Local residents have until Sunday (30th October) to comment on South Gloucestershire Council’s plans to close a section of Highwood Road to general traffic.
The proposals represent the detailed implementation of a condition in the planning consent for the new Charlton Hayes development that required Highwood Road be converted into a single carriageway between the Standing Stone Roundabout (near The Mall) and ‘The Boulevard’ (entrance to Charlton Hayes near the HMC Garage).
A ‘reserved matters’ planning application for the scheme, approved in February 2011, established the following features of the scheme:
- Creation of parkland on the southern carriageway of Highwood Road, with landscaped areas (including tree planting), grass, paved areas, benches and informal vehicular access to the properties in Charlton Hayes (from the ‘side streets’), as well as pedestrian routes and a cycleway.
- Conversion of the northern carriageway of Highwood Road into a dedicated bus lane with ‘fast’ commuter cycleways in both directions.
Full details of the proposed scheme are available on the ‘Patchway – Highwood Road‘ page of the SGC website. The plans may also be inspected in the foyer of the Patchway Town Council Offices.
See also the Patchway Journal’s interactive map of the Highwood Road – Proposed Traffic Management Changes and SGC’s design principles plan.
The Highwood Road ‘linear park’ scheme is a key feature of SGC’s objective of “integrating the two Patchway communities” and has been an integral part of the Charlton Hayes planning application from the concept statement stage, according to a council Transportation Officer.
“The minimal traffic access will effectively eliminate any perception of severance between the existing and emerging developments,”
added the officer in his consultation response to the original planning application.
Planning officers have acknowledged that there will be “some effect on the amenity of residents of Sycamore Drive”, as they will no longer be able to access Highwood Road directly and will have to drive around Coniston Road instead.
Residents attending the September meeting of Patchway Town Council were assured that they would still be able to turn right out of Coniston Road in order to access The Mall. In response to concerns that Coniston Road could become a ‘rat run’ for traffic leaving The Mall, Town Clerk Lucy Hamid informed the residents that SGC had plans to introduce traffic calming measures on Coniston Road and would monitor the situation for the first few months after the Highwood Road changes have been implemented.
SGC has said that the majority of the work to implement the scheme will take place “after Christmas”, although preparatory work has been underway since August.
Related link: Charlton Hayes, Patchway, Bristol (The Journal)
DON,T DO IT, WHY BREAK SOMETHINK THAT,S WORKS IF YOU WANT GREEN AREA THERE,S LOADS OF IT YOUR BUILDING HOUSE,S ON IT. GO AND STICK YOUR HOUSE,S SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY, TO MANY ROUND HERE ALREADY . OR PUT YOUR NICE GARDENS AND BUS LANES IN THE MIDDLE OF IT , IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME PATCHWAY GET,S SOMETHING, YOU TAKE MORE AWAY, THIS ROAD BEEN HERE AS LONG AS I CAN REMENBER BACK AS AKID SO LEAVE IT ALONE IT DOSE,NT NEED ANYMORE CHANGES. THANKS ROYS AUTOS,,,, P.S ALSO MY CAR LOT IS BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, THANKS ALOT MATE LOOKS LIKE I BE SELLING PUSH BIKES HA HA
KEEP ONE LANE UP AND DOWN FOR CARS AND THE OTHER FOR A BUS LANE YOU DON,T NEED TO CLOSE IT OFF, PUT YOUR PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE,S ESTATE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF THIS AREA ITS NOT BROKE AND IT DONT NEED FIXING THANKS ROYS AUTOS PATCHWAY
they can’t leave both lanes open they are building there rabbit hutches to close to the road, so they have to ripe it up and give “Charlton Hayes” something nice to look at, they don’t care that it puts the rest of Patchway and the surrounding area to great inconvenience, just so long as the new comers have something green to look at!!!
I hope we are all looking forward to driving around Coniston Road to get anywhere.
It seems as though access straight down to patchway roundabout has been taken from those in sycamore and bay tree close etc and give to those in charlton hayes. It takes the mick especially for those who frequently travel in the direction of aztec west as it will add extra travel time and petrol having to go around coniston everyday.
The picture at the top of this item says it all . On the left the “consultation sign giving you the opportunity to have your say on this proposal. On the right the traffic signs informing motorists of road works. As the work on the road closure had already begun.
Lucy Hammed states that traffic calming measure will be introduced to Coniston Road, someone should tell her they already exist. There are speed ramps in place along stretches of Coniston road which make navigating this road interesting when coupled with the car parking on the
road side. Add to this the increase in traffic using Coniston and the fact that it is the only bus route still open in Patchway the future for Coniston Road residents is looking bleak.