Stockwood Ward Conservatives, 5 Westfield Park, Bristol (2026)

14/06/2026

WEEKLY UPDATE

At the moment it feels like Stockwood Ward is under attack.

First, without any warning, the Labour Mayor of WECA, the Green Leader of Bristol, the Lib Dem leader of BANES and the Labour leader of South Gloucestershire all agreed to the adoption of the Hicks Gate Masterplan.

Then just hours later a developer called Barwood Land announced a consultation on a 1,000 home site involving Horseworld Land and across to Queen Charlton. It is important to note with this proposal that not all of the land they propose to build on is included in the consultation for the BANES Local Plan. (Some of the land was included in the BANES Local Plan consultation – option B but encompasses a much larger area.) Until the BANES Local Plan is adopted we are not sure if this land, or how much of this land, will be available to build on.

Unsurprisingly the top two articles provide additional information regarding each development.

Please see images for further details.

▶️Hicks Gate “Masterplan”
We reported last week on the proposal to create a new town, Hicks Gate, between Bristol and Keynsham. We are now in a position to provide more information about this having been provided with a high-level briefing by the council.

· Introduction
On 5th June 2026 the Joint West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Committee endorsed the Joint Hicks Gate Masterplan. Prepared by WECA, Bristol City Council and Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES), the masterplan is a strategic framework to guide future Local Plans and planning decisions. It does not approve development but sets the overall planning direction for the area.

· Why a Joint Masterplan has been prepared
The area forms part of the Bristol and Bath Growth Zone in WECA’s Regional Growth Strategy, identified for new homes, jobs and infrastructure. It spans Bristol and B&NES boundaries, with complex land ownership and strong developer interest.

Both councils are progressing Local Plans which identify, or in the case of B&NES Local Plan is considering identifying this area for a new residential led neighbourhood. The masterplan aims to avoid uncoordinated, piecemeal development by providing a shared vision and a coordinated approach to infrastructure, transport and placemaking.

· What the Joint Masterplan proposes
The masterplan sets out a vision for a low-carbon, nature-positive and low-car residential community between Bristol and Keynsham. It integrates new homes and supporting infrastructure with green infrastructure and access to nature. It identifies potential for around 3,000 homes, including affordable housing, alongside space for business, community uses and local services.

The area will support major transport improvements, including future mass transit along the A4 corridor, active travel routes, and the delivery of a new Transport Interchange adjacent to the Hicks Gate roundabout.

· How it will be delivered
Development is expected to come forward in phases over many years through multiple planning applications, alongside the delivery of infrastructure. Bristol and B&NES will set planning policy through their respective Local Plans, which will guide the determination of planning applications. WECA will coordinate the overall approach and support investment in major infrastructure, particularly transport.

· Supporting infrastructure
An infrastructure-led approach includes a new transport interchange at Hicks Gate, potential mass transit routes linking Bristol, Bath and North Bristol, and improved walking and cycling connections. The development will include new primary schools, health services, local shops and community facilities, alongside parks, open space, allotments and enhanced green and blue corridors. Infrastructure will need to be delivered alongside development and will be funded in part through developer contributions.

· Consultation
The masterplan has been developed jointly by WECA, Bristol and B&NES. It includes land identified in the draft Bristol Local Plan, which will be considered for adoption by the council later this year.

The draft Local Plan has been subject to engagement and formal public consultation in recent years. The masterplan is also informing the proposed site allocation in the forthcoming B&NES Draft Local Plan, which is due for further public consultation later in 2026.

Further opportunities to comment will arise as planning applications come forward and are considered by the councils.

WECA will publish the masterplan on its website, and it will also be available on the Bristol City Council website shortly.

It goes without saying that we are deeply alarmed by this so called “masterplan” and the “vision” contained within it. This proposal, and the massive expansion of Whitchurch Village proposed by B&NES, would have a very serious impact on Stockwood Ward.

https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan/index.php?contentid=221

▶️Whitchurch Village (written by Joseph Fox-Bowen)
As both a Whitchurch Village Councillor and a resident of Stockwood, I wanted to make local residents aware of a consultation that could have significant implications for the future of our area.

