Despite overwhelming opposition to the closure of Winifred's Lane, the decision was made by a sole councillor, Manda Rigby, on Thursday to proceed.

However, there are several possibilities to challenge this decision that are still open and It’s more important than ever before that we show significant numbers of people against this decision.

Please share this petition with more Bath residents so they can have a say! The council has chosen to ignore us and push ahead so we need to shout louder.

We believe this trial is poorly thought out, with no legitimate local support and risks the health and safety of school children, the elderly, people living with disabilities, residents and local protected wildlife species.

Some facts you should know;

1. Winifred's lane is an important access route for many driving to homes, schools and businesses in North Lansdown. Closing this route will funnel cars down roads unsuitable for two-way traffic or down other roads that are already overloaded.
2. There has been no consultation of many locally affected communities and residents, many of whom have lived in the area for 30+ years. They only received a letter in late December 2023 communicating that this trial was proposed for Spring 2024.
3. The 3 schools that will be affected by diverting the traffic towards them were never consulted. Many parents have no choice other than to drive as they come from all corners of Bath. Those that are able to walk or cycle will now find their usual routes unsafe as traffic is diverted past schools.
4. Many elderly, blue badge users and others with disabilities have not had their voice heard and now face longer and more congested routes to access medical care at RUH. 
5. "The council seems willing to sacrifice the health and safety of school children and thousands of Bath residents to extend the privilege of a few" as mentioned in this Somerset Live article this week. 
6. This trial will funnel more traffic through documented wildlife corridors contrary to the council's legal obligations to protect them.
7. Many less drastic traffic calming measures were suggested by attendees at the Co-development Workshop and could have be trialled instead to slow down speeding traffic. The closure of Winifred's Lane was never raised at this Workshop.
8. This trial could last between 6-18 months with a risk of it being made permanent by a single member councillor decision.
9. Despite overwhelming opposition to the trial, (with 100s of emails sent from concerned residents and residents' associations, nearly 1000 signatures in this petition under 2 weeks - amounting to more than 5 times the council's alleged figure of 223 in favour) the decision was still taken last Thursday. The document notes that decision was based on "the support identified in Lower Lansdown and the Circus Area Co-development Workshop during the Liveable Neighbourhood co-design process, which identified a need to reduce speeding through-traffic on residential roads often used as short-cuts to and from the A46/M4." There is no mention of the numbers in opposition despite the council being full aware of this petition and the weight of numbers behind it.

Thanks for the support, let's keep going!