SBLN - A Community United

Liveable Neighbourhoods Handbook

Strong collaboration between the council and the local community to identify issues and codesign solutions is an essential feature of delivering successful Liveable Neighbourhood projects. This ground-up approach should be built into the foundations of meaningful and extensive engagement that seeks to raise seldom heard voices in the community so that all opinions are considered fairly.

One of the unintended consequences of the South Bristol Livable Neighbourhood Scheme (and the EBLN) is that it has provoked locals to come together with a common goal of looking at the proposals in detail, identifying practical problems with the proposals and coming up with some alternatives.

People are aware of the difficulties that have plagued the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme, which has involved the police having to support an early morning "raid" and disabled people feeling like they have become prisoners in their own homes. See Keep Bristol Moving for more information.

Two petitions about the SBLN and EBLN were debated on Thursday 23rd October and you should view "democracy in action" by watching the meeting.

Sadly, the Councillors decided to play party politics and use the debates to score points off one another, but it was inspiring to see people from South Bristol and East Bristol come together and speak truth to power.

In this post I will highlight just a few of the voices speaking up eloquently and powerfully against the council’s ‘proposals’ for the SBLN. I will also have a look at how BCC has responded so far, and how clearly this indicates the use of the psychological manipulation of the public in order to achieve its aims.

What are people saying?

Chris from Rare Butchers on North Street

• Another crazy plan by the Council.
• Bedminster has suffered in the past.
• It feels like a plan in the hands of a madman.
• No benefit whatsoever.
• Those who say I am in favour of it, I'm not, they're lying
• Council can't clean a pavement, they're not going to maintain murals on the floor
• Shocking carryon from the council
• Love the area
• Why are they spending the money on this?

Teri Bramah

Many of us really do, at times, need to use our cars and vans. This is still an important part of how we live and function. These Low Traffic Neighbourhood plans seem designed to separate and divide us by force rather than by encouragement. They seem to show a clear lack of understanding how our Southville community works and works well. I am sure we all wish for cleaner air but displacement is not the way.

Satyen Joshi

The SBLN consultation has begun in earnest with the aim to get SBLN implemented by 2026. Here in Southville, I am sure I speak for the majority, when I say that Southville is already a shining example of a liveable neighbourhood with a functioning RPZ that keeps traffic volumes in check at very low levels. Yet we keep getting told that the reason the scheme is being brought in, is to make streets safer and remove cut through traffic from Coronation Road to North St. To pull this off Southville residents will be kettled into 4 zones, none of which have the ability to reach one another by car, thereby creating 'circuitous' journeys that increase (not decrease) pollution! This defies logic.

Helen Hughes

Money is energy and power. If you have access to a lot of money and choose to inject it into a particular project, you can make life-changing things happen. As all Spiderman fans know, with great power comes great responsibility. As a body which has great power over transport policy in the west of England through having the authority to make funding decisions, WECA has a great responsibility for the lives of all the people affected by these decisions.

In 2022 WECA allocated £10 million to ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ projects in Bristol. The implementation of the trial scheme in East Bristol has made drastic changes to people’ lives. The stated aims were to change these lives by making them healthier, happier and greener. The strategy chosen to make these changes is a very crude one. Health, happiness and care for the natural environment have in effect been reduced to an attempt to force behaviour change – from driving cars to ‘walking, wheeling and cycling’. Money has been spent on the placing of impediments in residential streets to people who need to get to their destination by car, using boxes for plants, bollards and ANPR camera systems. These measures have failed to take into account the manifold aspects to health, happiness and protection of nature that have nothing to do with a reduction in exhaust fumes or cars being driven above the speed limit. Health and happiness are most definitely compromised by breathing in exhaust fumes or being in danger of hit by a car, and at the same time attempting to eradicate these dangers using a strategy that in itself not only causes increased stress, mental health issues, community division and loss of income through decreased work opportunities, but also increases exhaust fume and dangerous driving on the roads onto which all through traffic is now squeezed, is both counter-productive and nonsensical. The EBLN has directly caused all this.

