Sham Castle stone resurected

Water marker stone in place

The historic stone found in front of Sham Castle has been resurrected this week. The marker stone was uncovered after the scrub clearance lying on its side. Nicholas Coombes put the local history societies in touch with the National Trust and BathNES archeology department to decide where the stone should go. Based on maps from the early 1800s, the marker has been returned to its original position.

It was used by the Bath Corporation in the late 1700s as a marker stone for one of the many springs in the area which watered their development in Bathwick. It is thought that there are many more on Bathampton Down; the National Trust has now drawn the attention of the Bathwick History Society to another further down North Road.

Canal pedestrian refuge reconsidered

Broken pavement

The enlarged pedestrian refuge over the canal bridge has run into some problems. The wider refuge,was designed to force drivers to slow down around it. Unfortunately they are not slowing down but driving into the kerb instead. There have now been four instances of kerb stones on the pavement and central refuge being knocked out of place.

While one accident may have been unfortunate, four is recognisably more serious. Today the BathNES traffic and safety team are inspecting the damage and will try to coem up with improvements. I shall update post this with ‘highlights’ of their report when I receive it.

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After the site visit, the initial proposals are thus:

  •  the pedestrian refuge needs to be altered to make it smaller and stronger
  • the white lines on the road should be adjusted
  • visibility from uphill should be checked.

Payment published

BathNES Council Chamber 

Expenses and allowances for the last financial year have been published by BathNES council (although the web page appears to be intermittent). In the interests of transparency I thought I’d put them up here too just so that you know.

From my election last May until the end of March, I have been paid £6,702.01 in allowances. This is not technically a salary, although it is nearly all taxed (thank you Gordon Brown, you doubled my tax from 10% to 20%). It compensates for the hundreds of hours I spend on council business when I could be earning money with a real job. I pay for my printing, postage and phone from this.

I do not have any ‘special responsibility allowances’. The committee I sit upon is not important enough to pay any extra.

I have claimed £118.80 in travel expenses. This is for three reurn rail journeys to Coventry for a training course I was sent upon (it was very worthwhile); I booked in advance and used my own ‘young persons’ railcard’ to reduce the cost. I also claimed for a return bus and train journeys to Keynsham. I have not claimed bicycle allowance for cycling to meetings in Bath, that seems a bit greedy.

In the period assessed I attended 4 out of 4 Full Council meetings and 2 of 3 Regulatory & Access Committee meetings. I did not attend the first of these as I had a percieved conflict of interest with the main agenda item. I have also substituted once onto the Corporate Audit Committee, which was very exciting and held in a genuine church crypt. [In the last month I have attended another Full Council, a Regs & Access and a Planning Committee but these are outside of the timeframe]

I hope that satisfied your curiosity. Some councillors do even less work for their money http://www.libdemvoice.org/david-murphy-2-2705.html

Student Union reception

Bath University

Thank you Bath University Students’ Union for the invite to the Annual Reception. The councillor’s never ending round of pothole maintenance is always enlivened by a  good drinks and nibbles reception. Rest assured that I was hard at work between the sausage rolls and odd chicken bites, though.

The evening was very well attended, which started auspiciously when I got off the 18 bus and spotted my colleague, Cllr David Bellotti, in the Council Chair’s car. Apparently the slightly tatty BathNES flag which caught my attention is due to be replaced soon with the new logo. I have been to ‘Elements’ (the Union bar) countless times, but walking up with the Chair of the Council was the first time that I have been escorted by SU staff!

Deputy Mayor of Bath, Cllr Paul Crossley, was also in a attendance – he lives in Sham Castle Lane, so it wasn’t far to come. With the two Oldfield councillors there too it made a total of 5 Lib Dems to an event that the Conservatives had ignored. I am always reassured to be at an event that the Tories don’t care for.

Around the formal speeches the rest of the evenign was a flurry of networking with the Vice Chancellor and University management, Student Union sabbatical officers and staff and the local residents’ associations with plenty to discuss. I am getting better at working a reception after a year’s experince of drinks and nibbles but there is still much room for improvement. I have never bettered my first function, at the launch of the Bath Music Festival last year, when expert hosts passed me effortlessly from the Mayor to Vice Chancellor to Joanna MacGregor, pianist and Festival director.