On 24 June, a public consultation event will be held at Whitchurch United Reformed Church regarding plans for land east of Whitchurch Village. According to information released by the developers, the site could accommodate around 1,000 new homes, alongside a primary school, community facilities, employment space and areas of public open space. The land in question, part of which is made up of HorseWorld, lies east of Staunton Lane and south of Bifield Road, and includes land within the Green Belt.

As I have said before, I recognise the need for more housing. As a young person, I understand the challenges many people face in finding an affordable home and I support the principle of building more homes. However, I also believe it is important that development happens in the right places and with the right infrastructure in place.

My first concern is the impact on the Green Belt. The land being consulted on forms part of the important gap between Bristol and Whitchurch Village. Once development takes place on Green Belt land, that countryside is lost forever. Protecting the distinct identity of our communities should remain a key consideration in any future planning decisions.

I am also concerned about infrastructure. Residents already experience congestion on local roads, pressure on health services and limited public transport options. Whilst the consultation includes references to new facilities, local people are entitled to ask whether the wider infrastructure needed to support an additional 1,000 homes in a village with currently just over 700 properties will genuinely keep pace with development.

There would also be consequences beyond Whitchurch Village itself. The effects would inevitably be felt in Stockwood through increased traffic, greater demand for local services and additional pressure on surrounding roads and community facilities. Decisions taken in one area rarely stay within administrative boundaries.

More broadly, many residents will understandably question what continued large scale expansion means for the future character of Whitchurch Village. One of the village's greatest strengths is that it remains a distinct Somerset village with its own identity and sense of place. There is a legitimate concern that successive large developments could gradually erode that character and blur the distinction between village and city.

Whether you support or oppose these plans, I would strongly encourage you to engage with the consultation and make your views known. Local people understand our area better than anyone and deserve to have their voices heard before any planning application is submitted.

Further information can be found at:

https://landeastofwhitchurch.co.uk/

The public consultation will take place on Wednesday 24 June from 3.00pm until 7.30pm at Whitchurch United Reformed Church. I encourage all residents with an interest in the future of Whitchurch Village and Stockwood to attend and have their say.

▶️Greville Development Update
We are providing an update on the Greville project, the management of which by Bristol City Council has been disastrous.

The council have received more requests for surveys to neighbouring properties than originally anticipated, which has required additional work from their appointed surveyor. The final survey was due to take place this week. Following this, the surveyor will need several weeks to complete all remaining reports.

Once all reports have been finalised and reviewed, they will be issued to residents at the same time, with each household receiving their individual report directly.

▶️Combatting Crime and ASB in Stockwood Ward
Jon and Graham attended the Stockwood Youth Network meeting at the BS14 Youth Club in Stockwood Lane last week. A number of agencies were present, including the Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT).

The NPT reported that the hop-spot funding that has been secured from the Home Office to provide additional resource in Stockwood Ward to combat crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) has now ceased. However, we are pleased to relate that the NPT advised us that there has been a significant decrease in crime and ASB in Stockwood Ward. We have a close relationship with the NPT and would like to thank them for their efforts in keeping Stockwood safe.

The NPT also asked us to publicise a recruitment campaign for volunteer police cadet leaders. Please see the poster below this update for more information.

Things Happening Locally
As mentioned last week there are a lot of local activities.
A reminder about supporting the summer fayres at the local schools. Their posters are attached. Please look at the images as there is a lot more happening over the next few weeks.

▶️Community Resilience Fund Evaluation Report
A report on the evaluation of the Community Resilience Fund has been published on the Bristol City Council website, and the council have asked us to share it as widely as possible.

The Community Resilience Fund was a one-off capital grant fund to support community and voluntary organisations in areas of depravation and city-wide equality groups. The amount available across the city was £4.0m, with £900k allocated to what was Area 6 (the outer suburbs of South Bristol).

We helped to secure £340k for two organisations in Stockwood Ward, almost 40% of the total for the whole of Area 6 and one of the highest awards in the entire city!

The organisations in Stockwood Ward who benefitted were:
· The Sturminster and Stockwood Community Association, £177,000
· The BS14 Youth Club (Young Bristol) £163,000

These grants are making a huge difference to these facilities.

Unfortunately, the BS14 Social Club did not meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. We recognise that this is a very important community facility and are working with them to try to secure other sources of funding.

