Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton is one of several areas in our community-led Liveable Neighbourhood (LN) programme. The villages are situated just off the A37 approximately 8.4 miles away from Bath.
The Liveable Neighbourhood Programme aims to improve residential street environments and create more space for those that want to walk, wheel or cycle their short journeys.
Learn more about the LN programme including our aims and approaches.
Our proposals
During previous consultations, residents in Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton told us that they were concerned about the volume and speed of through-traffic through their villages.
To help tackle this issue, in 2022 to 23 we trialled a through-traffic restriction on Queen Charlton Lane which became permanent in January 2024 after a six-month public consultation. Read more about the through-traffic restriction trial and outcomes of the consultation.
We are now proposing to:
- install a signalised crossing across the A37 for pedestrians and cyclists
- upgrade the two bus shelters near the crossing
- widen the long path which connects the signalised crossing to community facilities in the west
- make several other improvements to paths and junctions on the eastern side of the A37.
These improvements would mean:
- slower traffic and safer crossing facilities on the A37 for cyclists and pedestrians
- improved walking and cycling connections between the community facilities in the west (such as the village playground and playing fields) with village homes and the national cycle route (3) in the east
- wider, shared paths and crossings enabling both cyclists and pedestrians to comfortably pass each other.
View the proposals on a map
Click on the numbers on the map to read a description of each proposal.
The numbers on the map correspond to the following annotations.
Proposals are to:
- Install a 5.2-metre-wide signalised crossing with dropped kerbs and tactile paving across the A37 between Whitchurch Village and the junction with Queen Charlton Lane.
- Upgrade and move the bus stop on the western side of the A37 carriageway north to improve visibility of the crossing. Real-time bus information for buses towards Bristol would be provided.
- Upgrade and move the bus stop on the eastern side of the A37 carriageway south by c.40 metres. Real-time bus information for buses towards Pensford would be provided.
- Widen to 3 metres the long path which connects the community facilities at Norton Lane to the new crossing on the A37, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to pass each other. The path would be set back from the road to improve safety.
- Narrow the junction of the A37 with Queen Charlton Lane/Woollard Lane to slow approaching vehicles, and install a pedestrian refuge to make it easier to cross the road.
- Improve the existing paths on the eastern side of the new A37 crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, linking to national cycle route (3) and Queen Charlton Lane.
- Widen the path from Queen Charlton Lane to the cemetery to 2 metres.
- Maintain the through-traffic restriction on Queen Charlton Lane which was made permanent in January 2024 to prevent drivers using the rural lane as a short cut. It allows pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders to pass through, but not motor vehicles. Access to homes is from either side of the restriction.
Exact locations and signage
The exact locations of the crossing and new bus stops are still to be determined, as are the positions of the required signage.
Links with other projects
Our proposals may be affected by work proposed by the Somer Valley Links Project. The SVL is a district-wide scheme that aims to improve active travel connections and bus infrastructure along the A37, A367 and the A362. We are working with their team to ensure proposals are compatible. Please visit the Somer Valley Links webpage to keep up to date with their proposals.
Download a leaflet explaining the aims of this LN and showing the proposals on a map.
Have your say
You can submit your feedback by completing the online form below.
You will need to provide your email address at the end of the survey. Responding to a questionnaire should take no more than 5 or 10 minutes. Please submit your feedback by 28 February 2025.
What happens next
We have already obtained funding from the UK Government (secured by the West of England Combined Authority) to install these improvements.
This follows several years of engagement and consultation with the community and rigorous shortlisting.
You can find more detail on how we developed this design by reading the 'Explore the context’ section on this web page.
Our intention is to:
- consider your feedback on these proposals
- draw up and publish more detailed designs
- inform residents and invite further feedback
- make any necessary amendments
- install the measures under standard Traffic Regulation Orders (where appropriate)
We will keep residents in the LN area (and neighbouring streets) informed of our progress by letter.
Traffic Regulation Orders
Find out more about how we decide on changes to road layouts using Traffic Regulation Orders.
Get in touch
We will collect your feedback using the online form on this webpage. However, if you require any help or support with the form, please email us at LNs@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 39 40 25 and request a call back from a team member.
Explore further context
Please expand the following headings to learn more about how we developed this design:
- In Autumn 2020, we asked residents across the district how they felt about LNs.
- View the consultation output report from January 2022.
- 48 communities then applied to become a LN, via ward councillors.
- You can request to view the original application for an LN for your area by emailing LNs@bathnes.gov.uk (the format cannot be made accessible for this web page).
- In June 2021, we prioritised areas where development of LNs could start (this included the Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton area).
In December 2021, we asked for your feedback on what was good about the Whitchurch Village and Queen Charlton area, what transport-related issues you experience, and what improvements would make the most impact.
Out of the 1,625 responses submitted as part of our area-wide public engagement in December 2021, 68 people commented on the Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton area. Below is a summary of what people said:
Below is a summary of what people said about Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton:
What is good about the area?
- 46 said 'strong community spirit'
- 10 said 'safe and healthy environment'
- 5 said 'accessibility for walking, wheeling and cycling'
What issues are experienced?
- 66 said 'speeding traffic'
- 60 said 'through traffic'
- 21 said 'not enough space for wheeling, walking or cycling'
- 21 said 'HGV traffic'
- 18 said school run traffic'
- 8 said 'pavement parking'
What measures could improve the area?
- 65 said 'a restriction on through traffic or HGVs'
- 18 said 'new or wider footways'
- 16 said 'new or improved cycle lanes'
- 10 said 'new pedestrian crossings'
- 4 said 'trees and planting'
On 21 June 2022, we held a co-design workshop with 34 residents who had expressed an interest in staying involved in the process during earlier engagement.
Attendees took part in a series of exercises to identify what they liked about the area, what could be improved, and what specific measures could help, plotting these on a map of the area.
To see the maps and the longlist of ideas suggested by the community, please view the report below.
In August 2022, attendees were invited back to review the outcomes of the workshop and prioritise their ideas, focusing on the original application area. These priorities were considered during later shortlisting to reach the final proposals.
Following the co-design workshop, we trialled a through-traffic restriction on Queen Charlton Lane for a minimum of six months from November 2022. During this time, we monitored traffic and air quality impacts, and gathered the views of residents.
In January 2024, a decision was made to make it permanent, and it has become a popular walking, cycling and horse-riding route through the area.
During the first half of 2023, we considered the wider community proposals for the area (in addition to the through-traffic restriction) against a range of criteria, working alongside local ward councillors to arrive at initial recommendations.
We scored proposals against set criteria to assess impacts.
View the early draft recommendation report (superseded by the Full Business Case proposal)
To secure the funds to install the LN programme it was necessary to submit a Full Business Case (FBC) to the West of England Combined Authority.
This involved appraising all early recommendations for each of the LN areas against the following criteria, to produce a final shortlist:
- Technical feasibility
- Alignment with the objectives of Liveable Neighbourhoods and community benefits
- Affordability/budget constraints
The shortlist was submitted to the West of England Combined Authority in a Full Business Case to be reviewed by its committee. The funding was secured on 20 September 2024.
View the press release on securing the grant from the FBC.
The Committee's report on the FBC is on page 45 of the Agenda Report Pack which includes a link to the Liveable Neighbourhood Full Business Case.
The shortlisted proposals for Whitchurch village and Queen Charlton are presented under 'Our proposals' on this web page.
Liveable Neighbourhood project timeline
You can view a history of the development of Liveable Neighbourhoods and relevant reports on our project timeline.
To stay up to date with the project, you can:
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