SOUTH Gloucestershire Council has unveiled plans to install CCTV along a busy stretch of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
The council will put 20 permanent CCTV cameras between the Staple Hill tunnel and the old Mangotsfield railway station to tackle an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
There will also be work to remove nine “pinch points” caused by narrow sections of the path and street furniture between Siston Hill and Bitton station, to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to share the path.
Announcing a consultation on the path plans in December, the council said: “We want to make it a safer and more attractive route for cyclists, pedestrians and wheelers.
“The proposals aim to make people feel more confident using the path and encourage more people to leave their cars at home, reducing congestion and improving air quality.”
A map included in the consultation documents shows that ten CCTV camera poles, each with two cameras, would be installed 150m apart between the Teewell Hill bridge, just east of Staple Hill tunnel, and the junction by Mangotsfield station where the path splits towards Emersons Green and Warmley.
Two more cameras would be installed at Warmley Waiting Room, where the path crosses the A420.
The council said: “These locations have been chosen because of an increase in reports and incidents of antisocial behaviour and criminal activity. They cover entry and exit points of the railway path. Each column would be fitted with anti-climb collars to prevent vandalism. The cameras would not be able to capture footage from nearby residential addresses and would comply with strict data protection laws.”
The council says the improvements to ‘pinch points’ include removing bollards either side of the bridge over the A4174 ring road at Siston Hill, which would be replaced by wider-spaced bollards to keep vehicles out. The other pinch points are between Warmley and Bitton.
A consultation into the plans is open for comments until January 31. It can be found at bristolbathrailwaypath.commonplace.is.
Anyone who is not online can call the council on 01454 868000 for help.
An engagement event where people can ask questions to council officials takes place on January 14 at Warmley Community Centre in Deanery Road, from 3-7pm.
Once the plans are finalised the council will submit a funding bid to the West of England Combined Authority, with a view to carrying out the work by 2027.
The consultation has been launched more than a year after the council first said it was considering upgrades for the path, in November 2023.