Council leader 'let us down' say residents affected by South Bristol drug use

Problems with anti-social behaviour have been ongoing since before June

Residents living near areas in South Bristol affected by street drinking and drug use are “fed up with the anti-social behaviour (ASB)” and say the leader of Bristol City Council has “let us down”. The comments came as a response to continuing ASB issues in Southville and Bedminster, in particular on North Street outside Aldi, and on Back Road.

Bristol Live reported in June that Avon and Somerset Police noted a rise in ASB in Bedminster, where it was made a priority for the Southville neighbourhood police team. In July, the police said it was moving drinkers away from the Aldi bus stop and said that patrols on North Street were regular.

Despite the priority, the page has not been updated since July 8. A resident who spoke to Bristol Live on the guarantee of anonymity, said that problems with ASB, in particular drug use, is causing great concerns as some use is alleged to have taken place outside Ashton Gate Primary School.

The resident said: “The street drinking issues began at the Aldi bus stop on North Street, before June, but it is affecting the wider area. We [as residents] have seen open drug use and drug dealing, some of it right outside Ashton Gate Primary.

“People are urinating on North Street and Back Road, there’s day-time alcohol use and human excrement on Back Road, as well as drug use. We are so worried for vulnerable people, worried about children and worried about the community as a whole. It’s happening right outside the school and near the after-school club.

“We are so fed up with ASB. People wonder what will happen next, little is being done. There is a lack of effort by the police and the council.”

"Cllr Tony Dyer has let us down."

What is more troubling to residents is the lack of response from the council. In correspondence seen by Bristol Live, residents reached out to Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council and ward member for Southville, on June 10 reporting the issues.

Since the initial contact, on several occasions Cllr Dyer has failed to establish a meeting with residents despite agreeing to do so. A number of reasons were given for the meeting to be postponed or cancelled, including forgetting to put a reminder in his diary, staff taking leave of absence and an investigation into a murder on September 20.

The resident said: “Cllr Tony Dyer has let us down. We know the council does not care about us, nor the situation.

“We’ve tried reporting the ASB to our councillors from June, we are still waiting on a meeting. There is no change in the problem.

“We are also quite frankly sick of telling police what they need to do when they should do their jobs. Police are moving the problem and shifting it elsewhere, there is no decrease in street drinking or ASB.”

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Cllr Tony Dyer has apologised for “failing to live up to standards” after failing to establish a meeting after four months of back and forth. Cllr Tony Dyer said: “I have always been proud of the high standards myself and my fellow ward councillor [Cllr Townsend] have set ourselves for responding to ward enquiries. Unfortunately in this instance, I have failed to live up to those standards and for that, I can only apologise to the ward residents concerned and to my fellow ward councillor.

“Being appointed Leader of the Council was a proud moment for me but regardless of the additional responsibilities that come with that role, I still have a responsibility to the residents of my ward as a ward councillor. I will therefore be taking steps to ensure that the needs of my residents continue to receive my attention as well as the wider needs of the city as a whole.

“Anti-social behaviour in some areas of our ward has been an ongoing problem for some time. Whilst there have been interventions to resolve issues, we have concerns that instead of eliminating the problem, it is merely being displaced to other areas.

“This, and other issues, need further discussion but in the meantime, I will be delivering a letter next week to homes in the streets most affected by these latest incidents to invite them to a community meeting to discuss how we can tackle the concerns raised.”

As of Friday, October 11, the resident said there has been no letter or email that has been sent to residents.

Avon and Somerset Police said neighbourhood police in south Bristol are working with the anti-social behaviour (ASB) team and partners in Bristol City Council to tackle street drinking and associated issues in Back Road and North Street. Officers have identified several individuals involved and have issued Community Protection Warnings.

According to the force the teams are currently gathering evidence which could lead to Community Protection Notices being issued, which have a power of arrest. Neighbourhood Sergeant Stuart Williams said: "This is definitely a priority for us. I really appreciate how these issues affect the community. When my team are on duty, they will be carrying out daily patrols on foot and taking robust action to move on anyone causing problems.

"I'd urge people to report incidents to us as it will really help us target our patrols effectively," he added.

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