4:55pm Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Alexandra Womack
A MAJOR transport scheme linking South Gloucestershire with Bristol City centre is one step closer after winning approval from the local authority.
South Gloucestershire Council’s ruling cabinet gave the green light to plans for a £200million rapid transport network at a meeting last week.
It will consist of a high-speed link between Bristol and South Gloucestershire including one branch from Aztec West through Bradley Stoke, Stoke Gifford, Harry Stoke and Coldharbour Lane and a second from Emersons Green past Hambrook.
The Aztec West route has now been extended to start at Cribbs Causeway. Both routes will go along the M32 to Bristol city centre.
The project, in conjunction with Bristol City Council and the West of England Partnership, is being seen as a new chapter in transport in the region. It is also a move away from plans for a tram linking Bristol and South Gloucestershire, which was scrapped in 2004 and cost South Gloucestershire Council £800,000.
Transport chief Cllr Brian Allinson (Con, Stoke Gifford) said: "We are still living with the legacy of the failed tram project six years ago, but the recent cabinet approval of the North Fringe to Hengrove rapid transit scheme is more proof of our determination to turn a new chapter on transport in the West of England based around positive partnership working with our neighbouring authorities.
"The approved scheme also reflects much of the feedback we received during our recent consultation.
"For instance, many residents told us that they would be more likely to use the proposed service if it ran to Cribbs Causeway and so we went away, looked at the potential benefits and costs and found a way to make it do-able."
He added: "Against an incredibly tough public spending backdrop, we will continue to work flat out to deliver the sort of transport improvements that really should have happened during the years of plenty."
Bristol City Council has yet to give its approval to the project. A bid will then be submitted to the Government.
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