This document summarizes the development of Bristol's sustainability movement from the 1970s to present day. It describes how citizen groups came together in the 1970s to oppose an outer circuit road project, leading to the founding of organizations like Bristol Friends of the Earth and Cyclebag (now Sustrans). These groups pioneered recycling, energy efficiency, and active transportation initiatives. The document also notes the importance of cross-sector collaboration and how youth programs and local government support helped sustainability organizations gain traction in Bristol. It concludes by reflecting on how Bristol became the UK's first Transition City and a 2015 European Green Capital.

1. From Green Roots to Green
Shoots
How did Bristol’s sustainability
movement develop?

2. Bristol’s Green Roots
• Bristol’s Green Roots was a heritage lottery
funded project that aimed to document the
city’s history of environmental action from
1970 – present day
• Run by The Schumacher Institute
• The project developed an archive, an
exhibition and a 70,000 word publication
• Spoke to over 100 people across all sectors

3. Why?
• Document examples of environmental action
& capture some of the human stories, photos,
resources before they were lost
• Did NOT want to prove that Bristol is or was a
‘sustainable’ city. It is not!
• Share these stories and look for the successes,
lessons & examples of change

4. “It is, I think, useful to look back, not in a self-
congratulatory way, but to ensure the lessons
learned and the expertise developed during
that period is built on. Most of the
organisations that led the environmental
movement in the 1980s now operate at
national level, with expertise and experiences
that are relevant to the city today.”
Jane Stephenson, Chief Executive of Resource
Futures

5. When did it all start?
• Post-war, Bristol was looking to rebuild
• Drive for modernisation
• Bristol Development Plan (1966) – Outer
Circuit Rd
• People across the city came together to
campaign against the road*
• Social and environmental concerns brought
together – beginnings of sustainability

6. The Outer Circuit Road

7. “It was an urban motorway that was going to
bridge over the area where the SS Great Britain
is, then go over the city docks with this great
urban motorway bridge, tear up the side of
Brandon Hill, dive into the hillside and
underneath Clifton, reappear behind the
Victoria Rooms with a great spaghetti junction,
go up Tyndall’s park, tearing through houses,
dive down into Cotham into St Paul’s and join up
with the M32 and then it was going to go
beyond, right round to Totterdown.”
George Ferguson on the Outer Circuit Rd

8. 1970s – “the Halycon days”
• Bristol Friends of the Earth founded in 1971
• First official office outside of London
• Local and national campaigns on resource use
& recycling, mining, nuclear power and
pollution
• Small-scale recycling project & used proceeds
to insulate older peoples’ homes
• Later taken over by Avon FoE

9. Nuclear protest on Castle Park
Bristol FoE and UCAT come together to voice concerns about local
nuclear energy.

10. The Recycling Consortium (now
Resources Futures)
• Avon FoE kerbside scheme, Resourcesaver,
grew throughout 80s.
• Commercial venture
• Early 90s - formed Bristol Recycling
Consortium
• Identified community action as key to
innovation

11. Avon FoE Horse and Cart Recycling (1983)
Local recycling is picked up by horse and cart, staffed by Youth
Opportunities workers.
© Ray Smith

12. Cyclebag (now Sustrans)
• July 1977 – Bristol FoE rally on oil embargo
• John Grimshaw gave speech about importance
of cycling capacity in Bristol
• Founded campaign & advocacy group
• Moved onto building cycle paths.
• First part of Bristol to Bath railway path
finished in 1979. By 1984, it was completed*

13. Opening of section of Bristol to Bath Railway path at
Easton (1984)
© Sustrans

14. Urban Centre for Appropriate Technology
(now Centre for Sustainable Energy)
• Late 70s, Hugh Barton visited CAT & realised
need for urban version*
• Created a visitor centre from renovated old
house
• Also draft-proofed & insulated houses and ran
energy advice and training
• Fuel poverty and social justice concerns

15. Low Energy Demonstration House (1980s)
The first low energy demonstration house in the UK. It was designed to show
people the technology available and the benefits of energy efficiency.
© Centre for Sustainable Energy

16. Common routes
• These organisations are all rooted in
community action and social enterprise
• Saw something that needed doing and did it
• Often worked in partnership with local
businesses or council, who provided support
or market for goods produced
• Struggled with finding funding, resources &
office space. Sound familiar?!

17. Youth Opportunities Programme
• Underpinning all these activities was the
Government’s Youth Opportunities
Programme
• Young people, knows as YOPers, were paid
minimum wage to work for community
enterprises.
• Creating jobs, purpose and support for third
sector.

18. Shared space
• In 1980s, Colston St became a hotspot for
environmental and social initiatives*
• UCAT, Greenleaf Bookshop and the Soil
Association
• The local postie called it ‘Save the World St”
• Development of Ethical Property Company*
• Created sustainability networks for support,
advice and expertise

19. Soil Association on ‘Save the World St’ (1980s)
© Soil Association

20. Local council involvement
• Green Charter launched in early 90s – a
blueprint for action
• Green Initiatives team
• Local Agenda 21 (1992)– set up working
groups*
• Provided buildings e.g. Create Centre, UCAT
Low Energy House

21. What happened next?
• 1980s & 90s –community-based land action
around green space & biodiversity, the re-use
of buildings, ongoing development of local
environment groups & local government
engagement
• 2000s – boom in creation of local groups,
Bristol became UK’s first Transition City (2007)
• 2010s – Bristol is awarded European Green
Capital 2015

22. Is Bristol special?
• Coincidence, critical mass, dedication and
geography!
• Build it and they will come
• The Green Horizon
• A tale of ‘Two Cities’

23. Lessons
• Shared space can foster collaboration,
support, advice and resources
• Collaboration over competition
• Support systems - Youth Opportunities
Scheme, market creation, council involvement
• Cross-sectoral partnership; listening to diverse
perspectives, sharing skills and expertise.

24. http://netimpactbristol.wordpress.com/
bristolpro@netimpact.org
@netimpactbris
Thank you from the Net Impact Bristol team!
Jessica Ferrow, Nina Skubala, Sarah Hooper and
Emmelie Brownlee