Bath & North East Somerset Council will be launching a public consultation next week on its new “Movement Strategy” for the city.
Traffic on Wellsway in Bath
Currently, around 294,000 trips are made every day on Bath’s transport network, made up of journeys within, to and from, and through the city.
With the expected population growth in the region over the next 10 years, forecasts suggest that if no intervention is made, there will be an increase of 21,000 additional daily trips (7% growth).
A council report says: “When considered alongside the wider West of England region, congestion is estimated to cost the regional economy approximately £800,000 per day, driven by lost productivity, longer journey times, and reduced reliability across the transport network.”
In 2023, the council pledged to introduce a circulation plan for Bath but since then this commitment has evolved into a comprehensive Movement Strategy.
The council report says: “This shift reflects a deeper understanding of what the city needs to thrive – it’s not just about congestion, but about how people move, how space is shared, and how we can shape a more sustainable, inclusive future for Bath.”
The new strategy recognises Bath’s historic layout and constrained road network and “sets out a shift away from decades of car dependency by prioritising sustainable travel options such as walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport”.
This will not only reduce transport emissions and congestion but also enhance the quality of life for everyone who lives in, works in, or visits the city.
The long-term blueprint “reimagines how we use, and view, our streets” and aims to “rebalance the city’s transport network to better serve residents, businesses and visitors, while supporting our climate goals”.
The council says the Movement Strategy represents the next critical step in achieving the carbon reduction targets set out in the Journey to Net Zero.
The public consultation is due to run from Tuesday 14th October to Friday 28th November.
