Controversial changes suggested to the north Bristol road network have been unveiled today as part of a new Council consultation.

The consultation runs from Monday, 4th February to Sunday, 10th March 2019, and it is available to view and respond to online at awb://www.bristol.gov.uk/a4018improvements or attend special drop-in sessions to be held at Henbury and Westbury branch libraries. Details of the scheduled dates can be found on the website.

In this draft, engineers rely heavily on the latest technology at new pedestrian crossing points and lights to better manage traffic. There are also several new 24-hour dedicated bus lanes. In addition steps have been taken to tackle historic rat-runs through Westbury Village and Brentry Lane.

One particular highlight of the new proposals is the scrapping of previous proposals that would have bus lanes installed from the Crow Lane roundabout northwards towards Cribbs Causeway. This decision, after repeated lobbying by local Councillors, ends the threat of traffic having to back up all the way to the motorway due to the newly restricted road space.

Some of the new proposals are actually quite welcome:
- Greater provision for cyclists, 
- Traffic calming measures on Brentry Lane,
- A new crossing from Dragonswell Road over Passage Road 
- The retention of existing capacity for all road users at the Crow Lane roundabout,

I repeat - some of this transport plan is fine - however others are deeply troubling. In particular I am alarmed by absurd plans to ban turning at critical junctions, especially an idea to prohibit right turns off Passage Road into Knole Lane and introducing no-left turning from Henbury Hill onto Falcondale Road.

There are far too many turnings and junctions being closed off which will make driving around this part of Bristol a confusing and frustrating experience. Henbury & Brentry would find themselves simply cut-off and isolated by a deliberate maze of restrictions and new one-way residential side streets.

Traffic planners also seem to have ignored our repeated lobbying to upgrade the Crow Lane/Henbury Road junction by installing a mini-roundabout there to cope with very heavy traffic volumes on this section of our road system.

I would urge local residents to take part in this consultation and make their views known over these proposals which are just not good enough and extremely disappointing after such a long wait in their preparation.

Too many of the Councils plans are not in the best interests of local residents and need to be redrawn and remodelled. As they stand, they are not fit for purpose and are unacceptable.

**The Council's consultation documents are below**

TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION PLEASE GO TO: https://bristol.citizenspace.com/growth-regeneration/a4018-improvements…;