Increasing toll charges on the Severn Bridge could handicap high level moves aimed at pulling Bristol and Cardiff’s business communities closer.
Commercial property specialist Bruton Knowles is backing civic leaders’ efforts aimed at encouraging the two cities to work more closely together – creating a powerful regional bloc capable of challenging London, the South East and the North.
Head of the Bristol office Paul Matthews said civic leaders and business chiefs on both sides of the bridge shared a vision of closer cooperation – but further increases in bridge tolls would only serve to push the two cities further apart.
He said: “We are right behind moves by the respective city leaderships to work more closely together rather than try and score points off one another.
“We fully support Bristol Mayor George Ferguson’s view that the respective cities will be more effective working together in the face of increasing competition.”
Speaking at a specially convened meeting of civic and business leaders recently, Mayor Ferguson said the Seven Bridge should be the symbol of closer cooperation between the two cities.
Paul Matthews went on: “Toll charges on the Severn Bridge are one of the biggest obstacles to greater cooperation between the two cities and will have to be looked at very carefully if this shared vision is ever going to amount to anything more than wishful thinking.”
He said although Bristol was on the up the city could do with taking a leaf out of Cardiff’s book when it comes to traffic management.
“Bristol is the most congested city in Britain with some of the slowest traffic. Cardiff, on the other hand, has created priority flows for traffic at rush hour, with the object of easing the flow in and out of the city in the morning and evening respectively to get traffic away from the city.
“This type of scheme has been used on the Long Ashton bypass during the recent roadworks, but there is clearly further scope for priority schemes on other roads in the area.
“It’s clear there are plenty of lessons to be learnt through closer cooperation with our neighbours and colleagues over the bridge.”
Cardiff and Bristol team chiefs agreed infrastructure was key to the area’s economic viability.
Head of Bruton Knowles’ Cardiff office Mike Rees said: “We are right behind moves by the respective city leaderships to work more closely together rather than try and score points off one another.
“But there is no way Cardiff and Bristol are going to have a sensible relationship unless there is movement between the two cities. We cannot continue to charge commuters almost £7 a day for the privilege of simply crossing the bridge.
“Closer cooperation between Cardiff and Bristol could give businesses on either side of the Severn the clout they need to compete with the all-powerful London/South East and fast recovering One North regional blocs.
“Increasing bridge tolls is not the way to increase our connectivity with Bristol and the West.
“We ought to be regarding the bridge – and the greater devolved powers it represents for the regional as a whole – as a shared opportunity to work to each other’s strengths.”
