Issue 12 - July 2024

Featured updates

Circular economics and Wessex Live Labs 2

We’re working with Cornwall and Hampshire County councils as part of the ‘Wessex Net Zero Corridors Live Lab’ partnership to deliver an innovative project that seeks to decarbonise the maintenance of local roads.

Known as ‘Wessex Live Labs 2’, the project aims to create the UK’s first net-zero emission roads and integral to these aims is the use of circular or ‘doughnut’ economics to carefully balance the impact on our environment and communities. This includes transforming the materials and products we use, plants we use, how we deliver services and where and when we deliver them to have the best impact on our world around us.

Did someone say doughnuts?

The Wessex Live Labs team recently attended the Adept Live Labs 2 Expo in Birmingham to share knowledge around donut economics and you can see the team at work in their LinkedIn video.

In this month's Highways Magazine, circular economics has been featured explaining the new direction for economics in highways. Find out more about their research and findings on pages 34 and 35 of the Highways Magazine.

Contractor appointment brings Celebration Mile a step closer

Artist's impression of Celebration Mile, Bridgwater

The Board of Bridgwater Town Deal is pleased to announce the appointment of Taylor Woodrow as main contractors for the delivery of Bridgwater’s landmark Celebration Mile – a pedestrian and cycle friendly route connecting the railway station to the reinvigorated Northgate Docks.

The project aims to create a vibrant and welcoming experience for visitors to the town centre which supports active travel, including improved pedestrian and cycling routes through the town.

Work in the three core interlinked areas of Eastover, Clare Street and Angel Crescent is expected to start in the next few weeks and is anticipated to take approximately 14 months.

Ahead of construction, the Board will be holding a drop in session on Tuesday, 23 July, at Bridgwater Library from 3pm to 7pm, inviting all local businesses and residents to hear more about the next phase of the project, share their views and for the team to address any queries or concerns.

Leaving it longer is bringing July joy

YouTube video: Grassland management - 'Leave it longer' to help nature flourish

It's great to see the verges blooming and whilst we need to look after our wildlife and communities, some areas need extra cuts to ensure safety to our road users.

Letting grass grow longer can help wildlife and biodiversity, but we still keep safety and visibility in mind, especially around roads and play areas. We want to create a safe home for everyone including grassland species, insects, birds and animals.

Watch the photo compilation video above contributed by the local community and our staff, featuring some of the wildflower areas spotted in our parks, verges and gardens, which demonstrating how beautiful these spaces can become where it’s safe and left to bloom for wildlife to flourish.

Rock and roll on the roads with Glastonbury Festival

We were in the thick of it during this year’s Glastonbury Festival issuing traffic updates and helping organisers manage traffic flow to get the 200,000 people safely to site, and ensuring waste collections continued as usual.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local residents and the festival-goers for their patience and cooperation, you rock!

Hot off the press

Operator halts Somerset e-scooter trials until further notice

Zipp Mobility e-scooter trials in Taunton, Minehead and Yeovil, which have run successfully since 2020, have been halted by the operator due to an unexpected supplier issue. The trials were due to continue until the end of May 2026. Zipp Mobility is reviewing the situation to consider next steps. Whilst the service is suspended the scooters are being removed from town centres and users have been messaged through push notifications via the user app.

Yeovil Refresh: Contractor appointed to deliver Active Travel scheme improvements

We're pleased to announce the appointment of SWH (Taylor Woodrow) Ltd as contractors for the delivery of Yeovil’s Active Travel schemes, integral to the town’s programme of regeneration –  Yeovil Refresh – and improving the town’s transport network. Focussing on Yeovil’s central streets including Hendford, South Western Terrace, Central Road and Middle Street, the schemes aim to deliver improved accessibility and connectivity for all users – whether by road, bike or on foot – across Yeovil Town Centre.

Resurfacing scheduled for A39 near Minehead

The A39 near Minehead will undergo resurfacing between Parkhouse Road and Middlecombe junction. Our Highways team will carry out preparation work between 18 and 19 July, followed by resurfacing work between 22 and 23 July. Road closures will take place between 7.30am to 6pm for these works and access for homes and businesses will be maintained.

Council and Drug & Alcohol Service go ‘on the road’ for Alcohol Awareness Week

Earlier this month, our Public Health team joined forces with Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service (SDAS) to offer free health checks across the county as part of Alcohol Awareness Week, which took place between 1 and 5 July. Over the week, they visited hospitals and community settings to provide free health checks and confidential support for anyone wanting to change their relationship with alcohol and other substances. Helping to promote Alcohol Awareness Week supports our own ‘Fatal Five’ campaign which highlights drink and drug driving as one of the five main reasons for fatal collisions on the road.

Partner updates

Fatal Five campaign targets dangerous driving in Somerset

Our joint Fatal Five road safety campaign with Avon & Somerset (A&S) Police has seen a week of enforcement on the county’s roads. The campaign has been put into action by A&S Police's Roads Policing Unit, which carried out a week of enforcement action between 3 and 7 June, targeting drivers who committed Fatal Five offences.

Our Road Safety Team launched the campaign to raise awareness of the five most common factors behind fatal and serious injury collisions on UK roads. It aims to educate drivers and reduce the number of fatal collisions on Somerset's roads, which reached a 10-year high in 2023.

The campaign focuses on the following behaviours, which have been identified as the main causes of road deaths and injuries in the UK:

• Speeding
• Not wearing a seatbelt
• Distractions – using a mobile phone or a hand-held or hands-free device
• Alcohol and drugs
• Careless driving

A&S Police has also shared a YouTube video highlighting the importance of the campaign.

Meet transport secretary Louise Haigh MP

Louise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary, advocates for a proactive approach with the motto 'Move fast and fix things' for the Department of Transport (DfT). Her focus is on enhancing bus services and increasing ridership, ensuring travel is more convenient, reliable, affordable, efficient, high-quality, accessible and safe, while also transitioning transport networks to be more environmentally friendly.

Trading Standards safety message for e-bike and e-scooter owners or buyers

Trading Standards is advising consumers and businesses to ensure that e-scooters and Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (e-bikes), are safe and compliant with the correct safety regulations before they're purchased, sold or hired out.

The warning follows a market surveillance operation on electronic vehicle safety by the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service and a recent safety message by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), which highlights the steps people should take when owning or thinking of buying an e-bike or scooter.

Nationally, there has been well-publicised incidents where electric vehicles have caught fire in peoples’ homes.

Stay in touch

Spotted a problem on the road?

Whether it’s a pothole, damaged pavement or sign or some mud on the road, you can report it quickly and easily via our Report a problem on the road webpage. Visit our Roadworks and travel information page for all things roads and travel. You can also follow @TravelSomerset on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for live traffic updates, news and posts on our key projects.