Mystery marker made clear

Marker Stone

A historic marker post, unearthed during the scub clearance at Sham Castle has now been identified and is soon to be reinstated. The National Trust moved the stone out of harm’s way to prepare the field to be sown as a native meadow. The local history society, concerned for the stone’s archeaological significance, contacted me for its preservation.

Since I put them in contact, the experts from the Bathwick and Bathampton Local History Societies and BathNES council met at the Sham Castle with the National Trust manager to relocate the stone. The marker was put up by the Bath Corporation to mark springs which watered the city in the 1700s, one of a series on the hillside. Using a map from the 1840s they were able to agree an exact location for the stone, to which the National Trust will return it and reinstate the stone upright.

Like the rest of the Sham Castle project, this is another example of local people using their own skills and knowledge to improve their environment, without relying on the local council. I am not an archaeologist (more an architectural historian!) and I didn’t need to be; we have the expertise in our comminuty, it just needs to be linked up.

Loading bay consultation begins

Loading bay notice

The loading bay for Tesco has been put to public consultation. You are welcome to write to the Highways team with your views (click on the picture to read the notice and address).

This needs to have public consultation because it changes the legal parking status of that patch of road on Bathwick Hill. The pedestrian refuge and other pavement works did not need public consultation as they were modifications to council/public property.

A loading bay is needed here (just below the canal bridge) to allow delivery lorries to unload safely to the Tesco Express which was given planning permission by an appeal inspector last year. Effectively the government inspector instructed the BathNES highway department to install the loading bay and upgrade the pedestrian crossing, regardless of their own professional views. I have spoken to a member of the highways team about this apparent contradiction and he told me about another authority he has worked for. Following a similar appeal the highway department was ordered to make safe a junction which they claimed couldn’t be done. The legal battle went to the House of Lords and cost the council millions in fees when Tesco finally won.

I am of the opinion that our highway safety department have done a good job in difficult circumstances with the pedestrian refuge, road markings and loading bay. Their solution isn’t perfect, but this is hardly surprising given their professional judgement against Tesco’s planning permission.

Representations must be made in writing to the council by 5th June. If there are objections, which we expect there will be, a report must be written for the cabinet member to decide. Cllr Gerrish (Con, Keynsham North) shall make the final decision mid-June, for the loading bay to be rejected or painted on soon after. There is no truth in the rumour that Tesco have successfully sued for damages against the council. The process has indeed taken a long time but no legal action has yet been taken by Tesco.

Unfortunately the zebra crossing we all want may take even longer. As Tesco did not provide enough money for providing a zebra crossing, the central refuge has been widened and given tactile paving, while the pavement has also been widened. As well as giving more room to wheelchair users and those pushing bikes or buggies, this pavement widening improves the view down Bathwick Hill from those waiting to cross. This is a vital requirement for a zebra crossing, that visibility is good. With these improvements, it will be possible to paint on the zebra stripes later, from council tax money. However, I was angry to discover that this scheme has not been listed for funding in the next financial year and have chased this up with the Conservative cabinet member responsible.

Graffiti and difficult messes

Graffiti

Recently I seem to have been chasing unnecessarily difficult problems, graffiti, litter and potholes which have been a lot harder to fix than they ought.

The kind people at Network Rail are just as helpful on the phone as they were when I first called them in February 2007, but the graffiti still hasn’t been cleaned from their railway bridge. You probably noticed the ‘THiCK’ tag on the bridge over Pulteney Road over a year ago and I been trying to get it removed since then. In the last few months I added graffiti on the arches to my request, so I am now on my third different customer reference number. We’ve already passed a few deadlines for the contractors to do the work, so I wait with anticipation.

Unlike Network Rail, the electricity company only work to 9-5 office hours, but the one time I did get through I was assured that their substation would be scrubbed within the week. It hasn’t happened yet, I’ll have to call back Monday to Friday.

I have also experienced nothing but earnest enthusiasm from our own council helpline, but 2 months on I am still waiting for a highways inspector to visit Sydney Buildings to register the potholes for filling. An inspector did visit my street however, the complaint having been misfiled, and was able to locate some potholes which have since been filled in.

