Concorde Way cycle route: Takeaway fears closure if Dovercourt Road is blocked with bollards

Concorde Way connects the city centre to north Bristol and is mostly off the road, although one section runs along a residential road in Lockleaze.

Three years ago many people told Bristol City Council that there was too much traffic on Dovercourt Road and not enough space for people walking and cycling, as part of a public consultation. Now council bosses are considering how to cut the number of cars on the road.

This could include installing bollards at the bottom of Dovercourt Road, just above the junction with Downend Road. Known as a ‘traffic filter’, this would let pedestrians and cyclists through, but drivers wouldn’t be able to travel along the whole length of the road.

Residents would still be able to drive to their houses, but potentially via a more circuitous route up Muller Road then Filton Avenue. Four raised crossing points are also planned, as well as a zebra crossing, speed cushions and several new trees.

It’s unclear how much the work would cost in total. But councillors on the transport policy committee are due to approve spending £450,000 on Thursday, September 11, on the next stage of the process. This involves writing up a full business case, which is needed to get the full funding from the West of England Combined Authority.

A committee report said: “Concorde Way is a well-known, mostly off-road walking and cycling route in Bristol. It connects Stoke Gifford and Filton in north Bristol to the city centre near Cabot Circus, making it a key corridor for active travel in the area.

“As with any scheme promoting sustainable and active travel, this scheme will make a contribution towards the city’s aspiration to be carbon neutral, will improve air quality, will allow citizens to be more active and healthy, and will make streets safer places to be.”

Over the summer the council consulted the public about the plans. This consultation ended on Monday, September 1, however the results haven’t been analysed or published yet. One critic was a local Chinese takeaway on Dovercourt Road, concerned about the potential loss of trade. Kimling has started a petition against the plans, attracting over 330 signatures so far.

The petition said: “We are a small, family-run Chinese takeaway that has been part of Dovercourt Road for over 20 years, proudly serving authentic food to our community. This will make it harder for customers to reach us and for suppliers to deliver. This directly threatens not only our livelihood but also the convenience and choice available to local residents.

“If these changes go ahead, our business will suffer. Reduced access and parking will discourage customers, and over time, this could force us to close our doors after two decades of service. That would mean the loss of a well-loved local takeaway, fewer food options for the community, and yet another small independent business displaced by road restrictions.”

Around 1,000 commuters use Concorde Way every day, connecting people to major employers such as the University of the West of England and the Ministry of Defence. Another option explored was building a new off-road section parallel to Dovercourt Road along the railway, but this was ruled out as too expensive.

Reducing traffic on Dovercourt Road would bring the number of cars below the levels at which official guidance, known as LTN1/20, recommends segregated cycling lanes be built. And the council has wider ambitions to encourage drivers to travel in different ways, like walking or cycling, in a push to cut air pollution and congestion.

Around 2,000 vehicles travel on Dovercourt Road on most days, according to the council. At peak times, between half and three quarters of vehicles using the road are through-traffic, rather than local traffic.

If the plans go ahead, the council anticipates the project would be completed by the end of 2027. Another consultation would be held before the work goes ahead, as part of the formal process of creating Traffic Regulation Orders needed to change the layout of the roads.