New roundabout to be built at traffic blackspot
THE prospect of ever worsening gridlock in and around Severnside has drawn closer after councillors backed a new roundabout at one of the district's most congested traffic blackspots.
Planning chiefs protested they had no choice but to approve the scheme for the traffic island at the top of Blackhorse Hill in Compton Greenfield.
It will form the main access point to Bristol Zoo's proposed National Wildlife and Conservation Park, the £50million visitor attraction tipped to attract up to 600,000 visitors a year.
The roundabout will be only 100 yards from already overloaded junction 17 of the M5 and close to Bristol Golf Club, the Cribbs Causeway retail centre and a huge new distribution park set to take shape on farmland at Easter Compton.
Development watchdogs were unhappy with the zoo's access plans but faced an even worse outcome if they rejected the roundabout proposal.
Officers warned that under its 41-year-old planning consent, there was nothing to prevent the zoo from creating an even more undesirable T-junction access at the same location.
"We are between a rock and a hard place - damned if we do and damned if we don't, " said Cllr Howard Gawler.
"People don't want this scheme at all but the consent is there and it's legal. A roundabout would at least make things safer than a T-junction."
There were snorts of incredulity from the public gallery when council highways officer Martin Crawford told the meeting: "The Highways Agency has looked at all the options and this is the best from their point of view. They are comfortable with the proposal."
Ironically, the person whose home will be closest to the new access is local Almondsbury ward councillor Sheila Cook.
Declaring a personal interest, she said the scheme would impact heavily on the already clogged motorway junction and on villagers in Easter Compton and Pilning and other communities in the locality, particularly with the development of the former Redrow land between Easter Compton and Pilning.
"The volume of traffic is excessive at the best of times," said Cllr Cook. "We are looking at possible traffic tsunami at junction 17 which will spill out over neighbouring roads and villages."
Another resident, Peter Maggs, said: "Siting a roundabout within 100 yards of an already overloaded motorway junction is frankly ridiculous."
Cllr Clare Fardell said: "This consent was given more than 40 years ago when The Mall had not been thought of. We can only hope that the horrors we suspect are coming do not actually materialise.
South Gloucestershire councillors have already indicated broad support for the conservation-led "eco park" on the 136-acre former Hollywood Tower Estate. Detailed plans for the attraction are expected to be lodged with the council this year.
1:26pm Friday 28th March 2008
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