New cycling path approved for disused Bristol railway line

A disused railway line in south Bristol is to be converted into a new cycling route.

Plans were unanimously approved by Bristol councillors despite objections by the authority’s officers.

They feared a new cycling route would scupper future schemes designed to alleviate traffic on the “A4 strategic corridor” - like a new Metrobus service or relief road.

But they failed to convince members of a planning committee, who granted permission for the new travel route as well as 50 shipping containers for local businesses.

Campaigners have fought for the cycling route since 2010, when plans were initially rejected.

Brislington East Cllr Tim Rippington, of Labour, said: “To say this proposal is premature is therefore faintly ridiculous.

“Any scheme to build a fully segregated bus route along the A4 is still several years away and may not need to use the railway path at all.”

Officers had argued any cycle route should be temporary and be part of “a wider plan for whatever scheme goes forward”.

The council’s head of city transport Adam Crowther told the meeting £130million had been allocated for the A4 corridor between Bristol and Bath - and committing to a cycle route could “restrict” alternative proposals in the future.

'Ties our hands'

“If we put something in place that gives the land a certain degree of permission, it may restrict the options for delivering a more comprehensive transport solution for the area,” he explained.

“We felt we had to put in an objection because it ties our hands a bit.”

Police also objected to the plans because of insufficient information on cyclists’ and pedestrians’ safety or the containers’ security.

Labour Cllr Philippa Hulme said: “If you have 50 containers, you’ve potentially got 100 people in work and each of those could be supporting a family.”

Credit: Adam Postans (Local Democracy Reporting Service)