'Rat run' fears Councillor slams plan for one-way road near school

PLANS to make a south Bristol road one-way in the hope of improving children's safety on the journey to school will create a 'dangerous rat run; a local councillor fears.

- Adam POSTANS Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

The city council intends to change the road system next to Headley Park Primary School in Bishopsworth, stopping traffic driving southbound on the 300-metre section of Headley Park Avenue between Headley Lane and Headley Park Road.

But local councillor Richard Eddy is concerned that drivers will use Maytree Avenue, Maytree Close and other local streets as a shortcut, adding to existing congestion and parking problems, and said the decision was 'reckless and inexcusable.

He said the original plan was to make Headley Park Avenue oneway northbound only for 30 minutes in both the morning and afternoon around the school day but that transport officers argued this would be confusing and unenforceable, so the council would instead make the change permanent and applicable 24/7 every day, even when the school was closed.

In response, transport and connectivity committee chairman Cllr Ed Plowden said creating a oneway system was the most effective way of keeping pupils, parents and school staff safe and that any displacement of vehicles would be 'negligible'