Plans for a £3.5million park and ride next to South Gloucestershire Council’s offices in Yate have been submitted.
The local authority-owned greenbelt site would have 190 car park spaces, bus stops both inside and outside on Badminton Road, a traffic light pedestrian crossing, zebra crossing and bike storage.
It would improve public transport links between the town and Bristol, with operator First Bus already confirming the Y1 service will stop inside the park and ride, while further discussions on additional routes are ongoing.
The funding has come from the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) which approved the idea last year.
Preliminary work is also taking place on two bypasses for Yate, more regular services at the town’s railway station and new cycle routes.
If planning permission is granted, the park and ride is scheduled to open as soon as next March.
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South Gloucestershire Council leader Cllr Toby Savage said: “I am delighted that, after much public discussion on the future of a park and ride for Yate, plans have finally been submitted.
“Getting more people onto public transport is another step in contributing towards our climate emergency goals and I am pleased local Conservatives have spearheaded this initiative.”
West of England mayor Tim Bowles said: “I am working hard to get our region moving with investments that make it easier for people to use public transport.
“This park and ride would give people a real alternative and means they can step out of their cars or cycle a short distance and get onto a bus, reducing congestion on local roads, including Badminton Road, the ring toad and in Yate town centre.”
Thornbury & Yate MP Luke Hall said: “Building the park and ride is a vital part of our positive plan for transport in our local area.
“The submission of this application is a big step forward, and I want to thank the council for their work in getting the park and ride to this stage and mayor Tim Bowles for providing the funding to make it happen.”
First Bus managing director James Freeman said: “We are looking forward to the Yate park and ride getting up and running and are hoping for as many of our services to make use of the new facility as possible.
“We will continue to work with the council to make this scheme as successful as possible as more and more people return to using public transport.”
A planning design and access statement by consultants Jacobs says 12 sites were considered for the scheme and that consent was granted for the same location in 2006 but not taken forward.
It says: “The A432 corridor between Yate and Bristol is already congested, causing severance and safety issues and extended public transport journey times.
“As a result, a large proportion of trips along the A432 corridor are undertaken by private car.
“This trend is forecast to increase.
“The creation of a new park and ride will help to tackle existing and future transport challenges in the area by enabling residents to switch from cars to continue their journeys by more sustainable transport modes.
“In the short term, the proposed facilities will provide an initial park-and-ride service using the existing bus network and overflow car parking for Yate station which is due to benefit from increased rail services as part of the MetroWest project.
“In the longer term, the park and ride will adapt to growth and changing technologies, forming a key gateway and transport hub for Yate.
“The proposed A432 metrobus service would increase the service frequency and quality of buses that could serve the site.”
It says the site is in the greenbelt but also within the Local Plan’s development boundary, so the land is suitable for “necessary” development such as transport infrastructure.
“The layout and proposed landscaping are designed to have minimal visual intrusion on the character of the area, preserving the local character as far as possible,” it adds.
