Busy times – UPDATED
It’s been a busy time for us working for:
- the CRA,
- working with our ward councillors on a bid to be considered as a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ which they submitted last month and for which we should have an answer on Friday. Not now – delayed by two months – please see comments below,
- how we turn the Cleveland Bridge closure later this year to our advantage as far as securing that Liveable Neighbourhood and making London Road more friendly to walkers and cyclists,
- getting assurance from the project team over no negative effects from the CAZ for residents in our area on Monday onwards, when it starts,
- readying ourselves for litter picking teams and ‘small and select’ working parties on Camden Lawn, as and when the lockdown allows it.
- the Federation of Bath’s Residents Associations
- which meets again this Thursday evening
- its Transport Group, on providing guidance to the other 30 residents associations on future transport matters including:
- city centre security,
- the CAZ,
- Liveable Neighbourhoods,
- Cleveland Bridge losing its 18 tonne weight limit after opening again.
- the ‘Upper Town’ Residents Associations on
- getting a stay of execution on the change of use for the Approach Golf Course
- harmonising the LN scheme ideas across the north of Bath.
- more generally on what skills and experience our residents might be able to offer the CRA and the wider Bath community for the challenges after this pandemic and now the climate emergency. This might include:
- public health and behaviour,
- local economy regeneration programme,
- providing accommodation and transport access to those who can serve that economy.
There is no doubt that we are going to know so much more about ourselves in the near future as well.
- There is the data collected from the 10 yearly national census taking place on Sunday 21st March
- The collection of number plate data as we all ‘come and go’ through the CAZ from next Monday and give definitive information on traffic flows past the the boundary points, tow of which are very much in our area.
Thanks Jeremy, and the “complete lash up” is good too! The Let’s hope we hear something on Friday to everyone‘s advantage.
Thanks, Louise. There’s now evidence of finger crossing from Frankley Buildings to Camden Crescent.
I hope they don’t draw any conclusions about traffic flow from data collected during the pandemic restrictions. It would not be representative of the ‘real’ situation.
Thanks, Paul. That would be erroneous – yes. The CRA has very good data on traffic volumes and speeds on Camden Road from 2019. As we’ve said very often, when there is low traffic, vehicle speeds go up because they can and pedestrians becomes more endangered. When traffic is heavy vehicles pass in high speed pulses and cause contention, encroachment, driver rage and very polluted air.
And what is the progress on getting the planters moved back from the kerb at the bottom of Snow Hill? They are a real hazard, obstructing the view of traffic coming from the right. I raised this at the AGM and was told that action was in hand, but it was not minuted.
Sorry, Paul. Missed this until now. I’ll bring up with the councillors in due course but can I suggest you report it here (https://fix.bathnes.gov.uk/) – at least that way progress can be tracked and you will get an answer.
It is with regret and some embarrassment that I report that Cllr Richard Samuel informed me on Tuesday that the response from the Council to any bid for consideration to be a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ won’t be available tomorrow (12th March) as the published schedule suggested. It is now delayed till 11th May. Piecing together my questions and his answers, I hope this is a fair summary. The main reasons given for this were:
1. The report, deciding on which ones to take forward first, isn’t ready because of so many bids
2. Any decisions are now regarded to be highly controversial and so need to go to Cabinet
3. The Cabinet meeting next week is cancelled
4. The council is subject to purdah because of the WECA Mayor election and for the new Police Commissioner for Somerset and Avon so the next Cabinet Meeting is not until May 11th.
As one “eager beaver” amongst our LN team and us contributing significantly to the bid submitted by our councillors I do feel a personal sense of disappointment. I could take issue with many of the reasons given above. Of these, allowing controversy to hinder what is simply a choice over who the front runners will be seems very unfortunate because we are only nearing the end of stage one. There are three more before any form of implementation. Finally to temper expectations further Cllr Joanna Wright, is quoted in a recent Bath Echo article (5th March 2021) that “I would hope we’ll see something by the end of next March.”
Meanwhile we’re very likely to see a return to 2019 traffic levels and we’re two years further on from the Councils Climate Declaration “to provide the leadership enabling the Bath and North East Somerset area to be carbon neutral by 2030”. Less than nine years to go now.