Thanks for coming. Buses. Green bins

AGM 2021

Thanks to the 35 residents who came in person and the four zoomers for being at our AGM on 12th November. In the absence of the Claremont Hall we used the Museum of Bath at Work. Many thanks to Stuart, the curator, for his help and support.

We now have a committee for the next year which includes one new member.

All the papers, reports and minutes can be found here.

There was plenty of success to celebrate on Camden Meadow, which goes from strength to strength. If you would like to help in any way then do get in touch with John Long, in the first instance through their web-site here.

We are also very excited at the possibility of the Street Party in Camden on June 5th to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We are very keen to get a sub-committee set up to take this on. So do please get in touch here if you could help to plan and organise it. It will be ‘a first’ so ‘the world is your oyster’ as they say!

There was also considerable frustration expressed on residents’ behalf on not being included in the first 15 neighbourhoods to be considered to become ‘a liveable neighbourhood’. We had both deputy leaders of the Council present to explain the Council’s current priorities and why we did not get included. The meeting minutes record their answers.

In essence, the bid was very strong but too ambitious to be included in the first stage and the decisions made cannot be undone. However a very strong case was put forward to the meeting and the councillors present. To read through this, click here. The Chair has undertaken not to give up on this. Camden’s roads are not fit for today’s purpose; they are unsafe; the neighbourhood wants meaningful change and a Liveable Neighbourhood should be on offer.

Attention all 6A bus users

The FoBRA Transport Group, of which I’m a member, has asked us to circulate information about an important survey WECA is undertaking into Supported Bus Services.  The Survey can be accessed here:https://consultation.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/infrastructure/west-of-england-supported-bus-services-survey/

The consultation deadline is 28 November 2021.

It is important that as many local bus users as possible respond to this survey in order that WECA is aware of the importance attached to our supported services.  

The list of Supported services within Bath or between Bath and neighbouring towns and villages is very extensive. It includes numerous key services, some of which are financially fully supported (notably the Park & Ride routes but many others as well), and other services for which there is financial support for buses at particular times (especially in the evenings, or on particular days such as Sundays/Bank Holidays). This list can be found on pages 3 and 4 of the attached pdf copy of the Survey. 

You are strongly encouraged to complete this survey in respect of any services relevant to you and to raise awareness of the survey with all bus users in your organisation, since there is a risk that decisions with regard to future support could depend upon the survey responses. Needless to say, the loss of such services would be counter-productive to all aspirations and policy to reduce car dependency.

This is of particular relevance to 6A bus users.

Green bin collections

Bath Newseum, the most effective communications arm of the Council(!) has just circulated this message.

The council is playing catch up with its waste services and you can help.

In recent weeks, Bath & North East Somerset Council has suspended some garden waste collections due to the national shortage of HGV drivers and staff sickness, to prioritise kerbside recycling and waste services.

Depending on the method by which they receive their bills, each garden waste subscriber who has had their service suspended will receive an email, text or letter advising them of when their additional collection will be.   

For residents whose garden waste collections were not affected, the last day of the usual garden waste collections will be December 3 followed by the six-week shut down period.

Any communications about delays to collections will continue to be listed on the waste disruptions page https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/waste-disruptions

Councillor David Wood, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “We are grateful to residents for bearing with us as we try to manage services as best we can in the face of staff shortages. We are sorry that some garden waste collections have been affected and have put these arrangements in place to compensate for this.

“Our crews are working hard to minimise disruption and to catch up, but it would really help them if residents could follow our tips for what can be recycled and to make the best use of space in containers. Particularly important at this time of year is to minimise black bin waste by considering resuable alternatives to wrapping paper such as fabric, newspaper or brown paper. Wrapping paper, including Christmas paper, cannot be recycled.”

To make the best use of space in recycling containers and to help crews with efficient collections, residents are asked to:

• Sort your green boxes to help speed up the collections (having two boxes helps considerably if you have room to store two) – follow Recycle for Bathnes on Facebook for tips
• Wash and squash materials such as plastics to make more space and keep your containers as clean as possible

Please exclude things that cannot be collected in recycling:

• Black plastic, polystyrene, plastic film or hard plastics such as toys or hangers
• Any cardboard should have any plastic, sticky tape and polystyrene removed
• Nappies cannot be recycled – do not put them in your green box
• Wrapping paper (including Christmas paper)

Find out more about the council’s rubbish and recycling services