Your say / Transport
‘Hastily arranged meetings are an insult to those impacted by liveable neighbourhood’
I was unsurprised to learn that Bristol Labour, under the questionable “leadership” of Tom Renhard, has mounted a public attack on their own policy to implement the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) trial scheme.
This comes instead of any meaningful effort to engage with the Greens and the committees of councillors from all parties that now govern Bristol.
It fits with what we have come to expect from them in the 18 months since they were kicked out of office for failing Bristol.
Since proclaiming Labour as a ‘constructive opposition’ and refusing to take part in running the city, Renhard has engaged in an unholy litany of attempts to try to undermine progressive policies and boost Labour’s data through spurious “surveys” and petitions.
Let’s not forget that Renhard was former mayor Marvin Rees’ cabinet member for housing, and it was he who failed to keep the people of Barton Hill safe in their homes. Since then, he has also never acknowledged, let alone apologised for the damning verdict of the housing inspectorate into the state of Bristol’s council homes.
Perhaps he is also thinking about his next move and wants to be a Labour candidate for the Bristol East constituency?
All of these are factors in his decision to publish this strange and misguided message, which criticises his own administration’s policy for its perceived effects.
Green councillor for St George West Rob Bryher has accused Bristol Labour of poor leadership and a lack of principles – photo: Rob Bryher
How did we get here?
In March 2024, in the dying days of their failing administration, Labour Rees and then transport cabinet member councillor Don Alexander decided to implement the EBLN trial scheme.
So Renhard’s statement is simply untrue when he says, “at the point at which Labour’s term of office ceased, the proposed scheme was just that, a proposal”.
It was not – after two and a half years of consultation on what was their flagship policy, the Labour administration decided to push ahead, knowing full well they would not be around to implement it.
Almost exactly two years ago, in October 2023, Alexander, when cabinet member for transport, wrote a piece for Bristol 24/7 in which he said: “The lack of support for…the Liveable Neighbourhood pilot is yet another case of the Green Party supporting the concept of everything but the delivery of nothing.”
While, at the time, we were rightly critical of the engagement with local communities, is this not exactly what the Labour administration is doing now by calling for swathes of the scheme not to be delivered?
Coming in at the last minute after well over a year of silence is not good leadership, and it seems very out of keeping with their previous criticisms of Green councillors.
Interestingly, Alexander still sits on the transport and connectivity policy committee and has made no subsequent effort to engage with the scheme to try and get it delivered. A “constructive opposition”, indeed.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbhourhood aims to make parts of east Bristol friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians – photo: Betty Woolerton
Consultation failings
It may seem logically inconsistent to say that Labour’s EBLN consultation period between 2021 and 2024 was both too long and yet somehow not comprehensive enough – but that is the reality.
We all know local authorities are strapped for cash, but the scheme area’s significant working class and local communities were not honestly engaged with. Labour was reluctant to talk bluntly with people about the scheme, which aimed to reduce traffic and move people away from private cars towards other forms of transport.
So while officers delivered a consultation aligned with national best-practice standards, their efforts to engage meaningfully with the community were hampered at all junctures by Labour.
This left many believing that the liveable neighbourhood would mean tree-planting and benches, not modal filters and bus gates. Labour failed to explain the scheme properly due to their ineffective engagement strategy.
Now we can see that they have learnt absolutely nothing from this, with Renhard – who has no connection to the area and doesn’t sit on the transport and connectivity policy committee – now suggesting changes before the ongoing consultation (which is open until November 7) has even concluded.
Bristol Labour admits that they don’t have a clue what the community thinks about the scheme – otherwise, why else would they be conducting a survey to find out what people think?
Could it possibly just be another ruse to gather people’s email addresses so they can send you Labour propaganda at a later date?
Greens have been listening to the community
Green councillors within the scheme area have, throughout the last 18 months, been engaging with communities and listening to feedback on the trial scheme. Clearly, this does not mean everyone has been supportive, but in my ward, St George West, there is a clear and definite desire to keep many of the trial scheme measures in place.
