News / Transport
‘Fiasco’ as Festival Way closed and diversion route criticised
The first that Bristol Cycling Campaign knew that a section of the National Cycle Network was being closed for eight months was when they read about it on Bristol24/7.
The stretch of Festival Way next to the White City allotments – a much-used walking and cycling path between the city centre and Ashton Court – is now shut until January 2025 in order to facilitate the building of new homes by Vistry Group.
But the closure and the diversion put in place has been called a “fiasco”, with Bristol’s new transport boss, Green councillor Ed Plowden, taking personal responsibilty to improve the situation “and to try to make sure something like this doesn’t get signed off again”.
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The current diversion takes pedestrians and cyclists along very narrow pavements on Clanage Road and Brunel Way.
Bristol Cycling Campaign have published several alternative diversion routes including one which follows Blackmoors Lane and passes Ashton Park School before rejoining the National Cycle Network at the Ashton pub.
They said that “it was obvious after a visit to the area that the map published on the Vistry Group website was not at all clear and the signage placed by ETM was inadequate and was not being maintained”.
“When suggesting a diversion, firstly, as the expression goes, ‘you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear’ and ideally if the developer had been serious about the Festival Way either the closure would have been avoided or mitigated earlier. Some prior consultation would have been nice.
“We particularly like John Grimshaw’s suggestion that, with prior planning, a path could well have been run beside the site access road from the Metrobus route to the Festival Way. But too late for that now!”
Bristol Cycling Campaign said that a recent site visit with Plowden and other Green councillors was “a good sign of a more constructive working relationship going forwards”.
They also suggest that when granting planning permission, “it should be a golden rule that active travel routes cannot be closed for extended periods”.
And if closure is absolutely necessary, “developers must treat active travel routes as seriously as they do roads for vehicles – minimise duration, provide a safe, practical diversion, designed with input from walkers and cyclists”.
The diversion during the Festival Way’s closure has been heavily criticised – image: ETM
Sustrans’ founder John Grimshaw has suggested his own diversion route, saying that the current diversion “is not a cycling diversion if you are forced to walk along a narrow pavement”
Bristol24/7 understands that the much-criticised diversion route was recommended by Bristol City Council’s highways department.
This short stretch of Festival Way is due to reopen on January 28 2025 and also temporaily during the Balloon Fiesta in August to allow visitors to access Ashton Court.
A spokesperson for Vistry Group said: “We understand and apologise for the frustration this temporary closure will cause to cyclists and pedestrians who regularly use this route.
“We have worked with Bristol City Council, Sustrans and Hotwells & District Allotment Association, who have approved the diversion route, which ensures cyclists and pedestrians can continue their journey safely.
“To help users navigate the diversion, we have installed signage and a QR code to provide users with a map and updates on the latest works.
“We will be working as hard as possible to reopen the route ahead of schedule and whilst we recognise this will inconvenience users in the short term, the redevelopment of this redundant, former railway yard will provide 220 new homes including 98 affordable homes, as well as new cycle route and enhanced landscaping, supporting the wider Western Harbour regeneration area.”
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council added: “The diversion in place is under review and we continue to explore alternative options with the developer.”
Festival Way is part of Route 33 of the National Cycle Network – photo: Martin Booth
Vistry’s plans for their Clanage Road development include 220 new homes – image: Vistry
Main photo: Martin Booth
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