Bristol is a city of contrasts and can generate intense wealth and intense poverty. Over recent years the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom of the social scale has widened. Improving health and regenerating these poorer areas must be people-based, with a bottom-up approach aimed at generating many ideas and projects, as well as improving services and the physical environment. Sustainability or quality of life indicators improve knowledge about neighbourhoods. This can help -

• inform citizens about the quality of life in their environment that can lead to community or individual action for change
• improve targeting of funds for regeneration
• monitor if change is in a sustainable direction.

Indicators are being used at four levels to give a comprehensive picture about quality of life in Bristol's neighbourhoods:

LEVEL 1: National headline indicators - In November 1998 the Government launched its first ever set of quality of life indicators. It is envisaged they will be used, alongside local indicators, in cities and towns to help measure sustainability, and be regularly updated making headline news. They are:
1. total output of the economy (GDP)
2. investment in public assets (transport, schools etc)
3. people of working age who are in work
4. expected years of healthy life
5. qualifications at age 19 (per cent of pupils achieving 5 or Grade A-C GCSEs)
6. housing judged unfit to live in
7. level of crime
8. emissions of greenhouse gases
9. days of air pollution
10. road traffic (vehicle miles)
11. rivers of good or fair quality
12. wild bird population
13. new homes built on previously developed land
14. waste and waste disposal.

LEVEL 2: Bristol ward and city-wide indicators - The first indicators were introduced as benchmarks in 1995, following the State of the Local Environment Report, published by Bristol's Health and Environmental Services. The city now has a menu of 60 indicators updated annually in reports, following a two month public consultation period. They are grouped under 11 themes:

• resource use
• pollution
• wildlife
• work
• basic needs
• access.

Approximately 50 per cent of the information comes from Bristol City Council; the rest is provided by the Avon Health Authority, Bristol University, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, private and voluntary organisations and from feedback from local residents. The majority of indicators are illustrated as ward maps such as "Percentage of households claiming council tax benefits" (Figure 1) that is an indicator of basic needs and poverty. Among these indicators are "favourites" chosen by citizens of Bristol that best reflect their concerns. "Percentage of families who eat organic fruit and vegetables" (Figure 2) is an example.

Some indicators can be illustrated on a city or ward level such as "Percentage of unauthorised absences from Bristol LEA schools" (Figures 3 & 4). Truancy indicates the general level of education and can be linked to youth crime. This indicator has been given a red light - showing a trend that is moving away from sustainability. Correlation between indicators is often evident and it has also been possible to compile an Index of Quality of Life in Bristol based on ward scores.

LEVEL 3: Bristol headline indicators were introduced following "The State of Bristol" conference in March 1999. This conference, organised jointly by the Western Partnership for Sustainable Development and Bristol City Council, brought key players in the city together (primarily NGOs) to choose headline indicators for 12 sustainability themes.
These indicators need to be easy to understand, reflect day-to-day concerns and be easy to measure and update. The choices, shown in the table, will be debated and finally selected only after full public consultation; they will be regularly updated throughout the year and are expected to make headline news on a local level.

LEVEL 4: Community indicators were compiled during 1999. They will be chosen by individual communities, often at sub-ward level, and reflect unique, specific concerns to priority neighbourhoods. Information will be collected by communities and chosen indicators will be linked closely to the developing LA 21 strategy. Community indicators are likely to address local issues such as: fear of crime, dog fouling, improving public transport and better access to council/health services etc.

Bristol has made a headstart compared to many other UK cities with citizens able to gauge trends in sustainable development with "traffic light" indicators since 1995, developing awareness about local environments. The environmental health service has a key role to play with the development of LA 21 strategies, and EHOs are well placed to lead indicator initiatives that encourage a holistic and multisectoral approach, strengthening partnerships with other agencies. But professionals and politicians need the public's insight and the "bottom-up approach" to select community indicators needs full public consultation. Both approaches are necessary so that a baseline of information is provided to help focus the needs and wants within communities. Bristol's indicators are not only assisting sustainable development, but are used for community profiling resulting in improved and targeted service delivery and more funding for regeneration.

Further reading
State of the Local Environment Report, 1995, Bristol City Council
Indicators of Quality of Life - Sustainability Updates, 1996 - 1999 Bristol City Council
Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood, 1991 - 1998 Institute of Child Health, University of Bristol
Communities Count! A step by step guide to community sustainability indicators, 1998
Alex MacGillivray, Candy Weston, Catherine Unsworth
A Better Quality of Life - A strategy for sustainable development in the UK (Government White Paper launched 17/5/99) DETR
Sarah McMahon is senior EHO at Bristol City Council