Andy MacGrain

My community in South Bristol is being increasingly riven with divisive argument around the proposed SB Liveable Neighbourhood Plan. Thousands are arrayed in both pro and anti camps, and I grow increasingly worried that the Consultation being run is not robust enough or democratic enough to prevent very long term social problems at this juncture whatever the outcome, without refinement of methodology. My questions therefore are: Given the scope and potential impact of the proposed plans (both materially and socially) can WECA propose an alternative decision making process that is more evidentiary and democratic (IE. Perhaps supported with local Traffic monitoring and with a target-based Trial period)?

Lesley Bovington

For people living on roads in the South Southville designated away they will only be able to leave the area by car by turning on to North Street. North Street is a very busy road with very poor visibility at Raleigh Road and Grevelle Road junctions, due to parked cars. How will the safety of these junctions be improved for car drivers and pedestrians?

Jan Ratcliffe

Can WECA tell us what how we would access Coronation road if Osborne Road and Beauley Road are both blocked which often happens because of scaffolders or delivery Lorries and as the roads are only wide enough for one car to pass at a time. Camden is one way only. This leaves residents feeling trapped in addition to the frustration of added travel time to journey and pollution caused.

Judith Worthington

Planting of plants trees etc in residential areas. What council provision for up keep eg sweeping up wet leaves which are a trip and slip rise for elderly? Current policy is to do nothing evidenced by weeds blocked drains and gutters full of grit encouraging water to collect in deep puddles at crossing points when it rains.

Joanna Redman

The introduction of modal filters will cause huge challenges when streets are blocked by building/scaffholding vehicles, emergency services, refuse trucks etc. Currently these sort of blockages can be navigated by using other roads. This will not be possible with your new revised scheme. Never mind the implications of greater traffic volumes trying to turn out onto already busy roads - such as Coronation Rd - in itself often at a standstill. The whole scene feels unnecessary and over engineered in an area that is fairly peaceful. If further speed reduction measures are needed - surely some spied bumps on Raleigh Rd and other slightly busier roads would suffice?

Mandy Langfield

Are you prepared to consider alternatives to the proposed colour zones that would allow residents to move freely but prevent commuters or visitors from using Southville as a parking area? This would involve camera controls with residents licence plates registered.

Rich Newnham

What measurements have been taken to understand the current baselines of pollution and traffic that the scheme is aiming to address, and what are the measures of success that it's attempting to achieve? (Including surrounding roads such as Coronation Road, St John's Lane and the A38).

Christine Khalif

How can forcing traffic to take longer routes to access Southville Roads help with reducing pollution and traffic? How many parking places and parking permits will there be on Osborne Road and within the Orange Zone and how does this compare with the current situation?

Howard Jones

Regards the SBLN scheme I read in a newspaper article that the Government finance is reliant on modal filters being implemented. Is this true and if so why has it not been made clear in the proposal?

Chris McEvoy

Modelling has shown that Frayne Road (Southville) is likely to become a "rat run" if the proposed changes in the SBLN are implemented. Frayne Road is one-way for vehicles and two-way for cyclists. Cyclists have already raised concerns about safety when travelling against the flow of motor traffic. The large increase in traffic along Frayne Road will make this road less safe for cyclists travelling along Frayne Road, and will also be more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians at both ends of Frayne Road. Has a risk assessment been carried out for the increased risk of accidents in the Frayne Road area? If a Risk Assessment has been completed then what are the risk mitigations that have been proposed?

Maria Forsyth

What can be done to help residents and their visitors in orange zone that are forced to enter and exit into the CAZ?? I fear that my family and friends with non CAZ compliant cars will not visit me any more.

Alison Bramall

The government's document, Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN1/20)- Section 7.1.1, states: ‘Where motor traffic flows are light and speeds are low, cyclists are likely to be able to cycle on-carriageway in mixed traffic. Most people, especially with younger children, will not feel comfortable on-carriageways with more than 2,500 vehicles per day and speeds of more than 20 mph’ Can WECA or BCC provide average vehicles per day on the Southville roads?

Joshua Porter

Why has the scheme been proposed with no data studies to show that this specific
neighbourhood has the traffic issues claimed by a small number of residents
anecdotally provided on a survey?

