New cycling and walking path on Brislington rail line approved

Plans for a public path on the former rail line were first proposed in 2010

Plans for a new cycle and pedestrian path on a disused city railway line have been approved.

The Callington Road Link was given permission despite Bristol City Council officers recommending refusal in case it affected future transport schemes.

But councillors approved the plan unanimously, saying the new route in Brislington would not be an obstacle.

Fifty shipping containers for use by local artists will be placed next to the new route.

The new route, split into two sections, will connect Sandy Park Road to Tramway Road and then continue south into Knowle.

The proposal attracted 344 letters of support and 43 objections, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cllrs Andrew Varney and Jos Clark have been campaigning for the new route

Council officers had recommended refusal amid fears it would scupper any future scheme aimed at alleviating traffic jams on the nearby A4 - such as a new bus route or relief road.

Officers were also concerned that the southern section of the link lacked detail.

Avon and Somerset Police also objected, citing insufficient information on cyclists' and pedestrians' safety or the containers' security.

'Backed by thousands'

Brislington West Lib Dem Cllr Andrew Varney and Brislington East Labour Cllr Tim Rippington urged the committee to grant consent following a five-year campaign backed by thousands.

Cllr Rippington said a cycle path along the old railway was first proposed in 2010 but ruled out because of proposals for a link road, and that the same reasons for refusal were being used again.

"To say this proposal is premature is therefore faintly ridiculous," he said.

"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."

Development control committee chairman Tory Cllr Richard Eddy said he was "completely doubtful" a road would be started in the next three years, by which point the temporary permission for the pedestrian and cycle route would have expired.