Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Work starts on cycle paths to deter travellers
NEW cycle paths will be constructed on a residential street in Glastonbury in a bid to discourage travellers from camping there illegally.
Somerset County Council has begun work on a new active travel scheme which will deliver better pedestrian and cycling facilities along Bretenoux Road, on the southern edge of the town.
The road has been the site of numerous unauthorised traveller occupations in recent times, with residents complaining in February 2021 that such camps were “sinking a wonderful town into the abyss”.
The scheme, which is expected to be completed before Christmas, comes hot on the heels of a new public space protection order (PSPO) passed by Mendip District Council which makes unauthorised sites in and around Glastonbury subject to potential criminal proceedings.
The project will see the entire length of Bretenoux Road bordered by kerbs on both sides, with a cycle lane being created along the southern side of the road and a shorter link at the junction of Butleigh Road heading into the town.
Work on the project is expected to be completed by December 19 at the latest, with the county council hoping the kerbs and the PSPO combined will help to deter any further encampments.
This project follows the improvements on Stone Down Lane earlier this year, which were designed to improve road safety and prevent unauthorised parking near the northern entrance to Glastonbury Tor.
The PSPO is designed to further deter encampments which are already unlawful – namely those overnight on public highways, those trespassing on publicly-owned or – managed land, or those which stay in council-owned car parks.
It changes unlawful encampments from a civil matter to a criminal offence, with any encampment not deemed to be “reasonable, necessary or proportionate” or “having a reasonable excuse” being potentially subject to action in the courts.
The PSPO will be enforced by both Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the council’s own in-house enforcement team – and each encampment will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
This is one of many measures which are being pursued by the Glastonbury Unauthorised Encampment MultiAgency Group (MAG), which includes representatives from the police and the county, district and town councils.
County council deputy leader Liz Leyshon said: “We know Glastonbury is a very special place and has drawn visitors and pilgrims for many hundreds of years.
“Somerset County Council and Mendip District Council, together with the police and other partners, want to ensure a balance is regained following the difficult years of the pandemic and lockdowns. We are committed to supporting vulnerable people living on the roadside where possible, to providing transit and permanent traveller sites, and to ensuring that businesses and residents are also considered in our future plans.
“We value the lovely countryside around us, and are delighted to be able to increase the amount of space for safe walking and cycling in Bretenoux Road, joining up with an existing cycle route across to the nearby villages.”
The Glastonbury town deal – which has attracted £23.6m of central government funding – includes a commitment to delivering new travellers’ sites in the town, with further details about this and the future of the Morlands site on Beckery Old Road expected to be published later in the year.
The county council is also looking at different options for improving Kennard Moor Drove, addressing residents’ concerns and ensuring vandwellers and other travellers living there are adequately supported.
Ms Leyshon added: “The town deal has created one-off opportunities that can bring in other partners and funding, and we will continue working together to ensure everyone living, visiting and working in Glastonbury has the best possible life experience here.”