How do Bristol traders feel about pedestrianisation?

Pedestrianisation is a hotly debated topic in Bristol. Schemes in the city centre, Cotham Hill and Clifton have been met with varying degrees of success, setting a precedent for some over how other areas of the city should follow suite.

“If you go to most historic city centres in Europe now, an enormous number of them are car free,” former mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, told Bristol24/7.

“(As mayor) I was very disappointed not to make the whole city centre car free.

“If Bristol is serious about being a civilised European city, then we should free the city centre of traffic and enable street life. I don’t call it closing roads, I call it opening streets.”

Modal filters on Cotham Hill restrict traffic to cyclists and pedestrians. Coffee + Beer can be seen on the right – photo: Louis Inglis

In Cotham Hill, temporary modal filters, which restrict traffic to just cyclists and pedestrians, have been replaced with permanent fixed bollards.

From June, works to carry out changes to junctions, add new one-ways and loading and disabled parking bays, and install cycle stands, benches, bins and planters and trees are planned.

Dan Williams is the owner of Coffee + Beer on Cotham Hill. He told Bristol 24/7: “We are massive fans of pedestrianisation, it’s been great for our business. Having the outside space and the visual image of people drinking our products is really positive.”

Williams claims that the pedestrianisation scheme has allowed him to seat around 50 per cent more customers outside his business.

A street party on Chandos Road in 2022 – photo: Kelly Sidgwick

In nearby Chandos Road, Redland, similar pushes to pedestrianise the street have divided local businesses.

Nick Bethell is the owner of Snobby’s. He told Bristol 24/7: “A lot of the hospitality businesses are well up for it and think it would be great for the street. For us it would be brilliant, but some of the other businesses need to get vans up and down the street and for them it would be a nightmare.”

Across the street, Bridget Smith is the director of Simply Pilates. She said: “It’s not good news at all for my business. Parking is already tricky round here and there is no provision for chaining bikes. It’s all very frustrating.”

Giles Cleghorn is an osteopath who owns the Chandos Clinic. Cleghorn said: “We have people with disabilities, wheelchair users, many mothers with babies and young children who need to come by car.

“Many of our patients are in sudden onset acute pain and are unable to walk more than a few meters so taxi and car access is essential for them to get treatment.

“We are very concerned about the pedestrianisation scheme and no consultation has been offered or put forward to us as a business.”

Take a look at the plans for the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme ?

We’ll be trialling measures on local streets in the autumn that will help make Barton Hill, Redfield and St George quieter, safer and healthier.

Find out more ? https://t.co/CuW1d72QIu pic.twitter.com/d7V6D82WYz

— Bristol City Council (@BristolCouncil) May 22, 2023

The council recently approved a £5.2m grant for ‘liveable neighbourhood’ schemes, which partly involve pedestrianisation. The first trial scheme will encompass the areas of Barton Hill and parts of Redfield and St George.

Liveable neighbourhood schemes have been trialled in various parts of the country, such as London and Edinburgh. The goal is to create “safer, greener and quieter neighbourhoods”.

Initiatives of the scheme include introducing modal filters, planting trees, installing benches and creating more outdoor communal areas.

Don Alexander, Labour councillor for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston and cabinet member for transport, said: “The trial liveable neighbourhood scheme planned for a section of east Bristol has been designed to achieve a better balance between how streets across the area are used by vehicles and people.

“(The schemes) aim to stop people using residential streets to cut through the area, moving traffic back onto the main roads that are designed to handle greater volumes of vehicle traffic.”

In April 2022, residents of Mildred Street, Barton Hill, installed their own traffic filters – photo: Betty Woolerton

Other proposed areas for liveable neighbourhoods include Southville and Bedminster. There have been various propositions to regenerate East Street, in Bedminster, with residents pointing to graffiti and overflowing bins as some of the issues.

Full pedestrianisation of the road has been touted as a potential fix to the problem, but plans to limit motorised traffic are not wholly welcomed. Amandine Tchou owns Vx, a vegan cafe on East Street.

She said: “I think it will kill the businesses on the street. It’s not like everyone can walk, people have disabilities, kids and families. We need access.

“The council always talks about the success of Cotham Hill, or Princess Victoria Street (in Clifton), but they are tiny streets compared to East Street.

“Cotham Hill is very residential and there is a three storey car park round the corner.

“I am a business owner and a resident of East Street, and after 4pm it gets completely dead. In the evening there is no life on the street. Take away the cars and it will feel very dodgy to walk in the street, like a ghost town.”

A pedestrianisation scheme was proposed for St Mark’s Road in Easton  – photo: Louis Inglis

Concerns over the anti-social behaviour that pedestrianisation schemes could attract have been replicated in other parts of the city.

Several years ago, similar schemes were proposed for St Mark’s Road in Easton. A petition to stop the changes gathered over a thousand signatures.

Rashid Majothi owns Bristol Sweet Mart along St Mark’s Road in Easton. He told Bristol 24/7: “There was a time when taxis would refuse to go down St Mark’s Road.

“You could easily have more benches and more trees. But, if you have things like drug dealing, prostitution and anti-social behaviour along that high street then that stops people coming in.”

Majothi’s parents started his business in 1978. Bristol Sweet Mart deals in retail and wholesale goods and has customers from around the South West.

“We appeal to a lot of people from outside of Bristol,” he said. “If we don’t have access, we don’t get people coming from outside.

“Unfortunately, when you have these decisions made by the council it could be made by someone who doesn’t live in the area or doesn’t know the area.”

Main photo: Louis Inglis

Read next:

• Central parking zone permit fees to increase fivefold
• Fears for future of pub and its much-loved garden
• Through traffic to be banned in east Bristol ‘liveable neighbourhood’

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