The report can be found here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/people-and-communities/voluntary-and-community-organisations/grants-for-voluntary-and-community-organisations/community-resilience-fund

It is under the heading Evaluation: Learning from the Community Resilience Fund.

▶️Library Strategy Engagement Survey
A reminder that the council are writing a new 5-year Library Strategy for Bristol. They want to create it with local people, so our library service meets the needs of residents and communities.

They are working within a budget of about £5 million, which is secure for 2026/27.

For this new strategy, they want to understand how people are using libraries now and what you think would encourage people to use libraries more.

The council has therefore launched a survey for people to be able to give their views. The link to the survey can be found here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/ask/find-consultation-engagement/consultation-engagement?id=290

The survey is open until 22nd June 2026. The results will help shape what you need from the libraries over the next 5 years.

▶️Stockwood Library
Stockwood Library will be closed to Extended access tomorrow 15th June 8am-10am so that building maintenance can be carried out. The staffed library hours should open at 10am as advertised.

The Library Service apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause to residents.

▶️Wessex Water Community Drop-In
Wessex Water are holding sessions around their supply area to allow customers to come and talk to face to face about anything water related - bills, supply and waste and if anyone is struggling with payments, they can offer advice and talk to them about the support that is available.
The nearest community drop-in session for residents of Stockwood Ward is at Keynsham Library & Information Centre, Market Walk, Keynsham, Somerset, BS31 1FS on Thursday 18th June at 10am -12pm.

▶️Diabetes Awareness Sessions
Stockwood Medical Centre are running two informal, drop-in sessions for local residents to ask any questions about Diabetes that they might have. The aim is to raise awareness and understanding by creating safe space for open discussions and questions from patients and others (family, friends, interested people!).

One is at Stockwood Medical Centre, and the other is Stockwood & Sturminster Social Club (membership of the club is not required to attend).
The details are:
Stockwood Medical Centre
· Wednesday 24th June 1.30pm to 3.30pm
· Stockwood and Sturminster Social Club
Thursday 2nd July 6pm to 7.30pm
Please see notice below for more information.

▶️Stockwood Community Connection Grants
The Stockwood Community Connection Grants are here to help build a strong, inclusive and welcoming community.
There are two grant options available:
· Up to £200 grant - for local people who want to try out a small community-building idea. It could be anything that brings people together and helps people connect.
· Up to £1,000 grant - for bigger ideas, or for growing an activity that has already been tried and shown promise. If you think your idea may exceed this amount, please talk to Stockwood Community Hub before applying.
For more information please visit:
https://www.stockwoodcommunityhub.org.uk/communityconnectiongrants

▶️Community Foundation Grants
A community foundation has launched a fund offering grants of up to £1,000 to support volunteer led activities across Bristol this summer.
The SNG Community Foundation – run by the Sovereign Network Group housing association – opened applications on 8th June to align with the national Big Help Out campaign. Not for profit organisations can apply for grants between £300 and £1,000 before the closing deadline on 22nd June.
For more information please visit:
https://www.sng.org.uk/about-us/community-foundation/grants-and-funding

▶️Highways and Transport Survey
Some homes In Stockwood Ward will receive a National Highways and Transport Survey through the post.

If selected at random to take part, it's your chance to share your views on a range of issues, from potholes and public transport to road safety and congestion.

You can complete it by post or online - just follow the instructions provided.

Find out more on NHT's website at https://orlo.uk/5I0T1

07/06/2026

WEEKLY UPDATE

▶️Transport Update
Following out article on transport last week we have now been advised the work on the bus lanes for the Wells Road is likely to commence at the end of September. This replaces the original date of end of June. When we have confirmation of the exact start date we will advise.

▶️Imperial Weekender
There are still tickets available (at the time of writing) for today’s Imperial Weekender at the Imperial Sports Ground. If you’re free please pop down to support the teams and organisations that do so much good work from the centre. Tickets are available here: https://www.ticketsource.com/south-bristol-sports-cic?fbclid=IwY2xjawSR75NleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBBS0dld2MweHgzbHFXbjdkc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiax8VnpYtn3OKAHfevBipcb218i8m2Tia43bbjD1ucRn68GUW2HXM2Ko9Y2_aem_CGXCJxDcGERO8lb_j4TnFQ

▶️Local Events
They are a lot of good things happening locally. This month we have West Town Lane Academy (Friday 19 June) and Waycroft School (Friday 26 June) holding summer fayres; raising money to enable the pupils to have enhanced learning opportunities. Please go and support the great work these schools and the PTAs do to make these events happen. We are sure they would like additional volunteers which is also a great way to meet new people.

