News / Barton Hill
Disability group consulted for liveable neighbourhood allegedly ‘fabricated’
An independent review has found that a disability group that Bristol City Council said they consulted ahead of the beginning of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) trial scheme has never actually existed.
According to the review, Barton Hill Disabilities Group is a fictional organisation, contradicting a claim that the council consulted them during the Equalities Impact Assessment of the scheme.
In the document published by charity Baggator, there are several mentions about the non-existence of this group, with public statements made during committee meetings indicating the “inability to trace any record of such a group” and suspicions about it being “fabricated by the council to give an appearance of consultation”.
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When questioned about this group during a full council meeting in March, chair of Bristol’s transport & connectivity committee, Ed Plowden was clarified that this was an “informal group” and that it was “not possible to provide personal information about a group of disabled residents” for privacy reasons.
He added: “A group of residents who requested the opportunity to visit the location of the proposals to talk through the details and the council agreed to work with them.
“I do agree that a group of residents should not have been described or implied as a constituted group if they were not. We shouldn’t have put capital letters. This happened on one particular document but has not been repeated and we’ve learnt the lessons from that.
Part of Ducie Road in Barton Hill is now closed to motor vehicles as part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme – photo: Karen Johnson
During the scheme’s statutory consultation phase, public notices to introduce Traffic Regulation Orders were published in multiple languages, which received a total of 1,418 completed responses.
However, only 427 of these responses indicated an expression of support, with more than 50 per cent responding with objections.
One of the objections raised in the Objection Report published in April 2024 was about the consultation process undertaken, with many people believing the process had been “poorly carried out” and the documents shared being “unclear and confusing”.
Another objection that the review by Baggator says was raised but Bristol24/7 found missing from the council’s report was claims about Barton Hill Disabilities Group being non-existent.
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Plowden, in a comment sent to Bristol24/7, said he was “grateful” for this review from Baggotor and that the council would continue listening to the community’s views as they monitor the EBLN scheme.
The council highlighted the many measures introduced to mitigate concerns associated with the scheme, including bus gate exemptions for certain groups of people, more than £150 through travel offers for people who receive certain benefits and £100 for bus tickets, which have been sent by post to all households within the area.
Baggator’s review has pointed out that despite mitigation measures introduced by the council, “criticism has persisted”; although one theory is that there are in fact more people in support of the liveable neighbourhood than against it, and that positive voices about a much more pleasant neighbourhood are being drowned out by far louder negativity about the scheme.
Neither Plowden nor Bristol City Council commented on allegations about the fake Barton Hill Disabilities Group in this review, despite Bristol24/7 asking specific questions about the existence or non-existence of the organisation. The only comment we have from Plowden was made in March during a full council meeting.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood was a scheme initiated by the previous Labour administration which the Greens inherited – photo: Martin Booth
The Baggator review adds: “Some academics and residents argue that, notwithstanding good intentions, LN schemes like the EBLN risk widening existing inequalities and disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups if social issues are not comprehensively addressed.
“There are concerns that such schemes might inadvertently serve to ‘rebrand’ neighbourhoods, potentially leading to gentrification and worsening conditions for lower-income and minority communities.
“Crucially, public statements have directly challenged the adequacy of consultation with disabled people, alleging that no specific disability groups were engaged during the initial design and development phases.
“Furthermore, it is alleged that the Barton Hill Disabilities Group, which the council reportedly claimed to have consulted, did not exist and may have been fabricated, as no public record or community knowledge of such a group can be found.”
Bus gates across the EBLN are now operational – photo: Martin Booth
Baggator’s review also includes a comparative analysis between the EBLN and a similar scheme in in London that eventually saw Lambeth Council’s low-traffic neighbourhood in West Dulwich being ruled unlawful by the High Court.
One of the principle takeaways from the Lambeth case was that even if a consultation process is otherwise broadly acceptable, failure to consider substantive feedback before making decisions could create “fatal” outputs.
The review recommends, among other things, a “clear route for the removal of the scheme” in Barton Hill, Redfield and St George which they say is “anything but a forgone conclusion regardless of any evidence or impact assessment”.
Talking about the Baggator report and the EBLN’s future, Plowden added: “Monitoring the effects on traffic, air quality and road safety are important to gauge the success of achieving the ambitions for the area, and we will also carry out an extensive round of further discussion and consultation with residents about their experiences since the trial began.
“This process will be informed by an independent review of previous engagement on the Liveable Neighbourhood project, recently promised by the leader of the council.
“From this review, we will take on any recommendations that emerge to improve our approach to engaging with residents in east Bristol and elsewhere.
“Our approach to future engagement will be informed by multiple sources, including the views recently shared by Baggator in their report.”
Main photo: Karen Johnson
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