Paper or online petition details

To sign the petition see:
https://www.change.org/herefordstreet

Please note this is NOT a temporary one-way restriction to allow for road works, as some people think. It is a PERMANENT ONE WAY RESTRICTION which will be with us forever if it is not challenged

We the residents of Windmill Hill wish to protest about the damaging effects of the Council making Hereford Street one-way eastbound, and request it be made a 2-way road again

The recent changes to Hereford Street/Whitehouse Lane have now forced us all to become rat-runners ourselves, because we can now longer access the major road network via Hereford Street, a 100 metre long link which has been made one way eastbound. Although we understand that Whitehouse Lane has been made one way to accommodate a proposed 2-way cycle lane, there is no such proposal for Hereford Street, and Bristol City Council have, to date, not provided any justification for making it one-way.

To exit the north side of Windmill Hill and reach Malago Road, we now have 2 choices:
1. A 1.0 km detour via Whitehouse Lane, Philip Street, East Street and Malago Road, or
2. A 1.6 km detour via Windmill Hill, Alfred Road, Dunkerry Road, Cotswold Road, Brendon Road, St John's Lane and Malago Road.

These detours are inconvenient and increase the pollution in the area, add time to our journeys (especially in the peak hours) however they also create greater problems.

Philip Street, with parking on one side, is basically a single lane road and is not suitable for increased flows of 2-way traffic. If you look on the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme (BLNS) interactive map, you will see from the pinned comments that local people are not happy with the combination of 2 way traffic and narrow footways, and there are frequent examples of head to head stand-offs, vehicles driving on the footways to pass oncoming traffic, and drivers speeding to reach the end of the road before somebody comes the other way. If we use this route we both add to these problems and have to experience them. All this on a road which has similarities with a school frontage, i.e people are constantly loading and unloading very young children in to and out of parked cars.

The diverted traffic from Windmill Hill all needs to turn left into Philip Street, which will be across the proposed new cycle track. The increase in turning traffic will increase the potential conflicts between vehicles and cycles, which increases the risk of collisions here.

On the Philip Street route you only have to negotiate one street where 2 way traffic is a problem. On the other route, all the roads through Windmill Hill/Alfred Road/Dunkerry Road/Cotswold Road are 2 way, yet double parking only allows one line of traffic. Again, if you look at the pinned comments on the current BLNS consultation you will see that many residents on both Dunkerry and Cotswold Roads are very unhappy with the current situation, citing incidents of stand-offs, speeding, arguments, shouting and swearing etc. Now that Hereford Street is unavailable as an exit, many Hill residents will be using this route instead, so adding to the problems for their neighbours!

Increased use of this route also means an increase in vehicles turning right out of Brendon Road on to St Johns Lane, which will lead to queues in the peak hour, and also increase the risk of collisions, because uncontrolled right turns are responsible for a high proportion of collisions.

Making Hereford Street 2-way again will address all the above issues, therefore we ask that Bristol City Council take steps to revoke the current one way restriction at the earliest opportunity.

If you would like to add your comments to the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme consultation interactive plan, or see what others are saying, it is here. You have until 13 October to add comments
https://www.ask.bristol.gov.uk/south-bristol-liveable-neighbourhoods-engagement/maps/south-bristol-liveable-neighbourhoods-interactive-map

If you would like to contact your Councillors directly and ask them why Hereford Street has been made one way, and/or ask for their support in returning it to 2 way traffic, they are:

Windmill Hill
Cllr.Ed.Plowden@bristol.gov.uk
Cllr.Lisa.Stone@bristol.gov.uk

Southville (Hereford Street/Whitehouse Lane/Philip Street are in Southville Ward)
Cllr.Tony.Dyer@bristol.gov.uk
Cllr.Christine.Townsend@bristol.gov.uk

This Paper or online petition runs from 27/09/2024 to 08/11/2024.

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