Why does the scheme only seek to solve traffic flow and not any of the other issues raised on the survey?

Alana Pearson

As a parent who cycles around Southville with my 5 and 7 year-old children, I have to use North Street and Coronation Road to access other areas of Bristol. But even now, they already feel unsafe because of the high volume of traffic. In contrast, cycling on the streets of Southville currently feels quite safe - the roads are already quiet, cars drive slowly and they let cyclists pass. This scheme will push even more vehicles onto those roads, making them even busier and more dangerous. How does that make our neighbourhood safer or more liveable for families like mine and what’s being done to stop these main roads from becoming even more hostile to cyclists and pedestrians?

Gemma Wright

I live in south Bristol and run a business from my home which services individuals and businesses mostly located in an hours range of Bristol by car. I mostly have to travel to clients by car since public transportation doesn’t service the locations I need to attend. do you realise that all residents and businesses in the orange area of the SBLN will have to drive into the city to be able to access anywhere to the east and south east? This will only worsen traffic and pollution in the inner city, but if these drivers can’t reach their destination by public transport they won’t have a choice.

Rebecca Shillabeer

I am one of many residents of Southville that have serious concerns over the SBLN plans. I would be classed as an Orange Zone resident and I believe that the current plans will have a negative impact on our area, which I believe is a very liveable neighbourhood. I live on one of the main roads - Stackpool Road and as a whole I feels it's not used as a rat run, and that in general we don't have that as an issue since parking permits were introduced. The scheme as it is only makes life harder for residents and less liveable. I also feel like the pressure this will add to the commuter roads and also Osborne & Beauley roads that traffic pollution will increase in pockets of Southville.

WHAT IS THE PROOF THAT CARS ARE CUTTING ACROSS SOUTHVILLE? WHICH ROADS ARE BEING USED? CAN THE RESULTS/DETAILS OF ANY SURVEYS LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFIC POINT BE SHARED NOW?

Alice Fewtrell

What are the problems this aims to solve? I walk around Southville for at least an hour most days and rarely see cars on residential streets. ( other than parked) The busy roads are North street and Coronation road.

Henry Keeys

From the council’s initial consultation, approximately two-thirds of the Southville comments related to North Street and Coronation Road. How does the introduction of twelve modal filters and the division of Southville into four zones address the concerns raised about these main connector roads?

Ceri Carter

While I am supportive of ideas that will improve air quality I am concerned that this proposal will cause more pollution due to longer journey times due to road closures while also negatively impacting on quality of life for some residents.

Has a detailed equality impact assessment been completed specifically for Southville and what steps are being taken to mitigate any impact on groups that be particularly impacted by the proposed changes such as those who rely on their cars for mobility and social inclusion eg older residents , those with a disability or families with young children. Please provide evidence on the modelling that has taken place to review these potential outcomes specifically for Southville.

Alex Merchant

Has anyone involved in pushing this division of the neighbourhood actually walked the streets of Southville during the day?

The streets are quiet and mostly empty of traffic. Surely this cannot be a good use of anyone’s resources.

Liz Newton

I ask this as co-chair of governors at Southville Primary School. The primary school is a large successful school with a low turnover of staff. Those who can already walk or cycle to school, and there is poor public transport infrastructure sufficient in our area to enable that to be an option for most. We are a city centre school with minimal parking at our junior site (on Myrtle Street) and none at our infant site (on Merrywood Road). Currently staff park in the “Chessels area” taking spaces of residents as they go to work and leave before residents come home. Under the proposals this will become a RPZ and so this will no longer be an option. My question is, how are WECA going to support schools affected by the installation of the RPZ in providing parking solutions for staff who have no choice but to drive to school, to ensure the quality of education for our students is not impacted negatively by the loss of excellent staff?

Lynda Keeys

Having been to several of the ‘engagement’ meetings, it appears that there is little or no traffic data for the Southville area to prove that there are any problems that need resolving with such an extreme proposal of segregation by modal filters. Please can WECA justify the stress and disruption that this scheme will cause the residents and businesses with what appears to be a ‘suck it and see’ approach?

Ian Usher

Has any study or computer modelling been used to access the impact of increased traffic onto Coronation Road and North Street which will effectively become a ring road?

