South Bristol neighbourhood wrestles with its parking problem as new traffic scheme looms

“It would be pointless during the day”

05:00, 19 Oct 2025Updated 12:28, 21 Oct 2025

How to deal with too many cars in the Victorian terraced streets of one part of South Bristol divided opinion this week, as residents of Bedminster took their turn to tell Bristol City Council what they think about the plans for a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ right across BS3. And while the consultations in neighbouring Southville have seen almost unanimous opposition from those going along in person, there were people passionately enthusiastic about even the possibility of the controversial ‘modal filters’ and traffic zones.

One local councillor said the council is considering various suggestions and changes to the contentious idea of dividing the roads of north of North Street into four distinct zones for vehicles, and she was hopeful the plans from the city council for Southville could be shaped by everyone in the area.

But this week, the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood drop-in consultation roadshow stopped at the Chessel Centre, in the heart of the Bedminster neighbourhood built in just a couple of years either side of 1900. Now famous for its street art, the terraces were built to house the miners, tobacco factory employees and foundry workers. Here in the Chessels – the name given by those marketing the terraces way back in 1899 – the roads are narrow grids, filled with parked cars.

Any idea of zoning off this area between North Street and West Street with the ‘modal filters’ is at least two years down the line – Barton Hill and Redfield already have them, with Southville and Totterdown at the front of the queue in South Bristol.

In the meantime, for The Chessels, the SBLN means plans for a matchday parking scheme and a general residents parking scheme. Although everyone spilling out of The Chessel Centre on Wednesday evening agreed parking was a nightmare and something had to be done, there was little consensus on what, and how.

“I’m not really in favour of the idea of a residents’ parking scheme, no,” said Paul, who has lived in this part of Bedminster for all his 71 years, and now lives at the bottom of the hill nearer Ashton Gate Stadium, with his wife Gill. “Well, I would be in favour if it works,” he added.

“The thing is whatever they do has got to be monitored. A residents parking scheme – ok, but what times? It would be pointless during the day – there isn’t a parking problem here in the daytime. A matchday parking scheme? OK but who would be enforcing it?” he added.

Paul was more exercised with the impact of Southville’s traffic zones, particularly on Coronation Road. “I get what they are saying, but it will just end up pushing more traffic into Coronation Road, and that’s already bad.”

How the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood scheme will impact Southville(Image: Bristol Post)

Paul is one of that elite band of Bristolians who are the support crew for hot air balloons, and is often to be found behind the wheel of the balloon vehicle, tracking it across Bristol. “Coronation Road is a nightmare already,” he emphasised.

“There’ve been times when I’ve come out of Ashton Court, got onto Coronation Road and watched the balloon float over me. I haven’t made it to Bedminster Bridge roundabout and I’ve said to them on the radio ‘you’re going to have to land and wait for me’ – and they are already in Pucklechurch,” he added.

Rob and Christine have lived just off Chessel Street for only 36 years, and watched as the roads have filled with cars, and the demographics of the area have changed. “Something does need to be done, of course,” said Rob.

They came to the consultation looking for answers but found few. “They didn’t seem to be able to answer questions in as much detail as I hoped,” he added.

“It’s quite grey and not very precise about what they want to do and how it would work,” added Christine. “How would it – a residents’ parking scheme – be enforced. There was nothing precise about their answers,” she added.

A residents parking scheme has existed in Southville for ten years – in fact it was the tenth anniversary of the scheme starting last Sunday.

That was brought in there to stop commuters parking in Southville’s streets for free and walking into work in the city centre – something which isn’t exactly an issue further out in The Chessels, where the streets can be half empty during the day, but chockablock with the residents’ own parked cars in the evenings – and sometimes impassable whenever there’s a match or concert at Ashton Gate just under a mile away down the hill.

Rob and Christine have seen many changes since the 1980s, and worry that residents parking schemes and ultimately the modal filters and low traffic neighbourhoods won’t work here. “These are narrow streets, we’ve got lots more HMOs around here now, you’ve got trade vehicles always around, and you’ve got the stadium,” said Rob.

The South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood consultation event, held at the Chessel Centre in The Chessels area of Bedminster, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.(Image: Bristol Post)

“It’s about how residents who have a car would be able to get to their homes, how would the movement around the area change. They (the council officers inside) were aware of some of the issues we were raising,” he added. “It’s an area that needs some sort of engineering.”

Southville’s residents are wrestling with the imminent prospect of the zones and the modal filters, and that sparked queues of people to show up to denounce the idea earlier this month at the consultation events in Southville. In Bedminster, it’s two years down the line and there are no maps with zones and roadblocks – yet.

But Will, from one of the roads off the main spine of Chessel Street, said he is a huge fan. He was disappointed, he said, that the Low Traffic Neighbourhood and all its dead-end roads, cul-de-sacs and modal filters were being proposed in Southville first and not here in The Chessels.

“I’m very enthusiastic,” he said. “I saw that only people who were against it in Southville went to their event, so I came out to my local one specifically to tell them that I support it. I thought it was important to drop in and say that,” he said.

Will said he feared the event would be a confrontational public meeting, but councils don’t do consultations like that anymore if they can avoid it – this was officers standing behind maps and listening to questions.

“An RPZ is needed here – and matchday parking. I used to live in Cotham and it made such a difference,” he said. “I’m aware I’m in a privileged position. I can work from home, I don’t have a car, and I know there are some who have important issues with this, but you wonder who is the council making the area for,” he said.

“Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and these schemes are meant to be short term pain for long term gain. They work in the end. I wish we could have one here sooner,” he added.

Over in Southville, divided by North Street and a council ward boundary, residents there have started a petition against what they describe as ‘roadblocks’. One of those involved in the campaign, Satye, came across to Bedminster to call in at the latest consultation.

He was hopeful compromises and changes could be made. “We accept there’s a need to make changes to the roads and streets to make it better for people walking and cycling, but that could take place anytime, outside of this scheme,” he said.

“There’s so many things that need to change with the designs of what they are trying to do in Southville. There are designs and changes that will let about 70 per cent of what they want happen, but still allow people to have access across Southville. Hopefully, possibilities will open up,” he added.

Local councllor Ellie Freeman lives just over in Southville – in one of the ‘zones’ – but is the Green Party councillor for The Chessels and Ashton, Ashton Vale and the rest of Bedminster. She was pleased with how the consultations are going, and said she was hopeful the council would learn from the experience in East Bristol, and be able to adapt things.

The South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood consultation event, held at the Chessel Centre in The Chessels area of Bedminster, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Cllr Ellie Freeman (Green, Bedminster)(Image: Bristol Post)

“It’s great to see so many people are engaging with the consultation,” she said. “The in-person sessions are a great way to talk through ideas and concerns with officers about different aspects of the scheme.

“I live in Southville so I’m interested to see how the proposals for Phase 1 will affect my family, my neighbours and local businesses. I know the team is considering various suggestions and changes and I am looking forward to seeing the final plans.

“As a ward councillor for Bedminster, I am really pleased to see that managed parking will be introduced, hopefully by the end of 2027, to help reduce the problems residents have talked about on the doorstep.

“I’ve spoken to residents at the consultation sessions who are keen to see it in place and hopefully make getting around easier. I have also asked the team to look at improving junctions and crossings, and to address other issues residents have raised with me such as cut-throughs and speeding. There are lots more opportunities to shape the plans too,” she added.

South Bristol neighbourhood wrestles with its parking problem as new traffic scheme looms

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