Road closure - between Westerleigh and The Folly - Yet another change - now Mon 11 to Wed 13 Nov

They've now gone back to the original date... According to an update from South Glos today - 7th November -Westerleigh Road will be closed from Monday 11 November to Wednesday 14 November from 9.30am until 3.30pm.

The Westerleigh Road will be closed for 3 days 9.30 am - 3.30 pm between The Folly pub and the traffic lights at the top of Westerleigh Hill. This is due to carriageway patching work by South Glos Council. There are bound to be delays while this busy commuter route is shut.

South Glos say "A signed diversion will be in place. Access to properties and businesses will be maintained via either the eastern or western side of the road (whichever is clear of works at the time). We will do everything we can to minimise disruption and we apologise for the inconvenience.

These works are in advance of a surfacing scheme due to take place on Westerleigh Road in 2020"

Gypsy Patch Lane roadworks update

Further update from Metrobus w/c 14/10/2019:

"Three-way temporary traffic lights will be put in place on Gipsy Patch Lane from Monday 14 October. The lights will need to be positioned at the railway bridge and will include the junction with Station Road.

The temporary lights are needed by Wales and West Utilities whilst diversionary work is carried out on the gas main in preparation for the replacement railway bridge next year. The work is expected to take up to two weeks and the lights will be in operation around the clock.

It was hoped that this work could be completed without the need for traffic lights but for the safety of all road users this is no longer the case. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued patience.

All shops and businesses on and near Gipsy Patch Lane will be open as normal"

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The Cribbs Patchway Metrobus Extension project tell us:

"The three-way temporary traffic lights at the railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane are to remain in place for at least a further week. Contractors are currently installing crossings on Gipsy Patch Lane as part of preparation works for the bridge replacement next year. The extension to the temporary lights is needed to enable additional work to lower a utility cable.

Safety is paramount and given the limited space around the railway bridge the temporary lights help protect workers and members of the public whilst this work is completed. This additional work will not affect the project’s timetable.

The temporary lights will only operate Monday to Friday during off-peak hours and pedestrians and cyclists will continue to be able to pass under the railway bridge. Cyclists may be asked to dismount.

Once this work is completed the temporary traffic lights will be replaced with automated Stop/Go boards on Gipsy Patch Lane. These will only be used as needed when workers and machinery from the construction site need to safely cross Gipsy Patch Lane. Their use will be kept to a minimum and as far as possible will be kept to off-peak times.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued patience. We will continue to keep local residents, businesses and commuters up to date on the project.

All shops and businesses on and near Gipsy Patch Lane will be open as normal"

For further information about the project please visit www.southglos.gov.uk/cpmetrobus

You can now keep up to date via the project' new Facebook page www.facebook.com/sgloscpme

Gypsy Patch Lane, Abbeywood Roundabout - roadworks in September

Lots of local residents drive along Gypsy Patch Lane, Filton and through the narrow bridge. Work will be starting there in September to prepare for replacing the bridge.

From Monday 2nd September temporary three-way traffic lights will be in operation on Gipsy Patch Lane at the railway bridge. These will be in place for up to two weeks.

After this period automated Stop/Go boards will be used as needed on Gipsy Patch Lane.  These will only be used when workers and machinery from the construction site need to safely cross Gipsy Patch Lane, their use will be kept to a minimum and as far as possible will be kept to off-peak times.

Meanwhile at Abbeywood Roundabout there will be major resurfacing work overnight from Monday 9th September 2019. They will be planing off of existing tarmac and laying a new surface. The work will start at 8.00 pm and go on until around 6.00 am. During the work the road will be closed and all traffic will be diverted around the area.

Road to Pucklechurch to be closed at motorway bridge

The Highways Agency will be closing the bridge which crosses the M4 on the B4465 between Westerleigh and  Pucklechurch for strengthening works from Tuesday 27th August to Friday 4th October.

*** Update - the road is now finally open again ***

You will still be able to get to the crematorium from the Yate and Westerleigh direction, but if you're coming from elsewhere please follow the diversion signs or leave the ring road (A4174) at the Emersons Green roundabout, and come in along the Westerleigh Road.

St Briavels Drive resurfacing works - buses diverted

The advertised resurfacing work is likely to start on Thursday this week. This will have a major impact on local bus services.

Services Y1 & Y2 will divert via the full length of Sundridge Park and Rodford Way in both directions. The bus stops Hardwicke, Deerhurst, Prescott and Northfield will not be served during the closure, but buses will stop at all bus stops on the diversion route.

Kelston Close - consultation on waiting restrictions - revised plan

South Glos Council is consulting on replacing the existing unenforceable restrictions with a mixture of no waiting at any time (double yellow lines), no waiting during prescribed hours (single yellow lines) and no stopping on school entrance markings (yellow school zig zags)

Due to an administrative error South Glos uploaded the wrong plan. If you have already commented please look at the consultation and plan again. Any comments received on the incorrect plan - i.e. before 1 pm on 11 July - will be disregarded.


