THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset
6th July 2022
Issue 737
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We’ve been ignored, say road safety campaigners Road safety campaigners in Keynsham say their valid
themselves.”
arguments for getting a 30mph speed limit on a
She said Wellsway is the
dangerous stretch of road have been ignored.
only one of the five major
Bath & North East Somerset Council has just issued a traffic
routes into Keynsham that is
regulation order (TRO) to reduce the limit from 40mph to
not currently 30mph, and
30mph only as far up Wellsway as The Homestead.
that reducing the speed limit
Locals warn this will make things worse as motorists will be
from 40mph to 30mph on
accelerating when they leave the 30mph limit and will still
the final 700-metre stretch
be accelerating by the time they get to the blind bend at
would vastly increase the
Uplands on the edge of the town.
safety of all road users.
Campaigners had been calling for the speed limit to be
However,
reduced to 30mph for the extra 700 metres to where the
highways team has said this
‘Welcome to Keynsham’ sign is, and for flashing signs to
section
alert motorists to the speed limit. Their 700-name petition
40mph because it is ‘rural’.
also asked for a pavement to connect Uplands with the one
Rachel has queried why
at Courtenay Road.
Uplands residents pay a
Uplands residents say they often hear the screeching of tyres
precept to Keynsham Town
and horns beeping and that there are regular accidents on this
Council of around £100 a
stretch of the B3116.
year if it is indeed ‘rural’.
This week lead campaigner Rachel Stokes, who presented
She said: “A traffic study in 2018 of this “rural’ road found
activity’ to either side of the road, but Rachel said: “Every
the petition in March, said: “I find it incredibly frustrating
that it was used by around 11,000 vehicles a day. Highways
day, farm traffic, B&B customers, delivery vehicles, cyclists,
that 700 of us engaged with the democratic process, followed
officers have been using the guidance for rural speed
off-road motorcycles and 4x4 enthusiasts pull out onto a
all the correct procedures, and instead of following their own
management when considering this road; the official
blind bend and hope for the best.”
set of guidelines and criteria, the council appear to have
designation given by the Office for National Statistics for this
She told The Week In: “For me the most worrying aspect of
chosen to use their prior opinions when making these
section of road is C1 - Urban: City and Town. 30mph is the
all this is that, in attempting to make one section of the
important decisions.
standard speed limit for urban areas.”
Wellsway safer, they will actually make the section around
“They have not carried out up-to-date speed checks or traffic
She said that roads suitable for 40mph must have adequate
Uplands even more dangerous. Cars travelling south out of
counts on this section of the road. None of the decision-
footways and crossing places but there is neither in this
Keynsham will naturally accelerate when leaving the 30 limit
makers ever agreed to visit the Wellsway and see it for
stretch. The highways department claims there is ‘limited
and will still be accelerating when they reach the blind bend.
the should
council’s remain
Rachel Stokes with son Adam
Continued on page 2
Also in this week’s issue
Popular Staple Hill store to close . . . page 2
Huge solar farm approved on Marksbury Plain . . . page 3
Pictures from Keynsham Music Festival . . . pages 6 & 7
Speeding up pothole repairs in South Glos . . . page 12