Families form human shield to stop workers installing planters

Neighbours formed human shields to prevent workers from installing planters as part of a local council's 'Liveable Neighbourhood' scheme on their street.

People living in and around Marsh Lane in the Barton Hill area of Bristol, took to the streets when workmen arrived to install large planters to close off the road to traffic.

Neighbours did not know that the workers would be arriving but after a WhatsApp message was sent to a local group chat people scrambled out of their homes.

As the large lorries entered the street neighbours mobilised to stop the council and refused to move before they turned away.

Unsuccessful in their first attempt the lorries then drove to a neighbouring street but locals rushed to the road where they once again formed a human shield until the workers retreated on Thursday, November 14.

Their protest was in retaliation to Bristol City Council’s Low Traffic Neighbourhood, or Liveable Neighbourhood scheme which aims to create half a dozen different zones for private vehicles on residential side roads.

The council wants to block roads that are used as rat-runs by commuters trying to avoid the busy main roads, which in theory will make those residential roads have less through traffic.

However, since the trial scheme began, local residents reported an increase in congestion on the main roads, as drivers begin to learn which roads are blocked off.

 'We didn't know they were coming, but somebody dropped a message on our WhatsApp and people just came out of their homes to stop this,' said Melissa Topping, who is in a wheelchair and lives at Victoria Avenue.

She said the Liveable Neighbourhood would cause her huge issues with driving her large adapted car back home on the only route left to reach her house - down a narrow side road into her 'LTN zone'.

She said: 'A couple of the workers completely understood where we were coming from when we explained that this would make things so much harder for the residents to get about.'

'We just told them that we weren't going to be moving, so they would have to go away again, and they did. We were peaceful and they were very nice, and we do feel sorry for them, because they are only trying to do their job, but we can't let this happen here.'

'There are people who have to take their children to two or three different schools and then get to work. 

'It's simply not practical for people who need to drive and live around here, and the traffic is much much worse on the roads that everyone is now being funnelled down.'

Ms Topping said she fully expected the council and its contractors to come back at some stage. 'People power does work, but they are going to come back and we can't be everywhere to stop this from happening,' she said. 

'We know they are going to come back, probably in the middle of the night, or something.'

Bristol City Council said: 'We are aware of the demonstration at the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood site earlier today.

'Any action from residents which delays works will result in the programme being set back, which will have a financial impact on the scheme and cause further disruption of traffic to other areas. It's really important that the sites remain safe for the public and the contractors to work.'

When the scheme was given the go-ahead and the timetable for its roll-out was finalised, Cllr Ed Plowden, chair of the transport and connectivity committee at BCC urged local people to give it time to get used to.

Cllr Ed Plowden said: 'The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial is the culmination of two years of working with the community to find out common concerns with local streets and ideas for possible solutions. 

'From air pollution and road safety to a lack of places for the community to meet, a Liveable Neighbourhood is more than preventing rat-running, it's about creating people-friendly streets.

'The trial will be a big change and take a bit of time to get used to, especially for people who are used to driving particular routes. 

'As the measures are being installed using temporary materials, they will only give an idea of how the streets could look and work as part of the permanent scheme, which would see local streets transformed with smart new infrastructure and extra measures'.