53 drivers fined for illegally using Highwood Road – in a single day!

Vehicles using the bus-only section of Highwood Road, Patchway, Bristol.

Special Constables from Avon and Somerset Police were brought in to help enforce traffic restrictions on Highwood Road in a targeted operation that took place last Friday

The road has been closed to traffic, except for buses, taxis and bicycles, between its junctions with Durban Road and Coniston Road, since October 2012. Drivers were given a month to get used to the change, with the neighbourhood team initially giving warnings rather than issuing fines.

The neighbourhood team says it has had a number of complaints from local people about motorists ignoring the new traffic regulations.

Four Special Constables ran the operation between 9am and 6pm on Friday 15th March, with support from members of the neighbourhood team. Fifty-three drivers were fined £30 for flouting the traffic order in that time.

Special Constabulary District Officer Derek Hood said:

“This was a very rewarding operation and a good example of how we can get results in targeted operations. I hope this will be the first of many.”

Special Constables are uniformed volunteers with police powers. They give up their free time to help keep our communities safe, patrolling alongside regular officers.

Related link: Police in Patchway (The Journal)

47 comments

  1. “The neighbourhood team says it has had a number of complaints from local people about motorists ignoring the new traffic regulations.”

    So firstly people complained Highwood Rd was being made a bus-only route… and now people are complaining that non buses are using it? Same people?

  2. wow what a rewarding operation,i bet they are proud of themselves,pulling in people who just want to get from a to b on a good usuable rd,4 special constables,neighbourhood team.i think we should club together and pay there fines.heroes

  3. This is disgusting, that road should never have been closed in the first place. A complete waste of tax payers money.

  4. It’s not as if people aren’t aware of the new restrictions – the signs, the road markings, the obvious change to the road, the new dual carriageway that replaces the old road…

    If you drive illegally and get caught, you’re going to get fined – I suspect most of the 53 used the road regularly and their luck ran out!

  5. the new dual carriageway being coniston road.i think we are in the record books,the first council to shut a dual carriage way and reroute traffic through a built up area.the new dual carriageway does not suit everybody in patchway ,the area has been spoilt by a bunch of power crazed fanatics.

  6. This is just a case of police mopping up low hanging fruit. Not that it matters in the long term since in the future, with the new builds at Filton and behind Stoke Gifford, there will permanent gridlock everywhere anyway. 🙁

  7. Mr Hood’s use of the term ‘rewarding’ is somewhat bizarre to me, and noted by others in their comments I see.

    Robin Hood in reverse methinks. Still, I do support law and order of course. Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, indeed.

  8. what a very rewarding operation,i bet mr hood and co have planned there next operation,i ve heard they are going to apprehend skateboarders next by throwing stingers as they go past and fining them 2 lollipops and a packet of crisps.

  9. Lol, but We mustn’t be too hard on the specials, after all they are only obeying orders, but yes, what a bizarre use of resources in these trying times.

    The law is the law, just ask Judge Dredd what he would do, no less I’m sure.

    I recall discussing how some police treated miners during the coal disputes of the past, and vice versa, and was shocked at what I heard and people’s vitriol towards the law, however, the alternative is anarchy, and no one wants that do
    they?

    Away from this nonsense locally I note the police are as cheesed off with some of the Tory Liberal cuts as the rest of us. They’ve even been marching too. No one is safe these days.

    Anyway, sorry for digressing, but wanted to balance my views, I hope this place isn’t going the way of a ghost town, bands won’t play no more, all roads leading to nowhere. Here’s to a greater Bristol where your views are heard. I wish I was special.

    Yep, I am cheesed off with the stupidity of the closure of Highwood Rd by the Tories and liberals of south gloucester council. Road raging into the dying of the light. And hope. Evening all.

  10. Not actually disputing the law Ange, though many say the law is an arse, actually still disputing the closure of Highwood road, I think that’s reasonable to question.

    Can you give me a good reason or benefit that closure is bringing to this whole area? Can you tell me why every Tory or liberal on the council voted to close it? Can you tell me why every labour person on the council voted to keep it open? Can you tell me the decision to close it wasn’t political based on that?

