Finally – after years of asking – it appears money has been set aside for implementing a one-way system at one of the Bath’s most notorious rush- hour suburban short-cuts.
We are talking about Ferndale Road on the Larkhall-Lower Swainswick border and a route up a steep hill with bends, parked cars and lots of families with young children.
It’s a quick way through for vehicles who want to climb up over Camden from the Gloucester Road – rather than spend time – nose to tail – on the London Road.
It also happens to be where l live so l declare an interest. A line of Victorian houses on the edge of the Woolley Valley and surrounded with more recent housing – both general and sheltered.
This is an area with eternally babbling brooks, stories of watermills and Civil War casualties being stored nearby – hence one possible explanation for the name Dead Mill Lane.
It is also more currently a route attempted by large lorries and coaches. I hear a few years ago a car overturned.
There are confrontations between drivers meeting midway as one claims the prime right to climb and the other to descend.
Before my time bollards were added and – during my time – an additional one was placed in front of the portion of my garden wall knocked down by a reversing vehicle that did not stop to say sorry.
Our two local councillors have tried to get this sorry traffic mess sorted for some years.
Now money has finally been allocated in the B&NES Budget for ten thousand pounds to be spent on making Ferndale Road and Dead Mill Lane one-way.
Traffic will have to circulate and we hope there will be speed bumps to slow it down too.
Cllrs Bryan Chalker and Dave Laming came down to inspect the latest calamity with part of a wall collapsing on the bottom corner of Ferndale Road.
Was it a collision with a large vehicle or old age?
We don’t know but both of our local councillors were pleased the end of the traffic problems for this community was in sight after years of campaigning.
