Email from Pilning Station Group to Jack Lopresti MP
Dear Jack,
I am writing to you to express our concerns over the local transport arrangements in Severnside, particularly in the light of the new Arena at the former Filton Airfield being approved for development earlier today.
I understand that the plans have been approved by the planning committee, and Bristol City Council decided that it should be referred to the Secretary of State.
However, there were concerns raised by Highways England that the Filton location will have a negative impact on the already congested road network, in particular the Cribbs Causeway and Aztec West motorway junctions.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/filton-arena-m5-traffic-council-3905771
Pilning residents will start feeling trapped very soon – once the speed restriction measures on the B4055 have been introduced fully, bringing the speed down to 20mph through the villages and 40mph along Marsh Common Road it will probably be quicker and easier to get to Chepstow than Cribbs Causeway (providing the Severn bridge is open)! The M5 J17 (Cribbs Causeway) is already heavily congested. And of course our public transport links here at Severnside are laughable: we have one bus route (625) and one functioning railway station (Severn Beach) – with unreliable scarcely spaced services.
I find it extremely disheartening that whilst the majority of railway stations in South Gloucestershire are due to benefit from a huge investment after WECA secured £548,000 Government funding (https://www.businessleader.co.uk/railway-station-improvements-coming-down-the-line-for-the-south-west/80081), Pilning railway station, which would provide solutions to so many problems, is lying in ruins.
We now live in a transport desert (here is the definition – https://bettertransport.org.uk/nearly-one-million-people-stranded-transport-deserts), and it is just about to become much worse (due to the Arena development, increased traffic to the Wave and the new traffic calming measures along the B4055).
I hope that you will find a way to articulate this to the Secretary of State when they consider the plans for the new Arena.
Thanks and regards, etc.