THE West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has insisted that proposed 24-hour bus lanes on the Keynsham bypass have been scrapped, despite concern that the scheme may still be on the cards.
Speculation was fuelled when a resident saw contractors working in Keynsham Memorial Park.
Nick Norris contacted local councillors to say: “They are currently surveying it – to use the words of the workmen undertaking the survey ‘ready for the bus lane’.”
There have been discussions in the past about using part of the park as a transport hub, in connection with the previously proposed bypass bus lanes, and that such a hub could include a cycle path through the park.
The Voice understands that the contractors were digging in various areas of the park, some of them alongside the bypass, to test the ground for its stability.
The work has included sinking holes eight metres deep to test the ground for water content. The Voice understands that evidence of further buried remains of Keynsham Abbey may be a factor in deciding the ground’s suitability to support a structure such as a potential cycle path.
Councillor Alan Hale contacted Metro Mayor Helen Godwin, leader of WECA, to ask for an explanation after the resident raised concerns that a bus lane on each side of the bypass was still under consideration.
He said: “This is contrary to what you told me at the time of the mayoral elections where I understood the idea to be dead and buried.
“Keynsham Memorial Park is part of the Keynsham Conservation Area and should not be abused by a traffic hub that would require the removal of well-established mature trees and hedgerow.
“Can you please as a matter of urgency confirm or deny that the four-lane Keynsham Bypass is at risk and indeed the sanctity of the Memorial Park and the conservation area?”
But a spokesperson for WECA told us: “The previous proposals for this section of the A4 will not go ahead. Officers have been tasked with developing alternative options for local people to consider and have their say on in 2026. These proposals have yet to be finalised.
“On-site survey work is taking place to help understand potential new ways to increase public transport options for the area, in line with the position consistently set out by the Mayor.
“This design work is still ongoing, in partnership with local councils, so was not included in the recent consultation about other parts of the transport corridor between Bath and Bristol.”
The spokesperson said that in emails to residents about the subject since November, Helen Godwin had stated: “Following careful consideration, the proposed 24-hour bus lanes on the Keynsham bypass are not going ahead.
“The previous proposals have not been taken forward into this round of consultation, which essentially looks at the ends of the A4 either side of Keynsham. I have asked officers from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to revise the ideas, and we will go back out to consult when these are acceptable.”
In his message to councillors about the work in the Memorial Park, Nick Norris said: “We will of course be told that this is just a preliminary survey pending ‘public consultation’ but as they have already surveyed for the initial consultation, the only conclusion I can draw is that the decision has already been made.
“They have consulted on the road developments either end of the bypass, so clearly they intend to significantly modify the bypass to join up the ends (Saltford and Brislington).”
