Blockade puts a stop to work on city bus gate

BRISTOL City Council's contractors abandoned an attempt to alter the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood yesterday after a small group of local residents blockaded the road to prevent the work.

- TRISTAN CORK

> Protesters led by Redfield resident Melissa Topping blockaded the road in the Barton Hill area of Bristol

(Paul Gillis / Trinity Mirror)

After a brief standoff, council contractors ETM gave up and left Avonvale Road, in the face of a small group of protesters led by Redfield resident Melissa Topping.

The man in charge of Bristol City Council’s roads and transport said the blockade action was ‘really disappointing’. The council want to move a ‘modal filter’ and bus gate from the west side of the Avonvale Road junction with Marsh Lane to the east side, and say they are doing so after local residents in Barton Hill suggested doing that to allow greater access for drivers into the Barton Hill area.

But there are many living within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area who want the bus gates and ‘modal filters’ - planters across the road that stop four-wheel traffic but allow two wheels through - to be removed completely.

The residents watched the council contractors remove the bus gate from the west side of the junction on Thursday, but when ETM arrived to paint the road and finish the work to install a new bus gate on the east side of the junction yesterday they were prevented from doing so.