You can see the proposals and comment here. The closing date for comments has been put back to  31st July 2019.

Consultation on weight limits for Sodbury and Dodington roads

There's a South Glos Council consultation aimed at stopping HGVs using the smaller roads as a short cut between Chipping Sodbury and the B4465/ M4 road network.  The idea is to to introduce an environmental 7.5T weight limit, with an exemption ‘Except for loading’ on the affected lanes and adjacent residential streets within the Dodington area.

You can see and comment on the proposals here - the consultation is open until Tuesday 16th July 2019. 

The full list of roads affected is:

• Bowling Road
• Catchpot Lane
• Chapel Lane
• Cherry Road
• Chestnut Drive
• Claypit Hill
• Culverhill Road
• Dodington Lane
• Dodington Road
• Downleaze Drive
• Elm Close
• Gibbs Lane
• Grassington Drive
• Gullivers Place
• Highfield Road
• Horseshoe Lane
• Jobbins Close
• Leaman Close
• Lilliput Avenue
• Lilliput Court
• Love Lane
• Meadow Road
• Mill Lane
• Old Parish Lane
• River Road
• Sodbury Lane
• Sodbury Little Lane
• Streamside Road
• Virginia Close
• Wistaria Avenue

Two consultations on cycle lanes - Kennedy Road to Cotswold Road, and Rodford Way

These consultations will be of interest to motorists who use these roads, not just cyclists.

South Glos Council is consulting on two schemes to make local roads safer for cyclists. In both cases existing advisory cycles lanes (dotted) would be converted to mandatory cycle lanes (solid white lines).

As well as making the cycle lanes more visible and therefore safer, motor vehicles will be prohibited from driving or parking in the cycle lanes - it's not illegal at the moment.

Access to premises, parking bays and junctions along the route would be not be affected by this proposal.

That's basically all that's proposed on the Rodford Way scheme - the consultation can be found here and it runs until 11th March. The new mandatory cycle lanes here will help enforce "No U Turn" restrictions because it should hopefully stop the dangerous manouvre by larger vehicles that sweep through the cycle lanes to turn round.

There's a bit more to the Kennedy Road to Cotswold Road scheme, where only part of the length has cycle lanes at the moment. It will mean that there will be continuous cycle lanes both ways from the Normandy Drive pedestrian crossing to Smarts Green. The consultation can be found here and it runs until 15th March.

New Tory election tactic - distracting drivers near accident sites

Local residents have complained to the police about Conservative volunteers in the Dodington by-election distracting traffic near the sites of road traffic fatalities during this morning's rush hour.

One resident said "There was a group of people waving Conservative banners at passing cars, right on the busy junction opposite the entrance to the Centre (one of the polling stations). They're being a real nuisance distraction to drivers"

This was along the road from a recent road traffic fatality, and not far from where the Tory candidate and the Tory MP stood for a road safety publicity photo the other day:

What's more, they were also waving banners in the middle of the dual carriageway near the other polling station - not very far from where another person was killed in a road accident a couple of years ago.

Is it a case of "Do what I say, not what I do?"

New dates for Sundridge Park roadworks

The postponed roadworks on Sundridge Park, Yate have been rescheduled for Monday 29th October until Tuesday 6th November 2018, 8 am until 5 pm each day.

On the days that clash with school term, the work will take place from 9.30 am until 5.30 pm.

82 bus - campaign for real time info

Thank you to everyone who has got in touch about 82 bus reliability problems since we alerted you in June to the fact that it is sometimes missing out the Chipping Sodbury section.

At a face-to-face meeting last week your Focus Team councillors challenged First Bus bosses about this failure. They said that because the route goes through a number of traffic hot spots it is vulnerable to getting badly delayed and if that happens they cut out Chipping Sodbury and turn round at Yate.

When we asked what happens to people waiting at the Clock Tower, their reply was that the sign will switch to cancelled. So we explained there is no real time information sign there, to which their answer was that people could check their app or website! We suggested they get real - not everyone has a smart phone or knows how to use their app.

Focus Team Cllr Phil O'Rourke, pictured below, is campaigning to get real time information at the Clock Tower. That way if a bus is running so late it is going to be turned round at Yate, people can decide if it is better to walk down to Yate or catch another bus instead. First Bus are refusing to install a new real time sign at a cost of about £7k - we have suggested moving one from a stop where there are no longer any buses.

Phil O'Rourke, Claire Young and Ben Nutland
campaigning for the return of the 82 bus to
Chipping Sodbury in 2016

Sundridge Park resurfacing delayed until October

The August roadworks we told you about recently have been delayed.

South Glos have said: "Unfortunately, we have had to postpone these resurfacing works.