Lindsay Meyer-Nicholas

What data has been used to support the council's statement that Southville is currently being used as a rat run? This statement is found on the SBLN proposals website and lacks citation. This data has been requested from the council but to date none has been provided.

"Traffic data show that high numbers of vehicles from outside the area use residential streets in Southville as a cut-through to other destinations."

Sarah Wardle

With reference to the SBLN proposals, it was shared in the South Bristol Voice August 2025 p7 that “A few main roads in the city run along the tops of the river walls, the conditions of which are rapidly deteriorating-affected roads include ….Coronation Rd with three extra sites needing urgent repairs near Vauxhall Bridge, the Co-Op and near the Goal Ferry Bridge.”

What are the timescales for the works on Coronation Rd?

Dan Bramall

We are told that forcing cars onto peripheral roads around Southville will improve safety, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians. According 'Stats 19' — the Government's official road traffic accident data set — between January 1st 2020 and December 31st 2024, there have been 7 reported accidents within the Southville area. 3 of these (including the only "serious" injury) involved motorcycles, which would not be reduced by proposed modal filters (quite likely the opposite). During the same period, on Southville boundary roads there have been 38 reported accidents including one fatality. The 2025 SBLN engagement survey highlighted cycling safety as a primary cause of concern in the area. Of 156 such comments released as part of a FOI request only 5 were within Southville itself. The other 151 reports of "not safe for cyclists" related to boundary roads, which will see increased traffic as a result of the scheme.

Can we agree that, given the objectively most dangerous roads in the area are due to become busier, that the current SBLN proposal are likely to make the roads of Southville less safe? Can we agree that WECA/Councils/related parties should not include safety improvements as a benefit of the scheme, and should instead warn that the measures would likely worsen safety? Data should be the absolute foundation on which this scheme is built.

Evy Loizou

Given that the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has been implemented as a trial to allow for evaluation of its impacts, why is the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project not being delivered on a trial basis to assess its effects before making permanent decisions?

Given that the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial is still ongoing and that evaluation data on its intended and unintended outcomes are not yet available, what evidence or rationale did WECA use to justify awarding Bristol City Council £600,000 to commence the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project?

Claire Abeysekera

What are the provisions for emergency services attending an emergency in a road that is blocked off & only has enough space for one car? For example if delivery drivers or scaffolders that cannot easily be moved.

As a doctor who can be on call from home & required to access the hospital rapidly, how can you assure my exit (at the bottom of a blocked road) won’t be delayed?

Liz Vosper

Please could you tell me what is WECA’s justification for allocating £600,000 to Bristol City Council to launch the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project, given that the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial has not yet concluded and no evidence is currently available to demonstrate its intended or unintended outcomes?

Secondly why isn’t the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood scheme being implemented on a trial basis to properly assess its impacts before any permanent decisions are made?

Samantha Atkinson

When are you planning on giving us a frequent and reliable bus service so that we don't need to use our cars so often? Your scheme will mean we all have to drive much further and that will create way more pollution. Decent public transport is what we need not having our already livable neighbourhood divided.

Judith Thomas

In what ways has the impact on disabled people and those who need carers and visits from formal and informal careers who will need to drive further and in the CAZ zone for the orange area been considered?

Jane Emmanuel

Luckily, I am currently physically mobile and relatively fit, but health is not a level playing field. To get to the nearest bus stop (for an unreliable bus service) necessitates a 10 minute walk in any direction other than to North St ( I defy people to walk up the hill with heavy bags on the return journey), there is no improvement to public transport proposed. Nor may I add to the dangerous and truncated cycle path on Coronation Road, nor to address the state of pavements on residential streets and attendant rubbish/recycling bins which prevent easy access, why is this the case? I feel that the proposals far from enhancing the neighbourhood challenges cohesion and discriminates against people who are older, disabled and on limited incomes.

These are just a few of the questions submitted to the Transport Committee on 23 Oct 2025.

Bex Martin

I am writing to express my deep dismay and frustration regarding the extension of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) trial. What was initially presented as a six-month experiment has now become an open-ended ordeal, and for many of us residents, it feels less like a trial and more like a sentence.

