In the early hours of this morning, a significant police operation unfolded in Barton Hill, Bristol, where council workmen and contractors aimed to complete installations for the contentious East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project. Beginning at around 3am, teams worked to install planters, bus gate signs, and road markings, while facing previous opposition from local residents.

The operation, marked by the involvement of numerous police officers and drone surveillance, was strategically coordinated to advance the installation of traffic restrictions that had been previously stalled by community protests. Despite the early hour, residents were alerted to the ongoing work and began to mobilise around 4:30am in an effort to hinder the installation efforts.

Witness accounts detail scenes of tension and attempted obstruction. A small group of local women managed to temporarily stop work at the junction of Avonvale Road and Marsh Lane by lying down in the road. “We laid down in the road at Avonvale Road, about four of us, and they stopped their work and left,” Fadumo Farah, a resident, recounted to the Bristol Post. She described the situation, noting, “I have never seen more police in one place, there must have been 60 of them, and they had the drone up.”

Despite these efforts, the majority of the planned installations proceeded without significant hindrance. By dawn, work had been completed on multiple locations including Victoria Avenue, Cobden Street, and Dulcie Road. The newly installed bus gates on Avonvale Road, however, remain non-operational, as temporary signs indicate they are not yet active.

The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project aims to reduce through traffic in certain areas, particularly affecting roads in St George, Redfield, and now Barton Hill. The initiative has sparked considerable division among community members, with advocates highlighting improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists, while detractors argue that the measures funnel more traffic onto main thoroughfares.

Residents from Barton Hill, who had previously staged protests against the project, were met with a robust police presence this morning. The coordinated approach by law enforcement allowed ETM contractors to effectively install the infrastructure without the delays experienced in earlier attempts in November last year.

City council workers, with the support of security personnel and Avon and Somerset police, had sought to finalise the project by completing the installations without further resistance. By approximately 6am, the operation had neared completion, except for the paint on a bus gate sign, which was missing the final letter ‘E’.

This operation in Barton Hill marks the latest chapter in an ongoing saga surrounding the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, which has faced repeated protests and escalating community tensions since its inception. The council has been approached for comments regarding the operation conducted overnight, with a response anticipated.

Source: Noah Wire Services