Category: Walking

A new cycleway on Whitehouse Lane marks an important step in creating safer, greener routes, and brings the Bedminster Green Highways Improvement scheme to completion.

The improvements are a key part of the Bedminster Green Regeneration project, which has been transforming brownfield development sites to deliver new homes, public spaces and improved travel connections to support the growth of up to 3,500 new residents. These upgrades are a key part of Bristol City Council’s aims to create a safer, greener, more accessible and sustainable transport network across the city.

Upgrading Whitehouse Lane was essential to make it safer and easier for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles to travel in and around Bedminster. The new cycle route at Whitehouse Lane links the Malago Greenway and Filwood Quietway cycle routes together to provide a safe cycling route between the wider neighbourhoods of South Bristol and the city centre.  

The highway improvements at Whitehouse Lane include:

• A segregated cycle lane to improve safety and encourage active travel across Bedminster and to the wider city 
• Carriageway resurfacing to improve quality and durability of the road network
• The installation of bollards to protect pedestrians and cyclists
• Rebuilt pavements and road markings to improve safety and usability
• An overhaul of drainage to resolve flooding issues and improve sustainability by directing rainwater away from the sewage network and to the Malago River with new pipework
• Upgraded signage to make navigation clearer for all road users
• Landscaping works to create a more pleasant and welcoming environment

The works at Whitehouse Lane follow the completion of works on the A38 Malago Road in 2024, which introduced a new inbound bus lane and bus stop, improved footways, new trees and planting.

The completion of the works also coincides with the installation of 100 vibrant hand-painted bollards installed along Whitehouse Lane, further enhancing the walking and cycling experience in the area. The project was proposed by the late Marcus Willcocks, an urban designer and researcher who lived in Windmill Hill and championed creative interventions to make public spaces more welcoming and inclusive.

The initiative builds on previous bollard artworks on East Street and was funded by MyMural, a group of projects undertaken by Marcus for Design Against Crime and the University of the Arts London, following Marcus’s proposal. Upfest contributed time and materials to extend the design concept along Whitehouse Lane, ensuring the installation had maximum impact.

Press release by Bristol City Council.