The scheme has turned our daily lives upside down. The name “Liveable Neighbourhood” could not feel more ironic - our area has become significantly less liveable. The detours required to leave and reenter our neighbourhood are not only inconvenient, but they also increase travel time, fuel consumption, and pollution. Many of us now avoid leaving our homes unless absolutely necessary.
How is this livable?

This is not just about traffic - it’s about dignity, autonomy, and respect. The council’s decision to extend the trial without clear justification or meaningful engagement with affected residents feels dismissive and cruel. It has eroded trust and goodwill, and I no longer feel proud of the city I once loved.

Alice Fewtrell

As a resident of Southville I am very concerned about the proposed roadblocks and plans to carve up our quiet already very liveable neighbourhood -and having been to the consultations still have no grasp on what the benefits are other than to spend an allocated budget. It is also extremely frustrating that any attempts to get answers on the aims of this scheme are brushed away and dismissed as being anti environment/ anti change. Neither thing is true but I am anti change that has a detrimental effect without evidence for why it is necessary. It also would appear to be a huge waste of money at a time where budgets are tight. I’d far rather money went on either busier/poorer areas that need the scheme or on useful changes like : speed bumps, crossings, safer junctions, better pavements etc

David Griffiths

As residents of Howard Road we have serious concerns about the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood proposals. The premise that the proposals seem to rest on - that we are currently subject to lots of through traffic - is largely wrong. If there is an issue in the area in general, it is the amount of traffic and lack of crossing points on Coronation Road and to a lesser extent North Street. There were a few good things mentioned in the online survey about this, but it appears that ultimately the funding for the scheme hangs on ONE THING only - there being many modal filters (ie road blocks to traffic) rather than the other things mentioned (greenery, crossings, cycle lanes etc etc). This is a tragedy of inflexibility and seems to fly in the face of designing a neighbourhood WITH its residents input rather than imposing a formula.

If the current proposals were implemented in their current traffic on the most problematic roads will likely only get worse. Furthermore, car-driving residents in the proposed Orange zone of Southville would be forced to enter and exit the area ONLY on Coronation Road - an already often-congested road. At least one of these exit points (Beauley Road) is already extremely awkward and difficult (dangerous even) when trying to turn right onto Coronation Road. Personally I rarely drive in the area and use cycling for pretty much all my journeys. So it is exhasperating to think that money might be ploughed into modal filters whilst making no improvements to the pretty appalling cycling path on Coronation Road and also the lack of safe pedestrian crossing points on that road. In general road markings that give priority to pedestrian and cyclists (eg multiple Zebra crossings - cycles painted on roads etc etc) - chicanes (as opposed to road blocks) would be a much better idea.

Mark Anslow

I am writing to urge you to both hear the petition filed by south Bristol residents on the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood on Thursday (prior to the close of the consultation) and simulatenousy to radically reconsider the nature of the scheme.

South Bristol - and Southville in particular - is already one of the most vibrant, diverse and 'liveable' environments in the city. This has arisen organically, as a result of active, involved communities, local business and public organisations. The Council's plans to make the environment more 'liveable' will do nothing to improve this; quite the contrary. They will force traffice out on to two already highlypolluted roads - Coronation Road and North Street - and make the navigation of our narrow, Victorian streets considerably more difficult. They will do nothing to tackle to the real problems that the community experiences - fly tipping, homelessless and poor public transport - but instead divert millions from an already cash-strapped public sector.

This is not NIMBYism - we are people who genuinely care about our local area and its place within the city. I urge you - passionately - to listen to the local committee destined to be on the receiving end of your proposals and to take what they are saying seriously.

Christian De Knock

I feel the consultation survey has not been approached correctly by taking into consideration the people that will be affected most by these changes, the actual residents living in the area! The fact that significant concerns have been raised by residents and the chair of the committee does not deem it necessary to schedule a meeting prior to the consultation closing date is a farce. It clearly shows that they do not actually care about the thoughts and opinions of the residents otherwise they would consider the request more seriously instead of suggesting it take place in December. Your own manifesto states that you will 'stand up for residents' and yet with the current scenario and proposals you are doing the exact opposite

Evie Smets

I am a young professional with a physical disability and the holder of a blue badge and I rely on my vehicle to commute to work and elsewhere around the city/country. I am appalled that the consultation has been so biased and difficult for local residents to access and accurately share their views, and that now there is limited opportunity to debate and feedback before the consultation period ends. This is shameful and underhand behaviour and as a local resident I do not feel listened to.

