The South Glos Post

A new group is to be created to tackle the growing problem of traffic in the Severnside area.

Campaigners are to approach major local employers about joining the group in an effort to bring together business, the council and members of the wider community.

Efforts to set up the group are being led by the Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr Sheila Cook, newly-elected MP for the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency, Jack Lopresti and local Pilning resident, Robert Griffin, in response to residents’ growing concerns about the impact of rapid development in the Severnside area.

Not only is the Western Approach Distribution Centre near Severn Beach expanding rapidly thanks to a 1957 planning consent, but the Avonmouth/Severnside area is fast becoming a centre for waste disposal. The waste company, Sita, has recently submitted a planning application for an ‘energy recovery centre’ within South Gloucestershire, which, if approved, would generate further traffic movements.

The ultimate goal of the group is to see a new junction built on the M49 motorway – potentially funded by the growth in business rates that is almost certain to result from ongoing development in the area.

The Council’s Core Strategy – which is currently out for consultation – reaffirms its commitment to pushing for a new M49 junction, as well as other local road changes, such as a new spine road which it is anticipated could eventually become the realigned A403 – part of which has already been constructed.

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Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

Conservative councillor for Almondsbury, Sheila Cook, has welcomed the completion of a major improvement scheme at the M5 Junction 17 roundabout following a long-running campaign.

Designed to improve traffic flow, the scheme’s completion comes after Cllr Cook met regularly with the Mall and highways engineers to push for action to address commuters’ concerns about the junction during peak periods.

She said:

“I promised residents that I would push for action to improve this junction and so I met with the Mall and traffic engineers regularly to discuss this issue.

I am really pleased this Mall-funded scheme has been completed, along with the much-needed resurfacing of Blackhorse Hill, because this will be of real benefit to local people travelling from the Almondsbury, Easter Compton and Pilning directions.

A combination of the roundabout widening, improvements to the box junction lining, and a review of the existing traffic lights’ timings should allow significantly better flow of local traffic onto the un-signalled part of the junction.”

She added:

“There is still a lot of debate locally about whether the left-hand only lane should be reintroduced from the B4055 onto the M5 northbound and so I am encouraged that traffic engineers will monitor the situation now that improvements have been completed.”

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council