Bath park-and-ride plan shelved amid safety concerns

The two preferred park-and-ride sites were either side of Mill Lane at Bathampton Meadows

Plans for a controversial park-and-ride to the east of Bath have been shelved "primarily on road safety grounds".

Bath and North East Somerset Council had shortlisted two sites close to the A4, but a "huge public outcry" followed that decision.

It said it would now look at a raft of "joined up transport improvements".

Council leader Tim Warren said the eastern park-and-ride had been "challenging" but said ultimately it must put the safety of road user first.

He said some of the other transport measures the authority would look at included:

• Working with Highways England to deliver an A36-A46 link road

• Improving access to park-and-ride sites at Lansdown and Odd Down

• A scoping study for a light rail (tram) system in Bath

• Undertaking a study of "school run" transport needs

Two preferred sites for a park-and-ride to the east of Bath were chosen from a shortlist of eight.

A greenbelt site on the west side of Mill Lane at Bathampton Meadows was eventually chosen over neighbouring council-owned land because the 800-car site would be less visible and have potential for a future rail link.

In January, hundreds of people protested against the proposal, including the owner of the land who has said he will not sell to the council

Mr Warren added improving transport and tackling Bath's traffic problems "remain one of our highest priorities".

"In light of the issues with site access, and taking into consideration all the various factors with these two sites, it is therefore recommended that the council should not proceed with either of these sites and we should instead commit all our efforts to pursuing the other traffic and transport measures we have set out."

The proposed eastern park-and-ride would have joined the city's other three at Newbridge, Lansdown and Odd Down.