Furious residents blockaded a road to try and stop the council imposing low traffic neighbourhood measures on their street.
The stand-off began this morning as Bristol City Council restarted work to install a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ in parts of East Bristol which would see through roads blocked.
Locals have protested against the controversial scheme before but this morning the police were called as a large group of residents were stopping the work going ahead.
The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood is an attempt by the city council to reduce traffic in parts of Barton Hill, Lawrence Hill, Redfield and St George by closing off side roads to cars.
This would create a series of no-through roads, dead-ends and cul-de-sacs, while allowing pedestrians and cyclists to go through.
The aim is to filter all through traffic onto main roads in the area, but the implementation has been hugely controversial, created a lot of congestion, with some residents saying their car journeys have doubled or tripled in length.
Earlier this month, the city council announced a ‘pause’ on work to implement the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, amid a growing co-ordinated protest from residents, who were repeatedly trying to prevent the work from taking place.
The Liveable Neighbourhood is a trial scheme at the moment, so work to stop-up roads is temporary – often with concrete blocks or large planters to block access for vehicles.
But this morning, council contractors ETM arrived to implement Liveable Neighbourhood measures on Marsh Road in Barton Hill, at the junction where the famous Valentine’s Day Banksy artwork is located.
Residents were there to meet them, and police were called.
It comes after in November last year neighbours formed human shields to prevent workers from installing planters on their street as part of the scheme.
People living in and around Marsh Lane in the Barton Hill area of Bristol, took to the streets when workmen arrived to install large planters to close off the road to traffic.
Bristol City Council said at the time: ‘We are aware of the demonstration at the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood site earlier today.
‘Any action from residents which delays works will result in the programme being set back, which will have a financial impact on the scheme and cause further disruption of traffic to other areas.
It’s really important that the sites remain safe for the public and the contractors to work.’
Residents did not know that the workers would be arriving but after a WhatsApp message was sent to a local group chat people scrambled out of their homes.
As the large lorries entered the street neighbours mobilised to stop the council and refused to move before they turned away.
Implementation of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has so far involved the city council attempting to prevent through traffic on a number of roads, mainly in St George and Redfield, but this morning a key route through Barton Hill is the subject of action.
Avonvale Road runs east-west along the north side of Netham Park and into the heart of Barton Hill.
At its junction with Marsh Lane – a spot famous for the Banksy on the corner there – the city council want to prevent cars and vans from continuing to travel west into Barton Hill, while still allowing bikes and pedestrians.
Many attempts to implement the Liveable Neighbourhood trial have seen direct action by local residents – particularly in the Barton Hill area – but this is the largest yet.