Now I am all for getting people out of cars and onto public transport, but the latest plans for the London Road is something that all resident and business owners need to be very much aware of.
Some of you will have read about the Rapid Transport Link proposal; which, in theory will be a designated bus `red route` linking a Park and Ride on the east side of the city and the Park and Ride at Newbridge on the west side of the city.
There is a severe shortage of explanation as to exactly how this bus lane is to be accommodated all along the London Road, then up London Street and down Walcot Street; then passing right round the Guildhall which will be totally bus gated against ordinary traffic (including Grand Parade and all delivery access to the Guildhall Market).
The simple fact is that the present bus lane on London Road is highly dangerous. At least three serious accidents in as many years, and any widening or extension of the bus lane must involve road widening.
On this side of the city we must find out what the implications are; will the green space in front of Grosvenor will be narrowed or taken away? Will the same happen at Kensington and the front gardens at Lower East Hayes will be shortened?
The pavement could all but disappear at Walcot Buildings and Walcot Terrace, where any form of loading or unloading will probably be banned. The same could apply at Longacre.
All parking will have to be banned on Walcot Street: which will effectively close all the small businesses there. Deliveries for Guildhall Market traders will be all but impossible and businesses on Grand Parade and Pulteney Bridge will also be affected.
So after fifty years of debate about traffic; has the council has finally decided that the final solution to Bath`s traffic problem is to kill off London Road Walcot Street, the High Street, Grand Parade and Pulteney Bridge as places to live and work?
As your local councillors we will be doing all that is possible to ensure that local residents and businesses are kept informed of what the proposals are, highways planners have alread agreed to meet up and walk the route to discuss possible issues that will arise.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Vision for Snow Hill and London Road
At the most recent board meeting of the London Road and Snow Hill Partnership, Lawrence Buabeng, who is spearheading the proposed Skills and Enterprise project for Snow Hill which is part of the broader Vision for Bath Project; told the meeting that the sum of £1000 had been donated by a resident on Snow Hill. The meeting was told that the resident, who has expressed a wish to remain anonymous, had saved the money from his wages.
The donation, which was in the form of a building society cheque, will be paid into the
LRSHP holding fund for the Skills and Enterprise Project. The meeting expressed the unanimous hope that other donors would come forward with similar, if more modest help, and that the B&NES would offer to match this very real and major step forward.
Cllr David Dixon said, "I for one will be looking at ways that this donation can be best supported by the Council, a clear vision and action plan is what is needed for the London Road and Snow Hill Area which should build on previous work undertaken by the Council in 2003."
The donation, which was in the form of a building society cheque, will be paid into the
LRSHP holding fund for the Skills and Enterprise Project. The meeting expressed the unanimous hope that other donors would come forward with similar, if more modest help, and that the B&NES would offer to match this very real and major step forward.
Cllr David Dixon said, "I for one will be looking at ways that this donation can be best supported by the Council, a clear vision and action plan is what is needed for the London Road and Snow Hill Area which should build on previous work undertaken by the Council in 2003."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Youth Volunteering Scheme on the horizon
Councillor David Dixon is working on a scheme for young people in Walcot to earn rewards such as trips away, go karting and paint balling.
Cllr Dixon said, "Last month we took a group of young people go karting, which was very successful and resulted in organisations across the area agreeing that a scheme should be set up to get young people to positively contribute to their local area and in reward we will organise free activities for them. It is hope to get support from the local police, council and other local organisations to get the scheme off the ground."
The model will be focussed around Timebank, whereby people give some time and in return receive time back from other people, in this case they will get time back in the way of incentives.
It is hoped to get young people involved initially in improving their local environment and through small scale time committments.
The scheme will be based from the Riverside Youth Centre and Councillor David Dixon is currently looking for funding opportunities to see this through.
Cllr Dixon said, "Last month we took a group of young people go karting, which was very successful and resulted in organisations across the area agreeing that a scheme should be set up to get young people to positively contribute to their local area and in reward we will organise free activities for them. It is hope to get support from the local police, council and other local organisations to get the scheme off the ground."
The model will be focussed around Timebank, whereby people give some time and in return receive time back from other people, in this case they will get time back in the way of incentives.
It is hoped to get young people involved initially in improving their local environment and through small scale time committments.
The scheme will be based from the Riverside Youth Centre and Councillor David Dixon is currently looking for funding opportunities to see this through.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Concert for Cleveland Pools
Concert for Cleveland Pools
Walcot State Choir and Friends
St Mary's Church, Bathwick
7.30pm Wednesday 9th July
Friday, June 06, 2008
Partners and Communities Together meeting
Would you like to actively engage with local agencies, police and residents with initiatives to promote Safer Stronger Neighbourhoods within Walcot?
