Banwell bypass

We have plans for a new road to bypass the village of Banwell.

The bypass will be funded by Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.

It will help to:

• reduce traffic congestion through Banwell
• make roads safer for active travel
• reduce noise
• improve air quality

The bypass will also open up further areas of land for travel and housing. This will provide access to a greater range of jobs for local communities. We will also have space to build new and affordable homes for growing families (subject to the Local Plan).

We have appointed Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd to design the scheme.

We are inviting feedback on a small number of amendments to mitigation measures proposed in the original Banwell bypass planning application.

The amendments follow recommendations from statutory and other consultees who commented on the overall Banwell bypass planning application submitted in July 2022.

The revisions include changing the extent of 20mph zones to combine them with additional traffic calming features. They also include an additional 7.7 hectares of land to provide further measures to protect local bat species. Other changes include an amendment to planning application boundary and updates to the Environmental Impact Assessment to reflect these changes.

Whilst there are no changes to the expected traffic and environmental impacts of the bypass, the suggested amendments are intended reduce these impacts more effectively.

In total, there are 13 proposed updates to the 64 traffic mitigation measures set out in the full planning application. A further 23 traffic mitigations have also been added to the proposals.

We are working to meet eight key project objectives:

• improve the local road network to deal with existing congestion issues
• improve and enhance Banwell’s public spaces by reducing traffic and improving the public realm
• provide the opportunity to increase active and sustainable travel between local villages and Weston-super-Mare
• provide infrastructure that can enable future housing development (subject to the Local Plan)
• ensure the development respects the local area and minimises visual impact upon the surrounding countryside and Mendip Hills AONB
• be innovative and efficient in reducing and offsetting carbon from the design and construction of the project
• ensure the development provides the opportunity to increase bio-diversity net gain by at least 10%
• proactively engage with stakeholders in a way that is both clear and transparent

A planning application for the Banwell bypass was submitted in July 2022. We are awaiting a decision on the application from the Local Planning Authority. We currently expect a decision in early 2023. You can look at the full planning application and the accompanying environmental statement by visiting the planning portal and using the reference 22/P/1768/R3EIA.

Our second public consultation on the Banwell bypass ran between Thursday 10 March and Friday 22 April 2022 and has now closed. We have analysed the results and you can see the findings in our consultation report. 

The consultation asked for your feedback on the design of the bypass, as well as proposed changes and enhancements to nearby roads and villages.

You can still find the consultation booklets and bypass plans online at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/bypass2022.

The booklets include the design we consulted upon, along with proposals for new walking, cycling and horse-riding routes, ways we can boost biodiversity and reduce carbon and more.

You can also find answers to some key questions, local issues and other concerns on our Banwell bypass: local issues and answers page.

In the meantime, you can read the Council’s recommendation to take forward ‘Northern Route Two’, the Options Appraisal Report (OAR) and the first public consultation report on our September 2021 executive member decisions page.

You can still access the first consultation webpages and supporting documents online here.