The Local Democracy Reporter Stephen Sumner writes :

Bath's clean air zone cameras will not be switched off when a major route through the city closes to vehicles this summer.

Council bosses only have until the end of the year to bring down nitrogen dioxide levels and said they want to use the roadworks on Cleveland Bridge to promote walking, cycling and the use of e-scooters.

Bus gates will keep operating for the same reason in a bid to boost post-lockdown public transport use.

The temporary 18-tonne weight limit will be removed when the £3.8million project is completed, allowing HGVs to resume use of the 195-year-old Grade II*-listed bridge – although there have been regular reported breaches of that restriction.

Communication officer Justin Reeve told a webinar on the roadworks: "Two-thirds of journeys under five miles tend to be made by car, so if we can encourage people to walk cycle or use public transport for those shorter journeys then obviously we can reduce the number of cars that are on the network and in the city and causing the queues.

"Not everybody has the option to switch to public transport or bicycles but if you do need to use your car, can you plan your journey better so avoid the busiest times and look at using alternative routes outside of Bath?"

The work is expected to start in April and take around seven months to complete but could take longer depending on the damage to the structure. The bridge is set close to traffic for 12 weeks from early May before partially reopening with traffic signals in place.

It normally carries 17,000 vehicles a day and is a crucial link between the A46 and the A36.

Gary Peacock, the deputy group manager for highways and traffic, said contractors Dyer and Butler will move out of the way to allow emergency vehicles on "a life or death mission" to cross the river but the work would not be possible if it was opened to all traffic.

People will be able to walk, cycle or ride an e-scooter over the bridge throughout the works.

Councillor Joanna Wright, cabinet member for transport, said: "This is an opportunity to reconsider how you use your journeys across the city and make them in a different way."

Asked if sit-down e-scooters will be made available, she said the council is talking to provider Voi about the options.

Residents attending the webinar suggested turning off the clean air zone cameras in Queen Square or deactivating the bus gates to keep traffic flowing.

Cllr Wright said: "The reason why we need to keep the bus gate is to make sure that the whole city doesn't come to a gridlock and that we can continue to move the bus services around."

And she said government told Bath and North East Somerset Council to improve air quality in the city as quickly as possible, so the clean air zone which launched earlier this month needs to remain in use.

Modelling suggests the closure is likely to increase traffic over Batheaston toll bridge and Churchill Bridge, and in North Parade and Queen Square. The council will monitor air quality across the city to assess the impact.

The work has to be coordinated with the upgrade of Bristol Temple Meads and a junction that will see some rail line closures between Bristol and Bath in August and September.

Services that go through Filton Abbey Wood and Keynsham are affected most but there will be five days when all services are disrupted.

Gas works and broadband installations are also planned in Bath this year.

Cllr Wright added: "We have a duty to maintain this structure. The government acknowledges the bridge has to be refurbished and they are paying for the works.

"The bridge is continuing to deteriorate and we need to move forward with the works or risk having to implement further restrictions and prolong the impacts that this would engender."

Council leader Dine Romero said: "Cleveland Bridge is going to be quite a challenge when it's shut. This piece of work was due to happen last year. Unfortunately due to Covid it had been delayed.

"The bridge continues to deteriorate and we cannot risk any further delay to these works."

Vehicles weighing less than 7.5 tonnes will be sent on a 4.5-mile diversion.

There will be extensive signage and early warnings before drivers reach Bath, sending HGVs on a 23-mile diversion. As a "last resort" they will be able to turn around in Cleveland Place.

Many have called for the 18-tonne weight limit to be kept, claiming the repairs will have a limited lifespan if HGVs are allowed to cross the historic bridge.

Mr Peacock said the council tried in 2012 to impose a permanent 18-tonne weight limit but government refused as it forms part of the primary road network, carrying the A36.

Now a study on north-south connectivity is revisiting the issue, backed by regional transport partnership the Western Gateway.