Peasedown Residents ‘Bewildered’ Over Roundabout

Residents in Peasedown St John have been left bewildered following recent works carried out in Meadgate, Camerton, to install a new roundabout – when many argue there wasn’t a need for one.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has come under fire from community leaders outside of Bath for spending £45,000 on a roundabout in Camerton that was been prioritised over the much needed and called for roundabout on the A367/Bath junction in Peasedown St John.

Cllr Nathan Hartley, who has been part of the campaign for a roundabout at the southern end of the village for almost a decade, submitted a question at July’s B&NES Cabinet meeting, asking:

“Can the Cabinet give details as to the logic behind the creation of the new roundabout on the junction between Red Hill and Tunley Road in Camerton? What statistics have been used to justify its instalment?

“Peasedown St John residents have expressed bemusement and frustration as to why the Council would prioritise this over the much needed, and long called for, roundabout at the junction of Bath Road/A367 by-pass, Peasedown St John.”

In their response, the Cabinet said: “The main reason the Camerton scheme scored so well in prioritising work for inclusion in the current programme is that it is considered to offer a better return for the investment.”

A former Chairman of Peasedown St John Parish Council has attacked the Cabinet for their poor planning and lack of support for a scheme that hundreds of people have called for.

Eric Lindsay said: “I was very interested to see the use of the business phrase ‘return on investment’. It’s very clear in the response what investment values were used in the calculation but what figures were used for ‘return’.

“I doubt if there will be any monetary return but the goodwill of all Peasedown residents surely trumps the goodwill generated in Camerton where they clearly didn’t even have a problem?

“B&NES Council has shown again how it has little regard for public opinion, and how out of touch it is with communities outside of Bath.”

Since 2006 councillors have taken an active role in trying to secure funding for either a roundabout or traffic lights to be installed in Peasedown St John, including:

• Supporting a resident-led petition to B&NES Council in 2006 asking for a roundabout to be built here. Over 700 people signed the petition;
• Featuring the campaign on the front of a special newsletter to all villagers in 2011;
• Lobbying B&NES Council for a roundabout over many years, asking for funding to be made available;
• Meeting with Traffic and Safety Officers to look at changes to the physical layout of the junction.

Some success was seen just a few years ago when £35,000 was made available from David Wilson Homes, who have recently completed at 95-house development in Wellow Lane.

Karen Walker, chair of the parish council’s planning committee said: “We already have some money for this much-needed roundabout – but we need B&NES Council to allocate the remaining £250,000 to complete the task. If not, the money we already have will be sent back to the developer.”

B&NES Council announced recently to give a further £150,000 to the £34 million Keynsham Regeneration Project, £100,000 towards the regeneration of Queen’s Square in Bath, and £200,000 to the Cleveland Pools Trust, Bath.