Bristol Hippodrome Embraces Accessibility On Denmark Street Changes

The theatre said it was ‘extremely keen’ that Disabled Theatre-goers could still access the Hippodrome

Accessibility for Disabled theatre-goers attending shows at the Bristol Hippodrome, has been a consideration in the theatre’s contribution to Bristol City Council’s consultation to close off Denmark Street.

The council is currently running a public consultation on changes to the city centre road, which could see it permanently closed to motor vehicles.

What is currently proposed for Denmark Street?
Bristol City Council has put forward two options with their proposals:

• ‘Option 1: Closing a longer part of Denmark Street to motor vehicles, from Ciao Amici (11 Denmark Street) to its junction with St Augustine’s Parade.
  
  ‘This option would mean the loss of three car parking spaces on the western side of the road by Rendezvous and Ciao Amici, which could be used for hospitality seating. Car parking next to the Hippodrome would be retained and could be accessed during authorised times or by authorised vehicles at all times.‘
  
  
• ‘Option 2: Closing a shorter part of Denmark Street to motor vehicles, from 7 Denmark Street to its junction with St Augustine’s Parade. This option would not require the loss of any parking but it would not provide any space for hospitality seating.’

‘For each option, we are proposing two alternative times when Denmark Street would be closed:

• a part-time closure (A) each night from Thursday to Sunday between 7pm and 6am the following morning
  
• a full-time closure (B) Monday to Sunday at all times

‘Emergency and authorised vehicle access would be allowed in both options at all times.’

The two options are shown in the council’s diagram below which accompanies its online consultation.

Bristol Hippodrome Disabled Access Entrance
Aerial views of Bristol Hippodrome with planning papers show which parts of Denmark Street will be affected, including with the potential vehicle restrictions and bollards.

The theatre’s Access Entrance clearly falls into the part of Denmark Street which could become permanently closed.

Denmark Street Temporary Traffic Regulation Order 2023
In August 2023, a meeting took place with invited interested parties about a potential extension of the Denmark Street Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) which was coming to an end.

The TTRO was ‘rushed through’ according to meeting minutes ‘owing to Covid’. There were complaints from attendees at the meeting that the TTRO had ‘not been enforced’. An attendee said it was worth starting with a ‘blank page and agree access hours, reviewing signage and sorting parking.’

The meeting was attended by Bristol Hippodrome, Smoke and Mirrors, Green Room, Trailblazer, the Green Party and Bristol City Council’s Travel Officer, project manager and BCC Business Improvement District.

A representative of the Bristol Hippodrome was noted in meeting minutes as raising concerns about accessibility for Disabled theatre-goers:

‘Disappointed that BCC is considering continuing the scheme as it does not work for the Hippodrome audience in its current form and the noise and drunkenness (particularly when Bear & Sabre were open) creates an unpleasant environment.

‘Disabled customers cannot be dropped off and collected at the Denmark St entrance because of the tables/people in the street. Customers had to go weave through tables and chairs and were confronted with anti-social behaviour when exiting the accessible entrance/exit on Denmark Street. Therefore, he is not keen for the scheme to be extended although the area has improved since Bear & Sabre have gone.’

They also added later:

‘Concerns about losing customers with accessibility requirements if the scheme is not carefully designed and the top end of the street needs to be right.’

Another person at the meeting said: ‘Need to make the area look like a pedestrianised space and then look at access controls – bollards/gates and eventually cameras if the design is right then it should solve the problems. BCC are open to being flexible around access. Need to do a lot more work around disability access.’

Bristol Hippodrome’s Original Stance For The Denmark Street Consultation
In a chain of emails dated August to September 2025, the Bristol Hippodrome commented on their perspective of potential changes – although they were to change their stance.

‘The Hippodrome have changed their loading arrangements since last time they were consulted, with vehicles now more often reversing back onto Denmark Avenue and then exiting onto Park Street from Unity Street. This is especially the case while there is scaffolding on the Green Room.

‘This means that the Hippodrome have no objection to a full closure on Denmark Street and would like features here to make the road more accessible to their customers who use the access entrance. Here they also flagged the issue of flooding at the junction with St Augustine’s Parade.

