South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2006 | February | 3
From the archive, first published Friday 3rd Feb 2006.
BRISTOL Zoo chiefs planning a £50 million wildlife park at Easter Compton stand accused of turning a deaf ear to local fears of traffic chaos.
Residents' representatives are furious that the zoo is forging ahead with plans for a roundabout at the main entrance to the visitor attraction on congested Blackhorse Hill - within 100 yards of "nightmare" Junction 17 on the M5.
They have been warning for three years that the scheme will result in traffic mayhem and lead to increased misery for the local community.
But despite their protests, zoo officials have now lodged a formal planning application for the roundabout.
Parish councillors from Almondsbury and Pilning and Severn Beach expressed total opposition to the traffic scheme following a special meeting this week.
"We are angry and disappointed," said Almondsbury parish councillor Peter Maggs, a member of the local zoo liaison group.
"They said they'd be consulting the community and taking note of their views but now it seems they were just empty words. They have been at public meetings and have been well aware of local concerns about a roundabout at this spot from the start. But they have just ignored them.
"Cars are going to be leaving the park and joining Blackhorse Hill at the rate of up to ten a minute. It's going to cause huge queues back to the motorway and mean misery not just for Easter Compton, Pilning, Severn Beach and Almondsbury.
"What makes it more frustrating is that there's a perfectly good alternative to a roundabout. Cars could enter the park from Blackhorse Hill and exit via the existing access on Hollywood Lane and then out onto Cribbs Causeway. Residents in Hollywood Lane have already indicated support for a one-way system.
"As far as we know it hasn't even been seriously investigated."
Cllr Maggs said the zoo's decision had left them with no choice but to enlist the whole community in fighting the roundabout scheme.
"We need to get everybody behind this - the highways department, our district councillors and the parishes," he said. "We need people to start writing letters now and to get their objections in before the three-month deadline."
Zoo director Dr Jo Gipps said: "We understand the concerns of residents. As part of the planning process and prior to submitting the application we undertook a period of public consultation alongside a comprehensive transportation assessment to confirm that the proposed plan is the most appropriate to cater for the anticipated number of visitors to the National Wildlife Conservation Park.
"The process of public consultation with regard to the zoo's plans is on-going and we are continuing to investigate any additional solutions to traffic management."
The zoo will be displaying its proposals prior to next Tuesday's meeting of Almondsbury Parish Council at Easter Compton Village Hall (plans on show from 6.30pm onwards).
© Newsquest Media Group 2008