We are making it safer and better for children and families to walk between three schools in Midsomer Norton. Use this page to find out more about the improvements and how they could affect you.
About the works
We are making pedestrian safety improvements in Midsomer Norton to a walking route along Redfield Road and Clapton Road that connects three local schools: Longvernal Primary School, St John C of E Primary School, and Somervale School.
We will be making the following improvements to pedestrian safety:
- footway widening
- dropped kerbs
- two new zebra crossings
- pavement resurfacing
- pavement buildouts at some road junctions
- extension of 20mph speed limit
- new pavement into Somervale School with new pedestrian crossing point
By doing this we aim to achieve:
- Greater connectivity in Midsomer Norton
- Improving people's lives by providing more travel options
- Improving and adding walking infrastructure to enable active travel for children
- Increase the safety for those choosing sustainable methods of transport
Significant benefits have been found for children who adopt active travel methods to travel to and from school. From physical and mental wellbeing to higher levels of concentration and reduced air and noise pollution, these improvements aim to make walking easier, safer, and better-connected in a popular educational area.
Phase one: Redfield Road, Summer 2026
Construction for the first phase of walking improvements in Redfield Road will begin on 27 July and are expected to complete on 1 September, before the new school year starts.
We will be installing a new zebra crossing in Redfield Road between Somervale School and St Johns School, creating a safer crossing point for families and children.
Other improvements include:
- Narrowing the crossing point in Redfield Grove and adding tactile paving dropped kerbs
- New tactile paving dropped kerbs in St Chads Green and Redfield Road
- New footway and tactile paving crossing point installed along the entrance to Somervale School
- Footway widening and resurfacing
A section of Redfield Road will be closed 24/7 throughout the works between its junctions with Church Lane and Steam Mills/Withies Lane. Residents who live within the closure extents will still be able to access their properties.
We have split the work into phases to minimise disruption and are utilising the school holiday period when our roads are less busy.
Future phases, dates TBC
Dates for further phases of improvement works in Clapton Road, Paulton Road and another section of Redfield Road will be confirmed at a later date, and we will be updating this page.
View the proposals on a map
To understand the locations of the proposed improvements, click here to view our proposals on a map.
Why walking and cycling are important
We need to make walking, wheeling and cycling the natural choice for a lot more of our journeys. Currently, over a third of car trips across Bath and North East Somerset are less than 5km.
The importance of walking, wheeling, and cycling, or ‘active travel’ as an affordable and accessible mode of transport has become increasingly apparent over recent years.
The benefits of active travel are extensive - from improving air quality to ensuring healthier places and people. By enabling more travel options, we can optimise road space for all.
Active Travel Masterplan
The routes are part of our emerging Active Travel Masterplan, a comprehensive plan that sets out the existing and future network of active travel infrastructure.
Consultation took place during summer 2024 and aims to enable walking, cycling, and other forms of active travel, ensuring safer, healthier, and more accessible transportation options for everyone. It will support all types of journeys, including commuting, education, leisure, and tourism.