Bristol underground: realistic proposition or ‘political flight of fancy’?

The mayor’s vision for a Bristol underground system has come under fire, as opponents question whether it’s just a “political flight of fancy”.

But the Labour administration has hit back at critics, accusing Tory councillors of “point-scoring and chasing cheap headlines” in their challenging the project, which is expected to cost up to £4.5billion.

Applauding the ambition behind the proposed mass transport system, Conservative group leader Mark Weston raised concerns about the lack of detail available and called for Marvin Rees to disclose information rather than expecting “blind support” at a full council meeting on Monday.

Mark Weston says the mayor cannot expect blind support for such an ambitious project

His colleague John Goulandris likened the mayor to the character in the fable ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, saying: “I feel this transport idea as it stands at the moment is devoid of clothing or common sense.”

Mhairi Threlfall, Labour’s cabinet member for transport, argued the administration is not asking for blind support, but said that at this stage the project is still at the point of conception and it’s important to assess the feasibility of building an underground rail system.

“We need to stop looking at developing individual schemes and work on one big one,” said Threlfall.

“Bristol does have limited road space and we do need to be inventive about how we tackle this. We need to be thinking about a mass transit system. It’s really important that mayors have ambition and vision.”

In response to questions about how the mayor had arrived at a cost of up to £4.5billion to deliver the project, she said the amount is sensible for equivalent schemes and allows for a large contingency.

Weston, a councillor for Henbury and Brentry, said: “I truly applaud rail ambition and there is no doubt, this is an ambitious project.

“Our track record on big infrastructure projects is not great. When we are talking about millions, we can handle it. Here, we are talking about £4.5billion.

“My fear is that we could spend tens of millions on reports and then find it’s not feasible.

“The mayor remains bullish and he is very optimistic about the project. At this stage, all I want is the information that underpins the mayor’s optimism.

“This is not about us playing politics, it’s about doing the sensible thing.”

Is the Bristol underground idea a case of ‘mayoritis?

Gary Hopkins, leader of the Lib Dem group, said the “pie in the sky” idea is a symptom of the mayoral system as a whole and argued the scheme is a distraction technique from the wider council business.

“It’s ‘mayoritis’,” he said. “They have got to look like they are in charge and doing something.”

Eleanor Combley urged the mayor to set aside his ego

Leader of the Green group, Eleanor Combley was supportive of the mayor’s transport ambition, but said it needs to be a transparent process that is open to scrutiny.

“Let’s set aside our egos,” she said. “I know it is hard when there is a chorus of voices in the city saying, ‘yes, but what has the mayor actually done’ and it would be great to have a big concrete achievement to point at, but this has to be about finding a solution that works for Bristol, not about one city leader making his mark.”

Her colleague Charlie Bolton, councillor for Southville, questioned whether the project would help end economic disparity across the city, arguing it could lead to “gentrification by tube station”.

Weston called for a report with detailed information around the geological survey, cost, passenger numbers, discussions with neighbouring councils, time-frames and expressions of interest in financing the project.

His motion narrowly lost, with a margin of one vote.

Speaking after the meeting, Tom Brook, Labour councillor for Bishopston and Ashleydown, accused the Tory group leader of putting his own parliamentary aspirations ahead of what’s best for Bristol, saying: “He seems far more interested in burning bridges than digging tunnels.”

Read more: ‘How will the mayor pay for a Bristol metro?’