Tuesday 17th June, 6.30pm
Riverside Youth and Community Centre, London Road
Tuesday 17th June 2008 will mark the third in a planned series of PACT meetings for the Walcot area, PACT meetings are designed to bring members of the community together with local police teams and key representatives of various organisations to decide on priorities in the local area.
PACT meetings are about giving members of the community a direct say on what they would like their local neighbourhood team to focus on and, equally, getting them on board to help us deliver the results.
The PACT Panel for Walcot will include elected councillors, representatives from BANES Council, Education, Housing, Youth Services along with Walcots Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Current PACT Priorities are:
- Parking on pavements around the Walcot ward in particular outside of Multiyork, Longacre Public House, Cleveland Bridge and the top of Snowhill.
- 2 and 3 Longacre: it is still being proposed to convert the buildings into managed homes, residents are against this.
- Pollution: Nitrogen Dioxide pollution is higher than the government targets, more time, work and funding is required in an effort to combat this.
Tuesday 17th June 2008 will mark the third in a planned series of PACT meetings for the Walcot area, PACT meetings are designed to bring members of the community together with local police teams and key representatives of various organisations to decide on priorities in the local area.
PACT meetings are about giving members of the community a direct say on what they would like their local neighbourhood team to focus on and, equally, getting them on board to help us deliver the results.
The PACT Panel for Walcot will include elected councillors, representatives from BANES Council, Education, Housing, Youth Services along with Walcots Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Current PACT Priorities are:
- Parking on pavements around the Walcot ward in particular outside of Multiyork, Longacre Public House, Cleveland Bridge and the top of Snowhill.
- 2 and 3 Longacre: it is still being proposed to convert the buildings into managed homes, residents are against this.
- Pollution: Nitrogen Dioxide pollution is higher than the government targets, more time, work and funding is required in an effort to combat this.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Go Karting for Free!
Th Council's Youth Service, with the Police and Bath and North East Somerset Racial Equality Council are offering a free go karting trip to young people between the ages of 12 and 19 in the Snow Hill and London Road area.
The trip is on Monday 9th June and will depart from the Riverside Youth Centre on the London Road at 6.30pm and due to arrive back at 9.30pm.
Local Councillors and police beat team, as well as B&NES youth Workers will be attending.
Places are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis.
Please contact Rosco on 01225 442352 to book your place.
The trip is on Monday 9th June and will depart from the Riverside Youth Centre on the London Road at 6.30pm and due to arrive back at 9.30pm.
Local Councillors and police beat team, as well as B&NES youth Workers will be attending.
Places are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis.
Please contact Rosco on 01225 442352 to book your place.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Council Budget
The Conservative administration have set a budget increase on Council Tax of 3.75%. However they have raised charges everywhere else which in our view means the real level of Council Tax rise is 7.56%. We voted against the buget and proposed an alternative which was rejected. Our alternative would have eliminated the carparking charges on blue badge holders, phased in increases in care charges and removed a substantial sum from the Waste Partnership of the West of England Partnership. The reason for this last part is that we are very concerned that this partnership is aiming to build a large mass burn incinerator (the Governments preferrred solution for waste) which we are completely opposed to. We would have used the money to bring forward food waste collection and a variety of other environmental initiatives.
Parking Charges Increase
Lib Dem Councillors have expressed their disappointment that the scrutiny call-in, which had been organised to look into the increases in parking costs in Bath, has been dismissed.The panel voted, by four votes to three, to dismiss the call-in, with Conservative Councillors from outside of Bath backing the original decision taken by their Conservative Cabinet colleague. The Cabinet member has now gone ahead and implemented the decision to apply increases of up to 60% to residents’ permit costs across the city, as well as a number of other changes to parking costs and arrangements.
The call-in panel raised a number of issues around poor consultation and excessive increases to permit costs. Although all Councillors agreed that consultation on this decision had been inadequate, Conservative Councillors appeared more concerned with the state of the Council’s finances than the issue of engaging with those who will be affected.
Councillor Ian Gilchrist (Widcombe), who led the call-in signatories commented:“I am disappointed that the Conservative and Independent members of the panel did not recognise the merits of the case made to uphold the call-in.“I thought that the arguments outlining the damaging effects of extending charged times in the city centre to 8pm were pretty compelling, and if they don’t listen to Nod Knowles (Director of Bath Festivals) who will they listen to?“I am slightly mollified by the apparent concession that Cllr Gerrish has made in the direction of Sunday evening parking, but this still has to be confirmed. If we have achieved even this small bit of good then that is a good thing. Residents will not be pleased at a 60% increase in their annual charges, but I do draw comfort from the thought that we at least did our best to oppose this.”
Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) said:“This really is a kick in the teeth for the democratic process; this decision has been made with complete disregard for best practice in decision-making such as engaging with hard-to-reach groups and the elderly who are often on fixed incomes. The Cabinet member also refused to address the issues raised in the call-in notice, including my concerns around costs of permits for traders, most of whom are small independent businesses who can not afford such huge increases.”Concerns raised by Nod Knowles as to the impact on the night time economy, were supported by Cllr Roger Symonds (Combe Down), who said:“Extending car park charging from 6pm to 8pm will have a knock-on effect for all evening and night time businesses in the city centre. How long before this money grabbing administration extends charging until 8pm for kerbside parking as well? It is significant that none of the four councillors who voted to dismiss the call-in live in Bath.”
The call-in panel raised a number of issues around poor consultation and excessive increases to permit costs. Although all Councillors agreed that consultation on this decision had been inadequate, Conservative Councillors appeared more concerned with the state of the Council’s finances than the issue of engaging with those who will be affected.
Councillor Ian Gilchrist (Widcombe), who led the call-in signatories commented:“I am disappointed that the Conservative and Independent members of the panel did not recognise the merits of the case made to uphold the call-in.“I thought that the arguments outlining the damaging effects of extending charged times in the city centre to 8pm were pretty compelling, and if they don’t listen to Nod Knowles (Director of Bath Festivals) who will they listen to?“I am slightly mollified by the apparent concession that Cllr Gerrish has made in the direction of Sunday evening parking, but this still has to be confirmed. If we have achieved even this small bit of good then that is a good thing. Residents will not be pleased at a 60% increase in their annual charges, but I do draw comfort from the thought that we at least did our best to oppose this.”
Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) said:“This really is a kick in the teeth for the democratic process; this decision has been made with complete disregard for best practice in decision-making such as engaging with hard-to-reach groups and the elderly who are often on fixed incomes. The Cabinet member also refused to address the issues raised in the call-in notice, including my concerns around costs of permits for traders, most of whom are small independent businesses who can not afford such huge increases.”Concerns raised by Nod Knowles as to the impact on the night time economy, were supported by Cllr Roger Symonds (Combe Down), who said:“Extending car park charging from 6pm to 8pm will have a knock-on effect for all evening and night time businesses in the city centre. How long before this money grabbing administration extends charging until 8pm for kerbside parking as well? It is significant that none of the four councillors who voted to dismiss the call-in live in Bath.”
Monday, May 12, 2008
Improvements due at Morrisons Traffic Lights
After a local resident approached councillor David Dixon about the problems for pedestrians at Morrisons, changes are due to make life safer.
Traffic lights engineers have now spent some time assessing this junction and the conclusion was that the problem is being caused by vehicles from Bath turning into Morrisons through signals that are on red. This has resulted in some near misses.
To prevent this bad driver behaviour we are going to contact the Avon and Somerset Camera Partnership together with our own Traffic and Safety team to propose installing a red running traffic camera. In addition to this we will be changing the road markings and detector loop position on the right turn lane for Morrisons, this will reduce the number of vehicles held in this lane and help call the green filter arrow more frequently, which should further deter motorists going through the signals on red.
Traffic lights engineers have now spent some time assessing this junction and the conclusion was that the problem is being caused by vehicles from Bath turning into Morrisons through signals that are on red. This has resulted in some near misses.
To prevent this bad driver behaviour we are going to contact the Avon and Somerset Camera Partnership together with our own Traffic and Safety team to propose installing a red running traffic camera. In addition to this we will be changing the road markings and detector loop position on the right turn lane for Morrisons, this will reduce the number of vehicles held in this lane and help call the green filter arrow more frequently, which should further deter motorists going through the signals on red.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Claremont Post Office Under Threat!
The Post Office Network Change list for Bristol and Somerset has been revealed in the press today. Four Bath Post Offices are down for closure and Liberal Democrat Councillors with threatened Post Offices in their wards are campaigning with Don Foster MP against the Government plans.
Councillor Colin Darracott (Walcot) was appalled to learn that Claremont Post Office in Walcot is on the list, saying:
“Local people in Walcot will certainly be outraged to hear the Government is planning to close their Post Office. It is a focal point of local life in the community and certainly contributes to keeping the Camden Road shops busy.
“I urge all residents to support the campaign to save Bath’s Post Offices, and to sign the petition on our website.”
Don Foster MP said:
“I am concerned that the social importance of Post Offices is being ignored by the Government. These closures do not take into account the knock-on effect on other shops in the local community. It will be the elderly and vulnerable who are most affected by these closures as they may struggle to travel the extra distance to important services”.
