Plans to build a new park and ride near the M32 in Bristol have been delayed by six more months. The project forms a key part of the city’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions from transport and tackle the paralysing levels of congestion in the city centre, but has so far taken “two decades”.
Transport planners have made some progress on finding a site to build the park and ride, likely south of Junction 1, with initial valuations and ecology assessments being carried out. But challenges finding a site, as well as rapidly rising costs, have caused a six-month delay.
The project’s outline business case is now expected to be submitted in March next year, rather than this September. This is a key step in getting public funding for infrastructure projects, and a more detailed full business case will have to be drawn up afterwards, before any actual works get started.
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As well as a park and ride, the project also includes plans for new bus lanes, a new junction, reclassifying the motorway as an A-road, and carrying out repairs to the Eastville Viaduct. The West of England Combined Authority committee approved the six-month delay during a meeting on Friday, June 16.
Councillor Kye Dudd, Labour cabinet member for climate at Bristol City Council, said: “We welcome the progress trying to deliver the park and ride on the M32, and we’re now moving to an agreeable solution, so it’s great to see that.
“It’s a key plank of our strategy for decarbonising transport in Bristol and reducing the impact of traffic congestion in the city centre. We need to remain focused on this and get this over the line as quickly as we can, because people have been waiting a long time for it.”
Road traffic generates over a third of Bristol’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to government data, as well as creating high levels of air pollution and congestion. Because of this, transport planners are hoping that a new park and ride at the M32 will encourage some commuters to travel into the city centre on a bus instead of by car.
But the main issue is a lack of available land to build the park and ride. One potential site, Sims Hill Shared Harvest farm in Frenchay, was vetoed by Bristol mayor Marvin Rees in 2019, after huge public concern over the plans to turn a working farm into a giant car park. And the question over the location stretches back two decades, according to a West of England report.
The report added that National Highways want major repairs on the Eastville Viaduct due to its “poor structure condition and safety concerns”. The huge flyover across the Eastville Junction 2 roundabout was built in the early 1970s, half a century ago.
The report said: “Following two decades of consideration of an appropriate location for a transport hub, work is progressing to identify a preferred site adjacent to, and accessed from, the M32 south of Junction 1. A land, planning and property agent has been commissioned to carry out land referencing, initial valuations and ecology assessments.
“National Highways has advised of their expectations to substantially repair the Eastville Viaduct on the M32 due to poor structure condition and safety concerns. The delivery schedule of National Highways works remains aspirational, pending funding.”
The government initially gave the West of England £39.5 million for the M32 project, as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. So far, £1.8 million has been drawn down, and the six-month delay could cost a further £471,000. There are already five park and rides around Bristol at Brislington, Long Ashton, Portway, Lyde Green and Parkway.
Councillor Claire Young, the new Liberal Democrat council leader of South Gloucestershire, said: “I’m supportive of the proposal on the M32 sustainable transport corridor and hub. This is a really complex project and this additional time will enable us to engage and shape the project, and to, where appropriate, mitigate some of our local challenges.”
