News / Barton Hill
‘Locked in and blocked in’ by liveable neighbourhood
A Barton Hill resident claims that her independence has been taken away due to the new infrastructure installed around her home as part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial.
Melissa Topping suffers from multiple disabilities which have severely affected her over the years. Since 2010, she has been using a wheelchair and mobility scooter to access areas that she cannot on foot.
A keen traveller, Melissa, 55, often loads her wheelchair and mobility scooter in her customised van to visit areas that she would not be able to otherwise.
is needed now More than ever
Avonvale Road used to be the entry point for Melissa Topping’s van to reach her home at the other end of Victoria Avenue – photo: Karen Johnson
A new bus gate on Avonvale Road, however, now limits Melissa’s access to her own home on Victoria Avenue. While other traffic could divert through Byron Street, Melissa says it is too risky for her large van to be driven through the narrow street as it could hit parked cars.
On a recent morning, Melissa told Bristol24/7 that her van “is everything to me”. She said: “Being able to get away with a little bit of independence, even if that is just occasionally, that’s everything. That’s the only thing that’s brought me out of severe depression with being disabled.”
Melissa claims that the new liveable neighbourhood infrastructure means that larger emergency service vehicles, or any trader with a larger van, cannot access several roads across Barton Hill, Redfield and St George.
But Bristol City Council say “the whole area will be accessible by emergency services although some routes may change depending on the location of modal filters” and that their team “will continue to engage with emergency services on the detailed design of the trial scheme”.
Bristol24/7 has seen photos of paramedics parking their ambulances and running to where they need to get to, then running back and forth to their vehicle to retrieve equipment.
We have also been sent a message from one firefighter who lives within the EBLN trial area saying “the blocked off roads could actually impact response times where seconds/minutes are the difference between rescuing someone or not”.
The firefighter added: “I appreciate we can go a different route (when we eventually understand all the closures), but the amount of traffic to navigate will slow the response time.”
The council’s FAQs also say that trade and delivery vehicles “can still access the whole area by car although their route may change,” with the liveable neighbourhood aiming “to share space between everyone, while preserving car access”.
Planters on Avonvale Road mean motor vehicles can no longer enter Victoria Avenue through Avonvale Road – photo: Karen Johnson
In order to access Victoria Avenue in her van, Melissa now drives around to Church Road, passes through Cobden Street and then reverses into her parking space. Melissa says this longer route means she has to endure extra pain due to her disabilities.
“I can’t get down the safe clear entrance that I would normally use,” Melissa said. “They’ve also got a locked metal pole halfway down because they know that Byron Street is not accessible by emergency vehicles. So they’ve left that so that other vehicles can use the streets further up, but of course I can’t.
“The anxiety isn’t really needed on top of everything else if I’m honest. Life’s hard enough already. To have all these barriers put in our way, it is unfair. Especially without any consultation whatsoever with disability groups or elders in the area.”
A consultation on the EBLN opened in January 2022, with Bristol City Council now starting to plan a second liveable neighbourhood trial in Southville, Bedminster, Ashton Vale, Malago Vale, Windmill Hill and part of Totterdown.
Almost 6,000 people have now signed a petition to stop the EBLN trial, with Melissa saying she is not the only person in the area with a large vehicle who has to deal with the “maze” that has been created: “We are now locked in, blocked in with no services, no repairs to our houses, no scaffolding, nothing.”
Melissa has had to go around through Church Road and drive through Cobden Street to park her van outside her house in Victoria Avenue – photo: Bristol City Council
Melissa wants to have conversations with the council over what would suit residents living in Barton Hill. According to the latest data, almost 48 per cent of households in Lawrence Hill ward own no car or van.
Melissa said she “would like the council to come and take the scheme out, speak to the community, discuss with us our alternative traffic arming measures that we have put forward to them that leave all streets open and accessible but will reduce traffic, will make them safer and will also help with reducing crime as well”.
She said: “We have clearly asked for meetings with the council, with the police commissioner, the WECA mayor; we’re trying to arrange these meetings so these things can happen but sadly at three in the morning last week they decided they were doing it anyway.”
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In a statement, chair of Bristol City Council’s transport & connectivity committee, Ed Plowden said: “We want residents in east Bristol to benefit from safer, greener and quieter streets while maintaining access to their homes, businesses and local services.
“We recognise there are mixed opinions about the trial, and we fully support the right to protest, and the right for people to campaign for the change in the area.
“Trialling these measures for six months is the best way to gather the information needed to make an informed decision on the permanent solutions to improve air quality, increase walking and cycling, boost footfall for local shops, and make roads safer for all in the area.
“Because some people have been putting themselves and our contractors at risk by placing themselves in the way of heavy machinery and large items being installed, such as the planters, works were planned for early morning.
“This was to reduce the risk of harm to all involved, which was the safest way to install the measures while supporting people’s right to peaceful protest.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the early start of the works, including to residents currently observing Ramadan. We will be returning to complete the remaining works at a later date.
“Everyone can still drive to their properties within the trial area but they may need to go by a different route.
“Walking, wheeling and cycling access remains as it was. We have tested routes for all sized vehicles, including our waste vehicles.
“This trial has been extensively consulted on over three years and has been co-designed with members of the community.
“It was planned and developed under the previous administration and has now, in the main, been delivered by the council.
“We will be asking for feedback about the trial and reviewing monitoring data, before making any decisions about the long-term proposals for East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.”
Main photo: Karen Johnson
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