Traffic solutions sought after bus gate is axed

Wider solutions to address a neighbourhood's traffic-choked roads are being sought after a controversial plan to install a bus gate was dropped.

Locals had voiced strong opposition to the bus gate at a crossroads in Bath and a health centre warned it could "severely impact" patient access.

The leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, Kevin Guy, is now "exploring a broader solution that addresses the traffic concerns across Walcot, Larkhall, and Lambridge", in the north-east of the city.

The bus gate had been intended to improve congestion as part of a liveable neighbourhood programme.

The gate would have been installed at the crossroads where Camden Road and Eastbourne Avenue meet Fairfield Road and Tyning Lane, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

These roads run near the busy London Road, a key route into the city.

In a letter to locals, Mr Guy said: "The issue of through-traffic avoiding the busy London Road and using residential streets remains a pressing concern for every resident I've spoken to."

But he said the bus gate was cancelled because it could lead to ''traffic challenges".

Fairfield Park Health Centre in Bath, which has about 14,000 patients on its books, had said the plan was "poorly thought-out".

Mr Guy said the council remained committed to its liveable neighbourhood programme to make its streets "safer, greener, and more enjoyable places to live".

"We also want to encourage more people to choose public transport, and bus-priority measures (such as bus gates) enable more efficient and reliable services," he said.

Mr Guy added that parts of Bath have already seen "real benefits" from liveable neighbourhood measures, including "less traffic, improved walking, cycling, and wheeling routes, and a stronger sense of community".

The council was granted £9.5m in funding for its liveable neighbourhood programme by the West of England Combined Authority in September 2024.

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