Step towards ending deadlock on dead-end motorway junction

Local politicians have made a decision they say represents “an important step forwards” in a deadlock over a dead-end motorway junction near Avonmouth.

The £50m junction on the M49 in Severn Beach was built nearly two years ago, but motorists have been unable to use it because of a battle over who is responsible for connecting it to the road network.

The motorway junction should connect to Central Park, a large warehouse and distribution centre used by companies such as Tesco, Lidl and Amazon, but the linking road is still unbuilt.

In January South Gloucestershire Council said the business park’s owners, Delta Properties, were responsible for building the link road, but the company has refuted the claim saying it has “no legal obligation” to provide it.

Last month, the council said it was the joint responsibility of Delta and National Highways (formerly Highways England), who together own the strip of land on which the access road needs to be built.

Now the council’s ruling Conservative cabinet has made a decision behind closed doors following the receipt of a confidential report about options for getting the link road built.

The motorway junction should connect to Central Park, a large warehouse and distribution centre – photo courtesy of Google Images

The decision, made on Monday, October 11 and published on the council’s website on Wednesday, October 13, was “to approve the officer recommendations to deliver the link road to join the new M49 junction with the local highway network”.

No other details have been released, but an announcement is expected in the next few days.

Asked whether the council could share any more details with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a spokesperson said: “At their meeting on 11 October, our cabinet has agreed an approach with the Department for Transport and National Highways that will help the delivery of the M49 link road.

“This decision is an important step forwards and will allow us to progress work with our partners in delivering the M49 link to unlock the significant benefits that it will bring to South Gloucestershire, local communities and the wider region.”

Meanwhile, the situation is causing havoc for people living in the surrounding villages, according to a parish councillor.

Pilning and Severn Beach Parish Council chairman Peter Tyzack said: “All the traffic that would be going on the motorway is coming through the villages, which is a nightmare for us.”

He said he does not expect the link road to be finished and ready for use until late next year at the earliest, because of the “legal hoops” involved and the extra time it takes to prepare a flood plain before it can be built on.

“From the day they dig the first turf, it’ll be 12 months before the road can be opened,” he said. “We’ll be lucky if we get it open for next Christmas.”

Tyzack expressed his annoyance about the secrecy surrounding the recent decision over the link road and the report prepared for the cabinet members who made it.

“We’re not told anything,” he said. “We keep asking questions at every meeting we go to but we don’t get anything back.

“If this is a public project involving public monies then I can’t see how the report should have been confidential. We’ve a right to know.”

The cabinet report was confidential because it contained “information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)”, according to information on the council’s website.

Delta Properties said last month that “excellent progress” was being made towards building the road but blamed an occupier at the business park for delaying progress.

The West of England Combined Authority pledged £1m towards the project in February.

Its leader, Labour metro mayor Dan Norris, has called the situation a “fiasco” and said “those responsible must be held to account”.

Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol

Main photo courtesy of National Highways

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