Legal challenge against BCC to Stop the EBLN.

Aim

This is needed to aid a legal challenge against Bristol City Council - To quash the decision to make the EBLN (LTN) permanent. Thank you.

Bristol City Council has voted to make a Low Traffic Neighbourhood - EBLN - permanent. Despite many failings, mainly with the Equalities act 2010, PSED & Justification for it. Apparently that's just a tick box exercise, and not actually needed to be actioned! Meaning many protected characteristics are now being impacted and harmed, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. £420,708.60 taken in fines in 10 months, from one of the most deprived community in Bristol, with 56% child poverty.. . PLEASE READ ON FOR MORE INFO..

In a community containing many high rise blocks, much social housing, an industrial estate full of business units, shops, take away outlets, GP surgery, Head injury physio unit, 4 schools, 2 Churches, a Mosque, a community hub with many activities, CAMHS unit, kids clubs, social club, many protected characteristics live, work and play here. Once happily. But not anymore.

This already was an active travel corridor, we just needed some speed calming and possibly a one way sign here and there. We did not need all our roads blocked off with a river and a train line boarding the community with very few routes over those.

Yes, we did offer any alternative map with much better measures that would of created safer calmer streets for ALL, without designing out anyone bar speeding cars. It would of given us much more, including level crossing points for those in wheelchairs and mobility scooters. We were not even offered a meeting.

With a huge majority of the community having continuously raised serious concerns, all of which have materialised, but sadly still go ignored. Over 7,333 signatures on a petition, a group of over 3.4k people, all struggling to manage daily life in the area, the Council has still decided to go ahead regardless. With a 6 month trial, that went on for 14 months, that was mainly installed under police guard, with security, drones, helicopter, all at 3am in the night!

FOI responses clearly show, BCC did not consult Emergency service teams, disabled groups, the elderly, the businesses, the churches, they asked,. What do you like about your area & what would you like to see improved in your area. We asked for improved services, better street lighting, speed calming and dropped kerbs. 

We got, plastic planters blocking access to roads and Bus Gates outside our businesses and GP Surgery. Meaning the long way round, or a fine. For many this has been a scheme for the rich, whilst the most deprived community is left to fend for itself with extended journeys, higher fuel costs, traffic on boundary roads, outside 2 of the local schools. It's left many not wanting to come to the area, meaning we've lost support networks, we have higher taxi fares, tradespeople charge more, or won't come at all. Crime has increased, drug dealing and taking is seen daily on our ghost streets. Litter is at an all time high, as is waste uncollected. Our streets are now much more unsafe, for lone women, for our low paid shift workers, disabled, elderly, all now imprisoned in open cells.

This was dressed up as safer, calmer, cleaner streets, it's far from any of those.

We've been left with roads that can't be accessed by large vehicles, many having to reverse full lengths of streets, with no turning points for anyone. Victorian streets with dead ends.

With every vehicle above 5 ton doing ridiculous manouvers in small spaces, electric bikes flying around with masked riders, rats in rubbish uncollected. It's an Unliveable neighbourhood.

Our businesses are on the brink of closure 💔

Whilst BCC have put their own Cash points in the middle of our roads!

This is  so far removed from a 'Liveable Neighbourhood'. You only have to visit to see that. Although nobody does anymore! So after over 2 years of attending public council meetings, submitting evidence of our ongoing issues, our only option is to raise these funds and use the law and justice to stop the use of £10 Million pounds to close our community for good!

Your help is very much appreciated. Thank you for anything you can spare us. Legal counsel doesn't come cheaply 😇

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 28th September 2026 at 2:19pm