A Peasedown St John Councillor’s campaign to see traffic and safety improvements installed in a busy street in her village has paid off.
Senior Independent Councillor, Cllr Karen Walker, has been lobbying local and central government for several years for much needed funding for Ashgrove – a busy thoroughfare in her community.
Cllr Karen Walker said: “Ashgrove is one of the busiest streets in Peasedown St John. It’s on a major bus route connecting Bath with the rest of Somerset, there are thousands of vehicle movements per day, and residents use the street often to access local shops, amenities, churches and the village primary school.”
Last year it was announced by WECA, the West of England Combined Authority (the regional body the government allocates transport and highways funding too), that Ashgrove would be included in the new ‘Somer Valley Links’ project. Now run by B&NES Council, the initiative has finally come to fruition with major improvements being planned for this Autumn.
Changes being introduced in Ashgrove, Peasedown St John, include:
– New zebra crossing installed near St Joseph’s Catholic Church
– A new bus shelter on the south-bound side of the road
– New cycle stands
– Speed bumps to slow down traffic
– The narrowing of the junction at the top of Keel’s Hill (to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross)
Cllr Karen Walker added:
“I welcome this much needed funding for Peasedown St John. I’ve been lobbying B&NES Council and WECA for several years for such improvements to be made.
I’m grateful to all the residents who’ve contacted me over the years asking for traffic and safety, and public transport, improvements for Ashgrove.”
Somer Valley Links is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and was previously led by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA), within the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) programme.
The works to implement the changes will take place this autumn. Karen will be keeping residents updated on the progress via her monthly e-newsletter updates. Residents can subscribe by emailing village_voice@outlook.com
