FILTON councillors have rejected a request from South Gloucestershire Council to hand over a piece of parkland to make way for a road widening scheme.
The authority wrote to the town council to ask for the piece of land at Elm Park to make way for a third lane of traffic on the A4174 ring road at Filton roundabout to serve extra traffic created by the new Southmead Hospital development.
The plan was presented to town councillors and residents after South Gloucestershire's Mark Shearman, principal engineer for transport services, wrote to the town council.
He asked for councillors to decide whether the town council could "contribute" a small corner of Elm Park to the scheme, originally asking for 317 metres squared.
In his letter he said that the extra land would provide an opportunity to address congestion on the approach to the roundabout, upgrade the traffic signals to a more efficient system and improve facilities for cyclists.
He explained that the scheme would be funded with section 106 money from the new Southmead Hospital development.
At Filton Town Council's latest meeting residents heard that a group of town councillors met with planners from South Gloucestershire Council to discuss ways to try to reduce the amount of "contributed" land needed for the scheme.
A further proposal was then put before councillors and residents that would mean less land was taken from Elm Park and instead a piece of redundant highway land near Shellard Road be investigated as a replacement.
However, town councillors then rejected the authority's request for a second time after some residents and councillors questioned the need for the scheme and said it had not been properly explained to them.
Councillor Rikki Teml, chairman of the council's planning committee, said: "Before we make a decision we need to have the correct consultation and statistics on how the extra lane will help Filton.
"I would also like a representative from South Gloucestershire Council to attend a full council meeting and for other options, where no green land has to be removed, to be fully investigated.
"I do not want to give up any green land if possible, but we must have an opportunity to discuss this in public and the issue then correctly consulted on in order for residents to have their say."
Resident Brian Smith, 75, who lives in Third Avenue, attended the last council meeting.
"I don't think the scheme is necessary," he said.
"The width of the footpath could be reduced to make way for a third lane of traffic before we start giving away our green land.
"South Gloucestershire Council wants to take it for free and I don't think that's right.
"Elm Park has been interfered with enough and Filton residents are fed up with it."
A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: "The council is currently working with Filton Town Council on plans to improve the ring road junction with the A38 at Filton roundabout.
"These improvements are a response to the Southmead hospital redevelopment and address the expected increase in traffic flows in the area as patients, employees and visitors travel to the hospital.
"The proposals involve widening the carriageway to provide an extra lane on the westbound approach to the roundabout and will use a narrow strip of land from the adjacent Elm Park, which is owned by Filton Town Council.
"In order to minimise the amount of land needed for the improvements, options considered include placing the shared use footway/cycleway path running alongside the road within the Elm Park boundary.
"An area of redundant highway land near Shellard Road is also being investigated for use as a replacement for the Elm Park land."
The new plans are now available at Filton Town Council's office for residents to view.
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