Bathwick Estate getting more trees

Lots of hard work from their residents’ association has got the Bathwick Estate 40 trees to line the streets of their already-very-liveable-neighbourhood. (To read more, see here.) Even this photo indicates how quiet and safe a network of neighbourhood streets can be. Look at that their local councillor, the mayor, no less, who can perch herself on the roadway with no fear of being mown down! [For those who might be wondering about social distancing, I think this was a posed shot and it was the council worker who was doing the work on his own].

This is a great reminder in case you missed our last news item. We can confirm that a request for consideration to become a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ was submitted by our Walcot councillors for Camden Road, some of London Road and the area between the two. In contributing to this we did not have to provide a solution, just a strong case for change. If we are successful in our request then we get to step 2. We understand that we will get news on this by 12th March.

It might look a long way to reach step 5, but the Council’s intention is that some of the initial schemes should be implemented by this summer.

As for the possibility of trees lining our streets, well, our pavements are so narrow as to make this impossible. But, we would be very keen to see planters and car-sized parklets introduced as part of a liveable neighbourhood scheme – whilst retaining residents’ parking spaces which is quite possible.