    Ange, I can’t get over what I view as wholly undemocratic, biased, and wilfully ignorant of over 4000 signatures on a petition to keep it open. If there is a silent vocal majority who want to keep the road closed apart from those few dissenting voices on here please wheel them out.

    Joe strummer taught me not to fight the law, I accept that, but we can question those who make such daft decisions Shirley Ange??

  11. patchway has deteriorated over the last few years,it used to be a good place to live,look around you a school that cant get a head master ,main roads shut,speed humps coming and going graffetti everywhere,roads in a terrible state,runway shut,this sgc have no idea about quality of life.

  12. The problem with SGC and their view of our quality of life here is that SGC is a rural council full of oap village councillors protecting their own quality of life by dumping the housing quotas needed on Patchway and Filton, looking after their own vested village interests and keeping the housing out of their back yard, elected nimbys protecting their own at our expense.

    Good to see Lopresti has been rumbled in the local press with his dismal PR attempts recently with the A400M, many a letter writer has seen through him, standing in front of a plane whose wings were built in Filton but can no longer land here due to his lack of support for the airfield. With the billions swashing around this week you have to wonder if the political will was there for Filton then maybe just maybe we would still be flying.

  13. As in my reply to the Vox pop item regarding the Highwood Road closure; I say again: Can I encourage all those people with a comment/s concerning the Experimental!!! closure of Highwood Road to make their opinions/comments known to SGC by way of the Consultation Process as soon as possible. Please, please don’t leave it too late for your opinion to be considered.

  14. We’re is all this Graffrtti !! Patchway is still a great place to live we might have a few issues with roads closing but I would rather live here than some places like Hartcliffe and knowle,or Southmead or Bradly stoke these have all their own problems .yes we need to get the roads sorted right away (which they are trying to do now at long last) the school will soon get a Headmaster ,its also not the main road into patchway ,humps can’t change that they are nearly everywhere,Runway shut yes but that doesn’t make the place less desirable does it .

  15. Well done Happy! A bit of perspective! Wish people would stop moaning and just be Happy! Some things are crap, some things you can’t change, get over it, and enjoy the things you can influence and that make you happy! If you get down in the dumps about a few speed bumps and a vacant school headmaster you’ve got some issues!

  16. influence,thats a wonderfull word,4,000 signitures certainly had some influence.i ive got to agree sgc have certainly sorted the roads out.the runway laid to waste,what a missed opportunity to do something there,a counil thats not listening

  17. I agree James. The road decision is questionable (to some – not me I might add, I’ve benefitted from LESS traffic near me, and I can live with the longer journey to get to the Mall)… It amazes me how some people talk of the road closure as if it’s completely ruined their lives.

    Perspective is right!

  18. you may have benefitted from less traffic but it has ruined some peoples quality of life in and around coniston road who dont want endless streams of traffic going past there houses,still as long as you have got less traffic goping past your house happy days

  19. Some things are crap, some things you can’t change. How true . However, there are some crap things you should try to change surely? Where does that begin and end though, and where does that position people who are prepared to try while the rest settle for apathy and complacency from their armchair theatres? Is this the big society or is there no society? Is personal happiness found in settling for as good as you can get it, whether its right or fair? Do you not seek better for all? We used to didn’t we? Sure I play the morose card with black humour on here, and clearly it’s misunderstood just like the written word is so frequently. I could go on and on, and I do! If you are happy to sit back and pay these idiot SGC councillors at least 10K apiece to make such ridiculous decisions with your taxes so be it, I also urge you to go along and watch them in action in council and at the forums where they dole out community project money, go and see how they belittle Patchway and the people who live here, particularly the ones who represent the breakaway Stoke Lodge, they resent spending money on improving Patchway and begrudge our attempts to improve the quality of life of people who live here, we are seen as the poor relations and people whose lives can be written off, if you are happy to be represented by and to subsidise these people then so be it, you truly get what you settle for. Yes it’s only a road, and hey it was only an airfield, but they are all part of a bigger picture in local politics, which is life, where local people’s views are being ignored in the interests of the big money who are changing the face of this area forever, and I’m not convinced its for the greater good, in fact I think the decision to dump all the housing quotas here instead of on their own villages is the most clear example of the bias and vested self interest we are up against.

