Cyclists’ Touring Club
Bristol Section
Rights Issues

South Gloucestershire and the Kendleshire Junction

The A432 is a busy main road between Bristol and Yate, and the Kendleshire Junction is a turning off this road for Winterbourne. This junction has a history of minor collisions, and South Gloucestershire Council wanted to make it safer. It has actually made it more dangerous for vulnerable road users'- pedestrians and cyclists.

The scheme involved reducing the speed limit to 40mph, a central reservation to help pedestrians to cross (which narrows the road) and an on-carriageway cycle lane. The cycle lane is diverted onto the pavement before it reached the junction, forming a shared-use footpath/cycle track. Cyclists are supposed to join this, cross the minor road, giving way to traffic joining it from the main road, both ahead and behind, and traffic leaving it from the left, and pedestrians, and horses! and then rejoin the main road.

So a cyclist needs 360 degree vision, the patience of Job and great reflexes, as even the minor road has a considerable traffic, so you have to sprint across when there is a gap, remembering that traffic from the main road may turn without indicating. Research shows that this type of junction layout is considerably more dangerous than staying on the main road, and retaining right of way over traffic on the side road. It's also more dangerous for pedestrians.

When the council consulted the CTC, we approved of the aims of the scheme and the reduction in the speed limit, but did not approve of the shared-use track, and said that the cycle lane should continue through the junction. The council ignored us. The council did not see fit to take this scheme to their cycle forum, but when I did, most cyclists supported the cycle lane on the carriageway - again ignored. The council claims that the road is too narrow for this, but has provided no guidance, or regulation to support this assertion. On the other hand, I have been able to show that the cyclists' preference is supported by all the guidance, as published by DETR, CTC, Institute of Highways and Transportation, RoSPA etc etc. They did claim that their scheme was supported by a cyclist who was a Parish Councillor. The council also consulted the Ramblers, who also opposed the shared-use scheme.

I have been going to the cycle forums for about three years, and in that time, not a single thing suggested by cyclists has been taken up by the council, nor anything changed on any scheme proposed by the council after cyclists had commented on it - this ain't consultation in my book. After the rejection of cyclists' views yet again, I felt compelled to take action, and have made a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman on the grounds that the scheme follows no guidelines, goes against the wishes of both pedestrians' and cyclists' groups, will increase danger to both groups, and it will cost considerably more than the preferred option.

Cyclists on this main road will be confident riders and all the ones that I have spoken to say that they will stay on the carriageway, and will ignore the shared-use track. Drivers will see the track and expect cyclists to use it and will behave aggressively towards them (as happens regularly outside the new Royal Mail building on the A38, another S Glos debacle).

You think things are bad in Bristol? Come to glorious South Gloucestershire, where planners are obsessed with putting cyclists on the pavement and making the roads more dangerous!

If you feel like writing to or calling the council, the cycling officers are Alan Richardson or Ben Searle tel:01454 863748. Good Luck-you'll need it.