Bath & North East Somerset Council has unveiled plans to protect the historic pillars at the top of Ralph Allen Drive from more vehicle strikes and to improve pedestrian safety.
The pillars at the top of Ralph Allen Drive in Bath
Listed building consent is being sought to dismantle the west pier and rebuild it just under three metres to the west.
The east pier had been so badly damaged that it currently has a waterproof sheet fixed over the top and wooden protective boards partially cover three sides.
The urn, its base and the cornice were removed for safe storage after the last collision and are now in a council yard nearby.
The Grade II piers were built by John Wood the Elder around 1740 using Bath limestone from Ralph Allen’s quarries and are one pair of three of similar design remaining in the Prior Park Estate.
Originally a private road, Ralph Allen Drive was acquired by the then city council in 1921. The road was widened and reopened as a public thoroughfare in 1922.
The planning application notes that the 1920s adjusted gateway and road layout bears little relation to the 1740s arrangement.
Experts believe, however, that the east pier is probably in its original position. It marks the corner of the Prior Park Estate and takes the place of an earlier Saxon and possibly Roman boundary marker. It also marks the parish boundary with the letters LWP (Lyncombe and Widcombe Parish).
The east pier is the one most frequently and severely hit and is the area most used by children accessing the entrance to Prior Park College.
Currently the pavement is only 950mm wide and the proposal is to increase this to 1550mm. The west pier currently sits right on the highway making it prone to impact but due to the angle of approach, this is less frequent than the east pier.
The proposal is to move the west pier by approximately 2850mm west so that the revised opening between the piers is a “double golden section”. The benefit of doing this is that a footpath can be introduced between the road and pier, increasing visibility of pedestrians who are currently obscured by the masonry.
Ralph Allen Drive and North Road at the top both have a 7.5 tonne vehicle limit. In summary, whilst it should be possible for vehicles to miss the piers given the road layout and the size restriction, this is reliant on the weight and therefore height and length restriction being observed, which is not always the case.
It is noted: “This is a particularly vexatious problem and there are no perfect solutions. It is really an exercise in damage limitation and where possible enhancement.
“Whilst the option of doing nothing is always considered, in this instance there is no doubt that an important structure could be potentially damaged beyond repair and failure to act could be considered irresponsible bordering on negligent.
“The current access around the structures and crossing points of the road are extremely narrow and these proposals would improve visibility for and of pedestrians.
“The proposals aim to enhance the safety of the structures and the public users of the space.”
The planning reference is 26/00815/REG13. The deadline for comments is 11th April.
