Southmead
| Southmead | |
|---|---|
 Boundaries of the city council ward |
|
| Southmead shown within Bristol | |
| Population | 11,956 (2011.Ward) |
| OS grid reference | ST582785 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county |
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| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS10 |
| Dialling code | 0117 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Southmead is a northern suburb and council ward of Bristol, in the southwest of England. The town of Filton (in South Gloucestershire), and the Bristol suburbs of Monks Park, Horfield, Henleaze and Westbury on Trym lie on its boundaries.
The River Trym rises in Southmead and flows southwest through Badock's Wood, a Local Nature Reserve. There is a round barrow near the northern end of the wood.
Southmead was a manor of the parish of Westbury on Trym. The manor house, mentioned in a document of 1319, was near the south end of what is now Southmead Road. Most of the estate of 313 acres (1.27 km2) was sold in the late 19th century. By 1888 Southmead was a small hamlet on Southmead Road.Southmead Hospital, formerly the Barton Regis Workhouse, was opened there in 1924.
Large-scale development of the area started in 1931, when the Bristol Corporation built 1,500 houses to the north of Southmead Road, partly to house families cleared from the slums of central Bristol, and partly to address the housing shortage at the time. A further 1,100 houses were built after World War II. Since then, reference has often been made to the "pre-war estate" of Southmead and the "post-war estate".
The centre of Southmead is along Greystoke Avenue, a wide road with grassy areas some distance to the North of the original hamlet on Southmead Road. The area to the South and West, falls within Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze ward since the last boundary review and further to the May 2016 elections. Parts of Southmead to the South East of Southmead Road, including the hospital, are in Horfield ward.
Efforts have been made to improve the area's social problems and implement environmental improvements, many of which have been successful. Social policies have led to a more mixed housing offer and to some extent gentrification, with improved infrastructure and local services. The right to buy has led to an increased transfer of housing provision from tenanted to owner-occupation. Major employment hubs at Filton, MOD Abbey Wood and the increase of services at Southmead Hospital have brought increased affluence and opportunity to the area. A greater selection of shops and facilities have come to the area, allowing those on limited incomes to access food more cheaply and readily. Whilst Southmead as an area looks and feels as though it is improving, it still experiences deprivation. The Central part of Southmead still sits within the most 10% deprived areas of England, and the South West of the Ward since 2015 now falls within the bottom 10-20% most deprived areas. Ongoing social policies and economic impacts are taking time to incrementally improve the area.
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