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 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

Our first consultation on Banwell bypass closed on Monday 16 August.

We would like to thank everyone who responded.

Consultation feedback has been shared with our design consultants and a recommendation to take forward route two as the basis of the eventual bypass route has been made.

You can read the recommendation, along with the Options Appraisal Report (OAR) and consultation report on our September 2021 executive member decisions page.

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

Once a decision has been approved on the bypass route, work will begin to design the bypass and other highways improvements.

We will consult again on the more developed bypass designs ahead of planning submission in early 2022. 

You can find the current project timeline below.