Urban Regeneration and Jobs

St George in the East of Bristol, has long been in need of a revamp.With it's tatty vacant shops, dirty windows and takeaway street furniture blighting the Victorian  high street, it looks pretty dire. The high street is just 2 miles from the city centre and a main artery leading to the centre. To give this street a new lease of life, the council should start a regeneration program using a surveyor to inspect the safety of buildings with trees growing out of masonry. Force instructions on owners to resolve the risk, then use local contractors, to tidy the street up with a lick of paint, clean the windows of every building and remove hanging signs which look ugly. Then offer 12 months free rates on independent businesses that open a new shops and create new jobs. Massive re-gentrification happened in Southville in the past decade, and it could happen here, with the commutable short distance to town. Nice community but in need of some TLC and investment. The same should be done to St Paul's and Stokes Croft. With the latter having derelict buildings compulsorily purchased by the council to allow more affordable social housing schemes, andstudent accommodation and facilities for the local community like affordable child care so young mothers and low income families can return to work and not get caught in the poverty trap.

Over 6000 people live in St George and it has the least amount of facilities in a urban area. We only have one park with decent play facilities a poorly stocked library and that's pretty much it.