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There are lots of wonderful things about Windmill Hill: parks and green spaces, lots of small and independent local businesses as well as the local Mosque and the Windmill Hill Community Centre. It is a friendly and lively place with a great community spirit. But it also has its share of problems.
Bristol City Council will be starting work in Jan 2022 on a number of projects which will cause some disruption in the area. Cllr Ed Plowden has been liaising with the Planning Officers to ensure this disruption will be minimised.
The work includes the installation of District Heat Network (DHN) pipework and improvements to transport connections along Malago Road/Dalby Avenue (A38) as part of the Bedminster Green regeneration project. The work will install a new heat system with highly insulated pipework within the roads to export heat from sustainable generation sources to homes and businesses in the area. Other works will be undertaken as part of the Council’s commitment to improve sustainable travel options across the city by making it easier for people to walk, cycle or take public transport.
The Bedminster Green project includes restoring the River Malago, bringing it above ground and improving the greenspace at the heart of the area. This will help to boost biodiversity and reduce flood risk, as well as creating a new high-quality space for people to enjoy. There will also be improvements to public spaces, including wider footpaths and planting of trees to support wildlife. More detail on plans for the river restoration will be shared in 2022. Developers on the five plots of land within the regeneration area will also be progressing plans in the coming months.
For residents in Windmill Hill specifically, access will be maintained via St John’s Lane at all times. Whilst works take place on Malago Rd and Dalby Avenue (from 10th January until approximately until mid-2024), access will be possible under the railway bridge from Hereford St or Whitehouse Lane as usual. During the works to Whitehouse Lane (from mid-2024 for approx. 12 months), some restrictions may be necessary for limited periods under the railway bridge, and from Whitehouse Lane and Hereford St – Ed will ensure that the local community is notified about these periods nearer the time.
Ed has also requested that traffic on the Hill is monitored at the start, middle and towards the end of the project so we have more information about its effects. He has also asked for signage to make it clear that there is no access to Bedminster Parade at the junction of Paultow and St Johns Lane.
A message from Ed and Lisa – “Thank you for electing us to serve as your City Councillors for Windmill Hill. We are humbled and honoured to be trusted with this responsibility.
“We know that it will not be easy, we heard so many varying opinions and concerns on your doorsteps, and so many of the issues we face locally and globally are going be tough and complex to tackle.
“We promise to work hard on the things that matter to you, especially transport problems, poor air quality and the scale of local developments. And most importantly of all, we promise to keep listening and working with the local community to make a positive difference.
“We need to ensure we have safe and liveable streets we can walk and breathe in – St Johns Lane has some of the worst pollution in Bristol. This is likely to get worse as the Clean Air Zone is implemented, which does not include St Johns Lane, so more of the dirtiest vehicles will use it.
“Our doorknocking throughout the ward shows that a majority of people support a congestion charge and Clean Air Zone.
“People tell us that rogue parking and rat-running are already problems. The nearby “low-car” developments might make this worse, with additional parking spilling onto local streets.
“We also need to resist high rise building and digital advertising screens from defacing our local environment.
As your Green councillors, we want to make sure housing developers think about the people who live here now as well as in the future. The Council and developers agreed on a framework, but are not sticking to it. We will work hard to control developers and make sure they pay a fair share to contribute to keeping Windmill Hill a great place to live.”
