SBLN: Second Bullshit Liveable Neighbourhood Proves Bristol Learns Nothing.
When South Bristol residents march to remind the council what East Bristol already taught them.
Everything in life forms a pattern. Traffic lights. Seasons. Tides. Council promises.
We rely on these patterns to navigate everyday life. Red means stop. Winter means cold. High tide means don’t park there.
And when councils hold consultations? The pattern tells you what happens next.
South Bristol residents learned the pattern from East Bristol. Now they’re marching on City Hall February 5th.
SBLN stands for South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.
Also stands for Second Bullshit Liveable Neighbourhood.
Same process, different postcode, predictable outcome.
What East Bristol Taught.
East Bristol’s scheme held consultations. 54% opposed. The council implemented it anyway.
South Bristol learned what “consultation” means in Green Party Bristol.
The Theatre.
The Council held events last summer across BS3. Residents turned up. Raised concerns.
Staff weren’t taking notes.
That’s not consultation. That’s amateur dramatics. Ed Plowden leading the cast in the master performance of his political Liveable Neighbourhood career. The Oscar-winning one where you pretend to listen while the outcome’s already decided. And it doesn’t involve residents.
The March
Liz Newton from the Concerns Group organised it. February 5th, 5pm committee meeting.
Route: Aldi 3:45pm, three pubs (Hen & Chicken, Steam Crane, Coronation), College Green 4:45pm.
Military precision for grassroots organising.
Her aim? “Remind the council many people have serious concerns.”
Not inform. Remind. Yet, how do you remind someone of concerns they refused to document?
What They’re Fighting.
Southville: Modal filters fracture communities. Block cars, vans, emergency services, deliveries. Divide neighbourhoods.
Coronation Road/North Street: Traffic displacement. Block Southville, main roads absorb it.
Bedminster: First-ever parking scheme nobody requested.
Emergency services: Blocked by same filters.
Ever notice how Green transport policy treats ambulances like inconvenient traffic?
The Councillors
Ed Plowden chairs the Transport Committee. Dyer’s chief hod carrier for schemes residents oppose. At least hod carriers acknowledge the weight they’re carrying—and usually understand which end of a brick goes where. As I said, ‘usually.’
Tony Dyer leads the council. Both represent affected wards.
Both say “plans could be changed.” Well, that’s like saying rain could be wet.
East Bristol heard that too. Then watched implementation happen anyway.
When your councillors say “could change” while staff don’t take notes, what happens next?
What The March Achieves.
Two aims: show numbers, warn neighbours.
Liz Newton: “Bring home-made placards.”
Markers and cardboard to remind councillors of concerns nobody bothered recording. Staff wouldn’t take notes at consultations, so residents are making notes visible on placards instead. The council might want to pre-check if occupational health covers collective amnesia for this meeting.
Real aim isn’t changing minds. It’s warning BS3 what’s coming.
February 5th.
Committee meets. Residents attend. Councillors say they’re listening. Vote happens.
East Bristol proved what that vote looks like. South Bristol isn’t hoping for different.
I wonder if any councillors will hold up their own placards and walk out when residents ask difficult questions. It wouldn’t be the first time.
They’re documenting the pattern for the inevitable: when the third scheme arrives, residents won’t consult. They’ll organise immediately.
That’s not democracy. That’s teaching communities democracy is theatre.
The Pattern.
First scheme: residents trusted process, got ignored, learned.
Second scheme: residents learned, march before decision, warn neighbours.
Third scheme: residents won’t participate. They’ll oppose from day one.
After 88 articles, pattern recognition is how I work. Neurodivergent brain, emotional detachment—keeps patterns clear when others get overwhelmed. Not hoping for change. Just watching the same deterministic process repeat with predictable outcomes. That’s how you navigate institutional chaos—recognise the pattern, document the repetition, show others what’s coming.
The Green Party promised resident-led planning. Delivered schemes where residents march to remind councillors of concerns staff didn’t record.
Ever wonder what happens when you teach communities their participation means nothing? South Bristol’s showing you.
February 5th proves the name fits. Just like East Bristol proved it.
The only question: how many times does the pattern repeat before BS stands for more than just the postcode?
And if you’re still unsure what deterministic chaos looks like in practice, yesterday’s article explains why fixed rules produce unfixable outcomes. February 5th provides the live demonstration.
SOURCES:
Bristol Post: “South Bristol residents to march against Liveable Neighbourhood” (19 January 2026)
East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood results: 54% opposition (2024)
South Bristol events (Summer 2025)
Transport Committee schedule
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: This builds on 88 articles documenting Bristol City Council since May 2024, including East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood where 54% opposition was ignored.
INTERNAL LINKS:
The Almighty Gob documents Bristol City Council from outside the theatre. When staff don’t take notes but residents take action, someone writes it down.
Logically, it is true that dire Dyer should be standing up for all the poor marginalised middle class cyclists who must be terribly offended when people ask difficult questions about their perception of reality. I do hope all Green councillors hold up carboard placards on 5th February. 'Middle class cyclists rights are human rights', 'Middle class cyclists are cyclists', 'Protect the lycra nerds' etc.