Plans are back for A4 relief road along former railway line in Brislington

Bristol City Council has advanced proposals to turn the old Brislington railway into a road - despite leaders claiming there were no such plans four months ago.

BristolWorld has seen ‘pre-engagement slides’ dated January 2022 which show three options - numbered 6, 9 and 66 - for a new MetroBus route along the A4 corridor between Bath and Bristol.

The proposals focus on a stretch of the A4 between the Callington Road junction and Sandy Park Road in Brislington.

Two of the three options include turning the former Bristol and North Somerset Railway into a road - the so-called Callington Link Road - despite opposition from some in the local community who want the route to be a green space with a cycle route.

Locals thought they had fended off plans for a road when Deputy Mayor Councillor Craig Cheney told Brislington West councillors Andrew Varney and Jos Clark that ‘there are no plans to build a road along the former Brislington railway line’ at a Bristol City Council member forum in November.

But the plans appear to be back on the table.

Yet Bristol City Council, when approached by BristolWorld this week, insisted that no decision had been taken over ‘what options will be considered for further development’.

The ‘A4 project’ plans seen by BristolWorld show the following three options:

1) Turn the old railway line from near Tesco at Callington Road to Sandy Park Road into bus route, avoiding a long section of the Bath Road.

2) No new road on the railway line, but changes to junctions to ‘hold traffic off the A4’.

3) Turn the old railway line into a road cut down the middle at the Bath Road bridge, with the northern half for buses, and the southern half for normal traffic.

Heading into the city, normal traffic would join the new road from Callington Road near Tesco and rejoin the Bath Road near the Lodekka pub - meaning the A4 stretch through Brislington Village would be closed to normal traffic.

Initial reaction to the options

The options, although at an early planning stage, have angered both Councillor Varney and Clark, who want the railway line kept road-free, and used for cyclists and the local community as a leisure area.

The track area is overgrown and laid with tarmac having served as a car park for a nearby church which has now closed.

Councillor Varney said: “I’m disappointed about the plans - we were supposed to be aiming to go carbon neutral but here we are talking about building more roads which will only encourage more people to drive.

“I think we should be concentrating on giving people a choice on how they can get around sustainably, and not building more roads.”

Councillor Clark said: “We know the A4 is congested but we don’t think it is right to simply build more roads on a green slice of land which could be used by the community.

“I’m also concerned about the potential impact the half-and-half proposal could have on Callington Road with double the traffic using it.”

In March last year, Greenways and Cycleroutes Ltd submitted a planning application to turn the railway line from Tramway Road to Talbot Road into a route for cyclist and pedestrians.

Dozens of local residents have written in support of the proposal - but no decision has yet been made.

The plans were lodged just months before the city council election in which the Lib Dems claim Labour councillors pledged to drop the plan for a road on the old railway line.

Then in November, Councillor Cheney said there was no plan to turn the line into a road.

BristolWorld understands that ward councillors are to be briefed on the project next week.

What Bristol City Council sa

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “No decision has been taken regarding the A4, as to what options will be considered for further development.

“It is premature to suggest which options are preferred or will be taken forward, and any proposal that is taken forward will need to be supported by local people whilst delivering the level of sustainable transport improvements the city needs.”