Petition for safer school crossing

Cllr Coombes and Dr Martin with the Warminster Road crossing campaign 

School Governor Dr David Martin is campaigning for a safer crossing over the Warminster Road.

Dr Martin has responsibility for the ‘safer routes to school’ initiative at Bathwick St. Mary’s Primary. He and local resident Claire White have collected almost 100 signatures on a petition for a safer crossing.

The petition was presented to the Conservative cabinet member with responsibility for traffic at the last B&NES council meeting. Speaking at the meeting, Claire White said:

“I dread the day my children will ask to go to school on their own. Each time we ‘run the gauntlet’ across Warminster Road negotiating cars, vans and lorries. The current traffic island isn’t even wide enough for a buggy, while HGVs hurtle past just a few inches away.”

Their campaign is supported by local councillor, Nicholas Coombes, who raised the need for improvements with B&NES several years ago. Since Bathwick’s Liberal Democrat councillors were elected they have already delivered a pedestrian crossing on Pulteney Road and a zebra crossing on Bathwick Hill.

“Residents in Minster Way and St. Christopher’s Close are concerned about the difficulties of crossing Warminster Road to get their children to school.” Said David Martin at the council meeting. “Elderly and frail people living in this are also find the road difficult to cross. There is much heavy traffic on this road.”

To join the petition write to 6 Beech Avenue, Bath BA2 7BA or email bathwick_libdems@yahoo.co.uk

Welcome back university students

Bath University

University lectures start on Monday 4th, but this year’s Freshers have already moved in.

The addition of over 2,000 students living in halls on the university campus effectively doubles the population of Bathwick ward compared to summer time.  The buses are already busy again, but the term timetable doesn’t start until next week. How this increased frequency affects congestion on North Parade bridge remains a cause of concern.

Our new neighbours will be unused to living away from home, so may take a bit of time to adjust to normal living patterns. If your patience is wearing thin, you can call the Student Action Line on 396996 to report a problem.

 This term’s meeting of the University Neighbours’ Forum is on Tuesday 12th October at 5:30pm. Please RSVP to N.J.Kemp@bath.ac.uk for an agenda. I established these meetings to allow a conversation between the university and its near neighbours and feel that most find them very productive and reassuring.

Lime Grove for sale

Lime Grove School

Lime Grove special school is now on the open market. If you want to buy it, the details are here (but there agents don’t reveal the price!).

This is perhaps the best proof available that the council have given up plans to continue using the site, including as a possible location for a wet-house. Last week when I met the Conservative cabinet member responsible in a council corridor, he confirmed that there were no plans for a wet-house, or even an experimental wet-house, on the site. He protested that a recent Chronicle article had misrepresented his plans.

However, with the history of secrecy surrounding previous plans for the site, many residents remain concerned and do not trust the Conservative cabinet on this matter.

Improving Sydney Gardens

Cllr Armand Edwards wants better play equipment in Sydney Gardens

Armand and I are working to improve the children’s  play equipment in Sydney Gardens.

The park is due major work to improve its layout and facilities which is to be funded by a lottery bid. This plan was drawn up in 1992 though, 17 years ago, so progress has been slow. Until this happens, the children’s play area in particular needs a re-fresh.

A few residents have suggested that the redundant equipment at the old Lime Grove School be used. Cllr Armand Edwards has pursued this idea as the equipment is in good order. However, the council is reluctant citing concerns about EU safety guidelines.

There is better news with the roundabout, pictured, which was merely taken away from Sydney Gardens for maintenance.

Students return

Bath University

The long Summer break is over; the undergraduates are returning to Bath University.

While the campus has been busy all Summer with researchers, postgraduates and visitors, from next week we will notice the recommencement of undergraduate courses. New first year students move into halls of residence on campus this weekend, so expect extra traffic on Saturday and Sunday. However, this is the first year in which the move is at the weekend, so traffic in town will not be as bad as in previous years.

Between now and 5th October is the Freshers’ induction week. If you are unduly disturbed by noise or anti-social behaviour, you can report this to the action line on 396996.

To all new students beginning this weekend, welcome to Bath.

