Riverside bus section shelved

Council chiefs have acknowledged that they will have to temporarily shelve plans to run a controversial bus system across Bath's Western Riverside.

The line of the city's Bus Rapid Transit scheme crosses the derelict zone, with Bath and North East Somerset Council intending to build it hand in hand with a mile-long section along an old railway route through Newbridge.

But developer Crest Nicholson has put its £1 billion homes and offices plans for the 43-acre Western Riverside on hold because of the economic downturn.

A report to a crunch development control committee meeting on Wednesday which will discuss the bus scheme says the Western Riverside is unlikely to be developed before the construction of the BRT.

This means that BRT buses will have to use ordinary roads once they have come to the end of the dedicated route through Newbridge, which is opposed by thousands of people in the city.

The Response2Route pressure group says it is shocked by the council admission in a report which urges councillors to grant the scheme planning permission.

The report says: "It is acknowledged that in the current economic climate this (the Western Riverside) development is unlikely to be constructed before the part of the BRT route included in this application comes into operation. In the short to medium term therefore the BRT route will have to return to public roads at Windsor Bridge Road. If this were to be the permanent route, this would negate some of the benefits from providing a segregated route, by rejoining public roads before the city centre is reached, but in an area where congestion still occurs. However, it must be seen as the first phase of a longer term plan to continue the route through the Western Riverside development and in this context it will maximise the potential benefits."

The BRT aims to link Newbridge park and ride with a new park and ride site at Bathampton.

Response2Route spokeswoman Jo McCarron said: "The council's business case for the BRT is for a fully integrated east/west route. "Councillors have consistently argued that the route along the old railway line is essential to achieving the integrated transport plan and the objective of reducing congestion. Ironically, it now appears that the Newbridge section of the route, which suffers the least amount of congestion, will be the only part of the scheme likely to go ahead.

"Newbridge residents are angry that their community will irreparably damaged and their lives adversely affected by a £16 million road going nowhere. Local residents are going to suffer the pain for absolutely no gain. Claims by councillors and officers to cut bus journey times now look even less achievable because buses will emerge on to the already congested Windsor Bridge and continue into the city centre on ordinary roads."

The BRT buses will also use ordinary roads through the city centre and London Road to get to Bathampton.