Fiddlers ‘could be forced to close’

A music venue which has been running for over two decades in Bedminster says its future is in doubt because of parking restrictions.

The Bedminster East residents’ parking zones (RPZs) comes into force on Monday, meaning some staff, bands arriving on coaches and delivery vehicles will no longer be able to park outside.

Owners Daniel and Joe Cleary claim the consultation process was misleading and that double yellow lines were unexpectedly painted outside the venue on Willway Street.

They added the new rules were driving away their business and urged the council to reverse its policy to help “keep a family business and keep music live”.

Mayor George Ferguson said he was “sorry to hear” their concerns but pointed out that no one from the venue had contributed their views during the formal consultation.

He added that the scheme was now part of a legal traffic order and could not be changed until the six-month review.

Please sign the petition to help us get rid of the double yellow line outside the club! All support is appreciated! https://t.co/iPBRD9mxQn

— Fiddlers club (@Fiddlersbristol) October 8, 2015

On a petition set up online, Daniel and Joe said the venue had been operating with a single yellow line on the road opposite since September 1994, with no parking allowed from 8am-6pm, Monday to Saturday.

But as the council painted new bays in front of the venue, the single yellow was changed to a double, with no parking allowed 24-hours-a-day.

The owners claimed: “There was no indication of the change of the yellow line, and the council have been very misleading in the wording used on the plan.”

They added that they feel they have been “directly targeted” by the council which has effectively removed “approximately 73 spaces”.

Ferguson said: “I am very sorry to hear of Fiddlers concerns. While I do not take the operational decisions I do take the views of all residents and businesses extremely seriously and the parking team takes full account of all responses as part of the extensive consultation that takes place in all areas before residents’ parking schemes are brought in. 

“The proposals for double yellow lines were detailed in both the information consultation in March 2014 and the statutory consultation that took place in May and June this year.

“Unfortunately, I am informed that Fiddlers did not respond with their concerns during either consultation stages so the team were unable to take their concerns into consideration at the proper time.

“The residents’ parking scheme in Bedminster East goes live Monday 12 October via a legal traffic order process, so regrettably we are unable to make changes at this late stage.

“However, Fiddlers’ customers and staff will be able to park in any of the marked parking bays in Bedminster East RPS after 5pm and on weekends, which I understand to be their peak operating hours.

“We shall be carrying out a six month review, following which it will be possible to change anything that is deemed not to be working effectively.”

RPZs have triggered protests across the city. Bedminster East is the 10th of 12 planned zones covering inner Bristol.