Top disability campaigner criticises Bristol city centre transport plans

A leading disability campaigner has criticised plans for dramatic transport changes in Bristol city centre. Leaked emails obtained by BristolLive show Bristol Disability Equality Commission chairman Alun Davies expressed dismay to the council’s leader, transport committee chair and chief executive that his group was not asked for its input before the proposals went out to public consultation.

He also raised serious concerns about some of the radical changes themselves, which were previously blasted as creating a “no-go zone” for disabled people in the main shopping area because buses would be banned from The Horsefair in Broadmead and bus stops replaced and moved to less convenient places. We have agreed to a request not to publish these emails.

But Mr Davies has since told BristolLive that some of the plans “do worry me and the commission” and that he was “disappointed” the organisation was not given the chance to feed its “lived experience into their design prior to consultation”. He has now held an urgent meeting with transport and connectivity policy committee chairman Cllr Ed Plowden (Green, Windmill Hill), where the pair agreed to come up with ways for the commission to properly represent the views of disabled people on the proposals and future transport schemes to address issues.

Among the proposals, The Horsefair and Penn Street would be pedestrianised, apart from deliveries at quiet times of the day and for emergency vehicles, and buses and taxis re-routed through Fairfax Street and Broad Weir to provide more space for an extra 5,000 residents who will be living in and moving around the area. The idea is to create a new rapid transit system where buses could run through the city centre, which would also involve banning taxis and motorbikes from Union Street so it becomes two-way for buses and bicycles.

Speaking previously about the pedestrianisation plans, Cllr Plowden acknowledged they would “not work for everyone” and said: “If you’re thinking of driving into Bristol by car, don’t bother.” At the time, the comments sparked a backlash from Cllr Kelvin Blake (Labour, Hillfields), who has chaired a number of organisations providing services for disabled people.

He said the remarks were “genuinely shocking to read” and that huge areas of the city were cut off from reliable transport, so it was not currently an option for people with disabilities and many other residents. Cllr Blake said previously: “As things stand, these proposals would create a no-go zone for disabled people, spanning the whole of Cabot Circus and Broadmead.

Sign up to receive daily news updates and breaking news alerts straight to your inbox for free here.

“The plans would remove existing disabled parking bays and replace them with new ones.” Now Mr Davies has joined the criticism.

He said: “The views and voices of disabled people must be an important consideration for any local authority contemplating making changes to transport plans and policy.

“Even the smallest change in approach to transport planning can have a huge impact on disabled people and only by engaging with those with lived experience of such impacts can we ensure Bristol is a welcoming place for people of all backgrounds. I was disappointed to see the proposals for the city centre published without the opportunity to feed our commission’s lived experience into their design prior to consultation.

“This felt like a missed opportunity. Though personally I welcome the intention to make the centre and surrounding area more pedestrian friendly, I believe there are some aspects of the plans at this consultation stage that do worry me and the commission.

“I am relieved to know that following a meeting with Cllr Plowden, we have established options for ensuring that for these proposals and future transport initiatives, our commission can further represent the views of disabled people to inform their design and address issues.” Councillor Plowden said: “I wholeheartedly agree with Alun that transport plans and policy must be informed by the views and lived experience of disabled people and all groups potentially impacted by any proposed changes.

“We have made a commitment to ensure these voices are heard and are included in developing proposals. While we have processes in place to consult impacted groups during the design phase of proposals, I am really pleased that Alun and I are developing options to strengthen our approach for inclusive design.

“With some further discussion, I am sure we can settle on a final approach and enhance our processes for disabled people to explain potential impacts and work with us to explore and agree solutions.” The transport changes are being funded by the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to the West of England Combined Authority. The public consultation was due to close on Monday (September 30).