The government yesterday announced two successful major
schemes for the West of England area as part of the Chancellor’s
autumn statement.
They are the South Bristol Link and the Ashton Vale to Temple
Meads scheme. News on the Weston Package is due in December.
The winning scheme that affects North Somerset specifically is
the South Bristol Link. The £45 million scheme has seen our
officers leading on the planned connection between the A370 and A38
and working with Bristol City Council to reduce congestion and
improve accessibility from South Bristol into the city centre and
out to the major transport network. It links Hartcliffe in Bristol
to the Long Ashton bypass in North Somerset and combines a rapid
transit public transport with a single carriageway road and
adjacent cycle/pedestrian route.
Deputy leader and executive member for strategic planning, Cllr
Elfan Ap Rees said: "The announcement will be particularly welcome
to villages like Barrow Gurney,which have long suffered traffic
short-cutting through the village and shows that the West of
England councils are leading the way by working together to
encourage more investment and job creation in the area."
Residents of North Somerset will also benefit from the Ashton
Vale-Temple Meads rapid transit scheme which will allow bus
services like the Weston-Bristol X1 to avoid congestion and drive
directly into the city centre, using guided bus
technology.
Cllr Ap Rees added: "We are now eagerly waiting to hear news
about the Weston Package which should be by the end of the
year."