The next Stockwood Market is on 27 June at Hollway Road shops. This is a World Cup themed event and has free activities for young children.

The BS14 Social Club are holding another very popular Family Night on 26 June.

The Imperial Sports Ground have a quiz on 19 June.

Bristol Telephones have secured the legendary Wurzels for an afternoon into evening of family favourite West Country anthems!!

Please support your local organisations and keep an eye out for future events.

▶️Greville Development Update
Jon and Graham met with the council’s Head of Housing delivery again this week. Also in attendance was the Vice Chairman of the council’s Homes and Housing Delivery Policy Committee (Cllr Richard Eddy, Con, Bishopsworth), who is performing a supportive role in our efforts to hold the council to account over their absolutely disastrous management of this project.

Here is an update on the scheme:
· The council’s appointed Structural Engineer is currently working through the reports of the properties they visited last week. Their last set of inspections were undertaken on Friday.
· The Structural Engineer will be issuing separate reports for each property and a report to cover our generic observations / discussions based on all the inspections and contractor information. The first pack of reports for the properties already inspected will be available by the end of next week.
· On site has been relatively quiet with works still suspended whilst we await the above reports.
· The S.104 agreement for Greville is nearly complete and the paperwork is with Wessex Water.
· Several members of the public came to the last drop in session. They asked about allocations for the affordable housing and when the development is likely to complete. Jon and Graham are pressing for a lettings policy which gives local people priority.
· The project delivery team met with the contractor to discuss likely impacts on programming and possible scenarios for re-establishing works on site depending on the final outputs of the engineers’ report.
· The council have been advised that due to delays to date and missing a critical path item regarding utilities supply the anticipated delay to the project is 15 weeks. The council work with the various parties to examine this in more detail in the coming weeks once the reports are completed to try and reduce delays where possible.

▶️Hicks Gate “Masterplan”
Residents may have seen press reports about a plan which will effectively join Bristol up with Keynsham with a new town of more than 3,000 new homes, which took a step forward this week when considered by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). Needless to say, we are extremely concerned about the implications for Stockwood Ward.

This is part of the Bristol and Bath Growth Zone in the WECA Mayor’s Regional Growth Strategy and land within this is identified within the emerging Bristol Local Plan.

This work was commenced some time ago by Bath and North East Somerset Council as they were preparing for their emerging local plan. However, because of the identification of the area as being a Growth Zone within the Regional Growth Strategy, planning application activity (including in Bristol), and the need to manage the relationship with potential future changes to the A4 corridor, WECA and Bristol Council became much more involved in the last year.

This work has been carried out by council officers without any briefings being provided to councillors who represent Stockwood Ward and the Brislington Wards.

We have requested an urgent briefing and a high level summery which we can share with residents.

Please see attached for further details: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/new-town-plan-to-merge-bristol-and-keynsham-moves-step-nearer/ar-AA24DMWK?ocid=BingNewsSerp

▶️Goslet Road Children’s Home - Planning Application Withdrawn
Earlier this year Safe Haven Support Care and Education Group Ltd submitted a planning application for the change of use of a residential property in Goslet Road to a Children’s Care Home.

Safe Haven Group are currently on Bristol’s Support Accommodation Framework, and they have four young people placed in their supported accommodation provision in Bristol.

The application attracted a large number of objections from local residents.
Jon and Graham also submitted a formal objection. Although we support the provision of more children’s homes in the city, we did not think this was an appropriate location.

Two previous children’s centres in Stockwood, Lacey House and 1B Amercombe Walk are both being turned into social housing. The council are therefore removing two council owned properties rather than convert these into such accommodation.

Following receipt of the objections we were advised that Safe Haven Group had withdrawn their application.

