Ben Howlett, the MP for Bath, is urging local residents to participate in the ongoing East of Bath Park & Ride Consultation before it closes on Sunday 18th October.
He said: “I reiterate my support for an additional Park & Ride. The other three P&R schemes have taken 2500 vehicles off Bath roads at peak times and 5000 off the road network each day.
“Air pollution causes 29,000 premature deaths a year, and it is widely known that air quality in Bath does not comply with the EU Air Quality Directive.
“I support P&R as it is shown to reduce the number of vehicles that enter the city centre. This is particularly the case for the sites in the current proposal which can be described as “fringe” facilities due to their proximity to the city centre.
“The European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research figures suggest a P&R of 1400 spaces as proposed in Bathampton will see over a quarter of a million fewer vehicles entering Bath per year as a result.
“It is with this in mind that I am urging residents to support an additional P&R in Bath.
“The P&R in isolation is not a solution to Bath’s transport woes which is why I am also hugely supportive of the A36/A46 link road.
“However, it is important to understand that the link road is needed to reduce traffic travelling through Bath, whereas the P&R is to reduce visitors and commuters bringing their cars into Bath.
“The two combined will therefore maximise my ambitions to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion in Bath. Doing nothing is simply not an option as traffic levels in and around Bath will continue to rise without further action.
“UNESCO, like me, are keen to see traffic through Bath reduced, particularly in light of the damage being caused to the buildings from vehicle emissions.
“My preference for site B is based on the ability to convert to a Park & Rail in the future, the previously identified site for Park & Rail has been discounted due to the associated costs, detailed in an independent report produced by Mott MacDonald.
“This site has been highlighted as a potential P&R since 2008, and I have written confirmation from those associated with the board that own the land that they knew about this long before the current consultation commenced.
“The three selected sites were based on feasibility, viability and the Halcrow report of 2013 to capture traffic from as many routes into Bath as possible.
“There are no plans to extend the P&R beyond the current proposed 1400 spaces and the landscaping will ensure the visual and environmental impact is minimised as far as possible.
“No development is without opponents, but doing nothing to address the transport situation in Bath will cause long term damage to the city.
“I urge everyone in Bath that supports P&R as a concept to respond to the consultation before it closes at midnight this Sunday to help ensure we can plan for a less polluted and congested future Bath.”