Mayor hopefuls reject Park Street restriction plan



None of the candidates vying to become the next leader of the West of England have supported plans to restrict cars from a major Bristol road.

During a BBC election debate the six mayoral candidates for the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) were asked if they were in favour of closing Park Street to through-traffic.

Bristol City Council's Green councillors approved the £15m plan to limit Park Street to only buses, cyclists and pedestrians at a meeting in March.

Not one of the candidates raised their hands in support of the plan - including Green Party hopeful Mary Page.

Reform candidate Arron Banks described the scheme as a "terrible idea", adding that businesses on the street had been forgotten.  Pointing to a scheme banning through traffic from part of central Thornbury, where he lives, Mr Banks said it has created "a ghost town".  "You've got to have some consideration for the people who trade there and it kills the vibrancy of it," he said.

Labour candidate Helen Godwin said she was "very unsure" about the scheme, raising concerns about traffic instead being directed past the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the Bristol Royal Infirmary which she described as "already one of the most polluted streets in the country".  She added that she was "not convinced" of the need for a bus gate on Park Street, having travelled through the area by bus during the morning rush hour without seeing heavy traffic.

On 1 May voters will head to polling stations to pick their new mayor of the West of England Combined Authority.  Made up of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) and South Gloucestershire, the combined authority holds power over transport, skills, economic development and planning in the region.  Decisions made by Weca, however, require the agreement of other council leaders.

During the BBC election debate, some of the candidates set out their transport plans if they were to be elected as Weca mayor.

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Emergency water supply for at-risk canal costing £100k a week




An historic canal will be given an emergency water supply to stop it from running dry in days.

The Canal and River Trust, which runs the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, has used money which was earmarked for repairs to buy a short-term supply from Welsh Water.  But the charity said this was a "stop gap" and it could not continue "to shoulder the full financial burden" because, if recent dry weather continued, it could cost up to £100,000 a week to remedy.

Welsh Water said it was pleased the agreement did not incur costs for customers or risk drinking water.  Water will start being taken from the Usk Reservoir between Brecon and Llandovery from the early hours of Saturday.

The charity said the cost would vary depending on rainfall and therefore river levels, but warned if current conditions persist, "it's likely we'll be paying as much as £100,000 per week".  It said it had diverted money away from planned maintenance and repairs to secure "a stop gap water supply".  It added this would have consequences for the its programme of maintenance and was therefore a "risk" for the England and Wales canal network.

The difficulties facing the canal were first outlined in a letter sent to local businesses by Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal and River Trust in Wales, in February.  It explained the 225-year old canal, which once transported iron and coal to Newport docks, had relied on funnelling water from the River Usk and its tributaries, which accounted for between 80% and 90% of its water supply.

Recent changes in legislation, designed in part to protect rivers in the face of climate change, mean licences are now required, restricting the amount of water that can be taken.  Now, the charity fears the dry start to 2025 means the canal could run start to run dry in days without imminent rainfall.

A petition in the Senedd, calling on the Welsh government to help preserve the canal, has obtained more than 10,000 signatures.

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Sun, 6 April 18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33
Sun, 6 April 19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25
Sun, 6 April 20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
Sun, 6 April 21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16

06/04/25 21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

GWR MD Mark Hopwood, Jim Robbins – leader of Swindon Borough Council, Heidi Alexander – Swindon South MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Tim Bryan – historian and Bogdan Lupu from Network Rail.

We have revised our prices
We have put up our prices

Generally I would support such a scheme but there needs to be a lot more joined up thinking. I think the telling comments are "I can use the train because I can get there on time".

Having bought several rail passes over the years and have had every journey to date cancelled at short notice is not a incentive for me. I no longer trust the train.   

"Low cost" means done on the cheap to enable high profit.  I have used many of these schemes around the world and the only ones that work are interchanges with decent access for pedestrians, cyclists etc along with regular and affordable buses, car parking areas and passenger waiting areas.   

Trains i have used have always also been electrified with only a driver.   I don't think this is going to work under our current national rail constraints.

Lots of interesting walks - https://www.wessexrailwaywalks.org.uk ...

The walk on the 16th is long and strenuous. I set quite a brisk pace and we walk as a group so there is an expectation that everyone is able to keep the pace. This walk is quite remote in the sense that it is in deep countryside with no places at which you could turn back or give up. The terrain is rough in parts, very different from town walking. So regrettably I think it might be a step too far for you at this stage

They are at Nailsea & Backwell - I stand admonished (and ankle deep in rust). 

20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57

20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57 will be starting late from Swindon and is expected to be 15 minutes late.
This is due to congestion.

An IET on diesel will only marginally outperform a Turbo…if it’s not an especially long section where the IET can stretch its legs up to its level track maximum speed of around 115mph.