‘Due to reversing into Denmark Avenue, the Hippodrome do not support closing it and questioned what the benefit would be as no businesses front onto this section of road. Seating here may also attract street drinking underneath the windows of residential units.

‘Vehicles reverse around halfway into the Avenue so consideration as to whether it could be closed at the far end, eg with a large planter?

‘Regarding parking on Denmark Street, the Hippodrome requested turning the parking bays on their side into loading bays as they currently pay to suspend these. They mentioned that the Beacon have multiple loading bays near their premises. They mentioned that closing the road would protect their parking- currently they pay to suspend it but it is often parked in anyway.

‘The Hippodrome currently have a TTRO to close Gaunt’s Lane (as well as Denmark Street) for loading. They said closing this road more permanently would safeguard the parking there, and also suggested converting these bays into loading bays. They also said that closing Gaunt’s Lane to vehicles would be safer as vehicles often get lost then turn right onto Denmark Street which is a blind turn; there are often near misses with pedestrians crossing the road. A main post show exit is onto Gaunt’s Lane.

‘No issues were raised with any of the other proposals and they will write a written response to the consultation for the Council to consider.’

Changes for Accessibility and Touring Reasons
On 03 September 2025, Bristol Hippodrome added additional comments to their contribution following a council transport meeting.

This included the need to still drive trucks down Denmark Street onto St Augustine’s Parade.

A manager at the theatre said in an email to the council that the most common lorries used were ‘traditional full-length 44t articulated HGVs’. The ‘tractor unit, length approximately 16m and width of 2.8m.’ The manager cited haulage company Paul Mathew Transport Ltd as being one of the most common haulage companies used by touring theatre companies.

The updated stance written by the theatre to Bristol City Council said:

‘On further reflection and after discussing within the wider technical team – we would still like the ability to drive trucks forward out of the bottom of Denmark St onto St Augustine’s Parade at specific times – primarily late nights – when we have multiple trucks parked up as shows arrive and leave. We’re very happy for the road to be closed as discussed with a lockable bollard, and have the additional accessibility features, and would provide a banksperson on any occasions the road were opened to pass a truck through. There are also occasions when illegal parking further up Denmark St (usually opposite Harveys Wine Cellars and Wongs) on double yellows prevent us from reversing trucks up the road, so we would need the ability to take them out forwards when this happens.‘

Bristol hippodrome also emphasied the need to ensure Disabled people – particularly wheelchair users – would have a ‘safe route’ from St Augustine’s Parade, up Denmark Street to the accessible entrance.

They wrote:

‘In terms of access – we’re extremely keen that patrons with accessibility requirements, particularly those who use wheelchairs, have a safe route from St Augustine’s Parade up Denmark St to our accessible entrance. This would mean either widening the pavement, dropping the pavement altogether to be level with the road, or providing suitable level transitions at the junction with St Augustine’s Parage from pavement to (closed) road, and back onto the pavement on Denmark St where the road re-opens to traffic. For that reason we’d be keen to have the closure point at the option 1 location.’

The Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) contribution in the same email chain said:

‘Consideration of branding for Denmark Street and comms campaign so people understand street remains open. Possibility of opening party to celebrate but this is a long time off! Separately, the Hippodrome raised issues with Hannover Street- an adopted footpath running behind buildings on the east side of Denmark Street. The footpath has been gated off as requested by the Council but is not maintained/cleaned often enough. They suggested removing the gate again although said the reason it was installed was due to anti-social behaviour and crime there due to the lack of surveillance.

‘Separate to the Denmark St questions, we also raised other transport projects in the area. They are concerned about Park St, though if large lorries could drive through the bus gate this would resolve some of their concerns. They also brought up safety issues and conflict between cyclists and pedestrians around the Canon’s Road junction, which is currently being improved.’

New Street Pattern For Denmark Street?
Incorporated into the closure of Denmark Street could see a brand new street pattern painted on the ground.

There is a proposal for a design inspired by Nigerian American Abstract Artist Odili Donald Odita’s 2018 work Heatwave.

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