Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension public consultation

Please note that this consultation is now closed. 

7 July update

Councillors on the Environment & Community Services Committee met on Wednesday 6 July to consider the next steps for the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME).

The scheme was previously considered in May when the item was deferred for further work to be carried out to help inform the committee’s decision. This included investigating funding sources, further technical work and the implications on the scheme if an alternative to the preferred route was taken forward. 

After careful consideration of the committee report, the concerns raised by local people and the costs and benefits in terms of providing rapid, reliable and convenient MetroBus services, the committee decided to progress the recommended option utilising Hatchet Road. In progressing the CPME to its next detailed design phase, we will fully explore opportunities to reduce the impacts of the scheme on adjacent landowners in relation to the issues and concerns raised during the consultation phase.

The agreed route will run between Bristol Parkway Station and The Mall bus station, via Hatchet Road, Gipsy Patch Lane, through the former Rolls Royce East Works site, along North Way, and through the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood.

The CPME is an extension of the MetroBus network which will extend the North Fringe to Hengrove MetroBus route that is currently under construction. The CPME will provide a fast and direct link between Bristol Parkway station and The Mall bus station via the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood. It will also link to the other MetroBus routes which are currently being built, including the South Bristol link and Ashton Vale to Temple Meads.

The approved CPME scheme also includes the replacement of the Gipsy Patch Lane rail bridge with a new wider bridge to alleviate a well known pinchpoint in the local road network.  The new bridge would be wide enough for a lane for general traffic, a shared use path and a bus lane in both directions, to the benefit of all highway users.

Subject to securing the necessary approvals and permissions, including planning permissions for some elements of the scheme, construction is programmed to start in 2018.

28 June 2016 update

Councillors on the Environment & Community Services (ECS) Committee will be making a decision on the next steps for the CPME on Wednesday 6 July from 2pm. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber in Kingswood Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood BS15 9TR.

The report which will be considered at the meeting is available to view by clicking on the link below.

ECS committee report  (the full CPME committee report, from page 49 onwards)

Any resident in South Gloucestershire, or person affected by decisions to be taken by the Council, may address the Committee (for no more than 5 minutes). No prior notice is required but it would helpful if anyone wishing to speak contacts our Democratic Services Team by noon on the day before the meeting.  For further information about speaking at the meeting, or making a written submission, please contact Paul Johnson, Democratic Services, on 01454 864425 or email paul.johnson@southglos.gov.uk

16 June 2016 update

The Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) item was debated at South Gloucestershire Council’s Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Committee meeting on 4 May 2016.  The item was deferred to a subsequent committee meeting for further consideration of the implications of each of the options for the CPME.

The date for the subsequent meeting has now been confirmed and Councillors on the Environment & Community Services Committee (which has replaced the PTSE Committee) will be making a decision on the next steps for the CPME on Wednesday 6 July from 2pm. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber in Kingswood Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood BS15 9TR.

The report which will be considered at the meeting will be published on the council’s website (www.southglos.gov.uk) from Tuesday 28 June. It will include officer recommendations regarding how the CPME should proceed which will be considered by councillors. 

Once the report is published we will also post a link on this page.

Any resident in South Gloucestershire, or person affected by decisions to be taken by the Council, may address the Committee (for no more than 5 minutes). No prior notice is required but it would helpful if anyone wishing to speak contacts our Democratic Services Team by noon on the day before the meeting.  For further information about speaking at the meeting, or making a written submission, please contact Paul Johnson, Democratic Services, on 01454 864425 or email paul.johnson@southglos.gov.uk

6 May 2016 update

The Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) item was debated at South Gloucestershire Council’s Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Committee meeting on 4 May 2016.  The item was deferred for further consideration of the implications of each of the options for the CPME.  Some options require additional funding which has not been identified at this stage.  We will update this webpage with further information as soon as it is available.

25 April 2016 update

Councillors on the Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment (PTSE) Committee will be making a decision on the next steps for the CPME at their meeting on Wednesday 4 May.

We have now published the report that will be considered by councillors at that meeting which contains responses to the main issues raised during consultation. Please click on the following links to view the documents:

PTSE Committee Report (the full report, including all appendices, from page 27 onwards)

Responses to main issues raised during the consultation (appendix B to the PTSE Committee report)

The committee meeting takes place on Wednesday 4 May at Hayfields (Cleve Rugby Club), Cossham Street, Mangotsfield, Bristol, Bristol BS16 9EN. Further information is available here.

The issues raised in the consultation are also available to view in the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension Consultation Issues Report

The consultation material is available to view below for reference.

Information from December 2015 to January 2016 public consultation: 

The proposed route for the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension is from Bristol Parkway Station, along Hatchet Road, Gipsy Patch Lane, through the former Rolls Royce East Works site, North Way, through the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood (the forthcoming development on the former Filton Airfield) and to The Mall bus station.

