Update on the Lyme Road ETRO trial
The one-way experimental trial for the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road area is postponed until we have engaged the community on a wider package of measures for this LN area.
We have submitted a full business case (FBC) to the West of England Combined Authority to secure approval and funds to deliver a package of measures in 11 LN areas by March 2027.
From summer 2024, we will trial a one-way system for motorists along Charmouth Road, Lyme Road and Lyme Gardens in Newbridge, Bath.
The aim of the one-way system is to:
- reduce vehicle congestion at school pick-up and drop-off (the entrance to Newbridge Primary School is at the north end of Charmouth Road)
- create a more pleasant environment for residents
- create a safer route for walking and cycling
The trial will be in place for a minimum of six months alongside a public consultation. During this time, we will also monitor traffic movements to measure any impacts. Please note that the trial was originally proposed for the end of May, but this date has been delayed so that we can explore issues raised during informal engagement.
At the end of the six month consultation, we will consider all of the outcomes alongside wider council policy to inform a decision on whether to make the trial permanent.
Background to the trial
Lyme Road and Charmouth Road is one of several areas across Bath and North East Somerset that will see a range of street improvements under our community-led Liveable Neighbourhoods (LN) programme.
The one-way system is one of several measures proposed to improve these streets. It is being trialled ahead of the wider programme due to support for it among residents.
For more context on the background of the trial, you can:
- read the single member decision report on the proposal
- read the press release on the decision to proceed with the trial
- find out more about the outcomes of earlier consultations by reading the 'previous consultation outcomes' later on this page.
Scheme details
As part of the trial, we have proposed that all motorised traffic for the Lyme Road area would enter from the Charmouth Road junction with Newbridge Road (A4), travel west along Lyme Road, and south along Lyme Gardens to exit the area. Cyclists will be able to travel in both directions.
Signage will inform drivers of the one-way system and, to improve visibility of cyclists, up to five parking spaces will be removed.
Please look at the annotated maps on this web page and expand the accompanying headings beneath the maps for more detailed information using the numerical key.
- A ‘New Road Layout Ahead’ sign on the approach to Charmouth Road from Newbridge Road, and two contra-flow cycle signs will be mounted on either side of the southern end of Charmouth Road to indicate that people are allowed to cycle in the opposite direction to the flow of motor traffic.
- A short section of cycle way on Charmouth Road at the junction with Newbridge Road (A4) will create a safe space for cyclists waiting to turn into Newbridge Road.
- We will remove two parking spaces outside number 25 Charmouth Road to improve visibility of cyclists.
- A no-entry sign at the junction of Lyme Road will prevent motorists exiting the northern section of Charmouth Road from travelling south.
- A ‘one-way traffic’ sign will remind motorists driving from the north section of Charmouth Road (two-way) of the direction of traffic. The northern section remains two-way.
- New signage on Lyme Road will inform motorists of oncoming cyclists.
- We will remove two parking spaces outside number 9 Lyme Road to improve the visibility of cyclists.
- We are proposing that the advisory disabled parking bay becomes an enforced (plated) 6.6 metre disabled parking bay.
- A no-entry sign will be placed at the junction with Lyme Gardens and Lyme Road.
- New give-way markings on the road will give priority to vehicles coming from Lyme Road onto Lyme Gardens.
- A 'one-way traffic' sign will remind motorists driving from the north section of Lyme Gardens of the direction of traffic. The north section remains two-way.
- We will remove one parking space outside 17 Lyme Gardens to improve visibility of cyclists.
- A ‘no-entry except cycles’ sign at the junction of Lyme Gardens and Newbridge Road will inform motorists that they are not permitted to enter Lyme Gardens (northbound).
- Hatched markings on Newbridge Road will provide a safe space for cyclists waiting to turn right into Lyme Gardens.
- A short section of painted cycle lane will support cyclists entering Lyme Gardens from Newbridge Road (A4).
To view more details of the scheme, please download our simplified technical drawings.
Previous consultation outcomes
Please expand the sections below to read more about previous consultations on Liveable Neighbourhoods and in the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road area:
During a public consultation in Autumn 2020 on Liveable Neighbourhoods in B&NES, we received the following results from 1,575 respondents (including residents and visitors to the area):
- 85% said they agreed with the principle of reducing the dominance of vehicles in residential areas
- 84% said they agreed that to establish LNs, it may be necessary to restrict through traffic on certain streets
- 78% agreed that certain trade-offs are required to achieve those aims
During public engagement specifically on the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road area, the most common issues experienced by residents in the area who took part in the survey was parking, school-run traffic, through-traffic and speeding traffic.
In February 2023 we installed a Residents’ Parking Zone in the area to improve the availability of parking for residents.
We held a workshop on 29 June 2022 with residents who expressed an interest in co-designing the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road Liveable Neighbourhood during earlier consultations.
At the workshop, 31 attendees took part in a series of exercises to identify what they liked about the area, what could be improved, and what specific measures could help, plotting these on a map of the area.
During the workshop, formalisation of a one-way loop heading west along Lyme Road was suggested.
You can read more about these consultations and the outcomes on the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road LN area web page.
How we will consult on the trial
We will install the one-way scheme under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) for a minimum of six months from summer 2024, and we will keep this page updated if this date changes. We use ETROs to see if a scheme will work in practice, while monitoring the impacts of the trial and inviting feedback as people experience the trial over time.
During the trial, we will:
- invite residents and the wider public to share their views in a public consultation
- evaluate the impact of the trial on traffic and travel behaviour
- engage directly with key stakeholders, such as local schools, businesses, and community groups
- conduct more in-depth engagement towards the end of the six-month consultation with residents living on or near the trial street
All the relevant information will also be available at your local B&NES library or Information and Advice Service.
Once the six-month consultation is closed, we will analyse the reports on all the consultation outcomes, including traffic monitoring data, and consider these in the context of wider council policy to inform a decision within 18 months of the start of the trial.
Monitoring
In October 2023, we collected baseline traffic data that will allow us to measure the impact of the restriction on the trial street and surrounding roads. We collected the data over a 7-day period outside of school holidays.
We aim to conduct the same exercise during the first six months of the trial, and again after one year, to understand how traffic flows have changed.
We will compare and interpret each set of data and publish this in a report to support the final decision.
Get in touch
You can contact us and talk to an advisor or request this information in an alternative format by emailing us at LNs@bathnes.gov.uk, or calling 01225 394025 and requesting a call back from a team member.
You can also stay up-to-date with the scheme's progress by subscribing to our newsletter.
Alternatively, you can connect with us on social media, by following us on X, Facebook, and Instagram.