Pulteney Road – Canal path to close for improvements

Lime Grove railway path lamp post

The path between Pulteney Road and the Kennet & Avon Canal is to be improved this Autumn. The path leads from the railway bridge opposite North Parade Bridge Road, past the new Rennie Close, and up to the canal by the allotments.

The developer of Rennie Close provided BathNES Council with money to improve the quality of the footpath. Your Liberal Democrat councillors have been pressing council staff to implement the planned improvements. These include the reconstruction of the steps and installation of a channel for pushing cycles up.

The Council has now issued a notice warning of the closure of the path while work is to be carried out. They have allowed a six month period, from 25th August, to complete the works. However, the path will not be closed for this duration; only when necessary to undertake the works.

 

Consultation on parish or committee for Bath

Council chamber

BathNES Council is consulting on ‘options to strengthen community representation and civic governance in Bath’.

Bath does not have a parish or city council, unlike surrounding areas such as Keynsham or Batheaston; this has been described as a democratic deficit. Liberal Democrat councillors promised in their 2011 local election manifesto to make more decisions at local level, like parish councils or neighbourhood committees.

Councillors will consider the options and results of the consultation at the Full Council meeting of 11th September.

Protecting public rights of way

Claire Jackson and David Martin

The Council is drawing up a definitive list of public rights of way in Bathwick ward.

Some of the well used footpaths are not officially or legally recorded at present. Local community volunteer Claire Jackson said “Your Lib Dem team are supporting the inclusion of these popular footpaths to protect their use in the future.”

The Council has started initial research and will be undertaking consultation with local residents, landlords and user groups. If you would like to see the map of footpaths in Bathwick, or respond to the Council’s consultation, please contact Cllr Martin.

Cycle tour of Britain visits Bathwick

Bicycle in tunnel

The Tour of Britain bicycle race will include a stage starting in Bath in September this year. The Bath to Hemel Hempstead stage is 206km long and will occur on the sixth day.

The stage will commence at the Royal Crescent on Friday 12th September at 10:15am; the peleton will ride down Milsom Street, over Pulteney Bridge and along Great Pulteney Street. In Bathwick, the riders will pass the Holburne Museum, going down Darlington Street, over the Bathwick Hill roundabout and out along Pulteney Road.

Support for National Trust projects in Bathwick

David Martin at NT bench

With funding from his Ward Councillor Initiative budget, David Martin has funded a new bench on the National Trust land in Bathwick.

Robert Holden, National Trust Head Ranger, said: “We are delighted with our new addition to Bathwick fields. This oak bench with its fantastic views over the World Heritage city will be much appreciated by the many visitors walking through the area”.

David has also recently supported another National Trust project to open up areas to create wildlife friendly glades in Bathwick woods and connect up with an old drove track which leads from North Road up to Bathampton Down.

Bus shelter at Abbey installed

18 Bus shelter at Bath Abbey

Thanks to lobbying from your local Bathwick Councillors, and from the many requests from residents, the Council has now installed a bus shelter at the number 18 bus stop at the Abbey. Considerable support for the shelter was also received from our recent survey of bus users, with 81% of respondents in favour of a shelter at this location. The shelter is a bespoke design chosen by the Council’s Public Realm team, and is delivered as part of the improvements to public transport and bus infrastructure funded through the Bath Transport Package.

Getting around Bath – transport strategy consultation

Oakley bus path

The Council has launched a new draft transport strategy for Bath and wants to hear your views on transport improvements.  The aim is to reduce congestion and allow people to move around to make the long-term economic strategy for the city work.

The launch document is in pdf form and can be downloaded here. The consultation is open until 25 July and you can respond via a series of key questions, which can be accessed from this webpage.

Cllr Nicholas Coombes commented “This is an essential step in developing a strategy and plan for transport for the next 15 years or more, so it is important for the Council to hear the views of residents”.

Safety improvements planned for Oakley junction

Oakley junction

Cllr David Martin has met again with council highway engineers to discuss the junction between Oakley, at the top of Bathwick Hill, and Claverton Down Road. Your Liberal Democrat councillors are working to make the junction safer with small modifications.

Sight lines at the junction are restricted in some directions, which makes pulling out of the junction difficult. Modifications to the line of the kerb, lining on the road and the hazard signs could improve this. Your local councillors have now negotiated a package of modifications, and have found money in this year’s highway budget to carry out the work.

Planning application for 189 houses on MoD site

MoD site entrance

Developers of the Warminster Road MoD site have applied for planning permission to build 189 homes on the site; you can view and comment on the application at the Council website.

The application is for 2-3 story houses and flats, with 35% classed as affordable. The northern edge of the site, along the canal frontage and footpath, will be left undeveloped. The two access roads are to be retained, creating a double cul-de-sac development. The proposed density is 42 dwellings per hectare, and the houses will be built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, which is the minimum standard permitted by council policy.

A small corner of the MoD site on the boundary next to the school has been excluded from the development. This 0.19ha (0.47 acre) plot would be given to BathNES Council as the applicant’s contribution to school provision.

If you want to comment on the proposals, you can do so here; your comments must be received by 18 July 2014. The Council is due to make a decision before the end of September; a proposal of this scale is likely to be determined by the Development Control committee.

Progress for Lime Grove Gardens footpath

Lime Grove canal path lamp post

Bathwick councillors David Martin and Nicholas Coombes and lobbying BathNES Council to improve the footpath and steps at Lime Grove Gardens, from the canal to North Parade Road.

The Council has now drawn up a plan to re-surface the whole path and reconstruct the steps to improve safety. There will also be a channel installed alongside the steps for bicycle wheels, so that cycles can be pushed up the path. The works are funded by an agreement with the developers of Rennie Close.

Now that a plan has been drawn up, the works are expected to be done during the summer.