Bristol

• The city aims to develop 24,000 new affordable homes by 2050.
• Achieve Bristol’s pledge to make the city carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030
• Contribute to Bristol’s Ecological Action Plan of increasing space for nature, reducing pesticide use and considering our wider footprint: reducing consumption of products that undermine the health of wildlife and ecosystems.

• Bristol currently has over 15,000 individuals and families on the housing waiting list, and over 800 households in temporary accommodation.
• It is estimated that 1 in 170 people in Bristol don’t have somewhere permanent to live.
• In Bristol’s preliminary climate resilience assessment, it was found that under a high emissions scenario, by 2080, Bristol could expect to see sea levels on Bristol’s coastline increase by up to 72cm. Winter precipitation rate could increase by up to 48%. Summer maximum temperature is projected to increase by over 9 degrees Celsius and, by 2080, summer precipitation rate in Bristol is projected to decrease by up to 68%.
• To reach the city’s target of a carbon neutral 2030, the rate of reduction will need to be 1.6 times that of the previously observed rate. 
• According to the UK Green Buildings Council (UKGBC), the built environment contributes to around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. Half of this is from energy used in buildings and infrastructure, and 28% are embodied in the materials used in the construction of buildings. 

• Workshops and presentations to further detail the challenge
• Regular Q&A sessions with the city leads & partners around specific topics
• Access and signposting to relevant data sets and studies, including housing and financing data and access to reports and studies
• Introductions to relevant city stakeholders as required 

• Housing developers
• ESG Investors
• Green home technologists
• Real estate finance experts

As specified in the challenge statement, the Bristol demonstration location will be an urban brownfield site. The city is in the process of identifying the relevant sites and will be able to share details of these with the finalists. 

The following investment and infrastructure either exists or is planned for Bristol:

• The Heat Network: The council’s own network of pipes that provides local businesses, organizations, and housing with heat and power from more sustainable sources. While the network is currently low carbon, in the coming years the plan is to become no carbon. Over time, new renewable alternatives will be installed which will further reduce carbon emissions. increasing the city’s resilience to fluctuating energy prices and reducing our reliance on gas. Heat networks are central to achieving the Mayor’s goal for Bristol to be a carbon neutral city by 2030 and the council’s existing heat networks already connect over 1000 social housing properties.
• Castle Park Energy Centre: The new Castle Park Energy Centre, part of the Bristol Heat Network, will be delivered by Bristol City Council and Goram Homes in partnership with Vital Energi and will house England’s largest water source heat pump. The Castle Park Energy Centre will provide affordable heating with a low carbon footprint for a greener, cleaner Bristol. Once the Energy Centre is complete, a mixed-use development will be built over it with construction due to begin in late 2021.

The Affordable Homes Programmes: This provides grant funding to support the capital costs of developing affordable housing for rent or sale. As the Government’s housing accelerator, Homes England has made available £7.39bn from April 2021 to deliver up to 130,000 affordable homes by March 2026, all outside London. The funding is for the supply of new build affordable housing, not met by the market. £577,000 of funding from Homes England has been awarded to Bristol City Council to help develop 50 much needed new homes in north Bristol.

Bristol is the largest city in the Southwest of England, with a population of 449,300. It is characterised by Georgian architecture, street art, a thriving arts and culture scene and its independent spirit. A fast evolving and growing city, Bristol is home to a diverse and vibrant population who herald from 180 different countries of origin, practice 45 separate religions and speak 92 languages. Bristol is one of the 10 Core Cities in the UK who contribute more than a quarter of the UK economy and collectively house 20 million people. As a Core City, Bristol is well placed to affect change on the way we interact with the climate emergency, and to catalyse action regionally, nationally and internationally. Bristol is also home to The One City Approach and Bristol City Office. The City Office convenes an active network that brings together a huge range of public, private, voluntary and third sector partners which share an aim to make Bristol a fair, healthy, and sustainable city. This culture of collaboration provides the perfect context for city-wide innovation.