I know this not only because I read my emails and listen to what people say, but because I ran an extra informal survey throughout August and September among residents to prepare for the consultation period and to be able to effectively represent residents’ views on the committee.
Green councillor for Lawrence Hill, Shona Jemphrey, has attended multiple community meetings, engaged with local businesses and fed back concerns to enable better outcomes.
She and her co-councillor, Yassin Mohamud, have listened to dozens of individual residents and supported them in getting bus-gate exemptions brought in by the Green Party for the disabled and those on benefits.
Green councillors will always gather feedback – positive, negative, constructive and granular – to improve policies on the council.
Renhard seems to think a couple of hastily arranged meetings will suffice for him to understand the area. This is insulting to all those impacted by the EBLN.
Some residents of east Bristol are campaigning for the reversal of the liveable neighbourhood trial – photo: Carla Wakfer
Lessons for the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood
Fortunately, our Green-led administration has learned lessons from Labour’s consultation approach and can more effectively discuss the exact nature of liveable neighbourhoods for the upcoming South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme.
From July to October 2024, the council engaged with residents and businesses to find out what issues and challenges their communities face. People living in the areas covered by the scheme were invited to sessions to let the council know about their neighbourhood and any issues or improvements that the scheme could make.
This was used to shape the proposals now being consulted on, and, as a direct result, includes recognising residents’ higher priority for much better parking management in those areas—an aspect Labour completely left out of the EBLN proposals.
The consultation for the South Bristol Liveable Neighbhourhood is open until October 30 – photo: Betty Woolerton
How will a decision on the EBLN be reached?
There have been criticisms that the current open official council survey does not effectively garner residents’ views.
I understand those concerns, but it’s important that people are aware that this survey is designed to directly mirror the original survey undertaken before the trial scheme was introduced, written by Labour.
It’s also worth noting that representative polling, which is being conducted by an independent company, will give a far clearer picture of resident sentiment towards the scheme – it’s simply a more effective research technique to use to check public opinion.
If you want to understand the depth and breadth of consultation methods being used, please do read the official information and don’t rely on Bristol Labour as a trusted information source: How the future of East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood will be decided.
After a trial scheme that has raised vocal opposition, it would be a surprise if there were no significant changes in the proposals for the permanent scheme. Changes will be made in response to residents’ feedback – not in response to a partisan attempt to undermine the consultation process.
While 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.
We have also been gathering feedback from bus operators and Bristol Waste so as to learn and adjust. Residents are particularly worried about access for emergency services and we have been working really closely with them to address any concerns as soon as possible.
There is a great threat in political parties using communities’ justified grievances about their economic and social circumstances for their own political purposes.
In Labour’s case, they are trying to capitalise on sentiments driven by 15 years of economically damaging austerity measures, which the UK Labour government is continuing.
There is a sense of hopelessness, and a change in the highway network seems like one more thing that adds to their problems.
This is despite the fact (as countless studies have shown) it will likely clean up their air, make their streets safer and improve people’s lives – all aims Labour say they champion but seem reluctant to deliver on.
All of the results of the engagement will be published in December, as well as extensive data collected before and during the scheme, including monitoring air quality, road safety, traffic flows and volumes and levels of walking and cycling.
It is reckless and incredibly arrogant of Labour to assume they can determine the scheme’s success without this data.
Labour councillors – Alexander included – will use this information to vote on the permanent scheme proposals for East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, and it will be fascinating to see what they do.
Will they adhere to the “bold leadership” that Alexander called for from Green politicians in October 2023? Or will they stick to Renhard’s attack line that the entire evaluation process, but not their consultation process, is a sham?
Sadly, it’s the epitome of Bristol Labour’s politics to criticise a scheme they designed and made the final decision on just because they are now in opposition.
What happened to their principles and leadership?
This is an opinion piece by Rob Bryher, Green councillor for St George West and a member of Bristol City Council’s transport and connectivity policy committee
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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