The Campaign kicks off!

The ‘Save the Malago Greenway Campaign’ has been formed as a result of intensifying concern about proposals to create a new rapid transit route through the Malago green corridor. This proposed route, the Hengrove-City Centre route, is part of the West of England Partnership’s (WEP) proposals for creating a network of rapid transit routes through Bristol and outlying areas. Documentation outlining the WEP proposals was obtained using the Freedom of Information Act procedures. Copies of these and other relevant documents can be found on this website.

The campaign’s inaugural meeting took place on Monday, 16 June, at a public meeting in Windmill Hill. Speakers included Nancy Carlton (Kingfisher Group), Rachel Hobbs (Marksbury Area Community Association – ‘MACA’), Pip Sheard (Transport for Greater Bristol (‘TfGB’), and Steve Loughran (‘Save the Railway Path Campaign’). Those attending the meeting joined in a lively discussion about transport issues generally, but it was agreed that we should focus on how the BRT would impact on the Malago greenway for this campaign. The objectives of the campaign are:

• to keep residents in south Bristol and users of the greenway informed about the details of WEP’s plans for rapid transit as they become known
• to oppose proposals to divert or culvert the Malago River, given the deleterious impact this would have on this important and unique wildlife habitat which contains endangered species such as bats, slow worms, firecrests and lesser redpolls
• to oppose plans to run the Hengrove-City Centre rapid transit route through the Malago green corridor, a valued and safe off-road path for walkers and cyclists and offering play areas and leisure facilities for the community

There are regular meetings of working parties focussing on lobbying/petitions; direct action/events; publicity/press contacts; finance/fund-raising; and research into legal, technical, wildlife protection issues. If you would like to take an active part in the campaign, contact us.