Government removes Keynsham bypass from major road funding programme
The government has removed the proposed £303 million Keynsham bypass from its major road funding programme, saying it can only afford some road schemes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Plans for a £303 million bypass around Keynsham have been removed from the government's major road funding programme. The Department for Transport said it could not afford to deliver the scheme, along with a number of other road projects.
The decision is a major blow for the town. Supporters say the bypass was needed to ease pressure on local roads and protect villages. The A350 has been chosen as the main trunk route from the M4 to the south coast, and campaigners say villages and towns on the route are being constantly hit by HGVs and general car traffic that their roads were not built for.
Local concerns focus on the River Avon crossings. One voice in the coverage said the town has only two crossings over the river, and that losing either would bring the whole town to complete gridlock. The bypass was described as essential for maintaining the town's integrity and protecting its villages. Businesses on industrial estates also fear they cannot leave if roads become gridlocked, making day to day work harder.
The Department for Transport said: 'given the challenging financial picture we inherited, we've had to make difficult decisions on a number of road projects and can only progress schemes that are affordable for taxpayers.'
The Keynsham scheme is not the only West Country project affected. Hopes for a new motorway junction on the M5 just south of Tewkesbury have also been pulled. The Department for Transport has said the projects are not completely dead in the water. In theory, they could go ahead in future if money can be found.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A planned new M5 motorway junction south of Tewkesbury was cancelled. | |
| The £303 million Keynsham bypass was removed from the government's major road funding programme. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West led on the local impact of the government removing the £303 million Keynsham bypass from the major road funding programme. It placed the decision in a wider West Country context by reporting that a planned M5 junction south of Tewkesbury had also been pulled, and it carried the Department for Transport's affordability statement. Its tone was concerned and locally focused, with airtime for worries about HGV traffic on the A350, River Avon crossings and industrial estate access, but it also noted the schemes could return if funding is found.
- “Plans for a £303 million buy-by-house around Keynsham have suffered a major blow after the government removed the scheme from its major road funding programme.”
- “It's among numerous schemes, which the Department for Transport says it can't afford to deliver.”
- “given the challenging financial picture we inherited, we've had to make difficult decisions on a number of road projects and can only progress schemes that are affordable for taxpayers.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.