Bristol City Council’s latest brilliant business wheeze is to buy, er, fresh air off royalty!

A decision sneaked out under the cover of darkness explains, “the council must pay the Crown Estate (TCE) for the Right of Air being granted over TCE land in order to provide the St Philips Footbridge connection between Temple Island and Albert Road.”

Yes, you read that correctly. We’re paying Tampon Charlie for the use of  fresh air in St Philips. The deal is that we pay the super-wealthy king an ‘air space levy’ of £117,500 plus costs. This, we’re assured, comes at a fifty per cent discount. What a deal!

We’ll be paying Merchant Venturers for our water next … Oh hang on …