Cars are speeding through one area more than ever
Troopers Hill Road, on the eastern edge of the EBLN, has become dangerous since the start of the project, according to a resident.(Image: Bristol City Council)
A road on the boundary of the controversial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) has become dangerously busy as a result of the scheme, a resident says.
Trooper’s Hill Road, on the eastern edge of the EBLN, has long been used as a cut through for drivers getting between the A431 where Nags Head Hill meets Air Balloon Road in the north and Crews Hole Road in the south.
David Parfitt, who lives on the road, said it had become significantly busier since the inception of the EBLN as drivers looked to skirt around the edge of area covered by the project.
While some East Bristol residents have said their roads have become quieter since the introduction of the scheme, Mr Parfitt said it had just shifted the problem to other areas.
“Trooper’s Hill Road has become the new rat run,” he said. “The volume of traffic has massively increased and the speed they travel at is a problem.”
A key pillar of the divisive scheme was the introduction of one-way streets, and bus gates being installed to make sure certain areas were only accessible to buses, taxis and other exempt vehicles along with bikes.
Bollards were also installed on some roads to stop them being used for so-called “rat runs”, when cars cut through residential streets during busy traffic periods.
Mr Parfitt said he feared pedestrians on the road, which runs alongside the popular Troopers Hill Park, were at risk due to the heightened volume of cars. The 84-year-old said the problem was worsened by only having a pavement on one side of the road.
“Many people use Trooper’s Hill for jogging and dog walking so there is a dangerous potential,” he said. “It has become very dangerous for people to access Troopers Hill because there is no footpath on the hill side so (you) have to cross the road for access.”
A section of nearby Crews Hole Road has also been plagued by long car queues since the implementation of the EBLN. Matters were made worse when Bristol City Council recently closed the road for two weeks for the installation of new traffic calming areas and laybys.
The EBLN has been a source of bitter debate since it was implemented on a trial basis earlier in 2025. Locals in favour of the scheme have reported it has made their streets cleaner and safer, while opponents say it has made driving in some parts of the city effectively impossible.
Many local businesses have also reported a decline in customer numbers due to the fact that fewer people can drive through the neighbourhood. Bristol City Council is currently in the planning stages of implementing a similar project, the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, in an area spanning Southville, Bedminster, Windmill Hill and parts of Totterdown.
After being criticised for a lack of public consultation during the design phase of the EBLN, the council has pledged to make an engagement report into the potential design of the SBLN available “as soon as possible”.
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