Especially as one of the most intensely impacted areas of the EBLN is the section in Lawrence Hill ward.
Partly this is due to density. We have several significant tower blocks, meaning we have more residents packed into a smaller geographical area.
Partly it is due to inequality. Lawrence Hill is one of the most deprived wards in Bristol, with a large number of residents in social housing (42 per cent) and many working low-wage jobs such as cleaning.
Some of the issues are also due to the flaws in the first consultation that the previous Labour administration carried out – flaws which Yassin has been pointing out for years.
Child poverty is also almost double the Bristol average. Almost half of Year 6 students are overweight (43.9 per cent) – the highest rate in Bristol.
Many households are overcrowded.
And although fewer people in the ward own cars than the Bristol average, those who do may rely on their cars a great deal, and may help friends and family members out with shopping or transport.
All these challenges are a reason to trial a low-traffic neighbourhood.
Barton Hill forms part of Lawrence Hill ward – photo: Martin Booth
Improved health and improved bus times are something everyone wants.
Some people have asked if the EBLN money could be spent on housing instead. Unfortunately, no. The money for the EBLN comes specifically from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and there are strict limits on what it can be used for.
So when the data from the most recent survey showed that a lot of people were unhappy with the EBLN in its current form, that wasn’t a surprise to us as local councillors.
We’ve been out door-knocking and talking with community groups. This unhappiness is something that we have heard again and again on the doorstep and it’s something we’ve been strongly feeding back to the staff team and the chair of the transport committee.
People are frustrated; many feel that they already try to walk, wheel or cycle when they can, but that they still need their cars for some essential trips. They want more than just one route in and out of their homes.
Increased journey times on St Philip’s Causeway and on Blackswarth Road is proving very frustrating for drivers, and some people are having to leave their houses earlier in the morning and report their children are more tired by the time they are home.
We’ve been passing these concerns on and asking for changes.
At the same time, we hear from residents who like the fact that they feel much safer cycling. Others report that their asthma has improved.
We can see from the monitoring report that cycling and walking has increased around the area, which was one of the goals of the trial and will help improve health outcomes.
So we need to try and find a compromise that keeps that positive change without making life too hard for those who have to use their cars for work or studies.
Implementation of the EBLN trial in Barton Hill has not been universally accepted – photo: Carla Wakfer
The final decision about the scheme won’t be made until next year at the transport committee.
But as local ward councillors, we strongly feel that some changes need to be made urgently.
This is partly because many of the local businesses around Avonvale Road and Marsh Lane have reported a big drop in customers since there has been less passing traffic.
We are concerned that if changes don’t happen quickly, some say they may struggle to keep their doors open.
As a result of our concerns, the decision has been made to get rid of the Marsh Lane bus gate and to move the Avonvale Road one to the other side of the junction next to Mildred Street.
We hope this will make several things easier.
It means that drivers can more easily drive from Feeder Road through Barton Hill to St Philip’s Causeway, and it will be easier for passing trade to access the businesses.
It will make it easier for Barton Hill residents to drive to Wellspring Surgery when they’re sick.
It should stop people using Glendare Street and Great Western Lane as a cut-through, which is something residents on those streets have rightly been really concerned about.
It means more residents will have an extra driving route to and from their homes.
We also know that a lot of people are very worried about emergency services access; particularly with the tower blocks, and with the shadows of the Grenfell fire and the Barton House evacuation looming large in everyone’s minds, and we will prioritise these concerns, and will not ultimately support the scheme until improvements are made and we are satisfied that it does not impact your safety.
The ambulance service hasn’t reported issues, but we’ve been working closely with the fire service throughout the trial, have already made changes and supported the fire service to adapt to changing layouts.
The urgent proposals will include swapping some physical barriers (planters and bollards) to be camera-gates (like the bus gates) in response to fire service requests.
This means that the fire engines will be able to drive through quicker, which is very welcome news.
The bus gate on Marsh Lane is due to be completely removed – photo: Martin Booth
We know that this isn’t the final decision.
There are lots of other suggestions and changes to be considered ahead of the transport committee taking a final vote on any final version of the scheme.
But as local councillors, we are pleased that these changes are happening sooner rather than later as they are urgent.
We also want to hear from you about how these changes affect your daily life; please keep sending us feedback and we will keep passing it on to the transport team and the committee.
Although trying to figure out the best solution is a significant challenge, we think it is worth it, because this is important and we need to do our best to get it right.