New beginning for Bearpit after £250k clean-up

BRISTOL City Council has revealed the operation to close off and clean up The Bearpit has cost a quarter of a million pounds.

The underpass route finally reopened yesterday morning around 10am, almost six weeks since it was closed to the public.

St James Barton Roundabout was placed on lockdown on June 19 as Bristol City Council took action to evict squatters who had been living in the former Bearritos bus, abandoned storage units and shipping containers.

The authority said it could no longer ignore “escalating” public safety fears after a man was left with a facial injury in an attack on June 18.

Fencing was placed around the area to prevent anyone from entering The Bearpit or using the subways to get from one side of St James Barton roundabout to the other.

During the month-long closure work has been taking place to empty The Bearpit – removing the structures and the containers – and to clean the area ahead of it being reopened for public use. people of Bristol to join us in working

Bristol City Council has said the total to make sure this space remains that cost to the authority – which includes way.” paying contractors to install the fencChief Inspector Mark Runacres ing, round-the-clock security as well as called the reopening of The Bearpit the clean-up of the area – is £250,000. “positive news for the local communi

Bristol Waste hasty”.itsowncostsof around £12,000 on top of this, and the He added: “We will continue to suppolice force and homeless charity St port the authority in managing the Mungo’s, which has been working to area but should any further issues of support the evicted squatters, will have anti-social behaviour arise, will take their own costs as well. the same robust action against offend

Kye Dudd, cabinet member for ers as we did before.” transport and Central ward councillor, The council has said there are cursaid: “I would much rather have spent rently no long-term plans for the space that money on other things for the city, and it was currently considering ideas but we had to take action when it about how the site could eventually be became clear that the area had used. become dangerous. For the meantime Ursa the bear

“We can’t have a completely lawless remains on site and the council has place where people are scared to walk said it is happy for her to stay. through. Cllr Dudd explained that Ursa

“A change was needed to make The belongs to the People’s Republic of Bearpit a safe space for people in this Stokes Croft and therefore it would be city who want to be able to walk from their responsibility to remove the bear one side of St James Barton roundashould they want to. bout to the other. However the actions of the police

“There are groups who tried to make and the council have not gone down it work down here, but the reality is well with everyone. that it just didn’t work. Bristol Housing Action Movement,

“Today is a fresh start and I think The which was involved in the protest Bearpit looks great now. squat which lasted for more than a

“But we also have to remember that month earlier this year, released a this is a piece of highways infrastrucstatement about the reopening. ture, it’s a gateway to the city centre A spokesperson said: “Fantastic and Broadmead.” news that Bristol City Council have

However, there are concerns once worked with local organisations and the fencing and the security is removed grassroots outreach, the police, kicked from the site there will be nothing to out unprofitable businesses, homed stop anti-social behaviour from returnthe homeless in containers, tidied up ing. the Bearpit, offered private security to

But Bristol City Council and Avon help police the area and opened the and Somerset police have said they are Bearpit to the public. committed to taking robust action “We cross our fingers that our new against offenders. mayor in 2020 might learn to do all

Cllr Dudd added: “This is a council these things at once, rather than fail at responsibility to keep this place safe one at a time whilst politicking about and tidy, but we are also asking the anarchists.”

We can’t have a completely lawless place where people are scared to walk through

COUNCILLOR KYE DUDD