‘The dominance of car culture in Bristol needs to be challenged’

As a non-driving resident of the Eastville Park Sacrifice Zone (the residential streets surrounding the top end of Eastville Park), I was ecstatic when I heard that Bristol City Council was finally going to introduce parking charges in the park’s car park.

For about three seconds a glorious vision of the return of peace, tranquillity and chats with neighbours without being interrupted by a chorus of speeding, revving, car door banging and blaring music from drivers drifted through my mind.

Perhaps we would be able to sit out again in our front gardens without being engulfed in petrol fumes as drivers chow down on fast food before hurling the wrappings into the street to demonstrate that, no, as drivers, rules on taking your rubbish home are for losers.

After all, they don’t live here, so why should they bother about who clears up their mess?

Drivers whose idea of relaxation is spreading toxic air pollution from their idling cars as they have yelled phone conversations (up to 45 minutes, I kid you not) before enjoying the vigorous cut and thrust of manoeuvring their vehicles a few metres away from our living rooms and bedrooms, and departing and arriving at speed.

But then I saw a quote from the council: “The proposal will encourage a turnover of visitors so that the opportunity to have access to a parking space could improve.”

So residents of Park Avenue, Oakdene Avenue and other surrounding streets will be subjected to even more through-traffic, fumes, pollution, blaring music and antisocial behaviour. (My next door neighbour’s front garden was recently used as a urinal by a park visitor.)

Looking down Park Avenue from the Eastville Park car park – photo: Martin Booth

In the last couple of years, Park Avenue (a 60m-long residential cul de sac leading to the Eastville Park car park) saw a massive increase in traffic leading to gridlock and traffic jams, interspersed with speeding vehicles.

Arguments have broken out between residents, keen to park outside their house and visitors, keen to offload kids, dogs, masses of picnic and sports equipment and buggies, accompanied by loud performance-parenting instructions to little Peppa and George.

This is partly because of the council’s decision to greatly extend the original car park by stealth (the planning application said seven extra spaces; they built around 25) as part of the destruction of the grassy knoll to install three almost completely unused electric charging hubs. In a Victorian heritage park.

Pamela Nova is not a fan of these electric charging points in Eastville Park’s car park – photo: Martin Booth

In 2019 as I trawled through Bristol City Council’s five-year plan, I was startled and pleasantly surprised to see that the council had a very specific order of transport priorities:

1) Pedestrians
2) Cyclists
3) Public transport users
4) Car users

What I didn’t know then but know now is that this is a deliberate lie, designed to greenwash their manic and devoted support of car culture and motorists at the expense of residents, pedestrians, cyclists and the planet.

A bit odd for a council that has declared a climate and ecological emergency.

But sadly, given the car-centric community-destroying predilections of Marvin Rees, not surprising.

The reality is that Bristol City Council and Marvin give zero bleeps about communities, tackling catastrophic climate breakdown or the mental and physical health of those of us (everyone) held hostage every day by the ruthless domination of our public and private spaces by the private car.

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Last year I was appalled to see my 80-year-old neighbour with her tiny dog, being forced to leave the pavement and walk into the road and dice with death as her way was blocked by a family offloading children, dogs, etc. The huge, entitled family was completely oblivious.

Bollards and bins make regular appearances as desperate residents, some of whom have mobility issues, attempt to safeguard the space where their car is parked outside their house.

F words have been exchanged.

Last summer I was filming traffic in the street to give as evidence to the local councillor in a desperate attempt to get some 20mph signs and ‘slow’ signs.

It was a sunny day so hours of actual traffic jams in the 60m-long street. One driver stopped and proceeded to deliver an expletive-laden rant demanding to know why I was filming his car and his kids.

I explained that I was filming traffic – perfectly legal – to give as evidence to a local councillor.

The driver then jumped over my garden wall, chased me into my own house and forced my front door open, all the time yelling and shouting abuse.

This is the side of entitled car culture that the bean-counters at City Hall manage to happily ignore as they burble on about “the proposal will encourage a turnover of visitors so that the opportunity to have access to a parking space could improve”.

What they actually mean is: “Despite saying we want to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, all we care about is increasing motorist visits to the local park for cash. Local residents rest secure in the knowledge you will never be consulted, informed or in any way kept abreast of any developments which will threaten your health, wellbeing and safety.”

Eastville Park’s car park – photo: Martin Booth

The council needs to take itself firmly in hand and challenge the dominance of car culture and the entitled bullying that many drivers think is normal behaviour.

Deaths and illness from traffic fumes and low air quality are real.

Life-changing injuries to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists from careless and irresponsible drivers are real.

Community destruction by speeding and clogged traffic is real.

If our council don’t give a stuff about locals and community, maybe they should have a little think about climate breakdown which is happening now.

Let’s prioritise public transport, walking and cycling. And just say no to the increasing destruction of our personal and public space by the car lobby.

Pamela Nova is an activist who lives in Eastville

Main photo: Martin Booth

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