Driving ban through rat runs in east Bristol as part of ‘liveable neighbourhood’

Through traffic will be banned in parts of east Bristol later this year in a ‘liveable neighbourhood’ trial - after the public was consulted on 16 ‘solutions’ last year. The scheme will see motor traffic banned from driving through many parts of Barton Hill, Redfield and St George in a bid to make residential streets safer.

Measures to stop traffic could include one-way streets, road blocks where through-access it only for pedestrians and cyclists and collapsible bollards and moving barriers. Camera-enforced bus gates could also be considered.

The liveable neighbourhood scheme will cover a wide area south of Lawrence Hill, Church Road and Summerhill Road. The area is bordered by Troopers Hill Road in the east, St Phillips Causeway in the west, and the Feeder Canal and the River Avon in the south.

Residents living inside the trial area will still be able to drive to their homes, and access will be kept for deliveries and emergency services. Bristol City Council chiefs hope to reduce rat-running and pollution, improve the air quality, and make walking and cycling safer.

Full details of the liveable neighbourhood trial are expected to be revealed in April, when the cabinet signs off an outline business case. But some updates on the trial were given to councillors on the growth and regeneration scrutiny commission on Wednesday, March 22.

Speaking to the scrutiny commission, Pete Woodhouse, transport strategy manager, said: “This is predominantly looking at how we can reduce the amount of traffic that flows through these roads and neighbourhoods. The idea is that vehicle access will be maintained but through access will be constrained. It’ll be our first livable neighbourhood scheme, and will be implemented by the end of this year as a trial.”

The experimental trial is expected to launch towards the end of the year. Results will then be monitored and evaluated, before a permanent scheme is brought in, possibly in early 2025. If successful, other parts of Bristol could also become liveable neighbourhoods, with local councillors previously calling for a scheme in Bedminster, Ashton and Southville.

Other aims of the trial include getting local residents to be more active and healthy, reducing social isolation, planting more trees and greenery, and making it safer for children to get to school. East Bristol was chosen as the first area because it’s close to major developments like the Temple Quarter regeneration scheme, as well as major walking and cycling routes.