Cllr Duncan Hounsell at the WECA scrutiny meeting
By Lucy Frost
LESSONS need to be learned from the A4 cycle path roadworks, after Saltford residents “felt trapped”, a local councillor has said.
Saltford Lib Dem Cllr Duncan Hounsell has urged the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to learn lessons from the delayed construction of a cycle path between Keynsham and Saltford ahead of future transport plans on the A4.
WECA says the path, which runs between Pixash Lane and Grange Road, was built by housing association Curo, not the authority, as part of wider A4 improvements linked to its 208-home development.
Work to create wider pedestrian and cycle lanes alongside the A4 began in September 2025 and was expected to last 35 weeks, but was only completed at the end of this summer.
Speaking at a WECA scrutiny meeting, Cllr Hounsell said the scheme suffered lengthy delays which caused major congestion on the A4.
He said: “Saltford residents felt trapped, local businesses such as Flourish suffered significant loss of trade, buses were delayed and eventually rerouted, and this vital highway link between Bath and Bristol was gridlocked with costs to the economy in our region.
“The saga had a severely negative effect on people’s perception of WECA as an organisation capable of managing such a project and increased cynicism about the aims of active travel.”
Cllr Hounsell explained that he fully supported WECA’s aim to facilitate walking, cycling, and public transport, but called for “better public communication on a regular basis”.
He asked the scrutiny panel to “satisfy yourselves that the future planned works on the A4 at this location are managed in a way that minimises disruption at all times of the working day”.
Paul Castle, managing director of Flourish, described WECA’s communication as “diabolical”.
He said: “The disruption to our business was horrendous, a loss of income and a loss of jobs, 30 to 40 min tailbacks were the norm.
“We couldn’t get deliveries in, staff were often late. All in all there was no consideration or recourse for small business. We are still reeling from the huge loss of income.”
The comments come as further A4 transport improvements are planned for the area.
A consultation on the plans ran until September 22 2026. All feedback is being analysed and a summary will be published once complete.
Responding to Cllr Hounsell at the scrutiny meeting, a spokesperson for WECA said his comments would help inform project management for future transport schemes.
A spokesperson said: “While WECA is not responsible for these works or the associated traffic management, it recognises the concerns raised and are taking these experiences into account for any future improvements along the A4.
“A detailed construction programme will be confirmed once a contractor has been appointed, with work between Broadmead Roundabout and Bath expected to be delivered in phases from May 2027 with the aim to minimise disruption while improvements are delivered.”
A spokesperson fro Curo said: “Work to improve the A4’s cycle infrastructure was required by B&NES as part of the planning permission for the Withies Green development.
“The works were organised according to council highways advice, and we’re pleased that they operated safely throughout, allowing two-way traffic flow for a significant proportion. We listened to residents and businesses during the project, which led us to make improvements, including to the management of pedestrian crossings. With works of this scale though, unfortunately some disruption is unavoidable.
“The next stage of the project is due to start in the new year. It’s complex, with many underground services potentially affected. We’ve been planning this carefully with utilities providers, so we can work as efficiently as possible, and will offer residents more information about these plans shortly”.