FAQs

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.

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

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

Likely measures will include stopping people using residential streets to cut through the area and moving them back onto main roads, which are designed to handle greater volumes of vehicle traffic.

Have a look at the improvements toolkit to see what measures can be used and where.

The South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project will consider the BS3 area, including Southville, Windmill Hill and Bedminster.

South Bristol has been selected as the second Liveable Neighbourhood project in Bristol for several reasons. 

Funding was made available from the West of England Combined Authority to develop a business case for a Liveable Neighbourhood.

There have been calls for liveable neighbourhoods in south Bristol from local councillors and people in the community. The project will build upon learnings from the East Bristol pilot. The project area is within a short walking and cycling distance of the city centre, which makes walking, wheeling, cycling and scootering a realistic option for commuting journeys.

The area is near to and contains major developments, such as Bedminster Green and Temple Quarter. Within Bedminster, Southville and Windmill Hill, over 10,000 new homes have been approved. 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 Malago Greenway and Filwood Quietway which are often very busy at peak times. Improving alternative routes can help alleviate this pressure.

Local bus services can be impacted by congestion when routing through residential streets. Improving bus reliability will help more people to use the bus on a regular basis. 

Active travel means getting to where you want to go to using physical activity and not using fossil fuels. Examples include walking, wheeling, cycling and scootering.

Active travel not only improves your health and wellbeing but helps reduce your carbon footprint and saves you money. 

Bristol’s Citizens’ Assembly, alongside wider surveying of residents, reveals a strong desire to improve neighbourhood areas to make them more liveable.

The outcome of the Citizens’ Assembly included recommendations for the concept of more Liveable Neighbourhoods.

Further reading:

Quality of life in Bristol survey

Bristol One City

We will be working with the local community throughout 2024 to design safer and quieter streets to encourage people to walk, cycle and wheel for shorter journeys, improve air quality, enhance the public realm and green spaces, and improve access to local high streets.

You can sign up to the newsletter, find out more information about the project and opportunities to get involved at www.bristol.gov.uk/sbln.

Measures that could be installed include:

• modal filters 
• bus gates 
• pocket parks
• changes to one-way and two-way traffic flow 
• cycle hangars
• trees in large planters
• street lighting
• signalised crossings
• footway improvements
• planting street trees (we will be trialling some trees on large tubs)
• sections of protected cycle track

We’ll be asking for your views again once the project is underway.

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

South 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. 

• Since 2010 there has been 3250 new homes approved in the planning system within Bedminster, Southville and Windmill Hill. This is around a 20% increase.
• There have been a further 10,000+ new homes approved in the immediate surrounding wards.
• Since 2009 – while there has been a 15% increase in traffic on all roads, there has been a 25% increase on residential and minor roads.

Road Traffic Estimates: Great Britain 2019 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

We need to support and accommodate this future growth as sustainably as possible, while also minimising 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 its aim of becoming carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030. 

Lessons from the East Bristol pilot scheme are being fed into a handbook, which will be updated once the scheme has been piloted. This will be a blueprint for how Liveable Neighbourhoods could be expanded across the city.

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 cycling, walking and bus journeys (for those who are able) 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.

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

Yes, but you may have to go by a different route as there could be measures such as modal filters, pocket parks, bus gates or one-ways installed as part of the project.

We are not introducing any restrictions on driving.

The scheme may see the introduction of some measures to as detailed in the improvements toolkit. This will mean that your driving routes may change, but it will not stop you accessing any of the area by car.

There is some funding available from the new developments in the area for parking restrictions. This could include parking permits or measures like junction protections using double yellow lines. We are seeking feedback on what measures people in the area want in this round of engagement.

At this stage we are just seeking feedback from the community on what the challenges are in the area and potential solutions. No specific measures have been proposed, however you can see the type of measure that we will consider based on the East Bristol pilot. 

There will be further rounds of consultation before any measures are installed.

We will be working with the local community to design safer and quieter streets to encourage people to walk, cycle and wheel for shorter journeys, improve air quality, enhance the public realm and green spaces, and improve access to local high streets.

• To find out about upcoming workshops and events, please visit our website: www.bristol.gov.uk/sbln

The handbook gives an overview of the design and engagement principles of Liveable Neighbourhoods. It's a living document that will be updated to incorporate learnings from:

• our pilot project in east Bristol
• South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood as it comes forward
• examples from across the country

In the handbook, we set out a description of Liveable Neighbourhoods. This can help local councillors and communities to have informed conversations about these projects, and whether they're appropriate for their local areas.

The handbook provides clarity on the necessary conditions for successful projects, to help set expectations and lay the foundations for how projects can be progressed. It is a living document that will be updated as we progress with the pilot scheme and beyond.

Read the Liveable Neighbourhood Handbook. 

Throughout the project, we will be running both online and in-person events and activities for you to find out more.

Feel free to contact the team by email or call: 0117 903 6449 and leave a message and we will call you back.

Make sure you are signed up to get the project news via email when news items are posted, keep up to date on upcoming events and look out for posters in community centres, libraries and lampposts too.

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.

Safe cycling and walking environments benefit everyone.

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 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.

We are working with the local community to create a liveable neighbourhood that works for them.

Phase 1 of the engagement process, included engagement with key local stakeholders, including community leaders and organisations to identify challenges residents face. We have also collected data on traffic, air quality and noise, as well as analysing ward profiles to inform our proposals for the scheme.

The next phase of engagement,  will begin this year (2024) and will include engagement with those who live or travel through the area.

Yes, the whole area will be accessible by emergency services although some routes may change depending on what measures are proposed. The team will continue to engage with emergency services on the detailed design of the scheme.

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

Alternatives routes could divert people through the Clean Air Zone.

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

Check if your vehicle is compliant at: Bristol's Clean Air Zone charges and vehicle checker

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 in 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 2023. These monitoring sites will stay in place throughout the project 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 project.  This will help us understand the impact of the scheme and whether there are any significant changes.