BathNES Liberal Democrats
Serving Bath and North East Somerset
Working For You - All Year Round
April 2013 news from Bathwick
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Bathwick Liberal Democrats April 2013 |
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Dear ResidentWelcome to the April issue of our e-newsletter. We include several items about local actions we have been involved with in Bathwick ward and a couple of relevant more general items. As always, if you have any local issues or concerns relating to B&NES Council that we might be able to help with, please get in touch with us. You can get more up to date news from our blog site which is regularly updated at www.bathwick.mycouncillor.org.uk . We are also keen to hear from anyone who is willing to help the Liberal Democrats in Bathwick, either as a supporter or a volunteer. Our contact details are given in the panel on the right hand side of the page, or email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Number 18 bus service campaign
Warminster Road MoD site
Local Councillors David Martin and Nicholas Coombes intend to work with the developers and the community to create a high quality project with good environmental credentials. Warminster Road pedestrian crossing island
Bathwick Hill zebra crossing
Combe Down - Claverton Down footpath
In other cycling news, the two-Tunnels path beneath Combe Down has finally been opened (www.twotunnels.org.uk). This has also been developed as a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians, making use of part of the old Somerset and Dorset railway line. Sustrans and B&NES Council worked together on this project. In further support of cycling in the district, the Council has also allocated a sum of £500k capital expenditure during the current year for other cycling improvement schemes across B&NES. 20 mph zones
In Bathwick,quiet residential streets like Minster Way, Sham Castle Lane, Sydney Buildings and Woodland Grove could benefit from the new limit. Through roads like Warminster Road and Pulteney Road will retain their 30 mph limit The change is being introduced gradually across B&NES, and the first zone in Twerton has been in operation for more than a year. Each new zone is subject to meaningful public consultation about the limit and the roads to be included. Most zones have had overwhelming public support. However, Midsomer Norton Town Council did not support the limit, so it has not been introduced there. The main consultations for Bathwick ward will begin later this year, but one small area of the ward is being consulted on at the moment. This is the Darlington Road area, part of the Bathwick Estate (confusingly most of the Bathwick Estate is in Walcot ward). Residents of the affected streets have been sent a map of the proposals and were invited to send back their comments to the Council by 12 April. As 20 mph zones are designed to improve the environment and safety of residential areas, only residents of the streets involved are invited to participate in each consultation. New and replacement litter bins
Resident's Permit - Recycling Centres
The permit system is to ensure that the Council no longer subsidises the disposal of waste from households located outside Bath & North East Somerset. As well as saving costs, the system should reduce queuing times. Staff at the recycling centres will use their discretion to give people greater awareness of the system, and during April there will be no enforcement of the scheme.
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Contents
Dear Resident
Number 18 bus service campaign Warminster Road MoD site Warminster Road pedestrian crossing island Bathwick Hill zebra crossing Combe Down - Claverton Down footpath 20 mph zones New and replacement litter bins Resident's Permit - Recycling Centres Connect With Us
@DavidMartinBath LinksBath and North East Somerset Lib Dems Bath and North East Somerset Council Contact UsCllr Nicholas CoombesBathwick Ward Councillor Bathwick Ward Councillor |
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Cllr Nicholas Coombes
Ward Councillor for Bathwick
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Cllr David Martin
Ward Councillor for Bathwick
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You are receiving this email because you or someone used this email address to subscribe to this email. To unsubscribe from this email, please use the links below. | Published and promoted by Bath and North East Somerset Liberal Democrats, 31 James Street West, Bath, BA1 2BT |
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Your latest update from
Our long-running campaign to persuade the bus companies to re-route the number 18 university service is continuing. The change to the in-bound city centre route to go along North Parade, instead of using Great Pulteney Street and onto Grand Parade, was caused by the previous Conservative administration when they wanted to close Pulteney Bridge to all traffic. This meant considerable inconvenience for people from the Bathwick area wanting to access the Pulteney Street surgery and the shops, banks etc in the northern section of the city. We have continued to make representations to both First Bus and Wessex Connect, including sending them a petition signed by over 120 local people, raising the issue publicly via a letter to the Chronicle, and having discussions with the Council's public transport team. We will maintain pressure on the bus companies to try to get a solution to this issue.
The MoD has sold the site to Square Bay (
The Council is proposing to install a pedestrian crossing island on Warminster Road. The location will be near to the rear gate of Bathwick St Mary school, and will enable children and adults from the Minster Way and St Christopher Close area to cross this busy road in greater safety. Over 2 years ago, Cllr David Martin, with help from a local resident, collected almost 100 names for a petition calling for better crossing facilities. The petition was accepted by the Council, and the project was placed in the Highways task register. It has now reached the stage for implementation, which should happen in the next few weeks. The markings for school buses will be moved and a few parking spaces cancelled to ensure that people using the crossing are visible and safe.
A traffic management project that is not now likely to proceed is the proposal for a zebra crossing at the bottom of Bathwick Hill. This crossing was originally proposed by the Conservatives in 2011. Following objections from many local residents, and from your local Lib Dem Councillors, Cllr Symonds, the Cabinet member for transport, has decided not to proceed with the proposals. The main reasons for our objections were the lack of any clear evidence that a crossing is actually needed at this location, and the problem that would be caused at the Bathwick Hill roundabout due to buses waiting at the nearby bus stop (which would have been relocated nearer the roundabout) and thereby partially blocking the roundabout. 
The Council has submitted to the Planning Inspectorate the necessary documents to change the fooptath into a restricted bridleway. If approved, the Council will be able to designate the use of the route for cyclists. The petition which we organised in support ot this change has been included in the Council's documents, and was supported by Cllr Symonds. We now await the Planning Inspector's decision on this proposal, which is not likely to be available until later in the year.
Streets with 20 mph limits are intended to be safer for other road users like pedestrians and cyclists. They are quiter and less polluted, benefiting residents and pedestrians alike. At 20 mph drivers have more time to observe potential hazards. Cities and towns across the UK are introducing these limits, and you can read more about them at 
Bathwick has benefitted from several new or replacement litter bins in recent weeks. Replacement bins have been provided at Claverton Lodge and at St Patrick's Court, as the existing bins were rusty and in disrepair. A new bin has been located at the overbridge on the Quarry Road entrance to the university campus. This bin is on the route of the byway to Sham Castle, and was funded from Cllr Martin's Ward Councillor Initiative fund. The byway is scheduled to have surface improvements carried out in the next few weeks, as it had become very muddy and difficult to walk on in winter weather.
From April residents will need a permit to use any of the Council's recycling centres. The permit is not something that residents will have to carry with them - it is an electronic authorisatioin based on a vehicle licence plate. Registration is free for all residents, and the permit will last for three years. All that is needed is your name, address and vehicle registration(s). The easiest way to register is on-line at 
