Covid-19 Virus testing site in park is finally being dismantled
ONE of Bristol’s biggest Covid testing sites is being dismantled, it has been announced.
The testing site at Netham Park – which opened on September 1, 2020 – will finally be taken away and the park restored next week.
The news was given to nearby residents by local councillor Barry Parsons (Green, Easton), who said he was ‘very pleased’ that it was happening sooner than health chiefs had initially said it would.
The testing site was set up after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, when mass testing was rolled out across the country.
It was the biggest testing site in inner-city Bristol and saw tens of thousands of people walk in and check if they had the virus.
When it was initially constructed, in around a week at the end of August 2020, the location of the testing facility sparked concerns from local residents, who said the location was ‘completely unjustifiable,’ but in the 21 months since it has become a fixture of the city’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Cllr Parsons shared a message he’d received from Bristol’s public health team, announcing the dismantling of the testing centre.
It said: “A team working for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will be dismantling the structure and making any necessary repairs to the site to ensure it is returned to its original state.”
“The community asked for improvements to be made to the park when they agreed to support the testing site. We are now actively looking into options for tree planting and other additions to the park.
“The removal process is due to last three days, from Monday, May 16, to Wednesday, May 18,” they said.
“Further work will be required to reinstate the kerb stones and for the grass to be reseeded.
“During these three days some parking bays will be suspended on Avonvale Road to allow for large vehicles to access the site.
“We understand that this may cause some disruption to local residents who have already been extremely understanding and accepting of the testing site at Netham Park. We apologise for any inconvenience that the removal of the structure may cause.”
Cllr Parsons welcomed the news, saying: “I’m very pleased it’s happening sooner than we were originally told it would, and the site can start getting back to being a park again.”