Lawrence Weston Road

Lawrence Weston Road: Area of natural beauty or antisocial behaviour?

From the carpark of the Lawrence Weston Social Club (the ‘Cabbage Patch’), it’s about an hour’s stroll to Merebank Road, along what feels like a country lane, despite its proximity to the Avonmouth Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) and other waste management and warehouse businesses. The small ditches that run along each side of the road are locally known as reams. These are home to a variety of wildlife, including kingfishers, eels and water voles. This should be a pleasant walk for families and dog walkers from Lawrence Weston, as well as a useful cycle route to various workplaces in the Avonmouth & Severnside Industrial Area.

Unfortunately it has also become a magnet for antisocial behaviour. This includes various fly tipping sites throughout the route, regular dirt bike activity, firing of pellet guns or slingshots (sometimes at passers-by), as well as food and drink packaging left behind after social gatherings.

At the junction with Merebank Road, there is currently nothing to prevent access, in the way of physical obstruction, signage or legislation, allowing cars and vans to travel along Lawrence Weston Road as far as the M49 underpass. Cars and vans are regularly seen travelling (often at speed) to the race site and occupants of other vehicles are occasionally spotted dumping large items or black bags (although most of these occurrences appear to take place at night). So what can we do to protect this local as- set? Work has already been done by Bristol City Council’s Clean Streets team to clear some of the worst fly tip sites. Highways England is planning to install lighting in the M49 underpass, to aid its flood prevention work. There are plans to try and tap into government funding for the improvement of walking and cycling routes, with the help of the Bristol based charity, Sustrans.

People walking along this route are afraid to confront perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, whether it is fly-tipping, dirt-bike racing or shooting of pellet guns. This is understandable and they should not put themselves at risk. This responsibility should fall to the police and/or the Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team.

However local employees and residents could be of assistance in investigations and those spoken to have expressed a desire to do so, when it is safe. They could report incidents using a text or online reporting system to the council and police. If safe, they could send photographs, times and descriptions of perpetrators.

We also need to look at closing the whole road to motorised transport by closing the road at the junction with Merebank Road. Vans conveying either racing bikes or unwanted household items would no longer be able to gain access.

I personally think it would be worth considering creating an ‘official’ racetrack. However, I’m not sure there is much money around to pay for such a project at the mo- ment. Perhaps in the future, a sponsor might be found. 31