Residents and community leaders in Peasedown St John have been left feeling disappointed and let down after an important bus service running through their area was axed last month.
The 175, operated by First Bus, ran regular services through Orchard Way – a part of Peasedown St John which provides vehicular access to over 1,000 homes with more than 2,000 people living in that part of the community.
Not only that, but the bus service was the only public transport link between the city of Bath and the Bath Business Park – a thriving business hub which is home to the Sulis Hospital. The award-winning health centre welcomes 400 patients each day and employs around 500 staff.
A new campaign has been launched by local Independent Councillor, Cllr Karen Walker, for a bus service to be reinstated along the route. She said:
“The decision by First Bus to withdraw this important service, which potentially connected thousands of people with their place of work, school, college and other important local links just beggars’ belief!
Orchard Way is one of the main thoroughfares through Peasedown St John and even has designated bus stops, shelters, seats and recently refurbished places for bus users to stand – so to cancel this area’s only bus service after all this investment is an incredibly ill thought-out decision.”
Cllr Karen Walker has been working with the Director of Sulis Hospital, Simon Milner, business leaders, representatives from several local bus companies and Cllr Fiona Gourley, B&NES Council’s Cabinet Project Lead for Sustainable Transport Rural.
Hospital Director, Simon Milner, added:
“Over the last two-and-a-half years Sulis Hospital has taken an incredible 20,000 people off the NHS’ waiting lists, drastically reducing the pressures felt by neighbouring hospitals like the RUH in Bath.
As well as being an NHS partner, we’re also investing money in local NHS services and provision. Anyone who is an NHS patient in England has the right to choose where they receive their hospital care. This includes the option to have treatment at Sulis Hospital.
Without a regular and reliable bus service though to the hospital, people’s access to treatment becomes a lot more difficult. It’s essential that this bus service is reinstated as soon as possible so our services can be made available to everyone who needs them.”
Cllr Karen Walker has been liaising with several local bus companies over the last few weeks to see if any would be willing to run a service through this important route.
Cllr Fiona Gourley, B&NES Council’s Cabinet Project Lead for Sustainable Transport Rural and councillor with the nearby Bathavon South ward which is located right next to Peasedown St John, has written to WECA to inform them that providing a bus service to a hospital as well as a growing employment site in the Somer Valley is a key policy of Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Cllr Karen Walker will be keeping residents updated on the campaign to reinstate a bus service in Orchard Way via her regular e-news updates. People can subscribe by emailing: village_voice@outlook.com
