Clevedon’s new Conservative councillors are calling on North Somerset Council to remove their controversial Clevedon seafront scheme.
A wiggly white line and a cycle lane were added to the Victorian seafront road The Beach in January, which was quickly criticised by locals, debated in Parliament, and called “one of the most bizarre new road schemes we’ve ever seen” by the RAC.
The wiggly line was later removed only to be replaced with a new buff which locals say looks like a “yellow brick road.”
READ MORE: Council to review seafront road scheme as calls for its reversal continue
Conservatives Michael Pryke and Luke Smith both won seats in Clevedon in this months elections to North Somerset Council after campaigning against the work done to the seafront.
Now they are bringing a motion before North Somerset Council’s annual meeting tonight (May 23) calling for the scheme to be scrapped and Clevedon seafront to be restored to its former state, except for remaining one way.
Mr Pryke said: “In the local elections, residents trusted us to revert the seafront back to how it was. It is clear that the vast majority of Clevedon residents didn’t want this and want it changed back as soon as possible and we will keep fighting until we see it changed back.”
Mr Smith added: “Our motion is our flagship policy that was offered at the election, where we gained three seats in Clevedon, narrowly missing out on a fourth.
“Having had countless conversations with residents there is universal opposition to the current scheme. This seemingly translates into support for our policy. Key criticisms from the public are that no one wanted the scheme, no one likes the scheme, and it was a waste of money.
“We are the only political group with a consistent position and a solution which has been directly voted on by residents. We will support a full reversion if it is on the table. We will not give up if this motion is defeated.”
The motion calls on the council to note “the highways and parking changes made to Clevedon Seafront have received great condemnation from local residents and businesses and continue to be extremely unpopular.”
It states: “The Clevedon Seafront highways and parking design should therefore be returned to its former design with the exception of retaining the one-way system, including the re-alignment of parking to face the sea, removal of textured yellow surface (to be replaced with tarmac), and the removal of bike humps and installation of appropriate signage and planters.”
But a review of the seafront is already planned. New Liberal Democrat Council leader Mike Bell said: “It is really important that if you get things wrong you hold your hands up and accept that and do things differently as a result.
“As a minimum I would expect us to come from this review with different processes and procedures. If we need to do things differently on the ground in a practical sense in Clevedon, then we will do that.”
Conservatives are currently the opposition on North Somerset Council. Despite being the largest party on the council with 13 councillors, they do not control the 26 needed for a majority and the council will instead be run by a “partnership administration” of Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens, Independents and Portishead Independents.
The administration will be officially ratified at the council meeting tonight.
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