Newslink December final

News
Clevedon goes back to how it was
– just £1.6m lighter in the wallet
Colin Lilly
Editor
MSA GB Newslink
The controversial sea front road markings in
the North Somerset town of Clevedon has
once again hit the headlines. I have written of
this saga a number of times during 2023.
For new members and those unfamiliar
with the story, this involves a change to the
road layout and markings which came into
place on the sea front despite opposition
from various quarters. It involved a reduction
in the number of parking places, their
relocation into a ‘central lane’ (see photo), the
installation of a two way cycle lane and some
bizarre wavy road markings.
It caused uproar at the time, and much
confusion and criticism. Eventually, in
September, the council employed an
independent consultancy, Audit West, to
review the scheme and other changes in
nearby areas, including the introduction of
one-way streets. The scheme initially was
estimated to cost £200,520. By the time the
scheme was completed, along with changes
and modifications along the way, it came in at
£1.3 million – a mere £1.1 million over budget.
In November the council agreed to the
consultant’s recommendations.
They would remove the two-way cycle
path and replace it with a contraflow cycle
path to the eastern side of The Beach (the
sea front faces west).
The parallel parking would go, to be
replaced by angled, sea-facing parking on The
Beach. The irony of this is the removal of
angled parking in the first place was probably
the most controversial part of the scheme, as
it had been a very popular feature for
decades.
In addition, a coach pick-up and drop-off
point, and loading bay, would be introduced,
as would a pedestrian crossing on The Beach.
The mini roundabout on The Beach would
change but the one-way system, 20mph
zone and changes to the other roads in the
area would stay.
The changes are estimated to cost
£375,000, and will be made during 2024.
So, a scheme, which few outside the
council supported, will end up costing around
£1.6 million, to create something that already
existed anyway apart from the introduction
of a one-way system and a 20mph zone.
What a happy council taxpayer am I!
In the 1950s this could have been the
subject of an Ealing comedy, unfortunately
the title a Comedy of Errors has already been
taken.
When the scheme is returned to its former
state, I will provide a photo in Newslink.
Driver with 46 points avoids a ban
Colin Lilly
A driver from Bath who was caught speeding
15 times on the same road in less than four
months, amassing 46 points in the process,
has escaped a ban after magistrates accepted
his plea that losing his licence would have a
detrimental effect on his family.
Daniel John Bennett’s 46 points are almost
four times the usual number that would lead
to disqualification.
The offences were committed on Lansdown
Lane, Bath between March 12, 2023, and June
28. He was caught travelling at between 28
and 32 mph in what is a 20mph zone.
To put this in context, Lansdown Lane is a
hill on the edge of Bath which was the site of a
four-fatality crash in 2015 involving a
runaway 32-tonne tipper truck. A local
four-year-old girl and three occupants of a
car from Wales were killed.
Addressing the concerns of local residents,
the local authority introduced a number of
traffic management features, including a fixed
speed camera and a mobile camera site for
those who thought it was okay to increase
speed when outside the camera zone.
Instead of the ban, the magistrates gave
him three points for a combined 14 of the
offences and four points for the 32mph
offence. He was also fined £769 and ordered
to pay a victim surcharge fee of £308 and a
contribution of £95 towards prosecution
costs, making a total court bill of £1,172.
But the magistrates stepped back from
their right to disqualify him after hearing how
a ban would impact on his family.
Drink-driving rules blurred
The British Medical Association president
has warned that the trend for larger and
stronger alcoholic drinks means that “just
having one” before you get behind the
wheel is now too dangerous.
Sir Ian Gilmore pointed out that when
drink-driving rules were introduced, the
idea you could have “one or two drinks was
common”. But he cautioned that back in
the 1970s a 125ml glass of 9 per cent wine
was the usual measure, and beer was often
3-4 per cent proof. Today wines of that
strength are “virtually unheard of” and are
served in 250ml glasses, while the trend
for stronger ales means many beers are 6
per cent proof.
These bigger measures and stronger
drinks have blurred how many units can be
consumed, Sir Ian said, so the only safe
option is to have none.
12 NEWSLINK n DECEMBER 2023