Green network and the River Malago

The River Malago runs through the site but is partly in a narrow drain-like channel and partly covered in a below ground culvert. Bringing the Malago above ground will increase biodiversity in the neighbourhood, contribute to managing flood risk, and improve urban cooling. It will also create new public spaces and improve community health and wellbeing.

Key objectives

Drainage

Opening up and enhancing the Malago will create sustainable drainage, urban cooling, wellbeing and habitats. Flood attenuation and flood management potential will be increased to benefit the neighbourhood.

Biodiversity

Enhancing habitats with street trees, creating new green spaces, and using pollinating and other planting will improve biodiversity.

Green networks

Creating a green network from Victoria Park, past Bedminster station, to smaller green spaces and streets using trees, the river and planting will create an attractive and varied green route for people and wildlife.

Air quality

Providing a new urban environment that encourages walking, cycling and public transport use to minimise car use will help to improve air quality. If any trees need to be removed, to enable improvements to Dalby Avenue and bus facilities, these will be replaced. The east-west orientation of Malago Road and Dalby Avenue, designed to include frontage gaps and planting, will create street scale ventilation and can help towards absorbing emissions.

Diagram taken from Bedminster Green Place-Making Framework (2019)

Illustration: Diagrammatic only; not to scale or in proportion. All precedents and ideas are only one possible approach and do not preclude alternative approaches that address the same challenges.

You can read the full Bedminster Green Framework.