SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL

Back again, everything moving on at a fast pace, so no time to update until now.

Submission and petition presented to South Gloucestershire full Council on 20 May 2009, text of statement below,

"This petition of 350 signatures, supports a campaign to ban Hallen Depot fuel tankers and HGV’s from North West Bristol roads.

I initially became involved with this campaign because of a stone wall at the rear of my property. Vibration from tankers and HGV’s cause stones in the wall to collapse across the footpath and roadway.

Hallen Depot is within South Gloucester adjoining the Bristol boundary, it serves the expanding Bristol and other airports.

Whilst Bristol Airport is not connected to the Government’s pipeline network, there are three network facilities closer to Bristol Airport than Hallen Depot.

The temporary weight limit on Severn Road, Hallen, imposed by Avon during construction of the Second Severn Crossing, can no longer be justified.

Before the permanent Order was confirmed in 1996, it was stated that, “Suitable alternative routes for heavy traffic are available using motorway or "A" class roads”. That statement was nonsense.

A survey of the old railway bridge was undertaken by Railtrack in 2000, and because of the poor condition of the bridge, Network Rail asked this Council, in 2001, in 2002 and again in 2003, to place a temporary weight restriction on the bridge until the works commenced. These requests were ignored.

A contribution of £200,000 pounds to the bridge replacement was approved by this Council in 2008. Item 12 of the Technical Briefing Report by the Highways Structures Team in 2007 does not allow for any changes to the highway and footway alignments.

The Network Rail drawings show the alignment of the new bridge and the pinch point to be identical to the old bridge. This was a deliberate decision by this 4 Star Council.

This Council is a member of the West of England Road Safety Partnership which aims to reduce the numbers of casualties from traffic accidents in the Partner’s districts.

However the current weight limit in Hallen is absurd in terms of multi-area traffic management, and makes a mockery of this Council’s membership of that Partnership.

Indeed for half of its length the limit on Severn Road, is within Bristol’s boundary. Therefore is your Order legal?

This petition was submitted to Bristol Council on the 28 April. It included creating a new 7.5T limit on Ison Hill and Hallen Road, to prevent a through route between Bristol, Avonmouth and Severn Beach.

The DFT have indicated that they are willing to attend a meeting to help both Council’s find a solution. This campaign has the support of the RHA and the tanker drivers.

Our case is simple, why should tankers from South Gloucester, travel into Bristol’s roads, when a northern route is a much safer option to the motorway network. Tankers, have a detrimental effect on roads and properties, pollute the environment, add to traffic congestion, and are a safety hazard.

New developments in Avonmouth and Severn Beach are causing a steady increase in traffic flow, year upon year.

The larger population of North West Bristol is at risk. There are no schools in Hallen, but there are four schools in Henbury alone.

Councillors, you cannot continue to condemn 1500+ Henbury school children, to risky journeys five days a week. You cannot continue to condemn tanker drivers to increasingly stressful journeys.

And finally. This Council receives the business rates, but Bristol taxpayers pick up the cost of maintaining roads carrying ever increasing heavy traffic. We, the residents of Bristol, object.

The closure of the railway bridge from the 5 May to mid August, is an opportunity for a multi-area reassessment of traffic management in North West Bristol".

If you have anything to add, have we missed anything?, please post your comments