Which Bristol wards are in each area committee and what they do
What is an area committee
Bristol has nine area committees who make decisions on how local funds are spent to support improvements in their area. Area committees are made up of the local councillors.
Area committees make their decisions based on the knowledge they have of their community. They meet in-person twice a year to make funding allocation decisions. They also meet online twice a year to discuss updates in their areas.
Which wards are in Bristol's area committees
All Bristol wards fall into one of the nine area committees.
A ward is an area of the city such as Avonmouth, Bedminster or Redland.
- Area Committee 1: Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, Henbury and Brentry, Southmead and Horfield
- Area Committee 2: Stoke Bishop, Westbury on Trym and Henleaze, Redland and Bishopston and Ashley Down
- Area Committee 3: Clifton, Clifton Down, Cotham and Hotwells and Harbourside
- Area Committee 4: Central, Ashley, Lawrence Hill and Easton
- Area Committee 5: Lockleaze, Eastville, Hillfields and Frome Vale
- Area Committee 6: St George West, St George Central and St George Troopers Hill
- Area Committee 7: Southville, Bedminster, Windmill Hill and Filwood
- Area Committee 8: Hartcliffe and Withywood, Bishopsworth and Hengrove and Whitchurch Park
- Area Committee 9: Knowle, Stockwood, Brislington West and Brislington East
Map of the area committee boundaries
Terms of reference
The area committee have terms of reference to explain:
- their purpose
- the powers they have
- how they work in practice
- who is involved
How funding will be given to local areas from the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 agreements
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the Section 106 (S106) agreements
As part of the planning process, a developer often has to give money to the council to pay for improvements in the area where their development is happening.
This is usually through a planning charge called the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) but is sometimes through a planning obligation called a Section 106 agreement.
In Bristol, some of the CIL and S106 money received is allocated to Area Committees for spending decisions.
What S106 and CIL money is used for
Section 106 Funds
S106 funds are often explicitly for highways improvements, parks improvements and tree planting.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
85% of CIL money raised is used to pay for city-wide projects delivered by Bristol City Council. For example, improving roads and schools.
15% of CIL is devolved to Area Committees for Local CIL projects. This can be spent anywhere within the area covered by an area committee, as long as it aligns with the legal requirements for CIL usage.
15% of Local CIL is allocated to a city-wide Equity Fund to be spent on projects across Bristol that meet its criteria. This is to support infrastructure projects in areas of greatest deprivation and with a focus on equity.
Areas with a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) receive 25% of CIL funds raised within their area to support the priorities they've identified.
Local councillors allocate the funds through their area committees to support local priority projects, such as improving community centres or parks. There are nine area committees that cover the city.
Amount of available funds
The amount of funds depends on the number and scale of new developments that are taking place in each of the areas covered by the nine area committees.
CIL money is paid to the council throughout the year so each area's CIL fund increases every month.
Local CIL projects can be spent anywhere within the area covered by an area committee, as long as it aligns with the legal requirements for CIL usage.
The use of S106 funds must comply with the terms outlined in the legal agreement between the developer and the council.
Our quarterly reports show how much is available for each area committee, the amounts already allocated, and the purposes of each S106 fund:
Who decides how the money gets spent
Councillors work with the local communities in their wards to identify and prioritise neighbourhood improvements to fund using money that's available to them. Even where funding is insufficient in a given year, they are encouraged to discuss priorities that could be funded in future years or through an alternative pot.
Councillors make decisions about local funds once a year in the city's 9 area committee meetings.
How you can get involved
If you're interested in applying, see Area Committee Funding Process.
If you want to get involved you can:
- talk to your local ward councillor
- come to a community meeting
Neighbourhood plans
Meet others in your community and get involved with decision making in your area
Get involved and have your say
All areas across the city will have community meetings and events for you to attend and get involved. Meetings may be held online or in a community venue.
These meetings will give you the opportunity to:
- meet people and groups in your neighbourhood
- share ideas to improve your community
- discuss problems with service providers
- talk to your councillors about projects and activities you'd like them to support with their area committee funding, visit Contact your local councillor to find your councillor
Contact your local councillor or local group to find out more.
Community Connectors
Councillors nominate organisations in their community to become Community Connectors for the CIL funding process. This means this organisation works with the councillors to share knowledge, facilitate discussions about priorities, and work with communities to develop proposals.
To find out what events are taking place and how to get involved in the discussions in your area, contact your local councillor or your Community Connector organisation.
Area committee funding process
Stage 1: Identifying local priorities and developing solutions
- Residents and community groups talk to their local councillor about their ideas.
