Police called as group of protesters block installation of liveable neighbourhood

Police were called after a group of protesters blocked the installation of a liveable neighbourhood scheme.

Council contractors were stopped from installing the infrastructure needed for the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial.

Police were called on Monday morning to the latest stand-off in Barton Hill.

Deputy council leader, Green councillor Heather Mack, and John Smith, interim executive director of the growth and regeneration directorate, were also confronted by angry residents on Avonvale Road.

“You are stopping me from taking my children to school but you drove here,” one woman with a megaphone told Smith, as other protesters shouted “shame”.

She added: “There’s some people who lost their income today because they couldn’t drive to work.”

In the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme, a bus gate on Avonvale Road west of the Marsh Lane junction and east of Beam Street will prevent most cars from driving through it.

But as part of the scheme, emergency services, bin lorries, professional carers providing care within the community will be able to drive through all of the bus gates without receiving a fine.

Parents with children attending SEND schools, taxis and private hire vehicles, disabled class vehicles, and cycles and e-scooters won't also be fined if driving through all the bus gates.

Bristol City Council hope that the bus gate will help prioritise the number 5 bus service by stopping through-traffic travelling along Avonvale Road and Beaufort Road.

Installation of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme began in October and should have been completed by now.