Banwell Bypass unanimously approved

Plans to build a £97m bypass around a village in Somerset have taken a huge step forward.

North Somerset Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to grant planning permission to the proposed bypass around congestion-plagued village of Banwell.

But the compulsory purchase orders which the council passed to secure the land for the bypass will still need to go through a public inquiry before the digging can start.

The idea of building a bypass around Banwell stretches back decades. The A371 passes right through the heart of the village, narrowing down to a single track road and causing significant congestion and traffic issues, which it is hoped the bypass would solve.

But the idea has faced opposition from other villages, who fear Banwell’s congestion problems will be passed on. Last year, neighbouring Churchill Parish Council wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to stop the bypass.

The council hopes work on the bypass can start this year and that cars could be on the new road in 2024.

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