BATH residents are coming together to raise funds for a legal challenge aimed at reopening Sydney Road to through traffic, following its closure as part of the council's liveable neighbourhoods scheme.

Sydney Road was closed to through traffic in April as part of Bath and North East Somerset Council's (B&NES) liveable neighbourhoods programme, which aims to improve safety and encourage walking and cycling.

However, the scheme has faced criticism from those who argue it redirects traffic to surrounding roads, potentially increasing risks elsewhere.

In August, the Lower Lansdown liveable neighbourhood was blocked after the council did not contest a legal challenge from neighbours who warned it would dangerously push traffic past children’s schools.

Now people are aiming to raise £5,000 to bring a similar challenge against the Sydney Road liveable neighbourhood before it can be made permanent.

So far, £1,660 has been raised. The fundraiser, hosted on gofundme.com, claims: “The New Sydney Place LTN in Bath is deeply unpopular with surrounding residents and is likely to reduce safety and increase congestion by diverting traffic onto less safe boundary roads.

“However, B&NES may have made a fatal error. By not publishing an adequate statement of reasons setting out the aims of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO)

“We need funds to raise this challenge, and to cover B&NES costs if we aren’t successful — the reason for this appeal. Any funds not used will be donated to Dorothy House.”

Neil McCabe, who started the fundraiser, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “On a personal basis the impact is small but annoying. I’m more focused on the fact that it results in reduced safety and increased pollution and congestion by pushing traffic onto less safe roads.”

In July, people from nearby roads attended a full meeting of Bath and North East Somerset Council to warn of the impact of the scheme on nearby roads. Alan Morely, who lives near the bottom of North Road which joins the A36 just before Sydney Road, said: “As a result of the closure, we now have more traffic queueing in front of our houses, particularly during school runs.”

But at an earlier council meeting in May, people from Sydney Road and Sydney Place praised the scheme. Mary Allan, who lives on Sydney Place, said: “We have been freed from the tyranny of the motor vehicle. Restricting through traffic has proved the only way to achieve this.”