- Use online tools to suggest improvements to public spaces (link to later page 'Report issues and suggestions')
- Community workshops to develop proposals
- Stage 1 forms are submitted
- Community and councillor prioritisation
- Surgeries held between councillors and BCC officers
- First formal meeting
- Invitations to submit full stage 2 proposals
Stage 2: Proposal development and decision making
- Full proposals developed by delivery body (community group or BCC department)
- Full proposals submitted
- BCC technical assessment
- Second formal meeting
- Area Committees allocate funding
Stage 3: Grant management and delivery
- Funding agreements drawn up and funding transferred to community groups
- Projects delivery starts
- 6-monthly progress updates
- End of project monitoring
Timetable 2026
View the Area Committee funding timetable for 2025 to 2026.
Contact your local area committee
You can also email your local area committee:
Look at statistical data about Bristol, split up by wards
Ward profiles
We have data on the 34 wards within Bristol area on our wards data profiles page.
Indices of Deprivation (ID2019)
The Indices of Deprivation is the official measure of relative deprivation across England.
The ID2019 combine a number of indicators, chosen to cover a range of economic, social, environmental and housing issues, into a single multiple deprivation score for each neighbourhood in England.
For more information on Bristol deprivation statistics see our deprivation page.
Progress updates for projects funded by area committees.
Find the latest updates on projects funded by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Section 106 (S106) agreements.
The following reports are from the latest round of updates made in February 2025. These updates cover projects approved for funding since 2018.
Community projects
Updates on community projects funded by each area committee.
- pdf Area committee 1(47 KB)
- pdf Area committee 2(54 KB)
- pdf Area committee 3(41 KB)
- pdf Area committee 4(94 KB)
- pdf Area committee 5(52 KB)
- pdf Area committee 6(54 KB)
- pdf Area committee 7(101 KB)
- pdf Area committee 8(62 KB)
- pdf Area committee 9(50 KB)
Bristol City Council projects
Some of our parks, transport and adult learning projects are funded by CIL and S106 agreements. The following are updates on each service.
Area Committee process, timetable and how to submit an outline proposal
Area Committee Funding Process
The annual Area Committee funding process is divided into 3 stages:
Stage 1: Identifying local priorities
- Conversations to identify local priorities
- Stage 1 forms submitted
- Surgeries held between councillors and BCC officers
- Community and councillor prioritisation
- First formal meeting
- Invitations to submit full stage 2 proposals
Stage 2: Proposal development and decision making
- Full proposals developed by delivery body (community group or BCC department)
- Full proposals submitted
- BCC technical assessment
- Second formal meeting
- Make funding decisions
Stage 3: Grant management and delivery
- Funding agreements drawn up and funding transferred to community groups
- Projects delivered
- 6-monthly progress updates
- End of project monitoring
Timetable 2025
Read the guidance for applicants and find out how to submit a proposal
Area Committee funding guidance
Before you complete a Stage 1 form, check the guidance on Area Committee funding, how to complete the Stage 1 form and the eligibility criteria for CIL funding (pdf, 223 KB).
To receive funding, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria.
How to submit a Stage 1 form
Once a community priority has been identified, VCSE organisations, residents or councillors should complete a document Stage 1 form(45 KB) . Your Councillor should be aware of your proposal and have endorsed it.
In the last round of CIL funding, Stage 1 forms related to transport or road safety were not accepted, this was to allow time for the transport teams to catch up on outstanding schemes. This year, transport and road safety related proposals will be accepted, you can also make suggestions on how your street and public spaces could be improved online.
How to submit a Stage 2 full project proposal
We'll contact all applicants who're invited to Stage 2 to develop a full project proposal. The forms will be shared by email.
For guidance on creating a good Equalities Impact Assessment:
- watch our Equalities Impact Assessment Session video
- refer to the pdf presentation (pdf, 855KB)
How to report suggestions for improvements and problems in public spaces.
Help Shape Your Neighbourhood
Your ideas and feedback help improve streets, parks, and public spaces across Bristol. By reporting issues or suggesting improvements, you help councillors and council teams understand what matters most in the area. This input supports fairer funding decisions through the Area Committee process and ensures projects reflect real local needs. Whether it's a broken bench or a new play area idea, your voice makes a difference.
Roads and Transport
- Suggest Street improvements and report road safety concerns in your area using Improve My Street.
- Report problems on a street, car park, park, green space, or harbourside using Fix My Street
Parks and Green Spaces
- Suggest an improvement to a park or green space using this parks improvements form.
- Find out the best way to report a problem in a park or green space.