News / Transport
Calls for pause of controversial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gate
The leader of Bristol’s Labour group says a pause on further attempts to install a new bus gate in east Bristol is “the obvious, sensible approach to take”.
Tom Renhard’s comments come after contractors trying to install the gate on Avonvale Road in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbhourhood (EBLN) on Tuesday morning were met with around a dozen protesters who blocked the work for a second time.
Bristol City Council wants to move the gate from west of the junction between Avondale Road and Marsh Lane in Barton Hill to a spot a stone’s throw east, outside a fish and chip shop.
Ed Plowden, chair of the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee, said the change was in response to monitoring data which highlighted an increase of traffic along Glendare Street and Great Western Lane.
“By removing this bus gate we aim to reduce this increase and improve access between Feeder Road, Barton Hill and St Phillip’s Causeway,” Plowden says.
“It will also allow easier access to Wellspring Surgery and the local shops on Avonvale Road and Marsh Lane.”
Protesters again prevented changes being made to the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood on Tuesday morning – photo: Katie Sullivan
Renhard, Labour councillor for Horfield, says the scheme “continues to have a divisive impact on the local community”.
“Hamblins, a fish and chip shop with roots in the community that go back decades, has reported a significant drop in trade since the bus gate was installed,” he says.
“The bus gate is being moved right outside of the shop, which will do nothing to help their situation.
“The Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee is set to vote on the future of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood as early as July 9.
“The council has three options: try to install the bus gate for a third time; carry out another nighttime operation backed up by police, private security and drones to install it; or pause any work and switch off the bus gates until councillors have discussed the scheme and voted on its future.
“Labour’s position is clear: switching off the bus gates in the EBLN scheme area and pausing any further attempts to install the new bus gate on Avonvale Road is the obvious, sensible approach to take.”
The signs for the new bus gate have been defaced
The changes to the EBLN were published in a consultation by Bristol City Council in response to residents’ feedback.
At the time, around 240 people objected to the plan to relocate the Barton Hill bus gate to allow a left turn from Marsh Lane onto Avonvale Road.
Protesters also stopped contractors’ work earlier in April.
Concern has been sparked over the new bus gate’s location outside chippie Hamblins – photo: Betty Woolerton
In response, Plowden, who represents Windmill Hill as Green councillor, says: “We are still committed to delivering these changes, which have been agreed in response to resident feedback and the monitoring data we collected.
“It is disappointing that a small group of protesters are preventing the works from being completed on schedule, increasing costs and disrupting residents’ journeys to school and work.
“If previous works had not been disrupted by protest activity, we would have promoted the programme of work for these changes further ahead of time.
“Council officers called First Bus at 6am as the road closure went in, and buses were diverted from that point on a pre-arranged diversion route with notices displayed at bus stops to let passengers know about the changes.”
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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