Data looking at the effects of the initial trial will be published this December
Planters at the end of Beaufort Road as part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood(Image: Alex Seabrook)
The controversial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood wil be in place until next spring. It was initially earmarked for a six-month trial, which would end in October.
But now Bristol City Council has said data from the first six months will be analysed and published in December, with a decision on the LTNs future made next spring.
The scheme covers parts of Barton Hill, Redfield and St George, with bollards, planters and bus gates blocking some roads. Drivers can still access the whole area, but some residential streets have been turned into cul-de-sacs in an effort to stop them being used as cut-throughs.
Bristol City Council will survey the public about the trial from September 29 to November 7, and use the results, along with traffic counts and air pollution monitoring, to inform what happens next. An update was given to the transport policy committee on Thursday, September 11.
Green Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the committee, said: “We’ve been collecting data for about two years already. [April] was when the vast majority of the measures went in, so we’ll be collecting data based on that for six months. Then it will take us time to look at that data, evaluate it and decide on the best course forward.”
Interviewers from an independent polling company will phone households and knock on doors across the trial area this autumn, asking for views on the scheme. The West of England Centre for Inclusive Living, a disability organisation, will carry out an accessibility audit too. But the trial still has vocal opposition from campaigners and critics, who say the scheme is very unpopular.
Melissa Topping, a local resident and prominent critic, said: “The ongoing public opposition to this scheme is not simply a matter of inconvenience, it’s a profound expression of the community’s feeling that it’s not being heard. The trial has been extended and the goalposts have been moved despite clear and consistent feedback from thousands of residents.
“This approach has eroded public trust in the council’s ability to consult and act in the best interests of its citizens. To continue this trial in its current form is to perpetuate a flawed and harmful policy. We urge the transport committee to listen to the evidence of lived experience and recognise the real world harm being done.”
The upcoming surveys and traffic counts will provide evidence for how popular or unpopular the scheme is, as well as its effects on nearby congested routes like Church Road. Designs for a similar scheme were recently revealed for Totterdown, Southville and Bedminster. The East Bristol planters and bus gates will remain on the roads at least until the decision next March.
After the meeting, Green Cllr Heather Mack, deputy leader of the council, said: “This administration is committed to evidence-based decision making with the voices of Bristol a crucial element of our assessment. Throughout the trial process we have listened and made necessary changes — from introducing more support for active travel and expanding exemptions for the bus gates, to making physical alterations such as improved road markings at Blackswarth junction.
“Now, this extensive data collection and engagement exercise will provide councillors on the transport committee with the evidence and views of residents to decisively judge the success of the trial. As a council we hope to see an increase in active travel and a decrease in traffic and the negative impacts of cars.”
Separately, another independent review will be carried out, commissioned by the West of England Combined Authority. If the trial is made permanent, the council will have to apply to the combined authority for the money to do so.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “People’s feedback through this council process will be a key part of how the combined authority assesses this bid for any further regional funding, so I encourage everyone to have their say. Lessons need to be learned. Alongside this consultation, I will be commissioning a fully independent review of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial with all the data.”