Bath and North East Somerset Council has agreed to look again at what action could be taken to reduce the speed of vehicles around an accident blackspot on the A367/Bath Road junction at the southern end of Peasedown St John. But the Council has said previously that it could not justify spending £582,000 on a scheme to convert the junction into a roundabout, and with the first feasibility study costing £30,000, a further review on what can be done is likely to cost money, too.

Following a report in March this year, which included the results of the £30,000 Feasibility Study, Council transport chiefs said that no action would be taken to invest in further safety measures, such as a roundabout, because ‘the cost of building such a structure and the disruption to traffic during construction far outweigh the traffic and safety necessities.’

Last week, Peasedown St John’s ward councillors, Karen Walker and Sarah Bevan, met with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Tony Clarke, and council officers to discuss the report’s conclusion. Local councillors and villagers have been campaigning for speeds to be reduced and a roundabout or traffic lights to be installed at this junction for around a decade.

Cllr Karen Walker said: “After ten years of waiting to receive the answer from B&NES Council that we did in March, that no action would be taken, was hugely

disappointing. This wasn’t the result, or the closure on this issue, that any of us wanted.”

An agreement was reached at last week’s meeting for a further survey to address what the councillors have labelled as the ‘inaccuracies’ of March’s report. Cllr Sarah Bevan

(Independent, Peasedown) added: “Some of the report’s conclusions are based on questionable data, including vehicle queueing times and numbers of vehicles in those queues. Some serious accidents over five years definitely warrant further investigation.

“I’m encouraged by officers’ and the cabinet member’s agreement on this and look forward to an enhanced report, especially on the confusing signage for speed restrictions at, and on both approaches to, this junction.”

The agreement reached at the meeting was that a further survey will be carried out at this junction to check the consistency, clarity and frequency of 50 mph enforceable speed roundels along the length of this section of the A367, starting at the Prince of Wales roundabout and finishing after the junction under investigation.

A spokesperson for B&NES Council defended the report’s decision this week: “The Council conducted a professional study of the road junction, in response to the ward members’ requests. The report concluded that this site has a relatively low rate of accidents – no more than the national average for this type of junction – and traffic flow performs reasonably well at peak times. Therefore the Council could not justify prioritising £582,000 on this particular scheme.

“However, at a meeting last week with local ward members, the Council has agreed to review the speed limits and signs to ensure consistency and clarity for motorists. This process will take place over the next four weeks.”

Parish Councillors, Lesley Mansell and Jonathan Rich, have also been campaigning for more to be done at the

junction to improve safety, particularly with large housing developments in the planning stages locally and the extra pressures on our roads this could bring. They have been

asking why the report has taken over a year to produce, and referred to the Bradgate Assessment made in 2007, which said improvements would cost £300,000 – and asking why the new, projected cost in the most recent report is so high. Speaking to The Journal this week, Cllr Mansell said: “The important thing is that B&NES has recognised that we feel this is an issue that needs to be addressed, and we are absolutely delighted that they are going to relook at it.”