Residents in Weston have told a government minister that new traffic calming measures are “making our lives very difficult.”
In November, planters were installed on Southlands to stop it from being a through-road, turning the residential road just around the corner from Weston High Street into a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN).
This is being done as a six-month trial.
Government minister Paul Scully spoke to people living on the street about the issue on a morning’s campaigning with Bath Conservatives. But Southlands local Norma Jaggon-Barrett said: “For us residents, the issue is not party political.”
Fathieh Wilkins, who also lives on the street, said: “It’s making our lives very difficult.”
She added: “We have to use the all alternative route through the High Street which is really congested because everyone does what I do.”
Ms Jaggon-Barret said: “There are other ways they could do this than divide what was a street into two streets.”
Both Ms Wilkins and Ms Jaggon-Barret raised issues with how the consultation had been done.
Ms Wilkins said: “You had three choices: against, pro, and in partial support of this. And the people who were in the middle — partially supported — were counted as for it.”
99 people responded to the consultation, but only 28 of them lived on the road. Of the Southlands residents who responded, 11 were in support, 12 were against, and 5 said they were partially in support.
Mr Scully said: “It’s really important and it’s apparent to me, having spoken to some residents, that the council needs another voice.”
Mr Scully was also joined by Graham Pristo, one of the Conservative candidates for Weston ward on Bath and North East Somerset Council, and the Tory Parliamentary candidate for Bath, Matt Heappey.
Mr Heappey said: “What motivates me is hearing what matters to people, and clearly the liveable neighbourhoods in the Southlands are having a detrimental impact on the lives of the residents, whether its their access to services, whether its the additional time on their journeys, or whether its their ability to be listened to.”
Mr Scully added: “There is a place for traffic calming and stopping cars from being in some roads, but we have got to have the demand. Not like I have seen here in Bath, where the consultations have been a tick box exercise.”
But Bath and North East Somerset Council said that the Southlands LTN is only there on a six-month trial basis and people can still comment on it.
Sarah Warren, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable travel, said: “This is a trial scheme under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), which gives people the opportunity to experience the scheme in-situ.
“No decisions will be made on whether to make this scheme permanent until the council has reviewed all of the comments, which people can still submit until May 17 at www.bathnes.gov.uk/southlandsetro.
“I want to reassure residents that baseline traffic, walking and cycling counts were conducted prior to the trial so that the council can assess any impacts on surrounding streets, including the High Street.
“This data will also be taken into account when the final decision is due in the summer.
“The emergency and waste services were consulted and informed of the trial before it started. You can find more information about Liveable Neighbourhoods here www.bathnes.gov.uk/liveableneighbourhoods.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter