First Bus have agreed to revisit their decision to re-route the 173 bus from Chilcompton Road to Silver Street following opposition from local residents. Ward Councillors for Midsomer Norton Redfield Ward, Paul Myers and Chris Watt, immediately got in touch with First Bus after being contacted by local resident, Chris Smith.

The changes stem from First Bus’s plans to convert bus services 172, 173 and 174 (Bath-Peasedown-Radstock-Midsomer Norton-Paulton-Wells) to a double-decker operation; providing more capacity on this busy corridor.

However, due to the current route of the 173 service, which goes under the low bridge in Fry’s Well, Chilcompton, there was a need to avoid this route, and so it was decided by First Bus to totally re-route via Silver Street. As a Commercial Bus route there was no requirement to consult.

Local resident, Chris Smith, has campaigned against the change and raised a petition with over 300 names on it. “I live off Chilcompton Road in Midsomer Norton and the 173 is a lifeline for me to and from Bath and Wells and to get to local shops.

“The consequence of First’s decision, with no consultation with local bus users, was that residents from the three bus stops along Chilcompton Road in Midsomer Norton between Redfield Road and the Somerset border would no longer have a direct bus to Bath.

“The first thing we knew was when I was on the bus with a friend and the driver overheard us saying that we would be going to Wells. He said: ‘You’d better hurry up, because the 173 won’t be running past here after the end of April’. I immediately started a petition and contacted my B&NES Ward Councillor”.

For the large number of elderly residents, parents, schoolchildren and people travelling to work who rely on the 173 along Chilcompton Road and Hillside, the alternatives put forward by First Bus were not realistic. They would need to walk to Redfield Road to catch service 172, which will not be changing. A limited bus service between these stops and the town centre would continue to be provided by Council-supported service 82 on Mondays to Fridays but this is very limited. Also, whilst Midsomer Norton Dial-a-Ride provides an excellent service in the area, it has to be booked 48 hours in advance.

Cllr Paul Myers explained: “Following meetings with local residents affected, I am not surprised at the strength of local feeling, given how important the route is to local people, and so I recently met with First Bus to ask them to consider taking the route up through Chilcompton”.

Following these discussions last week, First Bus have agreed to work with B&NES and Mendip to look at overhanging trees with a view to avoiding the change of route away from Chilcompton Road.