In May 2007 Armand Edwards and I became the first Liberal Democrat councillors for Bathwick and the youngest members of BathNES council. May 3rd was a very long day for us, starting with leaflet delivering from 6am and ending the next morning after the results were announced just before midnight. However, election day activity is a very minority interest so here are some of the more interesting events of the year:
Pulteney Road crossing – this actually started in 2006 with our petition in August for a safer crossing over the A36 by the Bathwick roundabout. In January I sent a written question to the council requesting the crossing. The traffic lights were eventually installed after our election, the delay blamed on a “hold up at the traffic light factory”! Although there is still controversy over their positioning I think that the council traffic team got it right, they are in the right place to be useful and I have not noticed any unusual traffic delays on the roundabout – some drivers have even said that the box junction helps their progress! Success all round then.
Tesco win planning appeal – this doesn’t rank as a success, as Armand went to the public enquiry to argue against the shop opening, but it has certainly taken up a lot of our time. Planning permission for the shop was denied twice by the local council as the location thought to be too dangerous for cars to stop off and pedestrians cross. Indeed, a local man died crossing the road over the canal in September 2006. However, Tesco won their appeal to the government inspector despite local concerns. In the time since my attempts to contact and work with Tesco have been very difficult but we are still doing our best to mitigate the worst effects on the local community.
Madiera Walk resurfaced – not the most exciting piece of news, but this sort of work is very important to people. The footpath at the back of Bathwick Hill from the Youth Hostel leading over the canal is a typically rural muddy path, but the top part was particularly muddy, steep and dangerous. We worked with the National Trust to get this resurfaced and they did a very good job. I also managed to get the broken bench at the top replaced too, although that took a lot longer!
Bathwick Hill closure – for a week over the Summer, Bathwick Hill was closed and the 18 bus diverted as almost a complete surprise. Following my complaint to the council department the officer in charge admitted failures notifying passengers and residents and promised to rewrite the procedures.
PaCT begins – Police and Communities Together was set up to help the police target their local resources. Residents are invited to put their questions and complaints to a panel of the police, council representatives and me. It’s quite a scary process for the person sat at the front (remember, councillors are the only democratically accountable part of this set up!) but fortunately Armand and I have worked on enough of the issues already to have progress to report to the crowd.
University footbridge – again this is not so much an achievement as a long slog. Even the university management recognise that this missing bridge is a disproportionate stain on their reputation (I told them). Plans are advancing slowly and I have been putting pressure on the university at every possible stage, from the Regulatory & Access (footpaths) committee to my own meetings with the Vice-Chancellor; even the council Chief Executive has written to complain to them.
Minster Way – the residents’ parking scheme three years in the making has finally arrived. Following another burst of consultation the scheme was put to the council executive with our strong recommendation for speedy implementation. It should now be fully active from 1st March 2008 with no more stuck lorries.