Thank you for all the support you’ve shown so far in our campaign to stop the Southville roadblocks.

If you’re able, please join us this Thursday, 5 February, to march from Southville to the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee meeting. All are welcome.
 If you can’t march, please join us outside the council buildings from 4:45pm.

The Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee is the body responsible for reviewing, consulting on, and approving the implementation of the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (SBLN) proposals. This meeting matters.

So why march?
Everyone will have their own reasons, but if you’ll indulge me, here are mine.

As a cyclist, I am marching because:

• The SBLN proposals will increase traffic and congestion on North Street and Coronation Road, making them more dangerous to cycle on.
• The proposals include no new cycle lanes and no improvements to existing ones.

As a pedestrian, I am marching because:

• The roadblocks feel unnecessary. Southville’s streets already feel quiet. Councillors often suggest residents are afraid to walk locally, but that does not reflect my lived experience.
• The proposals include no plans to fix Southville’s pavements, many of which are in a terrible state.

As a reluctant driver, I am marching because:

• If the council genuinely wants residents to use their cars less, public transport must come first.
• Where are the proposals to improve the 24 bus service?
• Where is the direct bus from Southville to Temple Meads?
• Where is the bus service along Coronation Road?

As a resident of Southville, I am marching because:

• I worry about the impact of the SBLN on local businesses.
• I worry about emergency service delays, as already seen in East Bristol’s Liveable Neighbourhood.
• I worry about refuse collection, deliveries, and taxi access to newly created dead-end roads.

There are many worthy causes to march for, but, as a good friend said to me, this is marching for something you can change, and something that affects you directly.

The Bristol Quality of Life Survey 2024/25 shows that Southville residents already drive less and walk or cycle more than most other wards in the city. This matters.

We need to let the council know that we will not accept these poorly thought-out designs:

• Designs created without adequate data or transparent consultation
• Designs that make necessary car journeys longer and more difficult
• Designs that risk increasing congestion and pollution, while failing to deliver the improvements our community has repeatedly asked for.

Thanks again and hope to see you there!