Council will not contest traffic trial injunction

A council will not contest a legal challenge to block a new liveable neighbourhood that would have seen three roads closed to traffic.

Bath and North East Somerset Council planned to close the roads near the Circus and in Lansdown, Bath, in an effort to make residential roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

But local residents warned the scheme would "sacrifice the health and safety of school children", as it could push traffic past primary schools.

A court case brought by locals to secure an injunction to stop the scheme had been set for 8 August, but now the council has said it will not contest the case, although added it will seek to bring back the plans “as soon as possible".

The plan had been to install bollards across Winifred’s Lane, at the top of Cavendish Road, with a “no right turn” sign to stop people turning from Cavendish Road onto Sion Hill.

It would also see bollards installed across Catharine Place and a major overhaul of the Gay Street, blocking through traffic from passing the junction with George Street.

But the council said that putting the scheme on pause for the hearing had caused it to lose its slot with the contractors set to install the bollards, which was scheduled for 5 August.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said: “We are therefore not contesting the hearing that was due to take place on 8 August as we would not have been able to proceed with the project immediately, whatever the outcome.

"We are now taking the opportunity provided by this pause to remedy any specific minor technical issues brought to our attention during the legal proceedings.

“We will be introducing a new ETRO [experimental traffic regulation order] for Lower Lansdown as soon as possible."

Residents had warned the move to close the roads will funnel cars along Sion Hill Place and along Julian Road, right past children’s schools.

More than 2,700 people have signed a petition against the plan.

A representative of a nearby residents association told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in February: “The council seems willing to sacrifice the health and safety of school children and thousands of Bath residents to extend the privilege of a few extremely privileged people on Lansdown Crescent.”

The Circus Area Residents Association (CARA) supported the plans, stating in January: "Alongside a reduction in unnecessary and intrusive ‘rat-running’, such innovations would be to the benefit of residents and local businesses alike and assist in improving our city’s environment as a whole.”

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