Key Points
- Residents in Southville and Bedminster say the Tobacco Factory’s Sunday market could be under threat because of a council traffic order linked to two new streets being built nearby.
- The market began as a monthly event in 2004 and has taken place every Sunday since 2007.
- Raleigh Road, the road beside the Tobacco Factory, is currently closed for the market so stalls and street food businesses can operate.
- A public notice shows Bristol City Council has made traffic and parking changes in the Bedminster East, Bedminster and Southville area, with a notice coming into force on 8 January 2024.
- The Tobacco Factory says its market usually runs from 10:00am to 2:30pm and can host up to 60 stalls each week.
- The market features food, crafts, produce and street food traders, according to the venue’s own description.
Bristol (Bristol Express News) July 16, 2026 – As reported by the Bristol coverage behind this story, people living in uk/local/southville/">Southville and Bedminster fear the popular market may be affected by a traffic order connected to two new streets being built nearby. The concern centres on whether changes to local access and road layout could affect the closure of Raleigh Road, which is used to host the market each Sunday.
The Tobacco Factory’s website says the market is a weekly fixture with up to 60 stalls, making it a significant part of the area’s local trading scene.
What is the market’s role?
The Tobacco Factory market started in 2004 as a monthly event and became a weekly Sunday market from 2007 onwards.
The venue says it offers local food, crafts and produce, and also provides space for Bristol street-food traders.
It describes the market as a place to meet friends, relax with family and support local makers, growers and producers.
That scale helps explain why nearby residents are paying close attention to any transport change that might affect it.
What does the council order say?
A public notice for the Bedminster East area shows Bristol City Council has varied some on-street parking and waiting arrangements in Bedminster East, Bedminster and Southville wards. The notice states it came into force on 8 January 2024 and relates to residents’ parking and waiting restrictions.
The notice does not, on its own, confirm the market’s future, but it does show that traffic regulation changes have been made in the same part of the city.
That overlap is the basis for local concern about how nearby development and access arrangements may interact with the Sunday market.
Why do locals worry?
The worry appears to be practical rather than symbolic: if road access changes around the Tobacco Factory site, the market’s current setup on Raleigh Road could be harder to maintain.
The venue’s own description shows that the market depends on the road being available each Sunday for stalls and visitors.
Residents’ concerns therefore focus on whether traffic management linked to new streets could reduce the space or flexibility needed for the market to continue in its present form. No confirmed closure has been stated in the available material.
What has been confirmed so far?
What is confirmed is that the market is active, regular and well established, and that Bristol has issued a traffic-related notice affecting the wider Bedminster and Southville area.
The Tobacco Factory says the Sunday market remains part of its current weekly offering.
The public notice confirms a formal change to parking and waiting arrangements, but it does not directly say the market will stop. At this stage, the story is about concern over possible impact rather than an announced cancellation.
Background
The Tobacco Factory Sunday market is one of South Bristol’s better-known local markets and has been operating for years in its present weekly format.
Its position on Raleigh Road means it depends on a particular local road arrangement that allows traders to set up and visitors to browse safely.
The wider area of Bedminster and Southville has also been subject to parking and traffic regulation changes, as shown in the council notice. That context explains why even a technical traffic order can quickly become a community issue.
Prediction
For local residents, the main impact would be on access, convenience and the continued presence of a familiar neighbourhood market if the traffic changes alter how the site operates.
For traders, any restriction on road use could affect stall space, customer flow and weekly income if the market layout has to change. For the wider South Bristol audience, the issue matters because the market is not just a shopping point but part of the area’s Sunday routine and local economy.
The likely next stage is further scrutiny of how the council order and nearby development interact with the market’s existing road closure arrangement.
