Bristol Bridge: Car ban to be made permanent

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Recommendation:

That the Director of Legal & Democratic Services be authorised to take all appropriate steps to ensure that the provisions of the City Council of Bristol (Various Roads, Bristol Bridge Area, Central and Hotwells & Harbourside wards, City of Bristol) (Reserved Bus Lanes) (Suspension of Prohibition of Movements) (Suspension of Bus Lane) (Suspension of One Way Traffic) Experimental Order 2020 are made permanent in like terms.

Or to put it simply: the ban on private cars crossing Bristol Bridge will be made permanent.

In their response to objections, the TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) team said:

...whilst officers are aware of various petitions that are in general circulation, both for and against the bus lanes, no petitions have been submitted formally to the Council in direct response to the ETRO statutory consultation. Therefore, there are no petitions to formally consider/report in relation to this objection report.

Which is something to bear in mind if you're ever tempted to sign one of those change.org petitions..!

[DaveHarries]

Knowing Bristol City Council, and in light of my scepticism of them, I strongly suspect that decision was taken the day after the bus gate was installed.

Dave

[ellendune]

Knowing Bristol City Council, and in light of my scepticism of them, I strongly suspect that decision was taken the day after the bus gate was installed.

Dave

Ok. I get that you don't agree with it. I note that you didn't agree with the closure in Clifton.

So did you or anyone else submit a valid objection?

What reason do you have to oppose this?

[Red Squirrel]

From BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about)'s decision report:

865 applicable submissions were received in response to the above mentioned proposal.
Of these:
527 (61%) were objections, of which 40 expressed some support in principle.
338 (39%) were comments of full support

The ETRO process only requires that objections are considered. Shortly after the objection period started, BCC responded to requests from the public to be allowed to support this scheme, and changed the wording of the consultation accordingly.

It wasn't a vote!

Objections were all considered against the background of the policies the scheme supports, i.e:

Local: Bristol City Council
• The One City Plan 2020
• Bristol City Council Corporate Strategy 2018-2023
• Bristol Transport Strategy 2019
• The City Centre Framework 2020
Regional: WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about)
• The Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4) 2020-2036
• West of England Bus Strategy – June 2020
• West of England Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan 2020-2036
National: Central Government Policy
• Department for Transport - Bus Back Better: National Bus Strategy for England 2021
• Department for Transport - Gear Change: A bold vision for cycling and walking 2020

So it is a bit unfair to put the blame entirely on BCC if you don't like this scheme; it implements regional and national policy too.

[Bmblbzzz]

Car ban to be temporarily suspended:

Cars, vans and lorries will be banned from crossing Bristol Bridge from Saturday as part of a scheme to give priority to buses, cyclists and pedestrians in the city centre.


But less than a month after the temporary closure to cars is made permanent, cars will be allowed back on again as another bridge is repaired.

Work to repair Redcliffe Bascule Bridge Bristol will begin on August 16 and is likely to take around ten weeks.

https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/bristol-bridge-to-reopen-to-cars-weeks-after-being-permanently-closed-to-cars/

[infoman]

It does not seem that long ago the bascula bridge had some "repairs" done.
Having said that "I think" some one said at the time of the last repair very few ships/boats need the bascula bridge to be swung.

[Red Squirrel]

Time flies. The last major refurbishment was, I think, in 1996; the control systems and electronics were updated at that time.

This package of work includes fixing internal steelwork and bridge parapet, waterproofing the deck, and mechanical and electrical modifications. The existing gates and machinery will be replaced with rising arm barriers.

[infoman]

Red Squirrel,don't think it was that long ago but time does fly,I still think their were works undertaken since 2000.

[Bmblbzzz]

The contractor for the Redcliffe Bridge works has gone into administration, so work will be delayed. Both footways are now open to pedestrians and will remain so until work commences, whenever that will be.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/delays-redcliffe-bridge-project-likely-5688641

[Bmblbzzz]

More info on Redcliffe Bridge and the firm that had been contracted to do the work:

YOU ARE HERE:LATEST
Bridge projects in limbo as Cleveland Bridge heads for administration
22 JUL, 2021 BY ROB HORGAN

Councils and infrastructure clients across the country will have woken up to the news that its contractor Cleveland Bridge is heading for administration.

