In Gloucester city centre, a recent shift from physical barriers to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras has sparked concerns that profit is being prioritized over public safety.
New ANPR cameras were installed in the city’s gate streets—Northgate, Eastgate, Southgate, and Westgate—following complaints from residents, businesses, the police, and councillors about drivers ignoring no-parking regulations. Motorists caught driving in these areas face a £70 fine, reduced to £35 if paid within three weeks.
However, questions arose during a recent Gloucestershire County Council environment scrutiny committee meeting about why rising bollards were not reinstated instead. Councillor David Willingham (Liberal Democrats, St Mark’s and St Peter’s) questioned the decision, highlighting the effectiveness of bollards in physically preventing vehicle access and enhancing pedestrian safety.
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“Back in 2017, Google Street View clearly showed that rising bollards were working effectively,” he observed. “Why didn’t we continue to maintain them? Instead, we seem to have inherited a poor decision from the previous administration—one that sacrifices physical safety in favour of generating revenue. This is a real concern, especially as similar approaches have taken place in Cheltenham and Gloucester, while other cities like Cardiff continue to use rising bollards to preserve pedestrian zones.”
Willingham also referenced incidents in Liverpool involving aggressive drivers to underline the importance of physical barriers in protecting pedestrians.
Council officers acknowledged the complexity of the choice but explained that Gloucester City Council requested the ANPR system to reduce vehicle traffic in the gate streets. So far, the new system has succeeded in decreasing the number of motorists using these streets.
Parking Manager Andrew Burford commented, “Since we improved communications and added new signage, there has been a noticeable reduction in drivers using the gate streets. This suggests that better publicity and clear messaging can lead to more positive outcomes.”
Despite these results, the debate continues over whether ANPR cameras or rising bollards better ensure the safety of Gloucester’s pedestrians.