▶️Brislington Meadows
We reported in out update on 24th May that the application to build 260 properties on Brislington Meadows had again been rejected by the Planning Committee at a meeting on 20th May.

We would like to provide you with a further update on this. Councillors rejected the plans on the basis that the topography of the land makes it unsuitable, with roads which would be so steep that the Council would not adopt them. There are also concerns about the Bio-Diversity Net Gain strategy submitted to the council, which is supposed to demonstrate how the developers will actually improve the environment by 10%, either with on-site measures or with off-site mitigation.

Developers Keepmoat have already submitted a new planning application which must be heard by September, and there is also the possibility of an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, so once again this might only be a temporary reprieve for the meadows.

▶️National Volunteers Week 2026
Today is the final day of National Volunteers Week 2026. Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign that has been running since 1984, now marking its 42nd year in 2026.

The week provides a platform for charities, voluntary groups, social organisations, and communities to celebrate and thank volunteers for their time, passion, and skills
It highlights the unity of volunteer work, fostering connections between people in the community.

We believe the people of Stockwood Ward are incredibly public spirited, and we are fortunate to have so many wonderful voluntary organisations to which many people in the community contribute their time and energy. There are too many to mention individually, but to all those who volunteer in any capacity we would like to say thank you.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can find out the type of things you can get involved in by sending an email to: [email protected]

▶️ Clean Air Strategy Survey
Bristol City Council are running a Clean Air Strategy and Action Plan Engagement Survey.

They want to understand your views on air pollution and get your thoughts on some of the changes they might explore as part of a new strategy to improve the environment.

We believe that ideologically driven initiatives such as the EBLN and unnecessary cycle lanes and bus lanes, which can cause congestion, are counterproductive in this respect.

The link to the survey can be found here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/ask/find-consultation-engagement/consultation-engagement?id=287

31/05/2026

WEEKLY UPDATE

There has been a lot of talk around the roadworks on Sturminster Road.

We want to make it clear that Jonathan Hucker and Graham Morris, your local councillors, have opposed this element of the wider scheme at every opportunity, from when the ideas were first proposed back in 2020/21. The scheme is massively over-engineered and creates conflict between road users.

However this is just one of a series of measures which the council tells us is designed to improve the lives of residents by making the number 2 bus route more reliable. We think some of the plans will have the opposite impact.

Before we provide you with an update on future works it is useful to have some background as to how and why we are enduring these roadworks.

▶️BACKGROUND
The UK Government provided WECA (West of England Combined Authority) with £540m in April 2022. This money was to be spent on enhancing and providing sustainable transport solutions for the West of England local authorities, Bristol, BANES and South Gloucestershire. Work had already started on designs before this date.

All works had to be completed by March 2027.

The Labour party in Bristol drew up plans and then sat on them, with little engagement with local councillors. In fact the consultation was designed to hide the true extent of the works and no meetings were arranged in Stockwood Ward. Jon and Graham managed to get this deliberate oversight overturned and meetings were held in the ward.

The Labour party decided to delay things as they knew they were going to lose the 2024 local election. As such they are able to deflect the blame on many of the transport schemes in the city onto the incumbent Green administration, particularly with regard to the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood.

To minimise the risk of the city grinding to a halt certain schemes were brought forward to stagger the imposition on the road network – one of these schemes is the Sturminster Road / West Town Lane scheme.

The Sturminster Road / West Town Lane scheme was designed so that the National Cycle Network route 3, can be more safely accessed by connecting the path at Hither Bath Bridge to the track which starts off again in Manston Close.

The council, as part of this consultation, also suggested several other key changes which would have a huge impact on the local area. Jon and Graham predicted the current situation and we fought hard to make some changes from the original schemes.

Sadly we were ignored and here is one argument Graham had with the Labour Party, who introduced these plans:
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/year-long-roadworks-south-bristol-10542400

As your elected representatives we robustly opposed the plans and have tried to reduce the impact on residents. The article shows the Labour views at the time and, in case you can’t read behind the paywall:

During the cabinet meeting, Conservative Cllr Graham Morris, representing Stockwood, said: “We welcome the investment into Stockwood. But I’m concerned about moving the bus stop on the corner of Hither Bath Bridge. You’re taking away the public transport access from the Imperial Sports Ground, which has up to 4,000 people a week using the site. The reason it’s being removed is to enable a cycle lane going through it."

