West Street in Bedminster could lose its only community space, with the United Reformed Church (URC) being put up for sale for £500,000.
The building hosts several community groups, including the Bedminster Food Club, the BS3 Repair Cafe, and the South Bristol Toy Library.
The groups have been given until April to find a new home.
Ellie Freeman, a member of Action Greater Bedminster, said the sale of the church will be “a really big loss to local residents in the community.”
West Street is mainly a residential area, although there are some pubs and takeaways.
Stef Brammar, the secretary of Way out West (WOW), West Street’s neighbourhood group, is concerned that there will be nowhere for locals to meet once the URC is sold.
“There isn’t another community space in the area,” she explained.
“A lot of the people that come in here for the Repair Cafe, they’re not just people who come in with repairs. Elderly people come in and have a cup of tea and a cake. They’re not going to walk far to go anywhere else.”
Brammar said that there are “queues around the corner” for the monthly Repair Cafe sessions and that the Toy Library is “very popular.”
The location of the URC on West Street makes it an easily accessible space for Bedminster residents. It is on several bus routes and is close to Parson Street station.
Mark Bradshaw, Labour and Cooperative Councillor for Bedminster, explained the importance of community groups and spaces: “Over the last ten years or so, all local authorities have been under great financial pressure and resource pressure. So, community groups have taken on more [work].”
He highlighted the importance of Bedminster Food Club: “A lot of families are under great pressure at the moment to have good quality affordable food – the foodbank provides that.”
Tessa Fitzjohn, Green Councillor for Bedminster, added: “This is a very important community space used by the Repair Café, Food Bank and Toy Library amongst others.”
Locals fear the space will be redeveloped into housing. The size and location of the building makes it desirable for developers.
Councillor Bradshaw said that it is “really important that it’s not just flattened and turned into flats or homes without any community space.”
Freeman added: “I think the residents here just feel like more of their amenities and infrastructure are going and being replaced by more and more housing.
“And although there is a massive need for housing, there is also a balance [needed] for spaces that serve the community in other ways as well.”
Brammar hopes that developers interested in the building will keep some of the space for community use.
“I’ve already met with a few people who are interested in this building. One or two of them have mentioned the fact that they would build housing on it but actually retain a community space. That would be great, but it does need to be quite a large community space.”
