Bristol City Council

Bristol is the 8th largest city in England and the economic capital of the South West.
The City Council administers an area of 18 square miles and serves a resident population of over 393,000 people, while the city also serves a travel-to-work area of over 900,000 people living in the wider city region.

This important relationship between the city and its surrounding sub-region has been recognized in the creation of a West of England Partnership with the neighboring authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

The city region is home to over 17,000 businesses, including the national headquarters of more than 160 companies. Six of the South West’s 10 largest companies are based here, sharing a turnover of £22 billion and employing more than 120,000 people worldwide.
Bristol’s gross domestic product (GDP) per head is higher than that of any city in England except London and above the European average – it has a more productive economy than European capitals like Berlin, Madrid and Rome.

Bristol City Council became a unitary authority in 1996. It has 70 Councilors representing 35 wards; annual elections for a third of all councilors are held three years out of every four.
Bristol City Council employs over 18,000 full time equivalent staff delivering more than 500 services. They are based in seven main departments. These are:

            • Chief Executive's
            • Central Support Services
            • Adult Community Care
            • Children and Young People's Services
            • Neighborhood and Housing Services
            • Cultural and Leisure Services
            • Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development
 
There has been no overall political control of the council since 2003, resulting in either shared or minority administrations. The current balance is 31 Liberal Democrats, 25 Labour, 13 Conservatives and 1 Green, with the Cabinet for 2007/08 drawn from the Labour Group.

The City Council's vision for the future of Bristol is of:

• A city that realises its full potential and exerts influence appropriate to its status at a regional, national and European level
• A modern, cosmopolitan, ambitious city at the heart of a prosperous and confident area that is the gateway to the South West
• A diverse and accessible city made up of vibrant and balanced communities where everyone is valued and can thrive economically, culturally and socially
• A safe city that promotes health, learning and sustainable development
• A city where no-one is disadvantaged 

As we seek to realise this vision, we will strive to:

• Meet local people's needs in a responsive and flexible way
• Ensure services are accessible and inclusive
• Focus on results
• Deliver quality and value for money
• Find new and better ways of doing things
• Be open and accountable
• Treat local people with respect
• Work in partnership
• Employ motivated, well-trained and customer-focused staff