When people hear ‘West Country’ their first thoughts are usually farmer accents – cue: The Wurzels, Cornish Pasties, and a history of pirates. These things are all from the West Country of course, but this beautiful region is so much more than a collection of cliches. From the rolling hills to the rugged coastlines, this corner of the country really is a wonderful place to live and work.
Starting with the coastline; there are a huge number of amazing beaches within a 2-hour drive of Bristol – with options in Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, all within easy reach. Some lesser-known, and obviously quieter options are Kilve Beach, Porlock Weir, and Watchet Harbour to name just a few.
As well as the coast, we have wonderful countryside walks – some even within the city limits – for example, there is the Frome Valley Walkway which starts in Frenchay and follows the river all the way through Oldbury Court, Snuff Mills, Eastville Park and into central Bristol if you fancy it. There is also the beautiful Harbourside, Leigh Woods, Ashton Court and the Blaise Castle Estate worth mentioning, before moving further afield to places such as Blagdon Lake, Cheddar Gorge, and Brean Down.
Alongside the protected and timeless classics, Bristol and the South West is a hub for development and new ventures too.
A booming population, and high student retention rates from both universities has led to a shortage of affordable housing in the city. Bristol City Council, as well as neighbouring councils has committed to building new homes, and The West of England Combined Authority works with public sector landowners such as the NHS, the Cabinet Office and all four councils within its remit. Together they focus on utilising public sector property and land to ensure the region’s sustainable and inclusive growth. The Combined Authority also launched a local Industrial Strategy in 2019, with a key theme being ‘innovation in infrastructure’.
The strategy for enabling and developing property and land, considers housing, employment, and transport needs for the long-term. Using brownfield sites, and surplus public sector land, the Region is leading the way in sustainable development. This considered approach to development takes care of people, planet and progress, which is very appealing to the newest generation of workers – living, working, and socialising in a city that resonates with their values, is for them, second-to-none.
In terms of food and drink venues, the buzz this year is all about BoxHall – Bristol newest food and music venue in the historic Welsh Back area of the city. The concept stems from London’s successful food hall ‘BOXPARK’. Bristol’s food hall will be their first venture outside of the capital and they hope to successfully encapsulate and represent Bristol’s diverse foodie scene.
Slightly longer in the tooth, there are plenty of established food venues in St Nicholas Market, Finzel’s Reach, Spike Island, Clifton Village and Gloucester Road too. To be fair, most areas of Bristol have amazing places to eat, due mainly to the fact that it is such a culturally diverse city. The food and drink scene is a huge melting pot of different flavours and influences that keeps being added to and mixed up with every new wave of people who decide to make Bristol their home.
So how about getting from one place to another around the city? The council say this about the Bristol Transport Strategy, which was adopted in 2019 following a public consultation in Autumn 2018:
‘Our vision for Bristol is to be a well-connected city that enables people to move around efficiently with increased transport options that are accessible and inclusive to all.’
Included in this strategy are the following pointers:
- improve transport to meet increased demand from the growth in housing, jobs and regeneration
- create an inclusive transport system that provides realistic transport options for everyone
- create healthy places that promote active transport, improve air quality and improve road safety
- make better use of our streets to enable more efficient journeys
- enable more reliable journeys by minimising the negative impact of congestion
- support sustainable growth by enabling efficient movement of people and goods, reducing carbon emissions and embracing new technology.
The city really is serious about making a difference for the people living here, and this strategy shows how acting local can truly make a global impact. Bristol rolled out its enforcement of the Clean Air Zone in November 2022, in a bid to ensure the city met the limits set by the government within the shortest possible time. The council say they believe the Clean Air Zone successfully offers a balance between improving air quality and the need to support businesses.
As the 2020’s are ticking along, Bristol continues to be at the cutting-edge of innovation and development. The young professionals in this city are working hard to preserve green spaces, not just globally, but locally. They are utilising parks and walkways to raise money and awareness for causes – such as marathons, fun runs, and sponsored walks. And after all is said and done, they are able to relax and wind down with awesome food and drink venues that feed the soul.
If this city sounds like the place you’d love to call home, then you’ll be looking for finance recruitment agencies in Bristol that are on the same page as you when it comes to your job search. Core3 certainly fits the bill, and one way we stand out from the crowd of finance recruitment agencies in Bristol is that we are a B Corp who prioritises people, planet and progress before all else.
A famous line from a Wurzels song says: ‘I’ve got a brand new combine-harvester, and I’ll give you the key…’ While Core3 can’t promise you one of those, we can give you the key to your career. Choosing to work with us over other finance recruitment agencies in Bristol, will unlock your potential and set you on the path to a fulfilling, fun-filled, and exciting journey ahead.
