Your council
City of Bristol: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Bristol City Council: Unitary authority (unitary), England, South West; part of the WECA combined authority. GOV.UK lists it as a unitary council.
Council website · Publication scheme
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Road maintenance: Reporting
- Street lighting: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Primary school places: Applications for service
- Secondary school places: Applications for service
- Library facilities: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 5 opened (3 new provision, 1 reason not recorded, 1 academy converter), 3 closed (1 closure, 1 academy converter, 1 for academy)
- Bristol Waldorf School — closed; reason recorded: closure, 17 December 2025
- Sea Mills Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 December 2025
- Willow Park CofE Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: for academy, 30 June 2026
- Avonside School — open; reason recorded: new provision, 13 November 2025
- Boomsatsuma Create Agency — open, 14 September 2026
- MIAG (Meeting Individual Aspirations & Goals) — open; reason recorded: new provision, 7 April 2026
- Sea Mills Primary School and Nursery (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 January 2026
- Willow Park CofE Primary School (primary) — open; reason recorded: new provision, 1 July 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | £323.1 million |
| Highways and transport services | −£4.9 million |
| Children's social care | £153.1 million |
| Adult social care | £282.0 million |
| Public health | £50.2 million |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £36.6 million |
| Cultural and related services | £24.9 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £63.3 million |
| Planning and development services | £13.8 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £22.1 million |
| Other services | none budgeted |
| Total service expenditure | £964.3 million |
City of Bristol in numbers
- Total population
- 494,399 people
- Median age
- 33 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £25,336
- Gross median weekly pay
- £671
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 25.6%
- Claimant Count
- 3.6%
- Average house price
- £352,262
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 8.9 affordability ratio
- Female healthy life expectancy
- 60.1 years
- Male healthy life expectancy
- 60.1 years
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 3.0 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 94.1%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 98.7 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 19,935 number of enterprises