The Brassmill Lane Industrial Estate is located at the western end of the Bath Enterprise Area. It is the home to some world leading science, engineering and manufacturing industries, and provides employment to hundreds of people. Locally it is a very important part of the economy and puts Bath on the international map of cities with hi-tech industries.

However, the Industrial Estate has grown incrementally over the years and has never really been supported with adequately planned transport infrastructure. In fact to access the Estate, employment traffic needs to be routed through local residential roads. We believe that access to the Industrial Estate could be much improved by the provision of a new bridge across the River Avon from the A36 Lower Bristol Road (see artist’s impression below) .

The bridge would mean that commercial vehicles and workers’ cars could have direct access to the Industrial Estate without needing to pass through the residential streets around Brassmill Lane including Westfield Park South and Locksbrook Road. This would also relieve traffic from the Twerton Folk and Newbridge, and from Windsor Bridge. Commercial traffic to the Industrial Estate could therefore all be signposted along the A36.

The proposed location of the bridge could be at a point where the A36 and the River Avon most closely align. Some land purchase on the southern bank and agreement with industries on the northern bank would be required. However, there could be benefits for all in delivering the bridge. A suitable junction would need to be formed on the A36, mostly likely to be a traffic signal junction. Footways and cycleways across the bridge would also be beneficial.

Improved access will allow the Industrial Estate to flourish and generate new opportunities, including further jobs. This is in keeping with the spirit of the Enterprise Area. It would further allow the residential streets around the Industrial Estate to be traffic calmed, and even have access restrictions placed on them.

The car parks of the Industrial Estate are only lightly used at weekends. It may be possible to use the available car parking for coaches or additional P&R capacity on weekends. .