I hope that this post hasn’t spoilt the ‘magic’; I have to spend just as long on hold and re-writing emails as anyone else; the difference is that I get paid for it.

Whether it’s in the job decription is another matter.

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27-5-8 In fairness the electricity substation has now been cleaned and the potholes in Sydney Buildings have been inspected.

Council AGM & Europe Day

BathNES Council Chamber

This week was the Council AGM, marking my first year in office. However, with a full agenda no one was being sentimental; especially with the recent attitude of the Conservative administration.

This was exemplified on the night by the presentation of a new Code of Governance. The Conservative presenting the paper said that it was unnecessary and only included to tick inspection boxes. Had he read the code he would have seen what a good paper it was, and how few of the values of involvement, consultation and scrutiny this administration pay attention to. This is in the wake of the parking charge protests and the increased elderly care charges, both performed with minumal consultation against public will.

In this spirit I seconded a motion for a public position on the Rec Trustees panel to give greater public involvement in decision making so that peole don’t feel shut out of the process. With a subject as contentious as the Rec, not everyone can get their way, but at least they can feel that their opinion is valued. The Conservatives defeated this ammendment.

The Liberal Democrats also tried to reform the scrutiny arrangements within the council, proposing that opposition members chair the scrutiny panels. This is in the best practise of auditing –  the auditor is independant of the auditee. As it is, Conservatives scrutinise their own performance in most areas. Again, our ammendment was defeated.

 For those of you interested in working hours, I started writing my speeches at 4pm and left the Guildhall after the council at 11pm

Finally, Friday 9th was Europe Day, marking the conception of the European Union as body to unite European Nations preventing war between them. The previous time Europe was at peace for 60 years was at the height of the Roman Empire.

What else has Europe done for us? Well, there’s unrestricted travel and access to health care throughout the continent and the freedom to live, work, study and retire in any of the member states. Human rights and equality laws have also sprang from EU legislation, the 2006 anti-age-discrimination law for example. Economic cooperation and competition laws have allowed cheaper travel, broken utility monopolies and will soon reduce the cost of international mobile calls. The environment has also benefitted from the EU’s lead on clean air and water, refuse and recycling and nature protection.

Good reason I though, to join the Chair of the Council for the toast “To Europe and its people”.

Lamp post replaced

Nick in Sydney wharf

I have read that a long running competition amongst national newspaper night editors  for the least exciting headline stalled with no one able to better “small earthquake in peru, not many dead”. However, lamp posts, or the unexpected lack of, are of great concern to those missing illumination.

The lamp post at the end of Sydney Wharf, lighting the final six houses plus the bridge over the railway, was unexpectedly removed at the end of last month. Well meaning BathNES technicians thought that they were helping the developer, who asked for the lamp post to be removed from their land, and complying with best practice by getting the light onto the public highway. This is so that it can be repaired without needing written permission from the landowner.

Unfortunately their efforts to relocate  it were more difficult than expected, runnning into cellars, parking and contested ownership. I was contacted by concerned residents worried about the delay. A flurry of emails and phonecalls followed between five different parties until consensus was reached. The developer even paid for the lamp post to be upgraded to ‘herritage’ style, befitting the fine Georgian history of electric lighting.

The lantern is now in place awaiting only the wiring before the grand switch on. There’s more to these dull headlines than you’d expect.

History help required

Sham Castle

Do you know the origins of the marker stone found near the Sham Castle? More importantly, where should it go?

In the second stage of the Sham Castle project the National Trust have prepared the ground in front of the castle to be sown as a meadow. The scrub and brambles were cleared by a group of community volunteers led by Armand and I in March. For the ploughing, the National Trust moved a historic marker stone which had been lying amongst the vegetation. When they have finished it will be moved back to a suitable location.

The Bathwick and Bathampton local history societies both have ideas about the stone and are working with the city archaeologist to agree its correct location. If you have any thoughts or information to contribute please email me and I will put you in touch with the groups. The stone is likely a marker erected by the city water board to denote a spring on the hill.

The long term management of the land in front of the Sham Castle has now been agreed between the National Trust and the Golf Course. Both have contributed towards sowing it as a wild meadow and shall be mowing it a few times per year when the grass is established.