Police appeal for witnesses to Bonfire Night crash

Avon and Somerset Police are appealing for witnesses after a collision on Westerleigh Road, Westerleigh, on Bonfire Night.

The single-vehicle collision involved a red Vauxhall Omega and was reported at about 8.50pm on Saturday 5 November. A passing motorist called the emergency services after being alerted by two young men who were waving their arms and then coming across the car on its roof. No one was in the vehicle but a man was standing nearby.

They are keen to trace anyone who was travelling along the Westerleigh Road on Saturday night between about 8.30pm and 9.30pm who may have seen a red Vauxhall Omega being driven before the crash. They would also like to hear from the two young men who were alerting approaching traffic, anyone else who stopped and anyone who may have seen a man walking along Westerleigh Road at about that time.

Anyone with any information which could help is asked to get in touch through their website, or by calling 101, quoting reference 5216246855. Alternatively ring the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call and you could qualify for a reward.

Westerleigh traffic calming concerns

In 2015, the Frome Vale Area Forum supported an investigation into further traffic calming measures in Westerleigh after complaints from residents about some of the measures implemented so far. These include concerns from local cyclists about the safety of the pinch points.

Unfortunately the final outcome of the investigation has been delayed by the departure of the officer who was handling it. Local councillor Claire Young has been talking to officers to get things back on track and on Wednesday met the officer now working on the investigation and a senior manager from Street Care on site to go through the list of problems residents have raised.

We will update you when we have more information.

Resurfacing works around the area

Last week we reported that Badminton Road would be closed overnight for resurfacing work. Other roads around our area will also be resurfaced in the coming weeks:

• 20-23 June - Tytherington Road, Tytherington
• 21-29 June - Westerleigh Road, Pucklechurch
• 24 June - 2 July - Latteridge Road, Iron Acton, between the traffic lights and the railway line.

The roads will be closed 8pm to 6am each night.These works will inevitably create a significant amount of noise. Access to properties and amenities fronting the site and whose only access is from the closed road, will be available at all times and every effort will be made to keep the disruption to local residents to a minimum. Adverse weather or other problems could change the times and dates. Throughout the work, the road must be kept clear of vehicles.

Westerleigh Road closure

Westerleigh Road will be closed temporarily from its junction with Besom Lane north for 150m to enable signing works to go ahead. The closure order starts on 6 September for a maximum period of 18 months but it won't be closed for the whole period - the work is only expected to take one day.

Update on Westerleigh road surfacing problems

Last autumn the council patched Westerleigh Road through Westerleigh village, in preparation for it being resurfaced this summer.

Soon after residents reported the surface was already breaking up and officers informed Claire Young that lab tests were being carried out to identify if there was a problem with the materials. They now have the report back and it has identified some irregularities with the quality of material supplied. Discussions are ongoing with the supplier on how to resolve the problems.

Westerleigh traffic calming meeting

In January, local residents and Claire Young met highways officials to look at concerns about the Westerleigh traffic calming measures.

Speed monitoring data showed good improvements on the road in from Yate and near the speed table. The pinch point at the top of Shorthill Road and the pavement build-out near Broad Lane junction (see left with concerned local residents Alison and Stephen Howard) have been less successful.

A scheme to investigate further measures on Shorthill Road and between the bridge and Broad Lane will be up for consideration at the Frome Vale Area Forum meeting starting at 7pm on Thursday 5th March in Shire Way Community Centre, Yate. It would be a great help if residents could go along to the meeting to show their support for it.

The scheme would be looking particularly at the possibility of further speed tables. One of the things that would need to be looked at is whether the street lighting is of a sufficient standard between the bridge and Broad Lane to install one. It would increase the cost of a scheme massively if new street lighting had to be installed as well as the speed tables and make it far less likely that the scheme would be implemented.

One of the options discussed at the site meeting was whether Westerleigh Road could be closed between the bridge and Kidney Hill, potentially saving money by removing the need for the cycle path to go through the field. After the meeting officers looked at this more closely however  and advised this wouldn't be appropriate as it would more than double the traffic flow through Shorthill Road and potentially have an impact on traffic through the Henfield Quiet Lanes Scheme.

It was mentioned on site that the zebra crossing markings needed refreshing. The road is due to be resurfaced in the summer.

Street Care have been asked about the gouge marks on the speed table. They are happy that it is correctly installed and won't be damaging any vehicles that approach it at the correct speed.

Highways officials took action on one point straight away. Two days after our meeting, they reinstalled a permanent flashing speed sign near the railway bridge (see right).

Westerleigh Road resurfacing

Claire Young was pleased when the council responded to her repeated requests on behalf of residents for Westerleigh Road to be resurfaced through Westerleigh. The prepatory patching work was carried out recently, ready for the resurfacing to be done in the spring/summer next year. Unfortunately at this site and others where patching has been carried out, there has been what officers believe is a problem with the material used. They are awaiting the results of formal independent tests before taking further action.

Westerleigh Road closure rescheduled

The closure of Westerleigh Road between Cookes Lane and Coalsack Lane to enable drainage works to be carried out was postponed because the original date clashed with the Church Road closure. It's now been resceduled for 1 week starting from Friday 30th May. Street Care will be working through the weekend to get the road reopened as soon as possible.

Temporary road closure for Westerleigh traffic calming

A temporary road closure notice has been published for Shorthill Road starting from 16th May. Fingers crossed this means the work won't wait quite as long as we thought.

Westerleigh traffic calming delayed until May

Work on the Westerleigh traffic calming scheme was due to start this week, but because Shorthill Road needs to be closed for the construction of the raised table officers have postponed it until the May school half term (week starting 26th May).

The delay is frustrating but it will allow plenty of time for the road closure to be booked, the diversion route to be confirmed and so forth. Hopefully this will mean there will be no further reasons to delay the scheme.

