Locals in a village ‘dying’ due to traffic gridlock said are stunned as a bypass is finally going ahead – after a 100-year wait.
Banwell, Somerset, has suffered from severe congestion for decades, making the centre essentially a ‘no go’ zone for its 3,200 residents.
The once-thriving community has lost dozens of shops with health studies also showing higher rates of breathing-related health issues among its school pupils.
But planning permission and funding has now been secured for the long-awaited bypass – with hopes that it will be fully open to traffic by March 2026.
Some life-long residents in Banwell said it was a day they never thought they’d see – with many saying their relatives were involved in initial proposals as far back as 1927.
Local historian Roy Rice, 79, who has lived his whole life in the village, said: ‘My uncle, Wally Richards, when he was 11, helped the survey and put the pegs in of the original bypass plan.
‘It was a different variation in 1927. It will be 99 years since then when it finally opens. He is no longer with us but I am sure he would be very surprised we are still talking about it nearly 100 years later.
‘It will make a huge difference to the village and we will certainly have a big party when the bypass opens. We are fully aware it is not being built for us, but it can not be a bad thing for Banwell.’
The final approval for the two mile bypass came when North Somerset council voted unanimously in favour of the £56.5 million contract at a meeting last week.
A total of £89.2 million funding has been approved for the scheme and includes costs such as consultants, utilities, and contingency money.
And studies showed the proposed bypass could reduce traffic through the village by up to 78%.
Mr Roy added: ‘There has been three or four different routes proposed over the years. The original route was a lot closer to the village.
‘What we have going ahead is the lesser of two evils.
‘Banwell has lost a lot of shops as you can not stop there, maybe around 30-40 shops in the centre.
‘There was a lot of industry and a lot of businesses, a brewery, mill, blacksmith. It was once a thriving area.
‘As they shut, no one wants to take them on. Hopefully the bypass will bring life back to the centre of the village.’
Paul Harding, 58, who is vice chairman of Banwell parish council, said there have been a number of barriers to the bypass, including lack of political will, funding issues and initial opposition from farmers.
Mr Harding added: ‘The process started in 1927. Why it has taken so long is a very good question.
‘The authorities initially did not want a bypass. In the 1960s they knocked houses down and pushed the railway bridge down, opening it up for lorries.
‘Traffic has got so much worse. For some time they did not want it as they did not want the houses that go with it.’
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Wally Rice, 85, who was also a former councillor and has lived in Banwell his entire life, said: ‘I am surprised that this has happened in my lifetime.
‘I remember first started discussing it when I was a schoolboy, about 17. I was also a councillor and it was touched on regularly. People talked about it, but those running the council did not really want it at the time.
‘It is not a perfect solution but is a damn sight better than what we have at the moment.’
Despite the majority being in favour of the scheme, some residents expressed doubts it would make a big difference.
Eric Small, 82, of Banwell, added: ‘I have the minority view in the village and doubt it will do very much. A bigger issue for me is that weight and size restrictions are not enforced.
‘All heavy traffic comes through on the road to Banwell. If they are not driving through small villages, they are going to cut straight through small farms. It is going to destroy and split farms and make them unviable.’
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