A main road running through Peasedown St John is to have its own permanent bus service thanks to a campaign led by local Bath and North East Somerset councillors.

Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) have been lobbying the council’s transport department since last summer to ensure that residents living near Orchard Way in Peasedown had a permanent, long-term solution to accessing public transport.

From April 6, the 522 bus service, which usually serves Bath Road and Ashgrove in another part of Peasedown, will be re-routed so this popular hourly service will now serve Orchard Way from Monday-Saturday each week.

Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Gavin Heathcote said : “Orchard Way, which provides vehicular access to over 1,000 homes, has had a temporary bus service since last September when the D2x was re-routed from its usual Frome to Bath route along the A36 via Limpley Stoke, due to temporary road works.

“This was always going to end though, so we’ve been keen to secure a permanent solution to a lack of bus services in this part of Peasedown St John.

“Don’t worry though. The well-used Bath Road and Ashgrove route will still be the usual home for the 171, 172, 173 and 174 buses. Those four buses will continue to serve Peasedown’s main shopping area on a regular basis all day and throughout the week.”

The new permanent 522 bus service for Orchard Way will also serve the Bath Business Park and in particular Sulis Hospital, meaning that the hundreds of staff who work in the vicinity can now access their place of employment via public transport.

Newly revised and updated bus timetables will be placed at all bus stops in Peasedown St John at the beginning of April.

Timetables for the village’s regular bus services can be found online at www.firstbus.co.uk.