The news broke last evening, when Cleveland Bridge issued a statement confirming that all of its 230 employees had been informed that they faced redundancy.

The statement adds: “HR1 notices have been registered and all 230 staff have been informed about potential redundancies. We are actively taking advice and looking at all opportunities.”

Administrators have also reportedly been called in to start the formal process.

What it means for ongoing projects remains to be seen, with Cleveland Bridge contracted to work on some iconic structures around the country.

Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport City Council appointed Cleveland Bridge to undertake restoration work on the Newport Transporter Bridge 115 years after the firm finished work on building the structure.

The Grade I listed structure – one of only six remaining transporter bridges in the world – was opened in 1906 and its 197m span carries traffic across the River Usk in South Wales in a gondola.

Cleveland Bridge constructed the bridge and was due to carry out work under the latest contract awarded in February.

Work needs to be carried out on the gondola bridge’s cross beams and anchorage housing, as well as replacing rotting timbers and worn anchor pins and cables on the main booms.

The restoration of the bridge began in March but is not scheduled to be complete until the start of next year.

Bristol lifting bridge
Cleveland Bridge recently won the contract to carry out a “substantial refurbishment” of Bristol’s Redcliffe Bridge.

Bristol City Council ringfenced £3M towards the project last year, after a 2016 report conclude that repairs were “urgently required”.

The bridge is part of the floating harbour in Bristol, linking Redcliffe Way to the city centre. It was constructed in 1942, and in 1996 underwent a major electrical and control system refit.

However, the bridge’s condition has since deteriorated, with repairs needed to the bridge’s structure, deck and opening machinery.

The scope of work includes refurbishment of the internal steelwork and bridge parapet, water proofing of the bridge deck, and mechanical and electrical modifications including the removal of the existing gates and machinery and replacing them with rising arm barriers.

Jacobs has also been brought in as design consultants and work was earmarked to take place this summer, pending design approval.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/bridge-projects-in-limbo-as-cleveland-bridge-heads-for-administration-22-07-2021/

Struggling structural steel firm Cleveland Bridge claimed up to £250,000 in furlough payments in the months leading up to its collapse, government records show.

Records from HMRC show that Cleveland Bridge UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Limited, which employs 221 people, claimed between £125,005 and £250,000 in furlough payments to cover staff who were unable to work for the five months between December 2020 to April 2021.

HMRC data shows that between £25,001 and £50,000 per month had been claimed by Cleveland Bridge UK, however the employment support was not enough to save the business.

Details of furlough claims prior to December have not been published, while claims made after April have not yet been released by HMRC. It is not known if Cleveland Bridge applied for any other coronavirus support from the government.

Cleveland Bridge has been known as one of the leading specialists in its field, working on major projects such as Wembley Stadium, the Queensferry Crossing, the Shard and also as one of the original co-designers of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

(continues)
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/cleveland-bridge-claimed-up-to-250k-in-furlough-cash-prior-to-administration-23-07-2021/

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

City bridge closed as final repairs get under way



Final adjustments will be carried out on a city centre bridge, following a recent £3m refurbishment.

Redcliffe Bascule Bridge in Bristol will be closed during those final repairs, between 09:30 GMT and 15:30 from 20-31 January.

Road users will need to follow the temporary diversion route across Bristol Bridge, while pedestrians and cyclists can use either Bristol Bridge or Prince Street Bridge.

Once this work has been finished, harbour staff will be trained on how to operate the bridge with its revised lifting system that allow larger boats to enter the Welsh Back area of the harbour.

Redcliffe Bascule Bridge was built in 1942 to link Queen's Square to the city centre.  It is made up of two fixed spans and a lifting "bascule" span, which allows larger boats to enter Welsh Back, a wharf alongside the Floating Harbour.

Bristol City Council carried out the refurbishment of the bridge from 2022 to 2023, upgrading the mechanical and electrical elements of the bridge.

[grahame]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

City bridge closed as final repairs get under way

Interesting that the picture shows it open!

[Chris from Nailsea]

To be fair, that is indeed a rather historic image, from Bristol City Council, apparently.