Threat to History of Old Market
The city council is carrying out a "character appraisal" of the area to identify key characteristics and help protect them.
The appraisal will also examine whether the boundaries of the Old Market conservation area are correct and will consider whether anything in the surrounding area should be included.
It will go some way to protecting unlisted buildings of merit, with an assumption in favour of keeping them.
But Stephen Baker, who runs the Electric Ladyland guitar shop in West Street, said the area was losing its connections to its history through the continual threat of development.
He said: "It's only really in the last six months that some of the best features like the road surfacing have been ripped out.
"This has all come a bit too late. Some of these developers are nothing more than architectural thugs.
"We have to protect the whole of Old Market. We need a short-stay car park as parking is disappearing left, right and centre."
Roger Wilson, who lives in nearby Easton, said: "My main concern is that listing buildings does not protect their usage. Pubs are disappearing, and if you remove community buildings you start to break down the community."
For more information in the appraisal, email conservation@bristol.gov.uk, or call Hannah Smith on 0117 922 2960.
