'Lessons being learned' Some parts of Liveable Neighbourhood scrapped

SOME of the key aspects of the controversial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood are being scrapped following public feedback.

- Tristan CORK

Aboive and below, security staff and police attending a stand-off at Marsh Lane and Avonvale Road during installation of the Liveable Neighbourhood infrastructure - the bus gate on Marsh Lane will now be removed completely, and the one on Avonvale Road to the west side of the Marsh Lane crossroads will be moved to the other side of the crossroads

(Pier-Paul Gill)

Bristol City Council has announced some of the bus gates, bollards and 'modal filter' planters around Barton Hill will be removed after a huge backlash from local residents and traders in the area. But the scheme itself has not been stopped completely and most of the road blocks will remain in place.

The council has confirmed it will be removing and moving a series of bus gates just nine months after the council installed them in the middle of the night with the help of scores of police officers in an operation that later saw Avon and Somerset police chiefs apologise to the residents of Barton Hill.

City council chiefs said further changes would be made "if the decision is made to make the scheme permanent" - indicating that it is still running as a trial - and councillors in the Green Party-led administration said they had listened to concerns from residents, local businesses, emergency services and Bristol Waste, to make the changes.

The West of England metro mayor, Helen Godwin, welcomed the changes, saying: "It’s clear that lessons are being learned and these proposed changes seem to be a step in the right direction.