Bristol City Councils Western Harbour Consultation (see https://tinyurl.com/BCCWHC) was discussed at the BMC SW Area Meeting last night. Whilst the impact of any changes would occur south of the main climbing areas, a number of concerns were aired (see below). The Area Meeting felt that it is well worth individual climbers responding to the consultation (closes Sunday 15th September) https://bristol.citizenspace.com/growth-regeneration/western-harbour/
Points you might like to raise are:
There appear to be no direct benefits to climbers in terms of providing improved access to the Suspension Bridge Buttress area. Currently it is an area where it is very difficult to cross the road safely, walk along the side of the road safely, park safely, lock your bicycle to a dedicated cycle hoop or take the bus to the immediate area.;
The schematic plans indicate that there will be some kind of circulatory system just south of the Suspension Bridge. This implies that air and noise pollution are not likely to decrease but potentially would be made worse in the vicinity of the Suspension Bridge Buttress;
Two of the options (Western, Hybrid) show a bridge or bridges across the Avon just south of the Suspension Bridge. Are you happy with the degradation of scenic amenity – indeed nationally iconic scenic amenity – implied by the building of such bridge(s);
These two options would also have an environmentally detrimental effect on the tidal mudbank on the west (Somerset) side of the Avon, due to having to build road superstructures over the river margin (note that the schematic diagrams do not show this clearly);
Similarly these two options would impact negatively on the Pill Path, a path used by walkers and cyclists for quiet leisure and by climbers for access to some of the Leigh Woods quarries;
Refurbishment/modification of the existing .structures would almost certainly be the least disruptive and economical way forward compared to the three options described.
