News / Transport
Bollards become latest battleground in bitter war of words
Bollards have become the latest battleground in the increasingly bitter war of words between opposing political groups at City Hall.
A traffic filter on Dovercourt Road in Lockleaze encompassing road narrowing and bollards will prevent through-traffic but still allow access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Ed Plowden, the Green Party chair of the transport & connectivity committee, says that he wants Bristol “to be a place where people have access to reliable, safe, accessible and well-connected travel options”.
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He has previously said that the proposals for Dovercourt Road, Petherbridge Way and Constable Road “are aimed at making walking, wheeling and cycling safer and to help reduce motor traffic using Dovercourt Road as a cut-through”.
But Labour are calling for the proposed traffic filter to be scrapped despite it being Labour who secured funding for road safety interventions being implemented as part of the Goram Homes development off Dovercourt Road.
Bristol’s Labour leader Tom Renhard says that the planned bollards on Dovercourt Road are unnecessary, “creating more problems than they solve”.
Bristol24/7 has previously reported the concerns of the owners of Chinese takeaway Kimling and Dovercourt Convenience Store, who fear that traffic restrictions may put their livelihood at risk.
A petition opposing the plans has now received more than 400 signatures.
The family that owns Kimling fears the business could be forced to close over proposed road changes in Lockleaze – photo: Kimling
Renhard, a councillor in Lockleaze’s neighbouring ward of Horfield, said: “The Green-led council’s plan to install bollards on Dovercourt Road and restrict access need a rethink.
“Other parts of the proposals including tree planting, new crossing points and shared-use pavements will make Dovercourt Road safer for pedestrians and cyclists. But bollards seem wholly unnecessary.
“Dovercourt Road is 20mph and will see significant road safety improvements as part of the Goram Homes development, alongside the other improvements the council is consulting on.
“Restricting traffic access will hurt the local businesses and just push the cars down the neighbouring residential streets.”
In reply to Renhard, Plowden said: “Precisely because local councillors David Wilcox and Heather Mack have been listening to residents in the ward, I am already aware of all the issues you raise.
“I am working with officers to revisit the traffic counts and looking at various options to respond to concerns. One of the options was to cease the project. This has been discounted for the time being.
“The next stage of the project is to finalise the designs so that they can be approved by the Transport and Connectivity committee.
“I am happy if Labour members of our committee wish to share any constructive thoughts in the short term, or they can wait until this is brought to the committee next year, when they will of course have their say as part of an evidence-based decision.”
Closing Dovercourt Road to through-traffic are part of the city council’s Concorde Way improvements – photo: Betty Woolerton
The latest row comes after Renhard recently said that the current consultation on the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood is “a sham intended to get the Green-led council the answers it wants to hear”, adding it is “not worth the pixels it is written on”.
Bristol’s Green group leader Emma Edwards responded that it is “unsurprising to see Labour making uninformed demands on a scheme that was designed on their watch”.
She added that Labour are “at best confused, and at worst blatantly opportunistic… They would rather do this than use their position in the committee system to constructively collaborate.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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