Open letter to mayor about MetroBus concerns

MPs and city councillors from across the political divide have written an open letter to mayor George Ferguson expressing their concerns about the controversial MetroBus scheme.

As the city council goes to court to remove tree-top protesters in Stapleton, the politicians express a number of issues.

Here is the letter in full:

Dear George,

As you will be very much aware, there is still a great deal of public opposition to the plans for BRT3 as it affects the east of Bristol. People are not convinced that this scheme offers value for money or will do much to bring about much needed improvements to public transport in Bristol. They are also very unhappy that the bus-only junction near Stapleton will be built on prime agricultural land (the “Blue Finger”), that allotments will be moved and adversely affected, and that trees are about to be felled. In a year when Bristol has become European Green Capital, this paints a very poor picture to the outside world.

We do not feel that due process has been followed in respect of either the BRT3 application to planning committee, the relocation of the allotments or the tree-felling which is about to commence, and we have been frustrated by our inability to get answers from you and from your officers. There is an outstanding FOI request that has not received a reply, and we still have not had the information promised to me at our meeting on December 5th on what alternatives to the bus-only junction were considered. 

We have variously been told: 

• the alternatives would not meet the Department for Transport’s benefit-cost ratio;
• that the Highways Agency “would never allow” an alternative going to Junction 1 of the M32;
• that “South Gloucestershire would sue” if an attempt was made to change the scheme;
• and that, despite what we were told when we met with the Transport Minister on November 26th, the Department for Transport has apparently advised that it would not at this late stage be prepared to consider alternative proposals.

And of course, the planning committee was told when it met to consider the application on August 27th that it was “all or nothing” and that funding for the whole £200m BRT3 scheme would be withdrawn if the application was not approved there and then. 

We have not yet seen any evidence that discussions have been had with the Highways Agency, South Gloucestershire or the Department of Transport on whether the scheme could be altered. Given this, we cannot accept what we have been told to date. The impression is given that no-one has really tried to discuss alternatives, and would rather railroad through the original proposals as this is the easiest option. This is despite the fact that the current application was designed to allow for a park-and-ride in the area. As you have assured us that the park-and-ride will not be going ahead – which is very welcome news – there is no need for the junction as planned, and we believe there are other options which would have far less of a detrimental impact on the land and could achieve the same transport objectives at less cost.

We know that funding for the scheme has to be approved by the DfT before parliament is dissolved at the end of March and we are concerned that delaying tactics are being used, to push us into a situation where there is no longer any time to consider alternatives. We are asking you and your officers as a matter of urgency to provide the information requested, and to focus your efforts on coming up with an alternative scheme that will be acceptable to South Gloucestershire, the DfT, the Highways Agency, and, importantly, to the many local people who are very unhappy with the plans as they stand.

Yours sincerely,

Kerry McCarthy MP
Charlotte Leslie MP

Cllr Lesley Alexander
Cllr Bill Payne
Cllr Charlie Bolton
Cllr Olly Mead
Cllr Martin Fodor
Cllr Christian Martin
Cllr Margaret Hickman
Cllr Mike Langley