To sign the petition please visit www.ourcampaign.org.uk/savebathspostoffices
Councillor Colin Darracott (Walcot) was appalled to learn that Claremont Post Office in Walcot is on the list, saying:
“Local people in Walcot will certainly be outraged to hear the Government is planning to close their Post Office. It is a focal point of local life in the community and certainly contributes to keeping the Camden Road shops busy.
“I urge all residents to support the campaign to save Bath’s Post Offices, and to sign the petition on our website.”
Don Foster MP said:
“I am concerned that the social importance of Post Offices is being ignored by the Government. These closures do not take into account the knock-on effect on other shops in the local community. It will be the elderly and vulnerable who are most affected by these closures as they may struggle to travel the extra distance to important services”.
To sign the petition please visit www.ourcampaign.org.uk/savebathspostoffices
Monday, February 18, 2008
Resident Parking Consultation
Due to the Conservative's plans to increase residents parking by 58% to cover their poor administration of the highways maintenance contract over the past 4 eyars - this has unexpectedly cost the tax payer £700k with the possibility of more to pay out. Until than, any consultation on residents' parking schemes will be on hold.
A Perfect View?
Cllr Dixon is working with residents of Perfect View to see what can be done to ensure that the view stays perfect.
The road offers of the best views acroos Bath, however with oversized Poplar trees getting ever taller, the view is at risk.
We are working with Council officers and local residents to look at possible solutions.
The road offers of the best views acroos Bath, however with oversized Poplar trees getting ever taller, the view is at risk.
We are working with Council officers and local residents to look at possible solutions.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Youth and Community Centre Update!
After a four year campaign by local councillors and residents to improve youth services in Walcot, the Riverside Youth and Community Centre behind the Porter Butt on London Road, has finally been refurbished and the access road rebuilt with new lighting.A growing youth club operates on Mondays and Thursdays from 6.45pm to 9.15pm.
Cllr Colin Darracott said of the centre, "This is the end of a 4 year campaign by local councillor and local residents to save the centre from closure, and see the investment of £250,000 by Council and local businesses to improve this environment. I do hope that the Conservative administration will recognise the hard work put in by the local community and save the centre from being axed."
Monday, January 28, 2008
Claremont Road Resurfacing
The length of Claremont Road, Bath which extends from its junction with Dowding Road to its junction with St Saviours Road.
Will be resurfaced at the end of February.
Will be resurfaced at the end of February.
Riverside Youth Centre
The youth centre held a successful reopening party on 6th December enjoyed by over 35 young people, and the celebrations included live performances by young singers, m.c.'s and d.j.'s, a 5-a-side football training session, caribbean food and refreshments. Our thanks go to Ryan Thomas and Pauline Swaby for preparing the buffet, to all at LRSHP for funding the buffet, to Versatile Media and Sound Knowledge for their help in publicising the event and supporting the young musicians, and to Mark Brown for organising the football session.
We changed the youth club opening times a couple of weeks ago, current times are:
Open access: Mondays & Thursdays 6:45pm to 9:15pm
After school music studio session: mondays 4pm to 6pm
All our sessions target young people from school year 11 to aged 19.
We hope to also reopen on wedneday evenings in the near future - we have had to close wednesday sessions for the time being due to staffing shortages, but we hope to fill vacant post within the next two to three months. After a quiet period following the two refurbishment closures last year, attendance at the Youth Centre has started to increase again during over the past month, and we plan to build on this thoroughout the year. We also plan to recommence on street detached youth work from April onwards once new staff are appointed.
During the past 12 months we have recieved funding for the music studio and the young people accessing from Youth Music, Somerset Crimebeat and Youth Bank which will help us continue to build the project, so we are looking forward positively to the coming year.
We changed the youth club opening times a couple of weeks ago, current times are:
Open access: Mondays & Thursdays 6:45pm to 9:15pm
After school music studio session: mondays 4pm to 6pm
All our sessions target young people from school year 11 to aged 19.
We hope to also reopen on wedneday evenings in the near future - we have had to close wednesday sessions for the time being due to staffing shortages, but we hope to fill vacant post within the next two to three months. After a quiet period following the two refurbishment closures last year, attendance at the Youth Centre has started to increase again during over the past month, and we plan to build on this thoroughout the year. We also plan to recommence on street detached youth work from April onwards once new staff are appointed.
During the past 12 months we have recieved funding for the music studio and the young people accessing from Youth Music, Somerset Crimebeat and Youth Bank which will help us continue to build the project, so we are looking forward positively to the coming year.
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