No Disabled People’s Organisations Involved in Denmark Street Consultation

Bristol City Council has yet to take advice from Disabled People on road closures

Big changes will be coming to central Bristol roads in the future. A consultation is currently being run by Bristol City Council for major changes around the Denmark Street area.

Last month, Disabled people raised concerns about how the potential closing of stretches of Denmark Street will affect their access to the Bristol Hippodrome.

The entrance for Disabled people to come into the theatre is in one of the sections that could be closed permanently.

We asked questions in the public forum of Bristol City Council’s Full Council meeting on Tuesday 09 September 2025 about how the changes might impact on Disabled People.

But Chair of the Public Health and Communities Policy Committee, Liberal Democrat for Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, Councillor Stephen Williams said that the council had not yet worked with any Disabled People’s Organisations ahead of the consultation launch.

Williams said: “The provision of facilities for disabled users is a key concern for the council and is always considered in any scheme design, consultation and delivery. The proposals under consultation are just proposals at this stage and the council is seeking people’s views on them, so we welcome your input.

“No Disabled People’s Organisations have yet been worked with, but engagement is planned in the next month before the consultation closes on 9 October.

“Regular discussions have been held with the Hippodrome including about how their customers access the theatre and to ensure that their operations, including large vehicles, will still be able to operative effectively.

“If the longer section of proposed closure on Denmark Street were to be implemented, the Hippodrome access door would be by the closure point. This would mean that people with access needs could still be dropped off there from a vehicle, and the design would ensure that the vehicle would then be able to turn
around.”

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