Cotham Hill Permanent Scheme Consultation

Works will soon be taking place on and around Cotham hill to complete the delivery of the permanent transport and pedestrianisation scheme.

The permanent Cotham Hill transport and pedestrianisation scheme will:

• Make it easier and safer to walk and cycle in the area and encourage active travel
• Manage traffic flow and reduce pollution in the area
• Support local businesses by increasing footfall and continue to enable outdoor trading

Thank you for your continued support of the scheme and for your patience while it is completed.

Traffic flows in the scheme

Please refer to the plan to see how traffic will move around Cotham Hill under the permanent pedestrianisation scheme.

• Pink areas indicates where movement of vehicular traffic will be stopped as this is the pedestrianised area.
• Green areas show the one way direction on certain roads
• Blue areas show one way in direction on certain roads
• Grey area next the blue area shows the contra flow cycle lane which means cyclists can travel in the opposite direction to the one way flow.

We asked

Between 25 October and 30 November 2021 Bristol City Council asked residents, businesses, and anyone else who enjoys Cotham Hill to comment on three possible permanent schemes. The council developed three designs for a permanent scheme, using feedback received from previous surveys:

Option A - continues with the closure on Cotham Hill for vehicles between Whiteladies Gate and Hampton Park and Hampton Park and Abbotsford Road and retains private access at number 38. A series of one-ways have been proposed that retain access for residents, businesses and visitors whilst reducing traffic speeds, through traffic and vehicles meeting head on. A ‘school street’ has also been proposed adjacent to St Peters and Paul Primary School. The cycle lane on Cotham Hill between West Park and Hampton Road will be upgraded by installing bollards to separate people cycling from traffic.

Option B – continues with the closure on Cotham Hill for vehicles between Whiteladies Gate and Hampton park and Hampton Park and Abbotsford Road and retains private access at number 38. A series of one-ways have been proposed that retain access for residents, businesses and visitors whilst reducing traffic speeds, through traffic and vehicles meeting head on but this does not include West Park. A ‘school street’ has also been proposed adjacent to St Peters and Paul Primary School. The cycle lane on Cotham Hill between West Park and Hampton Road will be upgraded by installing bollards to separate people cycling from traffic.

Option C – removes the current scheme and changes Cotham hill into a one way street for motorised vehicles, allowing traffic to travel from Whiteladies Road to Cotham Road. By taking out a traffic lane and by removing the existing parking between Whiteladies Gate and Abbotsford Road the footways can be widened and enable space for cycling in both directions. In this design there is no pedestrianised area and space on the high street to carry out trading for businesses is reduced. Reallocation of further road space to create additional space for pedestrians is not possible due to the constraints. A ‘school street’ has also been proposed adjacent to St Peters and Paul Primary School. The cycle lane on Cotham Hill between West Park and Hampton Road will be upgraded by installing bollards to separate people cycling from traffic.

How we engaged

To ensure the survey reached as wide an audience as possible the team did the following:

• Paper copies of the survey with a language template covering 12 languages were created along with a free post envelope
• Posters were put up in the local area to raise awareness of the survey
• Online survey was compatible with word reader software
• Local stakeholders and community groups were asked to help raise awareness of the survey
• Promoted the survey via online social media platforms which appeal to different age ranges
• Officers conducted two ‘town hall’ virtual meetings with local businesses, stakeholders, and residents to present the three possible schemes and hear feedback

You said

A total of 1527 completed responses to the survey have been captured using the online Smart Survey platform over the consultation period. Of the responses the headline findings are:

• Over 60% were from residents
• Over 14% live on Cotham Hill or within 100 yards and nearly 65% live within one mile
• 80% walk and 40% cycle on Cotham Hill
• 63% selected Option A, 27% selected Option B and 5% selected Option C and 5% supported no option or didn’t know
• 37% wanted a bike hangar on their street and put forward 240 road names. Hampton Park, Cotham Hill, Aberdeen Road and Hampton Road were the top 4
• 59% would like to see street artwork on the carriageway included in the preferred option

We did

We have reviewed the feedback to the survey along with views from local stakeholders, ward members and community groups.

As the results show overwhelming support for Option A, we will progress this scheme to the detailed design stage, with some additions and changes in response to the consultation feedback.

We are now seeking formal approval to deliver the scheme, which is subject to the detailed design work and whether funding is available, and will publish an officer executive decision in the coming months.

Further statutory consultations on aspects of the scheme will take place towards the end of 2022 as part of the legal process for traffic regulation orders.

The full consultation report is available here.