'Ruined by EBLN' Formerly quiet road is now a 'dangerous rat run'

A FORMERLY quiet residential road has been turned into a “dangerous rat run” due to the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.

- Alex SEABROOK

Joanna and David Parfitt, who live on Troopers Hill Road, pictured left

(Pic: Alex Seabrook)

A couple living on Troopers Hill Road, on the eastern border of the controversial transport scheme, say traffic levels past their house have recently shot up.The liveable neighbourhood trial, set up by Bristol City Council, is intended to stop drivers using residential roads as rat runs. Monitoring data shows that aim has been met on several streets in the area. However the council has not monitored data on traffic levels on Troopers Hill Road.

Despite its successes, a common complaint about the trial is the long tailbacks on Blackswarth Road, as few drivers manage to get onto Church Road at each change of traffic lights. Instead, many drivers now appear to be going down Crews Hole Road and up Troopers Hill Road.

David and Joanna Parfitt have lived on the road for 58 years, having bought their house new.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, they say their concerns have been ignored. And they questioned why their road was conveniently left off a recent monitoring report.

Mr Parfitt said: "They've sacrificed this road. We hear on numerous occasions screeching brakes. We're just terrified that one day a kid will run across the road, and there is going to be an accident, purely because of the volume now of traffic that comes up here.