Work on long-awaited bypass given green light

Banwell Bypass is set to open in 2027

Contractors have finally been given the green light to start building a bypass around a congested village.

Building a bypass around Banwell in North Somerset was first proposed in 1927.

North Somerset Council voted at a council meeting to issue contractors Galliford Try with a notice to proceed with the construction.

Steve Bridger, the former council leader, praised those who worked on the project.

"It has been a really tough gig," he said. "Everything has been thrown at them and they have dealt with it fantastically well.

"I am really chuffed we have reached this stage and we are going to do it."

Banwell has been historically plagued by traffic. It is as two A-roads funnel traffic into the village which at one point has to go down a single lane route.

Villagers say the traffic can be a "living hell"

The council's executive member Mark Canniford said they hope the bypass will be open by 2027.

This will be exactly a century since the bypass was first proposed in 1927.

He said: "Galliford Try have been active on the site up to this stage and done all the environmental works and are now ready to progress to that stage to construct.

"With permission from this council and support for this motion ... we will move to that stage and get this bypass open by 2027 with a good wind behind us."

The project, finally approved in 2023, was originally set to cost £66m entirely funded by the government body Homes England.

But, after major delays, including the original contractor pulling out last year, the cost has soared to £105.14m.