Public Realm Work – An Update from Bristol City Council
26/01/2021
Below is an update from the team at Bristol City Council who are leading on the public realm improvements for Arnside Road.
Do you have questions about the public realm improvements? Please email lucy.empson@bristol.gov.uk
Communications and Engagement:
- Updates sent to BS10 Parks and Planning.
- Signboards up for the Arnside works and ready for the SuDS Pods, to be in place when the works start on site.
BCC public realm works: The HIF funded public realm improvement works will be undertaken in four phases. These are:
Phase 1 – Greystoke Ave parking. Works completed.
Phase 2 – SuDS pods on the surrounding roads.
Phase 3 – Arnside public realm improvements.
Phase 4 – Greenspace improvements
Phase 1 – Greystoke Ave parking bays: The parking bays are in open and in use. The topsoil mound is fenced off, and the soil will be used for the new planting beds on Arnside.
Phase 2 – Sustainable Drainage (SuDs) pods: 8 SuDS pods will be constructed to assist with flood relief in the area and downstream. These are in Wigton Cres, Lowther Road, Dunmail Road and Ravenglass Crescent. ETM have been awarded this contract and they are starting next week, and they will be completed with the planting in May. The dates for the works are as follows:
Ravenglass Crescent – Pods 7 & 8 – 25th January
Wigton Crescent west side – Pods 1 & 2 – 15th February
Wigton Crescent east side – Pods 3 &6 – 26th February
Dunmail Road and Lowther Road – Pods 4 & 5 – 11th March
The Contractors welfare and compound will be on the road where works are taking place. Roads will be closed locally for each SuDs pod with access for residents only.
Phase 3 – Arnside public realm: ETM started on 4th January 2021. Works are expected to last until October, with tree planting following on winter 2021/22.
ETM are working in phases, starting at Greystoke Ave traffic signals. Arnside Road will need to be closed to traffic during some of the contract period, with diversions in place, but for most of the contract a one-way loop system will operate as below:
- Arnside (north section between the shops) will be one-way north only
- Arnside (south section between Greystoke Ave and Aldi entrance) one- way north only
- Greystoke Ave Service Road (east section up to the Pegasus Pub) one- way east only
- Greystoke Ave Service Road (west section to Aldi car park) will remain two- way
- Link road from the Greystoke Ave Service Road, (opposite Pegasus Pub), to Greystoke Ave will remain two way.
The pedestrian crossing on Arnside Road will have to be closed for some of the works around the traffic signals.The route to cross to/from Tescos will use the Trowbridge Road crossing.
Phase 4 – Green space improvements
Due to Covid-19 we now plan to consult on this spring/ summer 2021 when restrictions should have eased. We are talking to SDT about the Bristol FutureParks project and Doncaster Road Park consultation. Green space improvements and planting works will take place winter 2021/22.
Artwork on the benches
- We spoke to the poets (Deborah Harvey and Colin Brown) with the comments from the group at the last meeting. They were disappointed that extracts of the poem were not going to be set into the new stone benches on Arnside, and felt it may have been different if they could have met face-to-face to discuss this. It has been requested that the full poem could be displayed at other community venues, and as the poets retain the copyright, how this is done would need to be discussed and agreed with them.
- The suggestions for the words and text for the benches made by the group members has been reviewed and the proposals are on the attached plans. The details need to be given to the stone suppliers by the end of January.
- We would also like to include something within the stone bench seats about David Prowse, as he meant so much to Southmead, and explore the idea of a plaque or some other formal recognition in the area. We would like to discuss and share these ideas with his family, if anyone has a contact they can share?