Residents across the area were viewing the latest plans for Radstock's Regeneration on the former GWR Railway land last week, prior to the outline planning application for housing being submitted by NRR and Linden Homes. A manned exhibition was held at Radstock Workingmen's Club last Wednesday, with the information boards being moved into Radstock Library for the rest of the working week.
The scheme proposes the redevelopment of eighteen acres of railway land, which has been closed off to the public and left to grow wild for a number of years whilst plans have stalled and previous development partners have walked away. B&NES Council have been stepping up their efforts for the regeneration plans to begin, with the removal of the oak tree in the centre of Radstock to make way for the new road scheme and the recent announcement that the Victoria Hall is to become an Arts Centre for the community, run by Radstock business, the Susan Hill School of Dancing.
Following the community information event held last week, there will be the opportunity for residents to make their comments on the application, due to be submitted by Linden Homes and NRR later this month, which could see up to 210 homes built, a minimum of 25% of these affordable housing. Work on the road scheme is expected to begin in autumn this year.
The exhibition stated a need to give Radstock a new heart and to connect aspects of the town which are cut off by a busy road network. The revised highways scheme includes a 20mph limit across the town centre, with the intention to make it more pedestrian friendly, with four new crossings planned and wider pavements.
Two way traffic along Frome Road will remain, and the double mini roundabouts on the A367/Frome Road will also stay. The mini roundabout at the top of The Street (previous site of oak tree) is still planned, with an HGV ban on the new link road which will go past the Victoria Hall, in an attempt to address concerns that heavy traffic movement past the building could damage it. Right turn manoeuvres will now be permitted out of Church Road, and traffic will move Northbound along Fortescue Road as planned.
The scheme wants to attract more employers and businesses to the town, with the potential for commercial and retail fronting onto Frome Road and also on the new street close to Victoria Hall. There are proposals for a new square with limited parking, which would connect Frome Road to Fortescue Road for pedestrians. The plans also plan to link up with the current cyclepath, so that it would run along the former rail line corridor, parts of which will be retained, with Fox Hill, at the southern end of the site, managed for habitat conservation and recreation. A footbridge to St Nicholas Junior School and riverside footpath are also proposed.
The outline plans include the refurbishment of the former railway shed (The Brunel Shed). To the disappointment of the railway enthusiasts, who would like to see either a proper working line to Frome or a heritage railway set up on the site, it was listed at the exhibition for community or commercial use.
The Shed is a source of debate, as over the years it has become the regular roosting point for serotine, pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats, who use the river corridor to their advantage. With all roosts legally protected, this could be somewhat of a headache for those wishing to see the shed returned to its former glory days. Surveys of the site have shown that there is no evidence of the bats hibernating in the shed, so any work would need to take place during this time when they are not in residence.
The former railway turntable and lengths of the railway line will be kept as local historic features, but railway supporters are calling on the development to be made sustainable by inviting tourism to the site in the form of a heritage railway, which could tie up with Radstock's thriving Museum.
B&NES Highways Department admit that this is a heavily congested area, but maintain that journey time savings through the town during the evening peak will see a five minute time saving travelling North to South along New Bath Road to Wells Road, but no change from South to North. From Somervale Road to Frome Road in both directions, there is a claimed time saving of two minutes.
Radstock Action Group were last week looking at the highways scheme that was adopted in the heavily congested market town of Poynton, Cheshire, where accidents were rife and pedestrians overwhelmed by heavy goods vehicles and the sheer volume of traffic travelling at speed. The area was redesigned using 'gateways', which bring traffic and pedestrians into a shared space with no traffic lights, slower speeds and no pavements. The old pavement areas were widened, so traffic was brought down to single lanes, and the traffic filtered through in turn. Whilst being extremely disruptive whilst it was put in, once established, the traffic was found to move in a continuous flow at low speed and results saw drivers more considerate and aware of the pedestrians around them. Could this be our Highways of the future?
Councillor Paul Crossley, Leader of B&NES Council, said: "The Council and NRR would like to thank everyone who visited the exhibition to find out more about the plans. The feelings toward the proposals were overwhelmingly positive. Local people had strong views on wanting action on more homes for their community, new jobs, and a less congested road network, which is exactly what these plans are intended to achieve."