What companies the council owns and what they do.
Since 2015, Bristol City Council has been the shareholder of several companies so that we can expand and commercialise services and invest the profits back into the city.
The role of shareholder is carried out by the Mayor or delegated to a Cabinet member, supported by an advisory group known as the Shareholder Group.
The council directly owns Bristol Holding Limited (the Holding Company), which is the parent company of three trading companies:
- Bristol Waste Company
- Goram Homes
- Bristol Heat Networks
The council as shareholder sets the strategic direction for each company and approves certain material decisions, called ‘reserved matters', for each company. Find out what reserved matter decisions are and what reserved matter decisions have been taken in the past.
By owning these companies, the council make sure:
- a high standard of services is provided to all citizens
- a commercial approach is taken which secures value for money and optimises all available resources
- there is effective governance and transparency
- ethical standards are embedded, ensuring the well-being and protection of the work force in the companies
The council also owns several dormant companies and has minority interests in a number of other companies. For more information on these, please contact the Shareholder Liaison Manager: helen.davis@bristol.gov.uk
Bristol Holding Limited
The council owns a diverse set of companies which have been set up to benefit the people of Bristol and beyond. These companies sit under Bristol Holding, the parent company, which reports to the Shareholder Representative on a weekly basis and to the council's support and advisory Shareholder Group on a quarterly basis.
The Holding Company was set up to support the council as shareholder in managing its interests across its companies. It makes sure strategic objectives are being delivered and supervises the day to day activities of the council's companies.
The Holding Company aims to support the companies to deliver quality services in a commercially effective and efficient way, whilst ensuring a strong contribution to improving social value.
Find the Bristol Holding Limited business plan 2021/22.
Bristol Waste Company
Bristol Waste is Bristol's recycling, waste collection, street cleansing and facilities management company. It was set up in 2015 to deliver better waste services for the people of Bristol.
Bristol Waste employs around 550 people who carry out over 17 million scheduled collections of 160,000 tonnes of waste and recycling a year. 75,000 tonnes of this is sent for composting or recycling.
Bristol Waste cleans 800 miles of streets and footpaths and deals with 180,000 job requests and service queries each year.
The company also employs a further 185 staff to fulfil its cleaning and security role internally to the council as part of its facilities management function.
You can find out more about the ways that Bristol Waste is reducing waste and increasing recycling in the city on the Bristol Waste website.
Find the Bristol Waste Company Limited business plan 2021/22.
Goram Homes
Goram Homes was set up in 2018 to increase the number of new homes built each year across Bristol. They do this by partnering with housing developers to build homes on sites across the city.
You can find out more about Goram Homes' housing plans on the Goram Homes website.
Find the Goram Homes Limited business plan 2021/22.
Bristol Heat Networks
Set up in 2020, Bristol Heat Networks allows the council to develop and expand its heat networks.
The heat networks will provide affordable, low-carbon heat and energy across the city and achieve the council's goal of becoming a carbon neutral city.
The networks will eventually cover central Bristol and other areas across the city, powered by low carbon energy centres.
Find out about the Company Handbook
The Company Handbook provides more information about the council's relationships with its companies, and relevant policies and processes.
Find out more about the companies
If you'd like to speak with someone to find out more about the council's companies or how the council acts as shareholder, contact the Shareholder Liaison Manager: helen.davis@bristol.gov.uk