Monday, March 30, 2009

In your area... Bathwick Estate

Your local Liberal Democrat Team and Don Foster MP, are in the Bathwick Estate knocking doors and seeing if there is anything we can help with on Monday 6th April from 6pm.

If there is anything we can help you with please be sure to look out for us, we hope to knock on every door, but if you have something to raise and would like us to pay you a visit email: ddixon.bathnes@blueyonder.co.uk

Alternatively if you are willing be be active and want ot join in on the door knocking we will meet at The Castle Pub (now closed thanks to some very poor decision making).

We will pick one of the still open local pub for a drink after door knocking.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Conservatives Close The Castle Pub

On Wednesday this week the Council's planning committee voted to close The Castle Pub in the Bathwick Estate by voting through a planning application for two houses to be built on the plot.

What is most hypocritical is that the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Fabian Ritcher is picture in his latest propaganda outside of it as part of a story to save local pubs, meanwhile the Conservatives on the Council once again voted in block to close it.

Cllr David Dixon said, "This is just another example of this Ritcher bloke jumping on the bandwagon on an important local issue in Bath while his party does something completely different. May be if his views are so different to that of his party he should actually consider hopping off to where ever he has appeared from, I am sure that he will find himself another little hobby."

Cllr Dixon will continue to work with local residents to see if there is any way that The Castle could stil be saved after this devastating blow.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

All linked up...

As some are probably aware, us councillors try anything to communicate with our residents.

Many would be familiar with the Liberal Democrat's "Focus" newsletter, which is great and every now and then to spend some time delivering pieces of paper door to door is very worthwhile.

However over recent years and with the increasing use of the internet and the advent of Web 2.0 and the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter many Councillors have turned to the web for help.

The only problem has been that as councillors we start something and very quickly move onto something else. So that's why I have decided to set up RSS feeds which update my Twitter and Facebook updates from the information that I put on this blog.

There has also been a need to start linking up information from a wide range of Blogs and Websites from other Councillors across Bath and North East Somerset, so for now I have taken feeds from all these and put on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bathnesld !

So start following and happy reading!

Cllr David Dixon

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Castle pub Forester Avenue

Castle pub Forester Avenue

The fate of a Bathwick pub which its owners want to develop for hosuing will be decided on Wednesday.
Residents have opposed an application to convert the Castle pub in Forester Avenue into two four-bedroom homes.
The scheme will be put before Bath and North East Somerset Council's development control committee on Wednesday with 49 objections received against the application.

The pub closed last year but an online petition has been launched by regulars to save the venue, which is owned by Amek Investment.
Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) hopes the objections will be enough to save the pub.

He said: “A number of residents want to keep it as a pub and feel very strongly about it. There are pubs closing all the time at the moment and it is important to support our local pubs.”

Many objections stated the importance of the pub in the area and said it was a community orientated venue.

Others said that more houses were not needed in the area and that the permanent loss of the pub would be a further ‘erosion’ of the community.
Planning officials are, however, recommending the conversion can be approved.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Cuts to bus services are unacceptable

Early morning services and the city’s circular route are to be cut from the bus timetable at the beginning of May as First Bus reduces the service they are providing.

Early services from Combe Down, Foxhill and Larkhall are being lost. The biggest impact will, however, come from the complete removal of the 20A/C service, which stops at Ralph Allen School, the University of Bath and the RUH.

Bath MP Don Foster said that the cuts are unacceptable and will be meeting with First Bus Managing Director Justin Davies to discuss the plans.

Don said, “Many people rely on early morning buses to get to work, what option will be available to them now? Local buses need to be able to serve the needs of residents, not force them into their car.

“The loss of the 20A/C route will be a massive blow. Many students use it to get to the university and it provides a direct link for residents across the city to our local hospital. The Council must look at finding another operator for this route.”

Please sign our petition, at http://ourcampaign.org.uk/onthebuses , calling for these services to be re-instated.

The 20A/C service takes a lot of pupils to Ralph Allen School in the morning. We already know how bad the morning rush hour is in term time, and this cut will only make things worse. Had the Conservative Council agreed to Lib Dem plans to get more children on a bus to school then perhaps the effect on the morning rush hour would not be so bad, as it is this decision will inevitably lead to further gridlock.

The Council is happy to waste millions of pounds on a new road to provide a bus for those who don’t live here to get into the city, but local people are having their services cut and many cannot afford to use the bus. The Council would be better off spending money on providing buses for local people, which would be common sense action to reduce congestion.”

The Local Transport Bill was recently voted through in Parliament, which offers local Councils greater power over bus services, including the possibility of setting maximum fares and having minimum timetable requirements.

Bath MP Don Foster voted for the legislation and says, “As we see services cut this shows that the powers granted by the Local Transport Bill are now more important than ever. I hope our Conservative Council will look into using this new legislation, despite the fact that Tory MPs voted against these important measures.”

Waste Day Change June 09 - Bath & North East Somerset Council

Waste Day Change June 09 - Bath & North East Somerset Council

Bath & North East Somerset Council will be introducing same day collections for the majority of properties in Bath and North East Somerset from the week beginning 8th June 2009. The change is in response to customer requests to help make our services easier to use and to help increase local recycling rates.
At present, people may have their rubbish, recycling, cardboard and garden waste collected on up to three separate days and the Council is aware that this can be difficult for people. As a result, plans are underway to simplify the system so that most people will be able to put everything out for collection on the same day.
This means that for most people, your collection days will be changing from the week beginning 8th June. We will send a notice to every household 2 weeks before the start date to let you know your new day so you should receive this information by the beginning of June. This information will also be published on the website during May.

The only exception to this may be small areas where it is not possible for us to make these changes for logistical reasons, but the vast majority of areas will be covered by these changes.

If you wish to find out your current collection day for rubbish, recycling, cardboard and garden waste, please note that you can now do this online. Recycling and refuse can be found by going to the 'My Area' section of our main page and Cardboard and Garden Waste can be found by going to Cardboard and Garden Waste Collection Days.

Consultation launched on £2.5m facelift for play parks

Consultation launched on £2.5m facelift for play parks

Communities are being consulted about plans to revamp 16 play parks across the Bath area.
The Play Pathfinder sites are among 28 which will be worked on by Bath and North East Somerset Council using a Government cash injection of £2.5 million.

The council says the sites have been selected after applications from parish councils and local community groups.

A spokesman said: "The views of the local communities, including children and young people, will be gathered in the coming months and will be used to help inform how each play facility is improved."

The authority has been criticised for not consulting enough over the first 12 sites, where work will be complete next month.

Among the sites that will benefit from investment will be Kensington Meadows off London Road, which will have £40,000 spent on it.

Local councillor David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) said he wanted local residents to let him know their views.

He said: "The funding is aimed at eight to 13-year-olds, and we want to involve as many young people as possible in developing ideas."