This consultation is asking for your views on the proposals.  We want to know if you have any particular concerns about the proposals and if you have any suggestions for improvements.

What is MetroBus?

South Gloucestershire Council, together with the other councils in the West of England area, is promoting a number of transport infrastructure schemes for different modes of travel that will reduce congestion and improve accessibility for existing and future communities in the area. One of the modes of travel that we are working on is MetroBus, which is the name given to a network of express bus services which will provide fast and reliable journey times.

Three MetroBus routes in the West of England area have been planned for several years and construction on these routes has now started. We are in the early stages of developing a further MetroBus scheme, called the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension which is an extension of the North Fringe to Hengrove MetroBus route.

Background information about the other MetroBus routes is available at www.travelwest.info/metrobus

Consultation material
The links below will take you to material that shows the proposals for the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension:

Consultation document

We recommend you read this first.  This document gives the background to the project, shows where the proposed CPME route runs, and summarises the proposals along the route.  You can cross refer to the design proposals document below to see the detailed proposals for each zone.

Design proposals

Detailed diagrams of the proposals along the CPME route.  You can cross refer to the consultation document to see which zone each diagram relates to. 

Landscape proposals

This is similar to the design proposals document, but shows approximately where existing vegetation would need to be replaced to accommodate the proposals.

Some of the diagrams in these documents are detailed, so you may find it helpful to zoom in on your screen to view them more clearly.  If you need any help please contact us using the contact details near the bottom of this page.

Alternatively, during the consultation period the above material is also available to view in hard copy at Bradley Stoke, Filton and Patchway libraries and the Patchway one stop shop. Visit www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries or www.southglos.gov.uk/buildings/patchway-one-stop-shop for addresses and opening times.  The hard copies there are for reference only and are not available to be taken away.

Supporting documentation

Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge

• Committee report This October 2015 report to the Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Major Schemes Sub-Committee provides background information on the CPME and explains the decision on the chosen Gipsy Patch Lane rail bridge option. Please note that this report is provided for background information only and is not subject to consultation.
• Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge Option Selection Report This technical report has been produced by Network Rail and gives detailed information on different bridge options that have been considered.  Please note that this report is provided for background information only and is not subject to consultation.

A representative example of similar works to those at Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge is the Cow Lane bridge replacement at Reading which was constructed during the Christmas holidays in 2011 by BAM Nuttall.  There is a 3 minute time lapse video on YouTube (external site) which shows how the Cow Lane bridge was replaced at https://youtu.be/A9mAPhFN3a4. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to FAQs are available here.

How to make comments

There is a response form which you can download and complete:

• PDF response form (download, print, complete by hand, post back to us)
• Microsoft Word response form (download, complete in Word, email back to us or upload via this webpage)

You do not have to use a response form - ordinary emails or letters will be accepted.

We prefer to receive response forms/comments electronically. Please email them to transport.policy@southglos.gov.uk

Alternatively, response forms/letters can be posted to:

FREEPOST Plus RTCT-JXLE-EET
South Gloucestershire Council
Strategic Transport Policy Team
MetroBus Extension consultation
Civic Centre
High Street
Kingswood
BRISTOL
BS15 9TR

All comments must be received by or on Friday 15 January 2016. Please include your name and a contact email and/or postal address when making comments so that we can keep you up to date on the project.

All comments received will be considered and investigated to help refine the final design of the scheme. We will respond to each issue raised in a consultation report which will be made available to the public in 2016.

Data protection

The information collected as part this consultation will also be used by us (and our delivery partners) in accordance with the data protection principles in the Data Protection Act 1998.  We collect this data to assist in plan making and project development; and to contact you, if necessary, regarding the consultation process. Your response may be made public as it will form part of the evidence base used to inform the decision making process, however personal information will be removed prior to any publication. The above purposes may require public disclosure of any data received, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Public exhibitions

During the consultation period we are holding public exhibitions at local venues where council officers will be present.  These are a chance to drop in to view the consultation material, ask questions and submit written comments. Exhibitions are being held at the following times and locations:

• Tuesday 1 December, 6pm to 8.30pm, Old School Rooms, St Michaels Church, The Green (off North Road), Stoke Gifford, BS34 8PD.
• Monday 7 December, 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Stoke Gifford Parish Council community hall, Little Stoke Lane, Little Stoke, BS34 6HR
• Wednesday 16 December, 4pm to 8pm, Poplar Room, Stoke Gifford Trust Ground, North Road, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8PE

The material shown at the exhibitions will be the same as given above.  In addition these exhibition banners will also be on display.

Other information - MetroWest

The CPME consultation material refers to MetroWest.  This is an important but separate transport project being progressed by local authorities in the West of England.  Further information can be found at http://travelwest.info/projects/metrowest

Need any help?

If you have any questions then please email transport.policy@southglos.gov.uk or call 01454 863441 during normal office hours.

This consultation has now closed and our consultation report is now available.