Temporary road closure

Westerleigh Road is expected to close between its junctions with Coalsack Lane and Cookes Lane for one week from the 11th April. The closure is to allow drainage repair works to be carried out.

Westerleigh - more work on double railway arches

Network Rail have submitted notices to carry out works on the double railway bridges over Westerleigh Road, as you enter the village from Yate. The works are in 3 stages and will involve the use of two way temporary traffic lights. The dates are 30th January until 8th February, 17th February until 26th February and 5th March until 7th March 2014.

Hopefully we will not have the problems we had last time as the road will not be closed.

Shorthill Road speed table approved

This afternoon Claire Young attended the Planning, Transport and Strategic Environment committee to speak on the item to decide whether or not to approve the speed table on Shorthill Road. The members of the committee unanimously approved it. This is another important hurdle overcome in implementing the Westerleigh traffic calming scheme.

Westerleigh Road to reopen at 6am Friday 11th October

Westerleigh Road has been closed at the double railway arches on the way into the village from Yate since 30th September. It was due to reopen today but Network Rail have found further problems. After negotiation with the council, the company agreed to get extra people in to speed up the work but they do need some extra time. They now plan to re-open the road at 6am tomorrow, Friday 11th October. Fingers crossed they find no further problems.

Westerleigh Road closure - continuing tomorrow

Claire Young has been contacted by people today concerned that the Network Rail Westerleigh Road closure is being extended to 11th October. Unfortunately the relevant officers have been unavailable but it appears that the current expectation is that the work will finish tomorrow, 10th October. We will keep you updated if we hear more.

Progress on Westerleigh traffic calming scheme

Last Thursday Claire Young walked round Westerleigh village with the highways engineer now responsible for the traffic calming scheme, Parish Councillors and a representative of Community Speedwatch. The engineer, who has taken over the scheme since the previous officer left the council, proposes the following:

• installing a road narrowing at the existing 30mph/40mph gateway along Shorthill Road approx 0.5m either side of the carriageway
• installing a road narrowing just north of the Old Parsonage on Westerleigh Road approx 0.5m either side of the carriageway.
• investigating the Broad Lane junction in more detail with the proposal to build out the existing verge, possibly with kerbing and tarmac to narrow the road in line with the potential Yate cycle path. The officer will arrange a meeting with the engineer dealing with the proposed cycle path to ascertain what can be achieved within the same cost as a road narrowing. This will most likely not happen at the same time as the other two narrowings due to the complex nature of the work involved.

The Vehicle Activated Sign will remain at the existing location along Shorthill Road. The engineer advised that relocating it on the other side of the road, as had previously been proposed, would not be as effective. Drivers coming down Shorthill Road will see a series of reasons for slowing down – the 30mph limit will start right up at the crossroads, there will be the road narrowing at the entrance to the village, then the Vehicle Activated Sign, then the warning sign for the speed table and then the speed table itself. The officer hopes the speed limit signs can be installed within 2 weeks.

As previously reported, a report on the objections to the speed table will go to the next Planning, Transport and Strategic Environment Committee meeting, which starts at 3pm on Wednesday 20th November in Kingswood Civic Centre. Members of the public are welcome to attend to give their views before the decision is made.

Westerleigh still open for business

While Westerleigh Road may be closed at the double railway arches as you enter the village from Yate, most of the businesses in the village are very much open - and they'd still like you to visit!

The village shop is closed until the road closure ends next week but Wot Nots, the New Inn, Ye Olde Inne and the other businesses in the village are still open. You can get to them by entering the village from the other end - either via the traffic lights at the cross roads at the top of Shorthill Road or via the Kidney Hill junction.

And if you are on foot or a bicycle you can still get through the railway arches as well.

Update on Westerleigh traffic calming

Last week we reported on the delays to the Westerleigh traffic calming scheme. This week Westerleigh Parish Council and ward councillor Claire Young had a productive meeting with officers from South Glos Council. The project is in the hands of a new officer. Besides the objections to the speed table, the sticking points appear to have been keeping the project within budget and technical concerns about the feasibility of the road narrowings proposed. There is a minimum width of road that must be retained on all bus routes and what was previously proposed did not meet that requirement. At the end of the meeting the officers agreed the following:

•  They will take the report on the objections to the speed table to the next Planning, Transport and Strategic Environment Committee meeting in November. Members of the public are welcome to attend to give their views before the decision is made. 
• In parallel with that, the new officer responsible for the scheme will go out on site with local representatives to re-measure the roads and identify what is feasible at each of the three entrances to the village, before drawing up new designs. 
• The revised scheme will then be implemented before the end of this financial year.

Traffic alert - Westerleigh to Yate road to be closed for 10 days from 30 September

Between 30th September and 9th October, Westerleigh Road will be completely closed at the double railway arches so that Network Rail can carry out urgent repairs on the bridges.

This means that for ten days you won't be able to get through from Westerleigh to Yate in either direction. Unfortunately it's not possible for Network Rail to close just half the road because of the size of the machinery they need to use.

There will be warning signs about the closure at the entrance to Nibley Lane from Badminton Road and at the Shire Way roundabout and a diversion will be in operation.

This is likely to put pressure on other roads in the area, so please allow extra time if your journey to work takes you that way.

Westerleigh traffic calming delays

We had been expecting officers to bring a report on the Westerleigh traffic calming scheme to the September meeting of the Planning, Transport and the Strategic Environment Committee so they could make a decision on the objections to the speed table. Unfortunately this did not happen. Claire spoke to the Head of Street Care to express her strong concern about the lengthy delays to this project. He has agreed to meet Claire and representatives of the Parish Council along with the officers now involved in the implementation of the scheme later this month. Watch this space for more news.