I anticipate that they will be rearranged for the school holidays in October and will send out a confirmation letter nearer the time"

We'll keep you posted.

Wickwar Road to be closed 23 July to 4 August

More road works... A length of the B4060, the main road between Wickwar and Chipping Sodbury, will be closed from 23 July until 4 August 2018.

Drainage works will be taking place from 700m south of the junction with Frith Lane, heading 50 metres towards Chipping Sodbury.

Part of Sundridge Park to be closed for roadworks in August

Update 24/07/2018: South Glos say "Unfortunately, we have had to postpone these resurfacing works. I anticipate that they will be rearranged for the school holidays in October and will send out a confirmation letter nearer the time" - We'll keep you posted.

South Glos has advised that they will be resurfacing the length of Sundridge Park from the Kennedy Way junction with Kennedy Way southwards for 410 metres. That's down to the St Paul's School and yate International Academy entrances. Work should start around 6th August and take 10 days, working from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm.

The notice officially says that it will be in force "from the 6 August 2018 for a maximum period of eighteen months" but in practice the road will only be closed when the signs are in position.

What's more, the length of Kennedy Way from the Lidl junction to the Courtside Surgery junction will be closed for one night 8 pm to 6 am some time from 3 August, again for resurfacing.

Major roadworks in Winterbourne coming up

South Glos Council will be carrying out road drainage repairs and improvements on the B4058, High Street, Winterbourne, for up to 6 months from Monday July 23rd. There will be two-way traffic lights and partial road closures that are bound to have a significant effect on this busy commuter route.

Most of the time there will just be temporary traffic signals, but sometimes they will actually have to close the road, in which case diversions will be signed.

The aim is to stop the periodic flooding that happens there.

South Glos are holding a drop-in this Wednesday, 11 July, from 3 to 6 pm at Winterbourne and District Community Association, Watleys End Road.

Changes proposed for B&Q roundabout

At long last South Glos has come forward with some draft proposals to improve Yate's confusing B&Q (salt truck) roundabout. Their plans show much clearer road markings and signs, plus two puffin crossings.

The plans are open for comment until Monday 2 July - you can see the details and comment here

Viaduct re-opening but A46 traffic lights going

Claire Young at the traffic lights on the A46

 The good news is that the council is planning to re-open the Bromley Heath Viaduct over the weekend of 27th April.

The bad news is that this coming weekend they will be removing the temporary traffic lights on the A46 near Tormarton, at the junction with the B4465 Westerleigh Road, which were installed to manage traffic diverted by the viaduct works. To carry out the removal there will be four-way lights in operation from 8am on Saturday until 6pm on Sunday.

Many local people believe these lights have made the junction safer. With the help of all of you that have shared your views with us, we've already convinced the council to start looking into a permanent solution. If it's to happen though we need to make sure this is a high priority for funding. If you would like to see permanent traffic lights installed and you haven't already signed our petition, please do it today.

They couldn't have had the temporary lights operating during the Badminton Horse Trials anyway - this junction will be controlled by the police as part of their traffic management for the horse trials. 

The A46 junction lights have been put on South Glos's list for future investigation and assessment, but if a new scheme is put forward it won't be for ages. Please sign our petition to keep up the pressure.

M4 Junction 18a - South Glos Cabinet set to support Western option

Following last year's consultation on a possible new junction 18a on the M4, South Gloucestershire's Conservative Cabinet looks set to support the Western option via Emersons Green as the preferred route.

This option involves re-aligning the motorway at Henfield. Residents have already contacted us to raise concerns. As yet we have seen no plan for how they intend to manage the additional traffic this will push through our villages and the residential roads in the south of Yate. Nor have we seen a plan for how, when or where a link will be provided from the new junction to Yate and how that will feed into the already congested road network in the town. If these issues are not properly addressed ahead of time, this new junction will just add to local transport problems.

Nibley Lane closed Friday 8 December

Nibley Lane, from Badminton Road A432 to Westerleigh Road, will be closed tomorrow (Friday 8 December) for cleaning. The closure will run from 9.30 am to 2.30 pm.

Make the A46 temporary traffic lights permanent

Cllr Claire Young at the Tormarton junction

Temporary traffic lights have been installed on the A46 at the Tormarton junction while the Bromley Heath viaduct works are being carried out. Local people have told us that overall these have improved safety but the lights will be removed once the viaduct works are complete.

We believe that a permanent solution is needed. We are calling on the council to work with Highways England to resolve any concerns about the manoeuvres allowed and traffic building up on the J18 roundabout so that permanent traffic lights can be installed. If you agree, please sign our petition.

Dodington Parish Council has also written to South Glos asking for these lights to be made permanent. They have also asked for traffic lights at the Nibley Lane bridge - the temporary lights there made things a lot easier for local drivers.