“What takes priority, bus users or cyclists? This is particularly relevant in Stockwood ward, which has the second highest number of people aged over 70 in the city, and the second largest proportion of people who live day to day with their lives greatly impacted by illnesses and chronic conditions.”

Cllr Alexander (Labour, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston) replied: “A lot of people aged over 70 do cycle. The way you’re framing the balancing act that we have to do is attempting to fuel division. What most people want is the best possible solution for everybody, the best possible bus services and the best possible cycle infrastructure.”

According to Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, the council is “very limited” in building the transport network that City Hall bosses would like to see, due to current laws and a lack of government funding. He added that every change to the network “comes with a price”.
“Everything we do has a price. This is one of the maturities we have wanted to bring to so much of the Bristol debate, whether that be about land use and house building or public transport. Every solution we bring forward to unlock a benefit will come with a price, somewhere.”

“Our job is to work out whether the price is worthy of the prize, and then to minimise that price or eliminate it as much as we can. This is never easy, but it is easy for that to turn into bun fights and cheap headlines, the stuff that undermines people’s ability to get engaged with the real challenges facing Bristol’s future.”

One of the main reasons we objected to parts of the schemes was that the changes will increase traffic on residential roads and take it off arterial roads (like the Wells Road.) Everywhere else in Bristol we are seeing the opposite, with the Liveable Neighbourhoods, forcing traffic off side streets onto the main roads.

The focus was on the number 2 bus route as it was the most unreliable bus route in Bristol. (This is part of the reason why Bristol Bridge was closed to through traffic.) For further details on the thinking behind the plans please see: https://travelwest.info/projects/a37-a4018-transport-corridor/

Even after Labour designed the scheme and would not engage fully with Jon and Graham we have continued to hold the council to account and have secured several changes to the original schemes.

These include:
- A new zebra crossing on West Town Lane near to the Imperial Sports Ground.
- The council abandoned the idea of banning the left hand turn out of Wells Road.
- A shrinking of the Hazelbury Road / West Town Lane junction to provide a safer crossing point.
- Although we are very disappointed that bus lanes on Wells Road will be installed, we have managed to secure a reduction from 24 hour to 12 hour (after pressing for peak time only). We are still fighting this and working with the councillors in Hengrove and Whitchurch Park.
- The council have now dropped a proposal to ban the right hand turn from Wells Road into West Town Lane.

We have made it clear that these changes to the roads will have the impact of increasing rat running in two areas: across Sturminster Road and Craydon Road and across the top of Stockwood; secondly the roads off Wells Road, including Mowbray Road, Hazelbury Road, David’s Road, Beryl Grove etc…

We are working on two schemes to mitigate speeding traffic.

1. Sturminster Road / Craydon Road and the top of Stockwood – Jon and Graham are working with designers for large scale traffic calming measures in the area. We will share more when we have a way forward and we do not want to raise hopes until it has been signed off by the Transport Committee.

2. When the sign off for the road work chaos occurred last October Jon and Graham secured the following commitment into the papers:

‘In response particularly to concerns about rat running and speeding due to the banned turns at the West Town Lane/Wells Road junction a piece of work around traffic calming within Stockwood Ward will be carried out to identify mitigations needed to reduce any impact caused by this proposal. Funds can be committed now for the initial optioneering, feasibility and design work. This will include proactive local engagement and consultation to identify potential quick wins as well as feeding into longer term solutions, such as a Liveable Neighbourhood type approach. The timing of any delivery will be subject to the preferred option to be taken forward and will either be within CRSTS1, or a future delivery programme (e.g. potentially CRSTS2).’

We firmly reject the idea of a “Liveable Neighbourhood” of the type that has been imposed elsewhere in East Bristol. We do, however, support the idea of making our roads safer with sensible traffic calming in this area. We are seeking an update on this at the moment as a senior officer has been tasked to respond.

Our weekly updates to residents are largely non party political - we represent all our residents to the best of our ability regardless of political persuasion. But let us be perfectly clear, the plans were drawn up by Labour, with no local councillor involvement and the support of the then Metro Mayor Dan Norris and implemented by the Greens. The current WECA Metro Mayor, Helen Godwin, is supportive of the bus lanes on Wells Road. Both parties are complicit in the chaos on Sturminster Road and West Town Lane.

