Frequently asked questions

Liveable neighbourhoods are areas of a city where improvements are designed in partnership with local communities to achieve a better balance between how streets are used for vehicles and people. Improvements can be small scale and easy to install, such as planting trees, providing more benches, community activity spaces, and better lighting, while making it easier to catch a bus and to walk or cycle, with improved infrastructure and measures to reduce through traffic.

• more opportunities for neighbours and children to socialise and take part in unstructured play
• quieter, more pleasant streets
• an active and healthier population
• less isolation
• more trees, flowers and greenery
• safer for children to get to school
• cleaner air to breathe 

Barton Hill and parts of Redfield and St George, south of Church Road in east Bristol. 

A Liveable Neighbourhood is made up of residential streets bounded by main roads, which are more suitable for carrying traffic, such as HGVs, buses and all other traffic that is traveling through an area.

Measures are put in place to stop people using residential streets to cut through the area, moving them back onto main roads, which are designed to handle greater volumes of vehicle traffic. 

Have a look at the Design Toolkit to see what measures can be used and where.

The east Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has been selected as the first pilot area for several reasons. 

Funding was made available from the West of England Combined Authority to develop schemes within the sub-regional Local Walking and Cycling Investment Plans. This identifies a cycling route, the Wesley Way parallel to Church Road as a priority for investment.  

The east Bristol project area covers a diverse area of Bristol, which will provide the opportunity to pilot different methods of engagement, which could inform how similar projects are introduced in the future.  

The project area is within a short walking and cycling distance of the city centre, which makes walking, cycling and scootering a realistic option for commuting journeys. 

The area is near to major developments, such as Temple Island and the new University of Bristol campus. These developments are likely to attract more car journeys, which cannot be accommodated by the transport network. 

The project area is close to the boundary for the Clean Air Zone, which launched in November 2022. Concerns have been raised that additional vehicles may cut through the area to avoid the charges, which will increase the transport issues that have already been reported to us.

The project area is close to walking and cycling routes, such as the Bristol to Bath Railway Path and the River Avon Trail, which are often very busy at peak times. Improving alternative routes can help alleviate this pressure.  

We want to make neighbourhoods safer, more accessible places for residents, businesses and visitors, whether they walk, use public transport, cycle or drive. 

East Bristol, like the rest of the city more generally, is growing with the upcoming West of England Spatial Development Strategy and Bristol Local Plan setting out the number of new homes to be provided over the next 20 years. 

We need to support and accommodate this future growth as sustainably as possible, while also mitigating the impact motorised traffic has on residential neighbourhoods and busy high streets.  

Encouraging and enabling more people to use sustainable forms of transport, particularly walking and cycling, helps ease pressure on our public transport and road systems, which are often operating at capacity. 

It reduces road danger and improves personal mobility and public health. Walking and cycling are also the two cheapest forms of transport and are therefore accessible and inclusive to the broadest range of people in society. 

In the One-City Plan, Bristol committed to becoming carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030. Evidence from other authorities across England has shown that Liveable Neighbourhoods are an effective tool for replacing short car trips with walking and cycling journeys. Improving active and sustainable travel is a key component in how Bristol can achieve it’s aim of becoming carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030. 

Yes, but you may have to go by a different route as there will be a number of modal filters installed as part of the trial.

No, we are not introducing any restrictions on driving or including any parking fees.

The trial scheme would see the introduction of several modal filters. This will mean that your driving routes may change, but it will not stop you accessing any of the area by car.

You will still be able to access all areas by car however your route may change.

Check out the map here to see how to enter/exit parts of the neighbourhood.

During the trial it will not be possible to use certain roads as a cut through when driving and you’ll need to stay on the main roads rather than residential roads.

This will make local streets more pleasant and safer for people living or walking, cycling, wheeling or scooting through the area.

No, you can still access the whole area by car although your route may change.

New access routes will not divert people through the Clean Air Zone.

You can check where the Clean Air Zone covers on the Clean Air Zones map

Evidence suggests that Liveable Neighbourhoods have no significant negative impact on business and retail. There is mounting evidence of positive effects on retail sales, rental value, and tax revenue.

