Glastonbury bypass plan ditched

Roads

Somerset County Council has withdrawn a funding bid for a bypass of Glastonbury because of local opposition. 

Peninsula Transport, the non-statutory local transport body for the far South West, included an  A361 Glastonbury bypass and Pilton scheme as the fifth priority in its Major Road Network  (MRN) submission to the DfT last year.  

In January the DfT requested  that all MRN scheme promoters confirm local community and political support for schemes.  

Officers told Peninsula Transport’s meeting this month: “Recent correspondence with Glastonbury Town Council, the local MP and other residents regarding the scheme has shown that there is now local community and political concern about the notion of bypass solutions for the pinch points on this route.

“The council considers that it is highly unlikely that the scheme can realistically progress any further or be deliverable without a high level of community and political support.” 

Two bypass options for Glastonbury had been identified (long and short) (LTT 15 Mar 19). As of last spring no options had been identified for relieving Pilton.