UPDATE: 25 MAY 2022
Saltford Parish Council and B&NES Ward Cllrs met with representatives of Wessex Water, the bridge construction team, and B&NES Highways on Tuesday 24 May.
SPC (Cllr Chris Warren, SPC Chair) and Cllr Duncan Hounsell (B&NES Council – Saltford Ward) raised the strong concerns shared by residents of the High Street and challenged the need for ‘no waiting’ along lengths of the High Street for the duration of the works. It was expressed that if parking restrictions were required these would only be needed for access for vehicles larger than a HGV.
Wessex Water subsequently agreed that the TTRO parking restrictions would be used for ‘occasional, ad hoc’ access for larger vehicles between 8am-5pm weekdays only. Wessex Water stated they would contact residents by letter about when the ‘no waiting’ restrictions would be used for this purpose. SPC has since requested Wessex Water indicate what ‘occasionally’ and ‘ad hoc’ will mean for residents in real terms.
Use of the vehicle holding bays was also discussed and agreed. Please find a copy of a letter to residents below from Cllr Hounsell which outlines these outcomes following the meeting. SPC and Ward Cllr Hounsell have subsequently requested that the Mead Lane layby is used only with prior notification from Wessex Water, and that safety at this location is addressed if it is to be used (in light of the narrow bend and the use of this stretch of highway by cyclists to/from the B2B Railway Path).
All resident enquiries about the TTRO and access needs to be made directly to Wessex Water. If you wish to contact Wessex Water please email saltford.access@wessexwater.co.uk
Wessex Water will update their webpage on access through Saltford for the bridge works at www.wessexwater.co.uk/saltfordaccess.
Wessex Water will also be writing a letter to residents following the meeting, and will provide a contact phone number to discuss access matters in due course.
The letter dated 25 May 2022 from Cllr Duncan Hounsell (B&NES Ward Cllr – Saltford Ward) is as follows:
Dear resident,
A temporary no waiting at any time restriction order 2022 (THTTC2877 High Street/Mead Lane, Saltford) was made dated 19th May 2022 operative for 18 months from 10th June following an application by Wessex Water. Note that is normal practice for an order to be made for a span of time within which the works may take place. Wessex Water has stated that this order is to enable the construction of the new bridge access from the A431.
A meeting has now taken place involving the Wessex Water project manager, representatives of the construction team, representatives of Saltford Parish Council, B&NES Highways, and the B&NES ward councillors. Ward and Parish councillors made the arguments expressed to us by residents. After reflection, Wessex Water has written that it intends to keep the TTRO application running but activate it for the following only:
- Ad hoc use for occasional larger vehicles. This would be during working hours only, i.e. 8am – 5pm, not weekends and not bank holidays. Wessex Water will provide residents with written notification of dates as they arise.
- The holding bay at the top of the High Street by Saltford Court – A marshal will be on hand to assist with vehicle access / egress to Saltford Court as necessary.
- Wessex Water will attempt to use Avon Lane as the second staging point in the first instance but reserve the right to use the parking area in Mead Lane on the corner close to the bridge if necessary. Wessex Water is aware that access is required for those with permanent moorings at that location.
Wessex Water will attempt to meet any resident special needs / or concerns during ad hoc shut-downs, provided they are phoned through in advance. The project team will provide a telephone number for contact in due course. Wessex Water will be grateful if residents advise of any known significant deliveries / building works that might affect vehicle movements whilst on site.
The scheme has an email address: saltford.access@wessexwater.co.uk
Information about this scheme can be found at www.wessexwater.co.uk/saltfordaccess. Wessex Water will be updating this web-page soon.
Wessex Water is expected to write to residents in the next couple of weeks confirming all of the above.
Please note that all future communication about your individual concerns or needs must be made directly to Wessex Water which is the only body in a position to respond. You are welcome to copy me in but that will for my awareness only.
Yours faithfully
Cllr Duncan Hounsell – B&NES ward councillor (Saltford ward)
———- EARLIER ARTICLE – 17 MAY AND UPDATED 21 MAY ——
Saltford Parish Council has been notified by B&NES Council (the Highways Authority) of an order detailing ‘no waiting at any time’ restrictions on sections on the High Street as well as ‘construction traffic holding points’ on the High Street and Mead Lane. Please find a copy of the order here and below.
The order is required due to works at the Wessex Water Saltford Water Recycling Centre site on Mead Lane, to allow the passage of construction traffic and the use of holding bays for construction traffic.
The works will enable the construction of a new bridge, giving access to Wessex Water vehicles from the A431 over the River Avon. This bridge – once built – will significantly reduce the volume of heavy vehicles needing to access Saltford via the High Street and Mead Lane. The order is operative from 10 June 2022 for a maximum period of 18 months.
Saltford Parish Council is aware of traffic flow issues and the possible impact of the order particularly on residents of High Street and Mead Lane, and requested further information from B&NES Council’s Traffic Management Team. This included information about any impact on parking on the High Street; visibility concerns particularly for cyclists leaving the cycle path by the B2B Railway Path bridge (due to the construction traffic holding point in the bay at Mead Lane); and resident access and parking in the bay at Mead Lane.
Saltford Parish Council and B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell have subsequently discussed the notice, with Cllr Hounsell contacting Wessex Water on 11th May requesting on behalf of residents more detailed information about Wessex Water’s plans.
Both Cllr Hounsell and SPC have asked Wessex Water to provide clearly accessible information detailing where the ‘no waiting at any time’ locations are intended to be (i.e. a map, further to the text of the order), and information on when and how frequently they are intended to be used and what this may mean for residents who park at these locations. A request was also made for contact details at Wessex Water for Saltford residents to use, should any issues arise or any local events planned where the order may be problematic.
Cllr Hounsell and SPC have also raised to the attention of Wessex Water safety concerns regarding the section of highway adjacent to the Mead Lane parking bay (a known accident hot spot, where Cllr Hounsell asked for ‘SLOW’ road markings and SPC requested better signage – both requests were installed by B&NES Council in recent months), and asked how long both the ‘construction traffic holding points’ will be used for and how regularly.
Wessex Water have confirmed that they are discussing this matter. A meeting will take place between SPC, B&NES Ward Cllrs, B&NES Highways and Wessex Water the week commencing 23 May. Any information following the meeting will be shared with residents as soon as possible via SPC’s website and social media.
Please also see this letter from Cllr Duncan Hounsell for residents (dated 17 May) which Cllr Hounsell hand-delivered on Tuesday 17 May to keep High Street residents up-to-date prior to the meeting taking place.
Wessex Water have since apologised for the concern caused by the publication of the TTRO and states that they would have preferred to have contacted residents prior to its publication by B&NES Council (the Highways Authority). Wessex Water have posted letters to residents as received on 21 May, see ‘High Street and Mead Lane, Saltford – Temporary Traffic Restriction Order letter’ for its contents.
Wessex Water have stated that they will write to residents again with ‘further information on how they intend to proceed with a workable solution’. Following the meeting mentioned above and the information shared subsequently, if residents have any further specific concerns about the proposed traffic restrictions on the High Street and Mead Lane please email Wessex Water’s project team at: saltford.access@wessexwater.co.uk
Please find on SPC’s news page related news articles:
Footpaths temporarily closed by Saltford Water Recycling Centre (Wessex Water site) dated 3rd May
Update from Wessex Water: Saltford water recycling centre – access improvement work from 3 February
B&NES Council approves Wessex Water planning application – inc. new bridge over the River Avon dated 16 December 2021.