Trials to restrict through-traffic in parts of central Bath are to be made permanent, Bath & North East Somerset Council has confirmed.
The changes made to Gay Street | Photo © John Wimperis
Cabinet members Councillor Joel Hirst (sustainable transport strategy) and Councillor Manda Rigby (communications and community) have agreed that the three linked Liveable Neighbourhood schemes in Lower Lansdown and The Circus will stay in place beyond the end of the experimental period that began in November 2024.
The decision covers:
- The through-traffic restriction on Winifred’s Lane
- The closure to through-traffic at Catharine Place
- The “no entry” and turning changes on Gay Street and around The Circus
The councillors said they considered public consultation responses, traffic and air quality data, driver behaviour, equalities impacts and their legal duties to keep traffic moving safely, before concluding that the schemes meet the core aims of the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme – cutting rat-running on unsuitable residential streets, creating quieter active travel routes and encouraging more local trips on foot, by bike or wheeling.
A six-month consultation from November 2024 to April 2025 attracted strong views on all sides.
- Winifred’s Lane: 84% of 1,289 responses objected, 16% supported. Support was higher within the trial area (26%) than outside (9%).
- Catharine Place: of 50 responses, 62% objected and 34% supported.
- Gay Street / The Circus: of 157 responses, 60% objected and 37% supported – but 71% of residents within the trial area supported the changes, compared with 31% outside it.
Supporters generally reported quieter, safer streets and better conditions for walking and cycling.
Objectors raised concerns about displaced traffic and congestion, particularly on Sion Road near Kingswood School, and argued the restrictions benefited relatively few people while inconveniencing many.
Both sides also highlighted poor driver behaviour and non-compliance with some of the new restrictions.
Winifred’s Lane before the restrictions were introduced
Council monitoring found overall traffic volumes fell across the Liveable Neighbourhood area, with large reductions on the restricted streets themselves.
Winifred’s Lane saw a 99–100% drop in motor traffic from an average of around 1,300 vehicles a day, while Catharine Place saw a 94–99% reduction. Nearby streets such as Bennett Street and Brock Street also recorded substantial decreases, while traffic was found to have dispersed over a wider area.
Increases were recorded on some surrounding routes, including Sion Road, Julian Road and Morford Street, but average weekday peak journey times rose by no more than 20 seconds, and off-peak journeys by no more than eight seconds across the study area.
Air quality monitoring at 25 locations showed nitrogen dioxide levels remained well below the legal limit of 40µg/m³, with some sites improving and short-term fluctuations in line with regional trends.
Active-travel counts suggested the changes encouraged more people to walk and cycle.
On Winifred’s Lane, an extra 65–75 people a day were recorded travelling actively compared with the baseline (an 85–185% uplift). On Upper Gay Street, cycling numbers were higher than before the trial in all five monitoring periods. Although there were fewer pedestrians counted at Catharine Place, cycling there remained stable or slightly up.
The council says these outcomes support wider public-health and inequality goals by improving conditions for those who don’t drive or prefer to travel actively.
The decision notice, published on Friday 30th January, acknowledges issues that emerged during the trial, particularly increased congestion and poor driver behaviour on Sion Road at school drop-off and pick-up times, as northbound traffic that previously used Winifred’s Lane now uses Sion Road instead.
There has also been non-compliance with the new turning restrictions at the Cavendish Road / Sion Hill (East) junction, Upper Gay Street / George Street and the northern end of Winifred’s Lane.
Recommended mitigations – which will be subject to their own statutory consultations and decisions – include:
- A revised parking scheme on Sion Road to improve visibility near the Kingswood School exit and create more passing places
- The potential introduction of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) enforcement cameras at key junctions to improve compliance
- A review of signage at the top of Winifred’s Lane to reinforce the no-entry for motor vehicles and cyclists
Officers have said they will also continue to work with Kingswood School to encourage more sustainable travel by staff and families.
The cabinet members have delegated the detailed design and delivery of any mitigations to the council’s Director of Place Management, while stressing that the schemes will be made permanent irrespective of whether every mitigation is ultimately taken forward.
Councillor Joel Hirst said the decision was informed by both the strength of local feeling and the monitoring evidence gathered during the trial.
He said: “The consultation is interesting. There is clearly a gap between perception and what was evidenced by data, and inputs from objectors seem to overstate the potential harm from the scheme.
“While stakeholders did not always provide equalities data, it seems the opinions of younger residents under 55 are under-represented.”
“Active travel outcomes are encouraging and supportive of the trial’s objectives. It takes time to embed, but the data is clear that active travel has improved and enabled by the interventions.”
