Eight cars hit pub in 10 years - but Hotwells landlord is still refused barrier outside

A Bristol landlord is pushing for action after being told the collision-prone road his pub is on is ‘not dangerous’ - despite the fact a pensioner was killed and cars have smashed into the front of his pub twice in the last three years.

Mike Wilkins, who owns the Merchant’s Arms pub on Hotwell Road, says he is living in a constant state of worry that vehicles speeding round the bottom corner of the ‘race circuit’ route will ‘hit my pub, or worse, another person’.

The landlord is calling for barriers to be installed to protect the Merchant’s Arms and adjacent 19th Century buildings, which he claims have been hit around eight times in the past decade.

Mr Wilkins told BristolWorld: “The first time the pub was hit was on New Year’s Eve was around 11 years ago and luckily, the vehicle hit a lamppost outside before it could do any real damage to the pub.

“Then, around three years ago just before Christmas, a car actually ended up in the front room of the pub, knocking out the windows and the front wall. Customers offered to come down and help clear the rubble.

“The fire brigade had to prop the building up and seal off the road which as you can imagine on a Monday morning was a delight for people trying to get in and out of Bristol.

“Then, in July of this year, a young driver lost control and skimmed across the front of the pub, taking off a lot of the tiles and paintwork.”

Mike added: “Luckily, these incidents have happened on a Sunday night or Monday morning when nobody was in the pub or walking past. And very fortunately for them, none of the drivers were badly injured.”

The incidents have seen Mike’s insurance excess skyrocket from £250 to £1,000.

He’s still busy repairing damage to the pub, which dates all the way back to 1815 and is popular with Hotwells and Harbourside residents.

But money isn’t at the forefront of his mind - it’s the genuine concern that another life will be lost.

In April 2019, an elderly man died while waiting at a pedestrian crossing just across from the pub with his wife.

The man, who was in his 70s, was killed when a vehicle left the road and collided with a traffic light.

Mike went on: “That was awful. And it makes me wonder on top of everything else why this isn’t classed as a hazardous spot.

“Of course I need to protect the pub itself but I also want to protect the people inside it and walking past it.

“It gets very busy between the hours of 8am - 9am and 3pm - 4pm as parents drop off their children at the nearby school.

“Football and rugby games take place round here, and at the weekend it’s always busy with people visiting the Harbourside area as well as people smoking and drinking outside the pub.

“But I’ve had several letters from Highways who have said that the corner is not sufficiently dangerous enough for them to do anything.

“I was even told a barrier couldn’t be installed as there’s asbestos in the pavement tarmac around the pub, which I had professionally investigated by an expert myself - it’s pure rubbish.

“Then they said they’d put a 20mph speed limit on here, which is great, if it’s actually enforced.

“I think we all know from experience that 20mph speed limits on Bristol roads like the A4, which this road is part of, take a lot of enforcement.

“I do have to wonder if whomever is making these decisions is waiting until someone else is killed to take action.”

Councillor Alex Hartley, who looks after the Hotwells and Harbourside ward and is a customer at the pub himself, said: “This corner is very dangerous, with the pub and vets being hit multiple time over the last few years.

“Unfortunately, the council’s transport department is unwilling to do anything about it, which is a real disappointment.

“The erection of some bollards or fencing would massively increase safety, but after repeated attempts from myself and my predecessor Mark Wright to get something done, the Council has refused to act.

“Unfortunately it seems like someone will be killed before the council act.”

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “We are determined to help keep our city’s roads as safe as possible and have worked closely with the local ward members to investigate additional measures at this site.

“The footpath outside the Merchants Arms was widened in September 2018 as well as other improvements, including refurbishing the signals at the junction of Hotwells Road and Merchants Road and adding an additional crossing and pedestrian route across the island.

“We have looked at the possibility of installing bend warning signs, but to meet Department of Transport guidance these would block out the visibility of the signals already present and are therefore not viable.

“Installing barriers or railings on the footpath outside the pub has also been investigated but these are not feasible due to the presence of underground cellars as well as obstructing pedestrian and wheelchair access.

“We will keep an open mind about potential measures and assess these against the relevant guidance as and when they emerge.

“Concerns about road safety can be raised with the council via our website.”