News / Transport
Labour say negatives of East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood outweigh positives
Bristol’s Labour leader has called for bus gates in Barton Hill to be turned off as he proposes root and branch changes to the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.
Tom Renhard admitted that some elements of the scheme first planned by the previous Labour mayoral administration are working well, in particular around Beaufort Road in St George.
But Renhard said that in other areas “there have been significant challenges with the scheme, with the negatives outweighing the positives”.
Bristol Labour are now calling for drastic measures including:
- the bus gates on Avonvale Road and Marsh Lane to be turned off immediately
- compensation provided to businesses affected by the scheme
- the removal of the measures on Ducie Road bridge
- the replacement of planters on Cobden Street, Ducie Road and Lincoln Street with resident access only gates
- urgent improvements and redesign of the Blackswarth Road and Church Road junction
- expanding the monitoring of roads surrounding the EBLN to see how steeply traffic is increasing.
Renhard and his Labour colleagues are also calling for an independent investigation into the events of the early hours of March 15 when police joined contractors to install a bus gate in Barton Hill.
They describe what happened as “heavy-handed” and say that councillors “need to come clean about what they knew and who signed it off”.
In the coming days, Bristol Labour will launch their own survey to ask local residents whether they are supportive of these proposed changes.
New art is part of the EBLN scheme including on Ducie Road in Barton Hill – photo: Bristol City Council
Renhard has branded the current consultation “as a sham intended to get the Green-led council the answers it wants to hear”, saying it is “not worth the pixels it is written on”.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood “needs to change” according to Renhard.
He said: “Residents have been calling on the Green-led council to listen to their concerns, yet their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“A trial that was meant to last for six months will be in place for over a year before a final decision is made.
“The council’s latest consultation about the scheme is one of the worst I have ever seen.
“Residents deserve a chance to give some genuine feedback. Instead, they got another tick-box exercise to support a pre-determined outcome.
“I have met with people who support the scheme, people who oppose it, and local businesses impacted by it.”
Beaufort Road in Redfield is a noticeably more pleasant place for active travel since the start of the EBLN trial – photo: Martin Booth
Renhard added: “Based on feedback received to date, the interventions in St George appear to be relatively popular. For example, residents of Beaufort Road are generally supportive of the changes there.
“However, the same cannot be said for Barton Hill. Residents who use cars are facing lengthy diversions, leading to an increase in traffic and unreasonable journey times.
“This has a knock-on impact with getting kids to school and accessing local healthcare services. This can be addressed.
“Local businesses such as Hamblins chippy and Cafe Conscious have reported huge drops in trade following the installation of the bus gates on Marsh Lane and Avonvale Road.”
Despite Renhard’s assertions, Cafe Conscious on Avonvale Road in Barton Hill, previously a stronghold of anti-EBLN feeling, closed earlier in 2025.
Bus gates across the EBLN trial area have been operational since May – photo: Martin Booth
Renhard said the bus gates “should be turned off immediately, with an assessment of the impact this has. In any case, the council should compensate the businesses and step in to stop them from going bust”.
“These are common sense measures that need consideration.
“In the coming days, we’ll launch a survey – a proper one, not like the Green-led council’s survey – to get feedback on these proposals and provide residents a genuine space to share experiences of the scheme so far.
“If they get majority support, the Green-led council should implement them.”
The bus gate on Marsh Lane is one of a trio within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial area – photo: Martin Booth
Bristol City Council’s EBLN Monitoring Strategy published in September said that liveable neighbourhoods “are part of a wider transport system, and they do not work perfectly overnight”.
“It is essential to evaluate Liveable Neighbourhoods within the wider Bristol travel context and be mindful that it takes time for travel behaviour to adjust and for the full range of benefits to be realised across the wider area.”
If Bristol’s transport & connectivity committee decide to make to make the scheme permanent, the strategy document says “there will be statutory consultation on specific (Traffic Regulation Order-dependent) elements of the scheme (e.g. any changes to modal filters, noting that existing modal filters are already covered by permanent TROs; parking or double yellow lines) in 2026”.
“We would also aim to carry out further targeted community engagement to inform final layouts on proposals for some specific public spaces.
“A second programme of street art and cultural activities might also follow construction of the permanent scheme, which would involve further engagement with communities across the area.”
‘No poor people allowed’ – photo: Carla Wakfer
Emma Edwards, leader of the Green group on Bristol City Council, said: “It’s unsurprising to see Labour making uninformed demands on a scheme that was designed on their watch.
“Whilst officers delivered a consultation that aligned to national best practice standards, their efforts to engage meaningfully with the community were hampered at all junctures by Labour.
“And while they desperately wanted to appear to be making progressive steps in transport, they left Bristol’s first liveable neighbourhood trial for someone else to implement, standing ready to attack if the new administration did not take on their ideas.
“We have learnt from their mistakes and have made improvements as we shape and consult on the plans for the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.
“But now, once again they are weighing in, having hastily arranged a couple of meetings.
“Their ‘survey’ which they are just now launching, and which bizarrely comes after them making non-negotiable demands on behalf of the community, is just another stunt to collect personal data, like their many ‘petitions’.
“The notion that they already know better than the people who live in and around the EBLN before they have the results, is at best confused, and at worst blatantly opportunistic.
“They would rather do this than use their position in the committee system to constructively collaborate.
“The people of Barton Hill won’t so easily forgive cllr Renhard for failing to keep them safe in their homes during his years as mayor Rees’ cabinet member for housing, and for presiding over the damning verdict of the housing inspectorate into the state of Bristol’s council homes, for which he has never apologised.”
Police joined contractors installing the bus gate on Marsh Lane which is overlooked by Barton House – photo: Fadumo Farah
Ed Plowden, chair of the transport & connectivity committee, added: “We know the trial has sparked strong opinions, which has been seen in many other cities, and that’s why the official engagement the council is conducting is so important.
“This includes the survey, which is open until November 7, as well as representative polling, which will be done according to national guidelines.
“The results of this engagement will be published in December and used by a cross-party committee to decide on the future of the scheme, as well as any changes, and we already think some changes will be necessary.
“Whilst the trial has been underway, we have already put in additional exemptions for people who may find it harder to adapt to the changes, such as Blue Badge holders and those on Universal Income or other benefits; people previously overlooked by Labour.
“This will accompany extensive data collected before and during the scheme, including monitoring air quality, road safety, traffic flows and volumes, and levels of walking and cycling.
“We have been gathering feedback from bus operators, emergency services and Bristol Waste as to learn and adjust.
“As a result, we are already planning to make targeted adjustments to some of the filters, to enforce them by CCTV instead of modal filters, to benefit waste and emergency services, as well as people with exemptions.
“We want to hear from everyone – whether you live, work or travel through the area, are in favour or have concerns, your views matter.
“Please take part in the official survey, which is open until November 7, and help us build a neighbourhood that works for everyone.”
To take part in the EBLN survey, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/ask/find-consultation-engagement/consultation-engagement?id=251
Main photo: Martin Booth
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