My concerns about the proposed changes include: - there will be a much higher volume of traffic and pollution on some roads which are already very busy, rather than spreading the traffic throughout the local road system as is currently happening - changes will disproportionately affect local businesses and disabled people who may already be struggling. These changes will mean that I am less able to leave my house at times that I need for work, voluntary and social commitments. People will still need to use their cars the same amount, but it will result only in longer commutes, unhappier residents, bottlenecks of traffic and increased pollution. Safety will also be affected due to changing laws about which roads you can and can't drive on - there are many questions unanswered such as how modal filters will allow those with blue badges to pass (a blue badge is linked to an individual, not a named vehicle)

Nicholas Trollope

As a long term resident of Southville (in excess of 30 years). I would like to comment on the proposal for the proposed SBLN. In my opinion the consultation document and questions were biased in the manner they were written. At no point would I want to increase risk or traffic to my neighbourhood, however the questions were loaded in a manner that should you object to a suggestion it implied that you welcomed increased risk and traffic. I live in the proposed Orange zone which, in the draft proposal, is isolated from the rest of Southville, as a car driver would need to access the CAZ to leave or enter their street. I work in Hartcliffe and would currently exit via Raleigh Road, then Duckmoor Rd to Winterstoke Rd thence on to Hartcliffe. A journey of approximately 10 minutes. If the proposed LN takes place, I will have to join Coronation Rd then find my way through heavy traffic to get to work. I hasten to add I have an extremely reliable, functional yet non compliant vehicle. I have no intention of changing this vehicle in the next few years (I have owned it for 22 years) as it is absolutely ideal for my lifestyle. As you are aware there is no bus service from Southville to Hartcliffe. Should I choose to take the bus (which I have in the past), it means walking to West Street and waiting for the 75 or 76. This adds another hour and a half to my already long, busy day. I propose that the modal filters on Raleigh, Greville and Stackpool roads be replaced with speed pillows ( Southville is a 20mph zone anyway). More pedestrian crossings should be present on our roads to encourage safe crossing points. I also do not understand why Southville, a very pleasant neighbourhood has to be zoned

Catherine Barwell

The policy is designed to benefit only those who are already privelleged and can work from home or who have flexible working. The policy will negatively impact women. If there are children, one parent will have to do drop off and the proposals will make traffic worse getting out of BEDMINSTER impacting start time at work. I am a solo parent and have to be at work at 8. If I do drop off at 7.30 I am already cutting it tight, if you make traffic worse then I could lose my job or be forced to go more part time and limit my career progression. The only people who will be ok will be those in two parent households with flexible working and working from home. The idea that people can cycle is a joke - many jobs require you to take equipment to and from work eg teachers and cycling with a baby in tow plus equipment is a non starter. The idea of using public transport to commute - great! But we have no connection to temple meads from BEDMINSTER other than the airport bus which costs £15 return?!!! These proposals are going to negatively impact the most in need. Residents parking is definitely needed but these road blockages are seriously detrimental to those who are already struggling.

Paul Swanton

I run a small property maintenance business in Bristol, and find that a large percentage of my work is in BS3. If the proposed road closures are introduced, it will double my carbon footprint and time spent driving around BS3 trying to reach various addresses which may be almost neighbours, and be back and forth to suppliers etc. The proposed road changes are not required. We are living in a major city, busy roads are an inevitable feature of a densely occupied major city; why are people trying to pretend we live in a quiet village where children can play in the roads? Roads are for access to homes and provision of vital services, ambulances, electricians, plumbers. Let's not waste more tax payers' money causing difficulties for many, for the benefit of the few. Even those proponents of the changes may think twice when they can't get a plumber to attend a leak, an electrician to get the power back on, or they discover their ambulance is stuck in a blocked one way system.

