Cars could be banned from King Street in Bristol city centre

The historic heart of a city could be fully pedestrianised in a £2million plan.

Bristol City Council is to request funding for major changes to King Street and the Old City, increasing accessibility for pedestrians and businesses.

The changes include restricting traffic and more outdoor seating spaces.

A temporary traffic ban was introduced in the summer of 2020 to help restaurants and bars during lockdown.

Transport planners will now ask council chiefs to permanently pedestrianise King Street and the Old City - the collection of historic streets north of Baldwin Street - during a cabinet meeting on June 7, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

In a cabinet report, senior transport planner Sam Green said the aim of restricting traffic was to "make the Old City and King Street area pedestrian-friendly by restricting vehicle movements".

He said this would encourage walking and cycling, reduce air pollution and make more street space available for commercial and cultural events.

The area was temporarily pedestrianised in 2020, to help social distancing and hospitality hit by the coronavirus lockdowns. The council had previously consulted the public on its plans four years ago.

Mr Green added: "The project will improve space for people, routes for walking and segregation for cyclists away from vehicles.

"Other benefits include improving air quality, combating climate change, improving health and wellbeing, addressing inequalities and tackling congestion."

If the cabinet approves the plans, council bosses will submit a funding bid to the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). This is expected to happen in October, and the whole scheme will cost about £2.17 million.

It is not yet clear when construction work would begin, or how long it will take.

As well as removing traffic, other parts of the project include dropped kerbs and tactile paving in the Old City, upgrading puffin crossings on Baldwin Street to give pedestrians priority, and installing new benches.

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