  20. Dave, they don’t need to care about Patchway unless they represent Patchway. We can’t vote them out if we are not able to vote them in…

    Like you say, they are only interested in their own patch, they don’t care about what happens to us. As long as they can squeeze as many houses in this area as possible and keep the riff raff contained in the traffic jams rather than ruining their space they will be happy. And if they can do deals with companies like Bovis to get some more lucre then tough luck to those who have to live with it!

  21. Yes you are right Jen, I guess I’d just like people to consider what goes on, behind closed doors and sometimes right in our faces, I wish local councils considered all in their areas, and weren’t bought off both financially and politically, if enough people said that was wrong then maybe things could be different, however, that’s the struggle between idealism and realism. Cheers peeps.

  22. two excellent posts,i agree with all that has been said,the runway being allowed to close will in the long term may be a disaster for patchway,time will tell.

  23. @Dave

    I don’t think they would listen no matter how many people said it was wrong unless the people saying this were the ones who had the power to vote them out. I cannot vote out people who serve places like Frampton Cotterell and Stoke Gifford but they can change my area whatever way they like which is not a fair way of doing things. There is nothing I can do about that, I cannot make them more accountable for their actions, and they have no motivation to change things – after all they would have nothing to gain from making things fairer!

    So, being only able to vote for the local councillors will not make an awful lot of difference to SGC as a whole. What is the point of trying to speak to a brick wall?

    Now if the majority of Patchway spoke together they might be able to rattle the wall a little more, but how can we show them it is worth trying?

  24. Do all you complainers vote at a local level? It’s a fair question I feel. Did you find your way to the Community Centre for a local government vote in the past? Did you put your letters about the closure of Highwood Road in the bin?

    How many “heads” does Patchway have? Of voting age, to clarify? Dave Tiley classes me in the apathetic, I’m not, I actively support the closure. I could go on but it’s late.

    Rest assured I’ll be back to debunk @Callicroft – for now I’ll leave him/her at “less traffic for you, happy days” – yep my fellow Patchwegian, just where you were before. Happy Days for you back then hey?!?

  25. @ Callicroft? Call this a starter.

    A) “ruined” people’s lives? Really? What next “A massive accident”? Take a look at google maps, from above. Coniston Road is the artery to Patchway estate, always was, always will be. It’s not a back street, it’s a main road. A B road perhaps.

    B) I’m 35, lived in Patchway all me life, and live on the main A38. One of the bungalows. Choose which one to brick ha ha! Now, back in 2005/6/7 the traffic would back up so much on a weekend near Christmas I had to accept that. It’s the house I have. I’ve benefitted. The New road IS a relief road.

    C) You live on Callicroft I assume? So where’s the traffic going past your house? Me on me way back from Rodway? YOUR issue is you now have a longer drive to your place of work (albeit in your head) – you refuse to use the A38 – past my house ironicially, but use the same Coniston Road you give out so much about others using…….

    D) Rodway Road shops? Dying on their arse? Yet I go there most days and seems busy enough? As a cheeky aside, won’t the neglected shops at the Parade do better from the passing trade?!?

    E)……..I could go on, facts are that no-one has died, people (including me) have to drive a bit further to the mall, traffic has been SPREAD between the new Hayes way and Coniston Road

    Airfield? A terrible shame, truly. But you not worried about from the heritage of our area point of view. I’m sure. Your house backs on to it, being you claim to be Callicroft. Well, twas an Airfield when you bought it, now it’s houses. You go on about Coniston, but my issue with you is you use that as a front for A) not being able to take the shortest route to work, B) the houses being build in you “back yard”………

    Sick and tired of you Callicroft.

  26. Hey just like to point out that Callicroft road is the most affected by the close of Highwood road and the road is a very busy road most of the time if you would like to sit in your car and count the cars going down it (and sometimes up )you would see .And yes Coniston is a road to be used as every other road so why should the people living on it be any different .