There are a lot of other highways works happening as well so let’s cover this off. Please don’t shoot the messengers! For updates please follow: https://bristolonthemove.com/

▶️Bus Lanes Wells Road
Work is due to commence on 25 June to install a new bus lane, inbound and outbound, from the junction with West Town Lane uptowards Gilda Parade.

Again we consider this work to be totally unnecessary as you can find in the article link. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/major-changes-key-south-bristol-8407858. Again, this was designed by Labour and the Greens think this is a good idea.

Your local councillors have repeatedly said that these bus lanes are unnecessary and will have the hugely detrimental impact of forcing traffic onto side roads and will make access to local schools much harder. They are installing bus lanes where they are not needed.
This will cause stress and negatively impact so many local residents. The proposed bus lanes were opposed by 98% of respondents to a consultation. They are also narrower than the “absolute minimum width” recommended by the Department of Transport. We have very great concerns about this. It is not acceptable to have such a narrow bus lanes shared with cyclists.

We have tried the consultations, meetings, public questions and Jon even wrote to WECA, who control the funding, to see if they would pull the funding but the Labour Mayor of WECA said no.

Please see the images for further details for scope of works.

▶️Pedestrian Crossings on Wells Road / Hengrove Lane / West Town Lane (Happy Landings) Junction

Starting in November there will be roadworks for this important junction. Jon and Graham welcome the pedestrian crossings as this is an important place to cross, particularly for access to West Town Lane Academy and the Imperial Sports Ground. However the council, despite requests, did not engage with us or the Hengrove and Whitchurch Park councillors as we had several plans to make the junction safer and better flowing.
Again we enclose a copy of these plans.

▶️Stockwood - Junctions On Number 2 Bus Route
When the initial consultation was issued back in 2021 the consultation showed no money was being spent on active travel apart from the bike lane on Sturminster Road. Graham and Jon thought this was not fair as a key component of ‘active travel’ is increasing bus usage. The most important thing about bus usage is ensuring residents can get to and from the bus stop safely. This is particularly relevant on Craydon Road when the council installed the bus stop on the triangle but did not provide a safe crossing point.

As a result work will be happening to make EVERY junction on the number 2 bus route in Stockwood Ward to have dropped kerbs and tactile paving. Some of the wider junctions will be narrowed. This is an investment of many tens of thousands of pounds and will enhance walking for pedestrians and their children and for wheelchair users.

▶️New Crossing Point on bend of Sturminster and Craydon Roads
Also we have secured funding for a new crossing point near the bend of Sturminster Road and Craydon Road. The reason is to help people get to the bus stop. To enable the installation of this crossing point the bend will be made narrower which will help to slow down traffic. It also makes it safer to cross as pedestrians only have to worry about traffic from one side at a time. Image is shown.

There will also be new double yellow lines in many parts of the ward as they try to keep the buses having priority.

▶️West of England Combined Authority (WECA)
Whilst all the work is happening in Stockwood Jon and Graham continue to engage with WECA over their plans for the Bath Road. Graham attended a workshop on 8 May to discuss WECA’s plans for the A4. This particular meeting was looking at changes from 3 Lamps Junction to West Town Lane junction and whether they planned to use the old railway line to access by Callington Road / Tesco.

Many options are shown and Graham was forceful in saying the access off the A4 to West Town Lane or Callington Road must remain open. A key reason for this is Labour’s plans to implement a bus gate on Hungerford Road.

Please remember we are already seeing an increase in bus lanes on the Bath Road as part of phase 1A of this scheme and significant changes to Talbot Hill. It is likely that some of these changes could see the hump back bridge at bottom of Talbot Road removed.
If you would like to read more about WECA’s Transport Visionhttps://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/WE4924-Transport-Vision-for-web_v3.pdf

Jon and Graham continue to fight hard and we are engaged in all transport conversations now so we can at least ensure your voices are heard. However there is a very clear focus on enhancing public and active travel and we continue to support residents by bringing common sense to the decision making process and securing some vital wins.

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+441179736811

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http://www.bsgconservatives.com/

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