Liveable Neighbourhood Council's under pressure to debate petition

MORE than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling on Bristol City Council to rethink its plans for ‘modal filters’ and traffic zones in Southville as part of its South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (SBLN) project.

- Tristan CORK

The petition, set up by a group of residents in September, has now reached the threshold to be presented to the council - but council chiefs have sparked fury by saying they won't hear about it until December.

As of yesterday morning, almost 2,100 people had signed the petition, which calls for the SBLN scheme for Southville to be changed so it does not include the division of the area's roads into four traffic zones for vehicles. There is a meeting of the council's transport committee this Thursday, October 23, but council chiefs have said now is not the time to debate the petition, given the consultation is still in progress.

Campaigners against the modal filters in Southville have called on supporters to deluge Thursday's transport committee meeting with comments about the scheme, and Labour politicians have joined in, calling for the petition to be accepted and debated this week.