Cotham ward has an estimated population of 11,700 and covers the area between Hampton Road in the west, Redland Road, Arley Hill and Cheltenham Road in the east, Redland Hill to the north and Somerset Street to the south.  These districts are known as Redland, Cotham and Kingsdown.

Cotham is an affluent, leafy, inner-city suburb with a micro-centre in the shops and restaurants of Chandos Road. There is a secondary school in the ward, the very oversubscribed Cotham School, and Cotham Gardens Primary School. According to the Bristol City Council ward profile, Cotham has below average levels of antisocial behaviour and below average dependency on benefits. However, the ward has a significant number of students, most living in private rented accommodation, and this has tilted the balance in terms of stable population figures, age, community cohesion, and social behaviour. Only 9 % of the population of Cotham are children aged between 0 and 15.  A very large number (32%) are aged between 16 and 24.

Key challenges facing the local community in Cotham are:

• Housing – the large student population has had a significant impact on those parts of the ward where almost 67 % of the housing is in flats, of which a significantly high proportion (29%) are 1-bedroom flats, making noise and waste a nuisance. 52% of Cotham residents are in private rented accommodation while only 7% live in social rented accommodation.
• Traffic and Parking – Car ownership is relatively low (1 car per household), reflecting the young population, and dissatisfaction with the local bus service run by First Bus is unusually high.
• Parts of Cotham have implemented a Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) and because the ward has several major thoroughfares running through it, despite the levels of car ownership parking can be a challenge. Traffic congestion and air quality are major areas of concern for many residents.