Education, and only 22 of 100 young people in South Bristol
  • 8 in 100 people from one of the most deprived wards in Bristol would be Universal Credit claimants, compared to 1 in 100 in one of the least deprived wards
  • 83 out of 100 people would be concerned about climate change
  • 27 adults in the most deprived areas of Bristol would be obese, compared to 14 adults in the least deprived areas
  • 8 households in the most deprived areas would have used a food bank in the last year, compared to 1 in the least deprived areas

The services we're responsible for

  • Adult Social Care
  • Birth, death and marriage registration
  • Burials and cremations
  • Children's Services
  • Education and skills
  • Elections and electoral registration
  • Homelessness prevention and relief
  • Libraries
  • Museums and culture
  • Revenue and benefits advice
  • Support for Special Educational Needs
  • Emergency planning and civil contingencies

The assets we're responsible for

  • Highways, roads and harbour
  • Community facilities
  • Parks and green spaces
  • Social housing

Areas we support, oversee and invest in

  • Affordable housing delivery
  • City regeneration
  • Community safety
  • Decarbonisation, climate resilience and nature recovery
  • Early years
  • Economic development
  • Employment, skills and lifelong learning
  • Empowering Communities
  • Environmental health
  • Healthy people and places
  • Licensing of businesses and private rented sector
  • Local planning
  • Public transport and active travel
  • Regulatory services
  • Youth provision

Delivering with our partners

Our aspiration to be truly One City in our approach will mean working with a range of organisations and partnerships.

Some of these key partners include:

Strategic and institutional partners

  • His Majesty's Government
  • Core Cities UK
  • Local Government Association
  • Bristol One City
  • Avon and Somerset Police
  • Avon Fire and Rescue
  • Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
  • Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner
  • West of England Mayoral Combined Authority

Civic University Agreement partners

  • University of Bristol
  • University of the West of England
  • City of Bristol College

Council-owned companies

  • Bristol Waste
  • Goram Homes

Other key One City partners

  • Bristol and Bath Regional Capital BBRC
  • Black South West Network
  • Bristol Chamber of Commerce
  • Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership
  • Bristol Disability Equality Commission
  • Business in the Community
  • Business West
  • City Funds
  • Diocese of Bristol
  • First West of England
  • North Bristol NHS Trust
  • Oasis Academies
  • Quartet Community Foundation
  • The Bristol Initiative
  • The National Care Forum
  • Trade Union Congress
  • University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
  • VOSCUR
Our thanks to the organisations and residents who supported the development of this strategy
  • Abri Group
  • Action Greater Bedminster
  • Arup
  • Ashley Community Housing
  • Avon and Somerset Police
  • Black South West Network
  • Bristol Active City Network
  • Bristol Charities
  • Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District
  • Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership
  • Bristol Disability Equality Commission
  • Bristol Disability Equality Forum
  • Bristol Equalities Forum
  • Bristol Health Partners
  • Bristol Horn Youth Concern
  • Bristol Housing Partnership
  • Bristol Housing Scrutiny Panel
  • Bristol Law Centre
  • Bristol Waste
  • Brunel Care
  • BS13 Friends and Family
  • BS14 Global Community
  • Caring in Bristol
  • Circular Art Gallery
  • City of Bristol College
  • City of Sanctuary
  • Divine Ceremony
  • Employment, Learning and Skills Advisory Board
  • Fishponds Locality Action Group
  • Freedom Bristol
  • Friends of Hillfields Library
  • Goram Homes
  • Guinness Partnerships
  • Heart of BS13
  • Herbs Yourself
  • Hillfields Community Garden
  • Integrate UK
  • Integrated Care Board
  • Julian House
  • Knowle West Alliance
  • Local Partnerships
  • Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust
  • North Bristol Advice Centre
  • Oasis Community Partnership
  • One Love Hub
  • One25
  • Phil Saunders Associates
  • Places for People
  • Recovery4all
  • Redcatch Community Garden
  • Redcliffe Community Hub
  • Sirona Health Care
  • St Mungo's
  • University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
  • University of Bristol
  • University of the West of England
  • Up Reach
  • Visit West
  • VOSCUR
  • Wellspring Settlement
  • West of England Centre for Inclusive Living
  • West of England MayoralCombined Authority
  • Young Bristol
  • Zion Bristol
Glossary

Bristol City Leap Partnership

A twenty-year joint venture between Bristol City Council, Ameresco and Vattenfall Heat UK which will enable the delivery of over £1 billion of investment into Bristol's energy system.

Co-production

Co-production is an equal relationship between people who use services and the people responsible for services. They work together, from design to delivery, sharing strategic decision-making about policies as well as decisions about the best way to deliver services.

Deprivation areas

Regions characterized by high levels of poverty and limited access to basic services, often in need of targeted support and investment.

Devolution

The moving of power and funding from central government to Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Local Authorities.

Early help

Services aimed at supporting individuals or families at the earliest possible point to empower them and prevent issues from worsening.

Family Hubs

A model of providing a range of family support services in one place. Services cover families with children and young people aged 0 to 19 years-old (0 to 25 years-old for SEND children and young people).

Front Door

The first point of contact for anyone who has concerns about a person's welfare or has need to access social care services.

Green and blue infrastructure

Natural or created spaces that provide space for wildlife, protect against flooding and create health benefits for people. Green refers to spaces like parks and blue refers to spaces like rivers.

Green industrial park

A large scale site which is capable of manufacturing and distributing goods in a low-carbon and energy efficient way.

Green skills academy

An educational institution or training program focused on developing skills for installing and maintaining new green technologies such as heat pumps and wall insulation.

Homes England

A government agency that supports house building and regeneration across England.

Key regeneration areas

Specific areas in Bristol which are prioritised for new homes, jobs and improved public spaces.

National planning policy

A set of guidelines and rules established by the national government that dictate how land should be used and developed.

Statutory services

Services that local authorities are legally required to provide, such as education, healthcare, and social services. These services ensure the wellbeing and protection of residents, especially those who are vulnerable or at risk.

Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE)

A collection of organisations, including charities, who aim to represent and improve the lives of people and communities.

West of England Combined Authority (MCA)

Also known as the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA), this is the regional area where an elected mayor has funding and powers on issues such as transport, skills and housing. It's made up of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. In the government's Devolution White Paper, combined authorities are becoming known as Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs).

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