Jackie Liddle

I am the voice for many residents in Southville. The process of engaging residents to comment on the proposed SBLN has been seriously flawed and potentially illegal given the vested interests of some engagement partners. There seems to be absolutely NO 'Lessons Learned' from the EBLN debacle. There have been no efforts to make the Southville map detailing the proposed changes, available to residents without having to plough through countless pages of questions in the 'Consultation' survey. No effort to make the map freely available for residents who haven't access to smart phones, or computers, No efforts to include schools, nurseries, local businesses etc in the initial surveys, I could go on but you get the gist of what has caused a huge swell of negative feeling towards both the proposed scheme and to you as councillors. Many will not vote Green again and Labour are making full use of the distrust, disgust and distress felt by many residents. Go figure.

CONTENTS OF SPEECH THAT WAS INTENDED FOR TRAFFIC COMMITTEE by Satyen Joshi (But had to be heavily truncated last minute)

I wish to talk today about the principle that underpins (or rather ought to underpin) governance - &  that is the principle of UNIVERSAL TRUTH.

By this I am referring to the TRUTH IN WHOSE PRESENCE NOTHING CAN BE DENIED OR DEBATED...TRUTH THAT IS SELF-EVIDENT AND STANDS ALONE DISPASSIONATELY. ..And so it is at this point, Chair....we appear to have a PROBLEM.

You see......:

The fact that I am here, like many others in this chamber,  about to debate the pros and cons  of a hugely controversial enforced ideal, suggests something about Truth has gone missing.

The fact that you needed a private army of enforcers, police, a drone and a helicopter to implant a scheme at 3 am in the morning in East Bristol whilst some brave locals trying to defend their community got manhandled, suggests that the Truth has been laid by the wayside.

In short, the whole premise of a so called LTN, masked in jargon (eg modal filters) and riddled in nebolous 'measurables'..... whilst zoning humans into enclaves like sheep....., does NOT in any shape or form, relate to Universal Truth.

By releasing a highly inferior SBLN design & consultation (prematurely in my opinion), you have poked and woken up the hibernating 'Sleeping Majority' in Southville.  People like me...who just want to get on with their lives without having to engage in political meanderings or listen to platitudes on what is best for us.

And as people like me ....wake up from our self-imposed slumber, you leave me with no choice but to remind you of some home TRUTHS that tend to get conveniently swept under the carpet.

NO 1) SOUTHVILLE IS ALREADY A LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD (....why does it features so highly in the Sunday Times Best Places to live in UK)

NO 2) The Southville  RPZ has resolved most of the traffic issues; NOT perfect, but not far off.

NO 3) People in Southville really care about their environment; we dont make unnecessary journeys. WE WALK, WE CYCLE...WE RECYC:LE! So any gains that you think this LTN is going to make will be barely marginal at best)

NO 4) Absolutely no categorical proof has been offered by the promoters of this scheme that demonstrates how Southville is full of rat runs and that somehow children/cyclists are getting mowed down by speeding vehicles and that residents are being asphyxiated by murderous pollution.

SO WITH THE GREATEST OF RESPECT....the basis on which the entire SBLN is founded.... is on an industrial grade bed of UNTRUTHS. Please do not gaslight us...none of us in this chamber look like they were born yesterday,... plenty of us do have .that precious commodity that seems to be bereft of late, in many who occupy public office...COMMON SENSE & LASER SHARP INTELLECTS.

NOW HERE'S THE THING.....with Truth comes Courage....And as I look you in the eye, Sir ...it is no bad thing to courageously admit that the SBLN imposition in its current guise is FLAWED.

PLEASE DO NOT DEFEND THAT WHICH IS INDEFENSIBLE! All good aspects of an ideal LTN can be brought to bear without having to succumb to the DRACONIAN Liveable Neighbourhood Formation Rules that other agencies who live in ivory towers seem to have set in stone. I pity your position, trust me ...I really do..... yet I must ask you to courageously challenge such rules and keep an open mind to fresh ideas...ones that uplift a community...not destroy it into oblivion.

