Disabled residents in Redfield are crowdfunding to launch a legal challenge
Some of the measures in place during the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial(Image: Bristol City Council)
Bristol Live readers have been discussing the possible legal action against the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood and the controversial bus gate implementation.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood could face a legal challenge if the trial scheme becomes permanent. Bristol City Council councillors are set to vote in July on whether to retain the contentious traffic measures, and should they approve it, a barrister is expected to contest that decision through the courts.
Campaigners are preparing to crowdfund legal expenses, potentially reaching £50,000, arguing the council is discriminating against disabled residents. Melissa Topping and Katie Sullivan, both disabled Redfield residents, said the trial has had a disastrous effect on their lives.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood encompasses parts of Barton Hill, Redfield and St George. While the trial has decreased traffic across most residential streets, with numerous locals appreciating the advantages of calmer roads, many other residents are finding the alterations challenging.
A key objective of the scheme is to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport by making the streets safer. However, for certain local residents, particularly those with disabilities, driving a car or van remains the sole viable option and walking or cycling simply isn’t feasible, regardless of the trial.
One reader, Bluemorpho11 comments: “The scheme has been bedevilled by the less than perfect public consultation at its start and accusations of displacement of traffic onto surrounding roads. It’s better to choose a democratic method of settling the matter than inviting litigation, when BCC is carrying forward a deficit problem.”
HanhamHeights writes: “I’m sympathetic to genuine access issues, but this has dragged on long enough. The council has consulted, trialled changes, listened to objections and is now trying targeted fixes. Blocking those fixes helps nobody – it just wastes public money and delays improvements. Most of the objections here seem to be about losing preferred driving routes, not losing access. A vocal group opposed to the scheme in almost any form should not be allowed to ruin quieter, safer streets for everyone else.”
Registeredroyalty says: “The irony of a driver complaining about poor parking and using this as a reason to support inflicting traffic on the whole residential neighbourhood.”
Redfieldresident adds: “The council consulted on these changes, but it didn’t listen. 280 people responded to the consultation. 240 of them said not to move this bus gate. Under 30 were in support. We are vocal for a reason. The scheme has seriously harmed multiple vulnerable groups within the community. We also don’t see the point in the council spending money on reinstalling this bus gate when the decision about permanence has not been made. If they decide to scrap it in July, it will have to be taken out again. And who pays for that?”
Jl36748 says: “These have been clueless decisions from the start. Nothing has been assessed properly, and the junction at Church Road has completely gone out of control (this can take up to 20 minutes to get through the traffic), especially when road works are being carried out in the area. Part of the article mentions the ‘rat run’ through the crew’s hole. How else are people supposed to get from Feeder Road/Netham Road to Hanham and St George? Absolute waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Redfieldresident writes: “This change improves access for rat runners. People in St Anne’s will now be able to reach the Wellspring more quickly than people on the wrong side of the bus gate who live 200m away from it in Avonvale Road. I don’t think you’ve researched this very well. They ran a poorly advertised, short-length, online only consultation in English about a confusing bus gate move, and had the old gate ripped out within 48 hours of the decision. That’s not a council that’s listening. They legally have to demonstrate that they took into account all the serious problems the new bus gate will cause. All they did was demonstrate clearly that they weren’t going to be accountable to anybody.
“This ‘fix’ doesn’t fix anything. They’ve yet again just tried to blindside the community and force through a change that makes no sense and solves no problems. There’s a reason people are opposing.”
Paulwbristle believes: “EBLN has already made a significant improvement to the area. If the scheme is made permanent, then more trees will be planted, junctions improved, drop kerbs etc. added. It is amazing that some people want to see the area return to how it was before the improvements. Anyone considering launching any legal challenge needs to consider that, as well as meeting their own costs, they could also be ordered to meet Bristol City Council’s legal costs.”
Do you believe that the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood is a good thing? Comment below or HERE to join in the conversation.