WORK on a new roundabout for Peasedown St John will start in 2025 after almost 20 years of lobbying.
Funding has now been secured for the project after proposals for a new junction at the southern edge of the village went on display last year.
Councillors, past and present, have been calling for funding to be made available to make radical safety changes to the Bath Road junction with the A367 by-pass, which is a notorious accident blackspot.
Not only will the new roundabout be developed, but a share of £16.5m which has been set aside for projects in the South West will be spent on other transport improvements in the area.
Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Gavin Heathcote, who represent Peasedown on Bath and North East Somerset Council, received news before last May’s local elections that funding had been approved, with work now due to start next year.
Councillor Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) said: “We’re pleased to have secured funding from the new City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement for a roundabout to be built here – it’s fantastic news.
“Residents contact us on a regular basis asking for changes to be made to this junction, it’s still one of the top issues that people talk to us about on the doorstep and at our advice surgeries.
“Cllr Karen Walker and I are thrilled to have helped secure this funding for Peasedown.”
Last year, the campaign was given fresh hope after changes were made to the way funding was allocated to road infrastructure projects.
Councillor Karen Walker (Independent, Peasedown), said: “Instead of local councils, the government now allocates funding for road improvements to regional combined authorities, and here locally that’s the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
“After initially discussing the need for safety improvements at this junction with Mayor Dan Norris, Cllr Gavin Heathcote and I invited WECA staff to Peasedown last year in a new attempt to secure funding for a roundabout at the southern end of our village.”
A total of £16.5 million is being spent on projects across the West of England, with a proportion of that figure being spent in Peasedown St John.
As well as a new roundabout, the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement will pay for (in Peasedown):
The conversion of the bus stops at the top of Keel’s Hill to a Mobility Hub (where people can switch from one form of transport to another, such as bicycle to bus)
Upgrades to the bus stops outside the Red Post Inn
Improvements for cyclists on quiet routes south of Peasedown St John to connect with NCN24, including via Braysdown Lane.
The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement hopes to ‘level up’ regions across the UK, in and around cities like Bath and Bristol, so they have the same provision of public transport services as Greater London does.
Full planning for the roundabout begins this year with works expected to start on the new build in mid-2025. The whole project must be complete by 2027 at the latest.