SO TO CLOSE....., REMEMBER WHO THIS IS FOR...REMEMBER THE LIVES THIS WILL IMPACT...REMEMBER THE BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION If you dont think this through...HOW DOES ANY OF THIS MEET THE STANDARDS OF A LIVEABLE LOCALITY ...WHICH  I KID YOU NOT...WILL BE FULL OF BROKEN 'SOULS'.

BUT ABOVE ALL, REMEMBER THIS...REMEMBER THE PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSAL TRUTH....PARK THIS IN YOUR HEART WITH PURITY AND I GUARANTEE...THAT ALL YOUR FORTHCOMING DECISIONS WILL STAND OUT LIKE SPARKLING ORNAMENTS WITHIN THE GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK OF THIS CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE.  Thank you for listening.

Some thoughtful comments on polarisation:

Tristan Cork is a local journalist for Bristol Live who does a great job at injecting well written prose in between the many adverts on their site.

A Liveable Neighbourhood is coming to my area but I've just bought a car again...

Tristan Cork - April 2025

I’ve lived in Bedminster for years, and years ago I did have a car, but when my last one died back in pandemic times, Mrs C and I decided that not only could we not really afford to get another one, but that maybe we should get with the times and try to see what it was like not to have one at all.

....

But with the alternative options getting more expensive and less reliable, ultimately we worked out that having our own car was going to cost us pretty much what we were spending every month on using the car club car.

We tried to beat them, and failed. I am now the proud owner of a car again. We gave it a good try. We lasted more than three years. We now own a car in a city that’s run by the Green Party, and park it in an area which is about to have a Liveable Neighbourhood. Now friends are expressing the same concern, but for the opposite reasons.

The experience of not being a car owner has helped me, though. I now very much appreciate both sides of what is, unfortunately, an increasingly polarised debate. It shouldn’t be polarised between cars and not cars, car drivers and people who don’t drive, because most people do both.

Co-Design Workshop on Crossing Proposals for North Street

Tristan Cork attended an SBLN Consultation Meeting and pointed out that an Artists Impression of a crossing on North Street was shown, despite the fact that no such crossing had actually been proposed.

The crossing shown is ridiculous as the "pocket park" blocks pedestrians sight lines and anyone who wanted to use the disabled parking space would have to reverse over the crossing in order to park.

So I decided to run my own Co-Design workshop to come up with some other outlandish proposals for crossings at this location on North Street.

The Tarzan Swing

This introduces a sense of playfulness and excitement to the experience of crossing North Street.

The Evel Knievel

This option needs a good run up, but could also be used by mobility scooters.

Hop, Skip and Jump

This one could be a contender for a new Olympic Sport.

The Marvin Rees Memorial Metro

This is our best chance at getting a metro in Bristol. It is only costed at £523,000 which is a lot cheaper than Marvin's pipe dream.

Balloon Crossing

A proper Bristol experience, but you are dependent on the right weather conditions and there will be some days when no crossings are possible.

Lower Clifton Suspension Bridge

This one went way over budget when I realised it would have to be retractable in order to let Buses go through. The budget ran out before I could add a ramp to the bridge which made it inaccessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

Lollipop Man

A retro solution that would expand on the Lollipop Man (or Woman) service that has already proven to be very successful at school locations.

The Sprint Crossing

This option is only suitable for the fittest people, and it is likely that the starting pistol could surprise pedestrians.

The Flytipping Modal Filter

So far this year there have been 270 reports of flytipping in Southville. This proposal involves setting up "Flytipping Modal Filter" zones where people can lawfully flytip in order to slow down traffic. It could also provide informal seating zones for locals.

Mamil Blockers

This option makes North St a 24 hour "Mamil" zone which encourages cycling groups to travel up and down, slowing down traffic and creating natural crossing channels. Their bright clothing also makes them very visible to pedestrians.

Greentopia

Given the recent decision by Southville Councillor Christine Townsend to stop all weed control measures in Southville, perhaps we should just let the weeds grow in order to create "green roadblocks".

Drone Crossings

Let's embrace new technologies and use autonomous drones to lift people above the traffic.

Frogger

A lot of people love 80's retro gaming, so perhaps we could we invent a "Frogger" style crossing game on North Street.