The Bristol Drop - Tuesday, July 8
Portishead Railway funding boost, care home murder inquest, St Pauls rapist jailed and council's car park headache
Good morning, after missing out during major Government funding announcements last month some Portishead residents feared the long-awaited project to restore its rail link with Bristol was in doubt. But local campaigners and politicians urged people to keep the faith and today’s announcement by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander that the Government would provide an additional £27 million of funding means work could start on the line later this year.
Check out the rest of the city’s headlines below. This is the 50th edition of The Bristol Drop - if you’re enjoying it then it would be hugely appreciated if you could share with friends and family. Thanks.
Bristol news
Back on track: Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has this morning announced the Government will provide another £27 million so that train services between Portishead and Bristol Temple Meads can be restored more than 50 years after the line closed in the Beeching cuts. (John Wimperis, LDR - Somerset Live)
Care home inquest: Teenager Melissa Mathieson, who was murdered by a fellow care home resident in Knowle more than a decade ago, had previously written a letter accusing social services of ‘destroying’ her life, her inquest heard. (Matthew Hill and Sarah Turnnidge - BBC Bristol)
Rapist jailed: A man has been jailed for the rape of a woman in a St Pauls flat more than 20 years ago in the early 2000s. (Molly Seaman - Bristol Live)
Box office: Annual figures from the Bristol Film Office claim TV and film production had risen by 55 per cent and was worth £46.6 million to the city’s economy in the 2024/25 financial year. (Robert Buckland - The Business Desk)
Interestingly, Bristol Film Office, which is a Bristol City Council service, usually publishes such reports towards the end of the year (it was December in 2024). The council controversially announced last year its intention to explore selling The Bottle Yard Studios in South Bristol.
Car park calamity: A ‘ghost’ car park losing North Somerset Council more than £250,000 per year, as only the ground floor is safe to use, could leave taxpayers footing a massive multimillion pound bill for another 33 years due to the terms of the lease. (John Wimperis, LDR - via Somerset Live)
Massive development: Some 562 homes are proposed for the Fishpool Hill site near Cribbs Causeway in South Gloucestershire. (Lorna Hughes - Bristol Live)
Actor cleared: An actor who was arrested on the Gloucestershire set of Disney+ show Rivals was yesterday given a not-guilty verdict by Judge William Hart at Bristol Crown Court after the prosecution offered no evidence. (Claire Hayhurst, PA - via Bristol Live)
Empty homes: Two new children’s homes in Bristol will be left empty for almost a year, despite the city spending an estimated £34 million a year housing children in care more than 20 miles away from the city. (Alex Seabrook, LDR - via Bristol Live)
Door dispute: Tenants of social housing in St Pauls say they feel like ‘prisoners’ in their homes due to the controversial installation of doors with an app-based intercom system that they believe can ‘monitor’ them. (Hannah Massoudi - Bristol 24/7)
Hotel to reopen: The Grand Atlantic Hotel in Weston-super-Mare, which closed last month, is set to reopen next year. (Declan O’Reilly - Weston Mercury)
Bon mot: An expat French writer who lives in Bristol and writes about her experiences here on her Frenglish Girl substack has been nominated for an award. (Maya Taylor - Bristol 24/7)
Late licence fears: Residents of Lyde Green fear allowing a corner shop to serve alcohol until 11pm will encourage anti-social behaviour. (Alex Seabrook, LDR - via Bristol Live)
MP’s concern: Thornbury and Yate MP Claire Young said she will oppose plans for 450 homes in the South Gloucestershire community of Coalpit Heath, which could increase the village’s population by 50 per cent. (Tristan Cork - Bristol Live)
Restaurant closes: Long-standing restaurant Thali is closing its Easton branch, leaving only one in the city. The St Mark’s Road site has already been earmarked for another food and drink business. (Martin Booth - Bristol 24/7)
News in numbers
15: The number of minutes rapid delivery firm Gopuff, which Amazon has partnered with to launch in Bristol, claims it takes to deliver groceries. (Anna Wise, PA via Bristol Live)
Today’s newspapers
Sport
Seamer off: Gloucestershire pace bowler Dom Goodman has signed a deal to leave Bristol for Sussex next season. (BBC Sport)
Rovers recruit: Former Coventry City player Ryan Howley has reportedly agreed a deal with Bristol Rovers. (Daniel Hargraves - Bristol Live)
Wider West
Murder suspect remanded: Indogan Erdogan, of no fixed abode, has been charged at Bristol Crown Court with the murder of a man in Swindon’s Manchester Road last week. (Chloe Harcombe - BBC Wiltshire)
Cyber hub homes: More than 500 homes could be built near GCHQ after proposals for the next stage of a £1 billion cyber security centre in Cheltenham were approved. (Carmelo Garcia, LDR - via BBC Gloucestershire)
Community noticeboard
Get in touch: Please contact us via this form. I’d love to feature your events on the Bristol Drop’s Community Noticeboard.
Plant and pollination: Blaise Community Garden is staging a plant and pollination day on Saturday from 10am-2pm. There will be talks on pollination, plant sales and information on insects and rewilding, plus, of course, a range of cakes, savouries and drinks from the cafe. Details here. (Blaise Community Garden)
The Bristol Drop is curated by Western Daily Press editor Richard Bache. Subscribe to start the day with a brief digest of the morning’s essential news.