Kerry McCarthy MP
Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy has written to Mayor George Ferguson, questioning the city council’s traffic scheme for the Crews Hole area and saying she is concerned it may not be the “right solution” to road safety problems.
More than 600 people have now signed an online petition which says that the experimental plan to close Crews Hole Road to eastbound traffic and Beaufort Road/The Avenue to westbound traffic will effectively make everyone use a giant one-way circuit. It highlights the problems that the scheme will cause local residents, businesses and commuters.
Comments include: “(Crews Hole) is a vital road for some to access parts of the city without taking a massive detour, people live and work on this road, making this road one-way will increase traffic on roads already struggling during rush hour.”
Another objector wrote: “The council doesn’t appear to have considered the massive knock-on impact this “experiment” will have.”
A meeting has been called for Wednesday 6th November 6 at 7pm at the Woodwise Academy in Crews Hole Road so that people can meet council officials and members to discuss the scheme.
Kerry McCarthy said this week: “Whilst I welcome measures to address road safety issues and excessive speed on Crews Hole Road and Beaufort Road in St George amongst others, I am concerned that Bristol City Council’s traffic scheme proposals are not the right solution. I have therefore asked the Mayor to clarify a number of points.”
She has asked George Ferguson a raft of questions, including what other measures the council has considered implementing, what were the reasons for selecting this proposal, what the scheme’s objectives are and how are they are going to be measured.
She also asks what assessment has been made of the impact of the proposals on taxi fares, general journey times and emissions on local residents and motorists who drive to Bristol via Crews Hole Road.
She has asked how the council is promoting the consultation and the public meeting on the 6th, who will be attending from the council, whether there will be any other public meetings, and how comments from residents and the public will be assessed.
Ms McCarthy also asks when the deadline is for submissions and whether they will be published in full, and queries under what circumstances the proposals can be rejected or revised, and who the decision maker is.
She says she will publish the response from the Mayor on her website as soon as she receives it.
See the petition at http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/bristol-city-council-stop-crews-hole-road-permanent-eastbound-closure
