Liveable Neighbourhood Mixed reaction to plans in the Chessels

HOW to deal with too many cars in the Victorian terraced streets of one part of South Bristol divided opinion as residents of Bedminster took their turn to tell Bristol City Council what they think about the plans for a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ across BS3. And while the consultations in neighbouring Southville have seen almost unanimous opposition from those going along in person, there were people passionately enthusiastic about even the possibility of the controversial ‘modal filters’ and traffic zones.

- Tristan CORK

Cllr Ellie Freeman (Green, Bedminster) at The South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood consultation event, held at the Chessel Centre in The Chessels

One local councillor said the council is considering various suggestions and changes to the contentious idea of dividing the roads north of North Street into four distinct zones for vehicles, and she was hopeful the plans from the city council for Southville could be shaped by everyone in the area.

But last week, the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood drop-in consultation roadshow stopped at the Chessel Centre, in the heart of the Bedminster neighbourhood built in just a couple of years either side of 1900. Now famous for its street art, the terraces were built to house the miners, tobacco factory employees and foundry workers. Here in the Chessels - the name given by those marketing the terraces way back in 1899 - the roads are narrow grids, filled with parked cars.

Any idea of zoning off this area between North Street and West Street with the ‘modal filters’ is at least two years down the line - Barton Hill and Redfield already have them, with Southville and Totterdown at the front of the queue in South Bristol.

In the meantime, for The Chessels, the SBLN means plans for a matchday parking scheme and a general residents parking scheme. Although everyone spilling out of The Chessel Centre on Wednesday evening agreed parking was a nightmare and something had to be done, there was little consensus on what, and how.

“I'm not really in favour of the idea of a residents’ parking scheme, no,’ said Paul, who has lived in this part of Bedminster for all his 71 years, and now lives at the bottom of the hill nearer Ashton Gate Stadium, with his wife Gill. “Well, I would be in favour if it works,” he added.