Proposed maintenance charge for residents living near Bristol Downs

A new charge has been proposed for people living near a public green space to help pay for its upkeep.

Residents living near Clifton Down and Durdham Down in Bristol may be asked to pay a “small precept” for their upkeep, which can be as much as £20 a year.

The Downs, surrounded by some of the city’s most affluent areas, is running at a financial loss, last year a loss of £194,000 was covered by ratepayers.

Other plans have been suggested to bring in more revenue, such as replacing the toilets near the Sea Walls with a cafe.

Despite receiving income from hosting events such as Forwards Festival and Funderworld, Downs has been suffering from a lack of funding for several years.

Hosting such events creates additional maintenance work due to issues such as grass damage.

Last year, £570,000 was spent on things like staff, maintenance and cleaning, but only £376,000 was made in revenue.

Under the new plans, an area of ​​an undetermined size around the Downs would be charged for anyone living in that area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Early discussions between Bristol City Council staff are taking place over its introduction.

The new charge was discussed by the Downs committee on June 10, with Caroline Gooch, a Liberal Democrat councilor for Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, saying £20 would bring in “a huge amount of money”.

She added that those who live nearby “benefit the most”.

“Why don’t we put a little precept on houses that are a certain distance from the Downs?” she said.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t do it, if it’s done in other cities.”

Kevin Jay, the council’s finance officer, told Dr Gooch: “We’ve had an initial look at it.

“I can get back to you with what I found. I spoke to Patsy Mellor, the director (venue management), about it.”

Building a miniature golf course next to the water tower and installing cricket nets and padel courts were also suggested as ways to increase revenue.

Personal trainers who held classes at Downs could also be paid a fee to do so.