A ‘great day’ as Bristol nets £100m transport funding

BRISTOL has been handed a £100 million pot to pay for a massive package of transport improvements in a surprise move by the Chancellor.

The announcement which came in George Osborne's autumn statement yesterday will mean that the long-awaited south Bristol link road and the controversial bendy-bus scheme will both go ahead.

The hope is that the new road and dedicated bus lanes will open up south Bristol to commuters and businesses. Council leaders, who have been campaigning for the so-called rapid transit system, hailed the news as a "great day" for Bristol.

But there will be a price to pay, with increased taxes, a new road built on open land in Bishopsworth and across Highridge Common and houses under threat in Hengrove.

There were no clues that Mr Osborne would make the shock announcement in his statement to the House of Commons yesterday.

The Evening Post has previously reported that transport leaders from the city and surrounding councils had bid for around £140 million worth of new projects and were expecting to find out if they had been successful next week.

Yesterday it was announced two schemes have been approved for south Bristol but there has been no news on a third scheme, which would connect north Bristol to the rest of the city. If all goes to plan, work on both approved projects could be completed by the spring of 2016.

The biggest part of the schemes would be the road linking Hengrove to Ashton Vale, which has been on the drawing board for more than 30 years.

The city council is looking to raise £40 million towards the project, with a parking levy for businesses in the city the most likely solution.

The Ashton Vale to Temple Meads bendy bus scheme will cost £50 million, with £35 million coming from the Government and £15 million raised locally.

The plan is to start building work in June 2013, with completion likely in July 2015.

Before work starts the government will have to approve a planning application and a public inquiry is also likely.

The south Bristol link is expected to cost £45 million, with £28 million coming from the Government and £17 million from Bristol. Construction would start in May 2014 with completion in May 2016.

In March there will be a public consultation to look at the details of the scheme, such as landscaping and footpaths, particularly through residential areas of south Bristol.

The views of residents, businesses and pressure groups will be sought before any final design decisions are made, prior to submitting the planning applications. Two planning applications, one each to Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council, will be submitted next September.

Tim Kent, the councillor in charge of transport for the city council, has been a leading campaigner for the scheme. He said: "We know the government recognises Bristol and the West of England as a key economic driver for the UK.

"They know it needs a high quality public transport network to unlock its full potential. They have demonstrated their belief in this area with today's announcement.

"Bristol is about to enter the big leagues with the kind of public transport network that attracts new players an unlocks new areas for improvement and growth, which is powerful news for local business and local people. It also demonstrates the strength of our cross-council working.

"Having won clear support for two of the schemes in the Bristol Rapid Transit package, we are confident that the North Fringe to Hengrove route will also prove a winner once the details have been finalised. It was a late entry into the shortlist, and we are relaxed about the need for further work prior to an announcement. It is a key element of the network.

"Over 200 businesses pledged their public support for our submissions."

Nigel Hutchings, head of Bristol Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is a much-needed improvement to the transport infrastructure of the city, supporting improved accessibility for business and communities alike."

A spokesman for the West of England Partnership, which is made up of Bristol and its neighbouring three councils, said: "This is tremendous news for Bristol.

"This will see a major investment in public transport across the West of England and is key to improving our local economy. This demonstrates the importance of working together through a joint transport committee and will make a real difference public transport and the way people travel locally."

Robert Sinclair, the chief executive of Bristol Airport, said: "Both the Bus Rapid Transport scheme and the South Bristol Link will improve access to and from Bristol Airport, help alleviate congestion on local roads and unlock the potential of South Bristol.

"We are delighted that the significant contribution committed by Bristol Airport as part of its development plans has been instrumental in securing the additional Government funding required to give these schemes the green light."

Transport campaigner David Redgewell said: "Whilst we are not at all supportive of major construction through open countryside around south west Bristol, we are pleased to see that in this case the road comes with a bus lane along most of its length. This will allow major investment in new buses to south Bristol to replace the ones that are over 20 years old (route 36). It will also allow upgrading of bus routes from Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead which again have very old vehicles."

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