  27. Just saying can’t the council maybe use the road as a bus lane after a curtain time? Say the road remains open to all traffic till 8 and then its a bus lane for rest of the night?

  28. Hi Jen

    Yes how do we make a difference on those terms? I guess that’s where taking more action would come in, we tried a petition with over 4000 names on it, we tried taking a coach to SGC with residents prepared to speak, we had much publicity in the Post, Observer, on the radio, and much was said here in the local journal, but it wasn’t enough when all is said and done. So what else can we do??

    I heard talk of people refusing to pay council tax here, aside from that it just means further escalation of protest, but that’s debatable whether enough are up for it. Idealism against realism again.

    Hi Patchway Bloke

    I didn’t refer to you personally as apathetic, I wouldn’t term anyone debating on here as apathetic, forgive a sweeping generalisation of society as I see it, in the same way I forgive being termed a complainer.

    Some people were termed serial complainers somewhere else I recall, again, another assumption.

    You are clearly in support of the closure, so be it, I don’t get your views but have to accept them.

    I don’t have much more to add really, pleased to have sparked a debate I guess, the decision baffles me but you all know that, here’s to making people think a little about what goes on, I’ve had my eyes opened somewhat into what some councillors get up to anyway, and suspect its replicated the higher you go, indeed this may be the cause of apathy too, as people stop believing in the possibility of affecting change when those elected to serve only serve themselves. Nuff said.

  29. patchwaybloke, a ifyou read my posts you would note that i have made no mention of houses at the bottom of my garden, in fact i didnt have an opinion either way. b there is a perfectly good road at the top of my road which should be used for through traffic ,you know that ,i know that and anyone with a bit of sense knows that, c i dont drive to work i cycle on the same route for years. e why should traffic be spread ,use the one good road built for the job,the airfield could have had a future wuth the new houses.i would point out we had our own problems with cars taking a short cut up the road to the lights so i know a bit about busy roads and how they could affect your quality of life and stress levels,still your alright,happy days

  30. @Patchwaybloke

    Consiton Road may be the artery road for the Patchway estate but was it designed to be the artery road for the through traffic too? Does it have a A or B road number attached to it? Can’t find one on my A-Z…

  31. Dave,

    They don’t have to listen to us so they won’t bother. Doing things like not paying Council Tax would only be effective if enough people did it, but there are many that cannot afford the consequencies of fines, courts etc; there are those who are afraid of what would happen, and others who feel that nothing we do will make any difference, and they are probably correct!

    What can we do about it? Apart from stand for election and then see the corrupt from the inside and still be able to do nothing about it!

  32. Sorry Jen but I might be an insider on the council but we have a saying at work, so, how’s it feel to be an outsider to the human race?? That’s where I’m at lol.

    Seriously all I can say for now is we must all express ourself by appeal to SGC and submit our concerns through the process as advertised and emphasised on here by many, maybe we can have another push at that time of review, powder dry publicly until then.

    On a bad day you will get me saying being involved in all this nonsense is futile, I cannot see a point in a second term knowing what I know now, but in the meantime I will try my best despite the odds being so stacked against Patchway People. As I said earlier that’s about all I can say, I am beholden to some very clever people and follow their advice accordingly, there is hope, and thank goodness for said people who do commit so much despite these circumstances, it doesn’t come easy. In the meantime I hope those continuing can drop the personal insults, no need, respect people.

  33. The closure of Highwood road is the most RIDICULOUS decision ever made in Patchway…why close a road for a FEW buses to use it every day and increase the traffic through the housing estate…housing thousands of children. Wake up and reopen!

  34. I’m also in favour of reopening the road. I am also in favour of public transport and facts – 10 buses an hour each way use Highwood Road bus lane during the day – another two each way during the peaks.

  35. I mentioned on 20 March the need to make your feelings known to SGC re the ‘Experimental’ closure of Highwood Road. It is all well and good to let of steam on this page but if you want your comment/s considered you need to contact SGC through their Public Consultation Process. You only have until this Friday 19 April 2013 to make your feelings known and for them to be taken into consideration, one way or the other. Please don’t miss the opportunity of having your say where it matters.

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