The Barton Bugle

12/08/2026

Everyone welcome ⚫️🔴

10/08/2026

ROADWORKS

On-street parking alongside the empty parcel of land on Morton Street, has been suspended as of the 6th August.

According to the One.Network website, the suspension is in relation to works that are being undertaken by Network Rail.

This is most likely to allow the parcel of land to be used as a compound yard for the upcoming improvements to pedestrian access to Lawrence Hill Station.

08/08/2026

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND STREETS NEWS

This week, a car was set ablaze on Barrow Road.

Information sourced from residents states that the vehicle in question had previously been abandoned on the street and was eventually clamped by traffic wardens for having expired tax and/or MOT.

The vehicle was set alight not long after the wheel clamping.

This fire comes at a time when the number of abandoned and damaged vehicles left on the streets of Barton Hill has skyrocketed.

Such streets that have seen vehicles be abandoned on this year, some with expired tax and MOT, includes Barrow Road, Jarvis Street, Queen Ann Road, Church Street, Gregory Street, Bright Street, Ducie Road and Lincoln Street.

It is believed that many of these vehicles were left abandoned to be used for parts, linked to the garage that has since closed again on Queen Ann Road, as well as the garage on Lincoln Street.

Numerous reports of these abandoned vehicles have been logged on Fix My Street by residents, with the matter having also been brought to the attention of the police and ward councillors.

If you spot a vehicle that is in a damaged condition, or has been abandoned, these vehicles can be reported of on Fix My Street.

The matter can also be brought to the attention of the police, as well as with the DVLA.

Links to report are below:

https://fixmystreet.bristol.gov.uk/

https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/parking-issues/

https://www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle

06/08/2026

BUILDINGS NEWS

As Barton Hill residents who have passed St. Luke’s Church this week will no doubt have come to notice, scaffolding has appeared on two corner exterior points of the church.

Before the rumour mill kicks into operation as it always does whenever a building undergoes change in the neighbourhood, we at the Barton Bugle are here to instantly nip in the bud any rumours before they spread about.

So first and foremost, no, St. Luke’s Church is not closing.

And no, St. Luke’s Church is not going to be converted into flats. Or even into a mosque, such is a rumour that the rumour mill loves to create about every building or plot of land in the neighbourhood.

Such a previous rumour was created for the old Infant and Nursery School, the Rhubarb Tavern, the former Barton Hill Tenants Association Club, and even the Dugout.

All of which turned out to be 100% nonsense.

Scaffolding is appearing on St. Luke’s Church in order to undertake repair work to two of the church pinnacles, which now require special attention after many years of weathering and being battered in storms.

What is a pinnacle I hear someone say?

A pinnacle is a slender spire, often highly decorated, used as an end point of a parapet or buttress.

Some pinnacles are very finely carved, and serve as a decorative feature to a church exterior.

Church towers often have pinnacles at each of the four corners and serve to create a sense of greater height.

- Historical Did You Know? -

St. Luke’s Church was designed by architect Samuel Thomas Welch, and the master-mason was George Strawbridge.

S. T. Welch was also the architect of St. Barnabas Church on Ashley Road, which is where the Malcom X Community Centre now stands today.

The foundation stone for St. Luke’s was laid on 24th May 1842, and the church officially opened and was consecrated just over a year later on 20th September 1843.

05/08/2026

01/08/2026

Another productive litter pick around Barton Hill this morning as part of the monthly litter pick, with particular attention paid to Gregory Street.

Group photo courtesy of Steve Woods.

29/07/2026

The next monthly community litter pick will be taking place this Saturday, 10am from outside of the Settlement on Ducie Road.

All litter picking equipment will be provided, as well as warm drinks upon the conclusion of the pick.

The provided photo used in this post shows the amount of litter that was collected as part of last month’s community litter pick.

26/07/2026

This week’s curio found on the streets of Barton Hill, is this delightful statuette that was left on the wall by the entrance to St. Luke’s Church, seemingly having a cheeky smoke before being caught on camera.

24/07/2026

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Granada Cinema / St. George’s Hall - La Fin

At the Development Control Committee A meet on Wednesday, 5 years of tireless campaigning from Redfield and wider Bristol residents to retain the former Granada Cinema aka St. George’s Hall Wetherspoon on Church Road as a cinema-come-community-space, came to an end when councillors voted 6-2 to approve of developer Landrose’s application to convert the building into a 42 bed HMO (house in multiple occupation).

Concerns had long been raised by neighbouring residents of the impact that the HMOs will have on parking on already crowded residential side streets, overcrowding, privacy for neighbouring properties and security, as well as the loss of the cinema itself which retains seats and furnishings from its big screen heyday, all of which will now be lost to the redevelopment.

The councillors who voted and in which way, is as follows:

Al Al-Maghrabi (Green Party) - For
Serena Ralston (Green Party) - For
Toby Wells (Green Party) - For
Izzy Russell (Green Party) - For
Andrew Varney (Liberal Democrat) - For Richard Eddy (Conservative) - For

Katja Hornchen (Labour Party) - Against
Kye Dudd (Labour Party) - Against

The councillors on the committee welcomed the planning proposal, but did raise concerns about the cramped living conditions and the sharing of flats and kitchens with strangers. But irregardless of these concerns, they still voted the application through.

Labour Party councillor Fabian Breckels spoke passionately at the committee on behalf of local residents from the public gallery, making the case for the retention of the building as a community space.

Green Party councillors Barry Parsons and Jenny Bartle both expressed their disappointment at the decision following the committee. However, according to Cllr. Breckels, both these councillors who have long said that they supported the Save Redfield Cinema campaign, were absent from the committee and also did not subject any statements ahead of the committee meet.

Provided graphics below have been taken from the planning application.