Following a campaign from local Labour Party Councillor Louis Martin and the Friends of Oldbury Court group, Bristol City Council has finally repaired the Oldbury Court River Path. A new concrete block has been installed, bridging the gap and hopefully preventing future flooding.
A gap in the river wall meant that the path running between Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills flooded almost every time it rained - a regular occurrence over the winter months. This caused accessibility issues, with users of the park having to take lengthy diversions up steep hills.
As well as being a scenic path in one of Bristol's destination parks, it also functions as an active travel route. The blocking of which disrupted residents walks to school, work, shops, and family.
Councillor Louis Martin lobbied Committee Chairs calling for action and launched a petition, signed by over 2,200 people, calling on the Green-led Council to urgently fix it before continued flooding deteriorated the path's condition further. This petition was debated at the 20 March meeting of the Public Health and Communities Committee, which pushed the Council into taking action.
Louis Martin, Labour Councillor for Frome Vale, said:
"I am delighted that at long last, the Oldbury Court river path has been patched up. I'd like to thank the Friends of Oldbury Court for tirelessly advocating for our wonderful park, as well as the 2,200 people for making their voices heard by signing the petition.
"The state of the path hasn't been acceptable for years, and it shouldn't have taken a petition debate at the Council to force it to act. That said, I'm glad that it is finally done.
"This is a case of 'a stitch in time saves nine'. Leaving it as it was would have caused more problems, leading to a more expensive fix further down the line. Hopefully this new concrete block will prevent flooding, and ensure the path remains in a usable state until major works planned for the path are carried out.
"I will be keeping an eye on this to make sure the repair does its job, seek updates about the timeline for the major works, and keep pushing Bristol City Council for investment into Oldbury Court. Our success here shows that when our community comes together it can make a huge difference."
Kate Spreadbury, Chair of the Friends of Oldbury Court, said:
"Thanks to over 2000 local residents demanding that the council take action, the gap in the Frome river bank is now repaired. We hope that flooding this winter will be minimal along this stretch of path so that everyone can walk safely. Well done everyone!"
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