Features / Park Street
Traders join forces to oppose closure of Park Street to through-traffic
A number of Park Street traders have joined forces in opposition against plans to close the road to through-traffic.
Shop owners and other businesses on the street have attached signs to their windows encouraging their customers to “show your love for Park Street” with a petition started by Michael Potts of Mrs Potts Chocolate House receiving more than 200 signatures so far.
On a recent afternoon, the majority of traders who spoke to Bristol24/7 were against the installation of the bus gates which would still allow people able to drive onto Park Street but access would only be from St George’s Road.
is needed now More than ever
Through-traffic, however, would be fed along Park Row or Anchor Road, with council bosses hoping that this would allow Park Street “to be made into a pleasant environment and encourage people to spend more time supporting the local businesses and cultural venues”.
It’s certainly aspirational but the optimism is not shared by those who work on Park Street, with one trader saying that “if the plans go ahead, we’ll have to move”.
Park Street once had a reputation for being one of Bristol’s finest shopping districts – photo: Martin Booth
“I am concerned for small businesses to be honest,” said Uncle Sam’s vintage clothing shop owner, Kate Territo (pictured top).
“Park Street is already struggling. And what about the building work, how long is that going to take? I’ve just had to do private renovations and now this.
“You talk to anybody around here, we’re very worried. We all have signs up in our windows: Save Park Street.”
On a different theme, Kate said that “it’s all well and good diverting traffic away from Park Street but it’s going to end up somewhere”, with Park Row “already bad enough”.
Michele Territo in Territo Tailoring, which his dad Jack founded in 1967 and which has been on Park Street since 1980 – photo: Will Stannard
Emphasising the tight-knit nature of the road, Michele Territo of Territo Tailoring is Kate’s husband, with the tailors based on Park Street (currently above Diana Porter Jewellery) since 1980.
He said that despite the strength of feeling among the Save Park Street group, “we don’t exactly take to the streets like the French”.
“The fact is there are issues but I don’t think strong-arming the public into accepting this decision is a diplomatic way to go about it…
“We’re a destination business. Nobody wanders into a shop by chance and decides to spend £3,000 on a suit.
“Independent businesses are quite niche. People come here because they’ve researched us and they’ve come a long way.”
Michele said he has already noticed a difference “since they introduced ULEZ”, mistakenly referring to the Ultra Low Emission Zone operational across of boroughs in London rather than Bristol’s own Clean Air Zone.
He said: “I can’t drive my own car here but somebody can park outside in a Ferrari.
“Really, our argument as a group is that everywhere this has been done, it makes the area less attractive. Businesses will close, and they will move…
“Park Street is an icon of Bristol. You watch The One Show, or anytime Bristol is featured (on television), what do they show? A picture of Park Street. But the council don’t take care of it.”
The doom and gloom is not shared universally, however, with Lynn at Ganesha Handicrafts saying that reducing the number of cars on Park Street “might encourage more people to come here”.
She said: “There will be less noise pollution which I think can put people off. The residents might like it as well and it would make the area more walkable.”
Dan Veltman in Hobgoblin musical instrument shop said most of the customers in their shop “just stroll in”. He said: “I think it’s a good idea; it can make it a more pleasant shopping experience.”
But Sam Hopkins of clothes shop Jacobs called the proposals “stupid”.
He said: “Unless you’re a restaurant or cafe, it isn’t going to benefit you. Footfall will go down…
“A lot of people travel to us because we sell quite niche stuff you can’t find everywhere. Lots of people bring boxes of clothing to sell us. It’s going to make it harder.
“The work is also going to be a problem for us. The noise, the drilling, digging up the pavement. It’s going to cause access issues.
“Also, they say it’s going to take six months, but everyone knows it’s going to be more like a year.”
The latest plans for Park Street are part of council proposals to improve the number 2 bus route from Queen’s Road to College Green – photo: Will Stannard
Hi-fi and home cinema specialists Audio T is one of the shops on the road with a Save Park Street sign in its front window.
Store manager Max said: “We think it’s a bad idea. It’s going to increase traffic in other places. I don’t think it will discourage drivers.
“I think it boils down to a cultural thing. We like to drive in England.
“If you look at Bristol shopping centres, the only place really doing well is Cribbs because it’s the only place with free parking…
“We sell things you can’t carry home. If the plans go ahead, we’ll have to move.”
Main photo: Will Stannard
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
