A controversial decision on reopening a popular Harbourside walking route to cars has been delayed at the last minute. Bristol City Council chiefs are now considering alternative options for the future of Avon Crescent, which has been shut to through-traffic for three years.
Plans to reopen Avon Crescent had caused road safety fears and were opposed by local residents, walking and cycling campaigners and councillors. The development control B committee was originally due to vote on approving the plans on Wednesday, May 10.
But hours before the committee meeting, the council withdrew the planning application. Council staff are now understood to be “making further enquiries” about Avon Crescent, before the future of the road is decided.
Read more: Harbourside walking and cycling route to be reopened to cars
Last October Bristol mayor Marvin Rees denied the council was planning to reopen Avon Crescent. The road was temporarily closed in 2020 as part of the repairs to the Chocolate Path and Cumberland Road, but these repair works are due to finish later this year. A new bus gate is also planned to launch on Cumberland Road this summer, restricting traffic.
During a cabinet meeting in October, Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Brown asked the mayor: “When the bus gate and the Chocolate Path are completed, will Avon Crescent be reopened?”
After checking with assistants sitting behind him, Mr Rees replied: “I’m just confused as to where you got that idea. We’re not planning to reopen it. Is that something that you’re hearing, or are you just asking the question? You’ve set hares running with the question, but no.”
Despite the mayor’s denial, the council did recently apply for planning permission to scrap long-held plans to rebuild the road as a “shared space”, as part of the local MetroBus route. Avon Crescent would instead become a one-way street, with cars driving eastbound from Merchants Road down to Cumberland Road, and temporary roadblocks would be removed.
These plans caused controversy and sparked opposition because Avon Crescent, since the roadblocks were installed at the southern end of the street, has become increasingly popular with people walking and cycling around the Harbourside. The narrow pavement is often not wide enough to accommodate the large number of pedestrians, who spill out onto the road.
Council staff previously said the increase in traffic from reopening Avon Crescent would be offset by the planned new bus gate on Cumberland Road, east of the junction with Gas Ferry Road. This would ban general traffic from driving eastbound through the virtual gate, but would still allow buses, motorbikes, taxis and bicycles to pass through.
Green Councillor Patrick McAllister, representing Hotwells and Harbourside, said: "While I welcome this reprieve for Avon Crescent, this happening with so little notice when people took time off work and prepared detailed arguments for the hearing is very frustrating."