Retailers sometimes overestimate the importance of customers arriving by car with many of their customers living nearby and arriving by foot.

Many businesses rely on vehicles for operational needs and the trial scheme may change the way some businesses operate. Please find more information on www.travelwest.info/for-businesses or contact the team at travelwestbusiness@bristol.gov.uk if you would like any active travel support for your business.

Yes, the whole area will be accessible by emergency services although some routes may change depending on the location of modal filters (link). Emergency services will be exempted from the proposed bus gates which use camera enforcement. The team will continue to engage with emergency services on the detailed design of the trial scheme.

We will not be using cameras to enforce the point closures on the roads (modal filters) during the trial scheme. Instead we will be using planters and bollards in the road.The only location where we would use cameras is at the proposed bus gates.

If residents were exempt from all of the point closures it could undermine how effective the scheme is as people would still be likely to drive for short trips. As the proposed scheme is a considerable amount of change for the area, we are trialling the measures first to understand how the scheme works.

Yes, they can still access the whole area by car although their route may change.

New access routes will not divert people through the Clean Air Zone.

You can check where the Clean Air Zone covers on the  Clean Air Zone map

Liveable Neighbourhoods aim to make the street environment inclusive and inviting.

They can bring significant improvements to accessibility, including benches, unobstructed pavements, signage and car parking for blue badge holders.

They look to share space between everyone, while preserving car access. Where possible, additional blue badge bays will be installed next to community facilities so that it is more convenient for blue badge holders to access.

Evidence shows that reallocating road space from cars to active travel modes tends to reduce car use in the long-term.

While there may be some immediate and temporary displacement of traffic to other areas, there is likely to be an overall reduction in traffic and increase in active travel in the long-term. An increase in active travel is seen as an essential step to improving air pollution across urban areas such as Bristol.

We have already installed additional air pollution monitoring sites in the area, so we have extensive baseline air pollution data for 2022. These monitoring sites will stay in place throughout the trial to monitor impacts on air pollution. In addition, we will be installing monitoring equipment to track changes in walking, cycling and traffic levels in preparation for the trial scheme. This will help us understand the impact of the scheme and whether there are any significant changes.

The concept of Liveable Neighbourhoods is of sustainable, pollution-free cities, where all residents - no matter their ability, gender or age - feel safe to walk and cycle, and where amenities and public transport are within a short walking distance.

In these cities people wouldn't need to drive a car to commute, shop or drop children at school.

They could be a means to contribute to climate strategies.

Evidence shows that Liveable Neighbourhoods lead to a reduction in private car ownership, which is linked to a reduction of traffic-related pollutants.

Walking and cycling more are shown to decrease rates of asthma, depression, diabetes and increase life expectancy.

Evidence shows that reallocating road space from cars to active travel modes tends to reduce car use in the long-term.

While there may be some immediate and temporary displacement of traffic to other areas or streets, there is likely to be an overall reduction in traffic in the long-term.

Reducing the speed and volume of traffic has a significant impact on road injuries and crime. By creating more high quality community spaces that people want to spend time in, crime and anti-social behaviour tends to reduce with more eyes on the street.

Liveable Neighbourhoods aim to make the street environment inclusive and inviting.

They can bring significant improvements to accessibility, including benches, unobstructed pavements, signage and car parking for blue badge holders.

They look to share space between everyone, while preserving car access.

When it comes to commuting, working class people face more restrictions, including fewer local work opportunities, lack of affordable housing in well-connected areas and anti-social work hours.

This can lead to a reliance on cars for commuting, where public and active transport alternatives aren't yet feasible.

Safe cycling and walking environments benefit everyone.

We have Frequently Asked Questions on the cycle hangar page.

We ran a statutory consultation from the 29 January 2024 until the 20 February 2024. We are currently reviewing all feedback and will update again soon.

In the meantime, we are installing 15 cycle hangars in the area. This is a separate process from the statutory consultation.