“While traffic volumes overall are reduced, and the objectives have been achieved, the scheme could be enhanced with the adoption of the potential recommended mitigations to reduce the impact on Sion Road during school term times which are subject to a separate statutory procedure.
“Otherwise, in terms of the overall network, traffic flow and travel times have not been materially impacted. Had we seen a significant impact on air quality this would have been a concern, but this has not materially changed.”
“Officers have gone above and beyond on the quality of communication with residents and stakeholders. There is no doubt that views were heard and presented clearly, and we would like to thank officers for their work and diligent approach.
“We also appreciate the feedback and interest we’ve received from residents which has brought some important issues to our attention during the trial.
“Significant traffic interventions are controversial, and we expect to hear some strong opinions, especially from those who oppose them.
“We hear the strong sentiment, but there is clear evidence that this LN has met its objectives. This is why evidence and public feedback needs to be considered together.”
“On balance, we believe the trial was successful in delivering the policy objective. We support the officer recommendations to provide additional mitigations to help manage congestion on Sion Road and to prevent non-compliance with the new turning restrictions.”
Councillor Manda Rigby said the Lower Lansdown and Circus schemes must be seen as part of the wider Liveable Neighbourhoods programme.
She said: “The scheme can’t be viewed in isolation from the other elements of the programme.
“We have engaged and listened to a very wide range of views from many parties and from opposite ends of the spectrum, and we have reflected carefully on the points made.”
“In reaching the decision, we have balanced these competing views with consideration for the overall LN policy, the evidence, and the officer reports.
“This scheme aligns with the aspirations for the scheme, which is to create routes for walking and cycling and to minimise opportunities for motorists to short cut through residential areas.
“We saw active travel go up on the trial roads, and we are confident that we’ll see this trend continue as the schemes continue to bed in.”
“It is clear from the monitoring that there has been displacement onto Sion Road, but it’s also clear that the issues with congestion occur at school drop-off and pick-up.
“It’s good that the school has engaged with us, and we will support them to pursue schemes to encourage staff and families to use alternative modes of transport to get to school.
“Given the video evidence we have seen, we are very keen to see those mitigations in place to improve the visibility of drivers exiting the school onto Sion Road.”
“Air quality monitoring showed fluctuations that were in line with regional trends and so not adversely affected by the trials.”
“There was a great effort to engage with all stakeholders, which is important and for which I am grateful. I received many messages from residents myself, which were all read and considered, before being added to officers’ records.”
“I have weighed up the many strong opposing views along with the evidence and monitoring data that was submitted. This scheme has been very widely consulted on and has met the criteria for the LN programme overall.
“Whilst we know the recommendation to make the scheme permanent will not please everyone, the potential mitigations recommended in the SMD report, which will be subject to their own independent statutory consultation and final decision, will address some of the issues raised in objection, including the congestion on Sion Road during school term times and the noncompliance with the new turning restrictions at the junctions.”
The decision was published on 30th January 2026. If not called in, it will come into force on 7th February 2026, with the final Experimental Traffic Regulation Order sign-off to be made by the Director of Place Management following the statutory process.
The Heart of Lansdown Conservation Group said it was “highly concerned” by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s decision to make the closure of Winifred’s Lane permanent.
The group said the decision was taken despite what it claims is the council’s own monitoring showing the trial did not meet the objectives set out in the business case, and despite strong local opposition.
HoLCG argues the closure has displaced traffic onto other residential streets, increased vehicle movements past nearby junior schools, and led to fewer people walking in the trial streets. It also claims this has increased risk for pedestrians and schoolchildren, pointing to reported examples of significant traffic rises on some routes.
The group said the council’s review indicated that 72% of consultation responses from within the trial area objected to the closure, and it alleges that some safety evidence – including collision reports, speed data and video material shared with councillors – was not properly included in the council’s reporting.
A spokesman for HoLCG said: “This decision is against the wishes of the vast majority of hundreds of local residents living close to the Lane – so much for democracy and what councillors have said to us in the past.
“It clearly contradicts the Liberal Democrat manifesto in so many ways. The element of trust has gone and no doubt will be remembered come the next local elections for B&NES next year.
“Above all this decision will put at risk pedestrians, schoolchildren and cyclists. Again and again over the last 18 months we have made this point to B&NES and yet not been listened to.
“As to damage to the environment – how is increasing car journey mileage improving the quality of the air local residents and school children breathe?
“This is such a shameful decision that we’ll now look at further options to reverse it.”
