HALF a PARK AND RIDE for YATE?

We've won the long battle we have been waging to get our Park and Ride for Yate. But so far the Council is only offering a cheapstake version that has serious flaws.

Lib Dems got planning consent and funding back in 2006 but then the new Tory administration running S Glos spent the money elsewhere. We've been fighting since then to get our Park and Ride back.

FInally, there is progress but it is the cheapskate model. It is not what we were promised.

The proposal is for a far smaller park and ride than the original plan. Squeezed between the South Glos council offices and the solar panel park on the A432.

It won't have a bus service going into it - so users will have to dice with death crossing the A432 to the normal bus stop (and as of today S Glos is refusing to put in either a pedestrian crossing or lights).

And officials have not yet sorted out how they will stop the S Glos Council staff from filling it up every morning.

So, at last the principle has been accepted, the cash has now been restored to us, and something is going to happen. But unless S Glos sort out these problems we could be left with a costly white elephant/ council offices car park.

So your councillors had a meeting with S Glos this morning to raise all these concerns and to make it clear, we want a Park and Ride that works and is useful to residents. Not just a tick box on someone's election manifesto that said 'open park and ride' - it has to be one that works for local people and helps us all.

(It will have some good facilities, like electric car charging and secure cycle shelters, and we have asked for other things eg a pump and repair station - but the key issues of access to buses and size are simply not being addressed by S Glos).