Stoke Gifford Parish Council has called a public meeting to discuss the impact of planned major roadworks on Gipsy Patch Lane which are expected to require the road to be fully or partially closed for around 21 months.

The works, which centre around the railway bridge near the Station Road junction, are associated with the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme, which will provide a direct express bus link between Bristol Parkway Station and The Mall bus station via the forthcoming new developments on the Filton Airfield site.

Works planned on Gipsy Patch Lane include the demolition of the existing railway bridge, the construction of a new railway bridge to provide a widened carriageway, footways and cycle lanes and works to lower the highway beneath. Works to widen Gipsy Patch Lane between the junction with Titan Road and the junction with Bush Avenue are also planned.

The closure of the road is expected to have a significant impact on traffic flows on roads through Stoke Gifford and Bradley Stoke as motorists seek alternative routes. It is anticipated that a shuttle bus will be provided to mitigate the impact on non-motorised users.

According to the latest information released by South Gloucestershire Council, the road closures will commence in July 2019 and last until March 2021. A full closure of the road at the site of the railway bridge will be needed for 344 days between January and November 2020.

The public meeting has been called unilaterally by the parish council with a view to forming a stakeholder liaison group, as required by a condition on the CPME planning permission. The aim of the liaison group will be “to exchange relevant information, to respond to local comments and to maintain good community relations”.

More: Details of the public meeting on Monday 19th November 2018 »

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The proposed Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme, which will see the old railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane replaced with a much wider concrete structure, took a major step forward in July with the approval of three of the four planning applications necessary to allow it to proceed to the next stage in its project plan.

The existing masonry railway bridge has a height clearance of only 4m and creates a ‘pinch point’ on the local road network. The replacement bridge will be of concrete construction and will span 24m, approximately 14m wider than the current bridge. To accommodate taller vehicles, such as double-decker buses, the carriageway will be lowered by around 1.7m under the bridge.

New bus lanes will also be constructed along sections of Gipsy Patch Lane, either side of the bridge.

The work will require one-way and full closures of sections of Gipsy Patch Lane, for a period of 21 months, currently scheduled to commence in July 2019.

The duration of the required full closure is now estimated at 330 days (up from the previously stated eight months), from January to November 2020.

Demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge is scheduled to take place during a twelve-day closure of the railway, most likely over Easter 2020.

Approval of the most significant of the four applications, the one for the replacement railway bridge, was secured despite planning committee member Cllr Ernie Brown (also chair of Stoke Gifford Parish Council) tabling a proposal that its consideration should be deferred “ in order that clarification and more detail is made available for discussion regarding the lowering of the road and the construction programme, and to allow further consultation to be undertaken with residents, local businesses and traders.”

More: Concerns over "long term implications" for local businesses »

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South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) and Network Rail have published further information about the expected impacts of a 21-month project to replace the old railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane and construct new bus lanes for the proposed Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme.

The latest documents were released in early June, just a few weeks before the two related planning applications are expected to be determined by SGC’s Development Control (West) Committee on 12th July.

The existing masonry railway bridge has a height clearance of only 4m and creates a ‘pinch point’ on the local road network. The replacement bridge will be of concrete construction and will span 24m, approximately 14m wider than the current bridge. To accommodate taller vehicles, such as double-decker buses, the carriageway will be lowered by approximately 1.7m as it passes under the bridge.

Demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge is now scheduled to take place during a twelve-day “possession” (closure) of the railway over Easter 2020.

More: Traffic Management Framework document published »

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A South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) site inspection meeting was held on 4th May in connection with the planning application for the replacement of the old railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane in Little Stoke. This application is one of four currently being considered for the proposed Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme, which will provide a direct express bus link between Bristol Parkway Station and The Mall bus station via the planned new developments on Filton Airfield.

As previously reported, work at the railway bridge site will require a full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane for up to eight months, which is likely to cause significant disruption to traffic flows in surrounding areas.

Two businesses located very close to the railway bridge, Strenco Tools and Tyres Direct, have raised objections, citing concerns over access and impact on trade, and calling for a thorough assessment of the impact of the road closure on the local economy to be carried out.

SGC officers have been asked to report back to councillors with details of future consultation and public engagement with regard to arrangements for the construction period, and in particular the closure of Gipsy Patch Lane. They have also been asked to consider whether there are any options available to enable the works to be accelerated.

An SGC spokesperson said:

“Following on from the site inspection meeting, this application, along with the related one for widening works on Gipsy Patch Lane, is expected to go to the meeting of the Development Control (West) Committee on 12th July.”

More information and related links:

• Planning application PT18/0986/F
  • Meeting of the Development Control (West) Sites Inspection Sub Committee on 4th May 2018:
    • Agenda (item 11 refers)
    • Minutes (item 6 refers)

This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on pages 4 & 5). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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