Request for Manor Road ‘lane’ to close to vehicular traffic moves a step closer – £20k budgeted by B&NES

In recent months Saltford Parish Council, working together with Saltford B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell, have been in communication with B&NES Council (the Highways Authority) to close Manor Road ‘lane’ to vehicle traffic. This is with a view to create a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders as well as to encourage and aid ‘active travel’.

Manor Road ‘lane’ (running parallel to Montague Road) in Saltford forms the original route towards Keynsham from Saltford prior to the Manor Lawns estate being built in the late 20th century. The narrow, historic lane is used by many walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It is also open for use by vehicular traffic (20mph), although it is not permitted for HGV use.

(Manor Road ‘lane’ as accessed from Montague Road, if travelling in the direction from Keynsham. The 20mph roundel was recently repainted at SPC’s request due to concerns about high vehicle speeds and ‘rat running’ at this location)

Currently there is minimal space for a vehicle to pass other users on the narrow lane. There are no pavements for the entire lane nor dedicated places of refuge. Manor Road ‘lane’ is also used by some motorists as a ‘rat run’ when there are traffic issues in other parts of the village, which has added to SPC’s safety and access concerns, especially as it is not possible for two vehicles to pass each other on the majority of this stretch of highway. Most light vehicle traffic journeys in this part of the village (e.g. by cars) use Montague Road which runs parallel with Manor Road ‘lane’.

(Photo shows Manor Road lane looking towards the direction of Keynsham, at its junction with Longwood Lane. The houses on the right are accessed from Montague Road)

(Photo shows a car on Manor Road lane, demonstrating the narrow dimensions of the lane coupled with limited safe refuge for pedestrians and other users).

Following SPC’s request to B&NES Council in July 2023 (as resolved at SPC’s July 2023 meeting) and the request of B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell, SPC and B&NES Ward Councillors were informed by B&NES Council’s Highways Team that the first step was for the proposal to go on B&NES Council’s Transport Improvement Programme (TIP) list for formal consideration.

In January 2024, it was confirmed that the scheme had been included on the draft TIP list for 2024/25. Further, SPC and Saltford’s B&NES Ward Councillors welcomed B&NES Council including £20,000 in its 2024/25 Local Highway Improvement Programme budget for the proposal.

The final step in the decision making process following the request is the requirement of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). A TRO is the statutory legal document necessary to support any enforceable traffic or highway measure. Information about Traffic Regulation Orders, including the process involved, is clearly explained on B&NES Council’s website.

A public consultation must form part of the TRO process. The consultation will take into account design detail. For instance, the closure of Manor Road ‘lane’ in Saltford would have an exemption for walking, wheeling, cycling and horses, but use by agricultural vehicles may form part of the consultation.

The precise location of the road closure would also form part of the TRO consultation process. SPC has suggested a draft start and end point (indicatively What3Words ///radio.translated.spun to c. ///cheat/hers/names) as annotated in blue on the marked map, but would look for guidance from B&NES Highways as to the specific start and end points. This would be in addition to consideration of any other consultation information coupled with resident views expressed to SPC prior to resolving any response to a TRO consultation.

(This annotated map produced by SPC shows a blue line indicatively marking where the road closure on Manor Road ‘lane’ could start and end. This map was used by SPC when requesting the scheme to B&NES Council in July 2023).

SPC has received confirmation that the consultation on the proposed closure of Manor Road ‘lane’, as a scheme on the Transport Improvement Programme (TIP), would not be linked to B&NES Council’s TRO parking programme for Keynsham and Saltford which tends to take place annually (the next annual parking TRO is immediately imminent). Instead, SPC welcomes that the scheme can be a stand-alone TRO consultation.

Once the TRO consultation opens, SPC will raise awareness of it via its website and social media, along with other communication channels if possible (e.g. SCAN page etc). Residents are encouraged by SPC to respond directly to B&NES Council’s consultations.

The Manor Road ‘lane’ TRO consultation will also be clearly listed on an upcoming SPC agenda. SPC’s full council meetings usually take place on the first Tuesday of each month (bar August), with the agenda published on SPC’s website and noticeboard by the Thursday preceding the meeting date. Please see the ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page for more information. Residents are welcome to attend SPC’s full council meetings, and are permitted to speak during ‘Public Time’ on any agenda item that SPC will be making a decision about. Please see SPC’s Public Engagement Guidelines for more information about speaking at SPC meetings. Residents are welcome to stay to listen to Councillors discuss an item, prior to the Council resolving its decision.

For updates on SPC news and activity, including consultations that SPC is looking to respond to, please keep an eye on SPC’s agendas (and minutes for information about decisions resolved). If not already, please consider joining the 1000+ other members of the public who follow Saltford Parish Council on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). If social media is not for you, SPC’s latest Facebook posts can be viewed on the right-hand bar of our website.