Poorly parked parents penalised

Parking outside King Edward’s School

Police and parking wardens are patrolling schools across Bath as the new school year begins.

Bathwick residents and councillors have long urged action against poor parking at our local schools, St Mary’s and King Edward’s. Both have been inluded in a list of twenty four across BathNES targeted for attention. Aside from the frustration caused to neighbours, inconsiderate parking near schools is often of danger to the pupils attending.

At King Edward’s School on North Road, I’ve been part of the school travel plan group looking at bus, cycle and car share schemes as well as parking outside the school. While the current parking arrangements on North Road and Cleveland Walk should be improved, parked parents who break the rules should expect a ticket. This especially includes the four wheel drive which parks on the corner of the juntion every afternoon – you know who you are!

I’ve also joined the Sustainable Routes to School project at Bathwick St Mary’s which promotes alternatives to driving. Key to this is the set of crossings around the Warminster and Sydney Road junction which I have raised with the council highways department several times.

Hopefully pupils and parents can take the opportunity of a new school year with (so far) reasonable weather to explore walking, biking or busing to school. If not, watch out for the parking inspectors!

Nursery at Miles House

Miles House

Miles House, on Bathwick Hill by the canal, has finally been sold by the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Trust and bought by a childcare nursery chain.

Chris Dawson at the Bathwick Hill site got the scoop, although in my defence I had found out through Freedom of Information requests but was then not allowed to publish! Now there’s a big banner out the front and an advert at Bath Spa station, the cat is probably out tof the bag.

In planning terms, some minor altertaions are being made, but it is unlikely that any change of use application is needed. Buildings are classified within ‘use class orders’ allowing for changes within the class. Mile House has historically beeen ‘D1 Health Care’; child care is also classified as D1.

To conclude, we welcome Childbase to Bathwick and expect them to act as good neighbours.

University neighbours’ Forum – Thurs 18th, 17:30

The next public forum for Bath University and its neighbours is this week. I established this forum to give local residents more information about work and events at the university and to give them more influence in decision making.

The meeting is at 5:30pm on Thursday 18th on campus. The agenda includes news on building works on campus, the new bus service, an update on the masterplan and a list of forthcoming large events on the campus.

Please RSVP to W.J.Marsh@bath.ac.uk or 386285 and refreshments will be prepared for you!

University Forum

Bath University

This week is the first Neighbours Forum for the University and its near neighbours to discuss issues of concern. The University is hosting on Thursday 5th at 5:30pm.

I have been working behind the scenes for almost a year to arrange this termly meeting, so I am very glad that we finally have a date set. These Fora give the university a chance to explain their future plans and upcoming events to their neighbours with a view to mitigation, and neighbours the opportunity to voice concerns (or praises) about the way the university operates.

The need for better communication came to my attention from a few specific examples. A University Open Day or the start of term massively increases vehicle traffic on specific roads; parents collecting children from Bathwick St Mary’s Primary can find themselves half an hour late to the school if they do not know to set off earlier. University planning applications can appear suddenly and be hugely divisive if simply sprung on th community as they have been in the past; an explanation of why a function is needed makes it easier for neighbours to suggest improvements.

The recent consultation over the University Masterplan has been very impressive and shows that good communications are to everyone’s advantage.

If you would like to attend this session please email Lynne Tremlett (lmt24@bath.ac.uk) for directions.

Social mobility

Earlier today, a friend asked me “how about some social mobility discussion on the blog Nick?”

When I noticed that the report of the  Social Mobility Commission, established by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, was  published today (http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/children%E2%80%99s-life-chances-still-tied-to-the-circumstances-of-their-birth-clegg-123335373;show) it was too good to miss. The report was managed independently of the Liberal Democrats and chaired by the Chief Executive of Barnardos.

I admit that my professional experience makes me better qualified to comment on things which can be kicked (roads, town planning, buildings, public realm etc) rather than those which should not be kicked (children, elderly people, social workers etc). Social mobility could be considered out of my remit, but it is actually the thing which I am most passionate about.

It is unacceptable that the principal determinant of life expectancy in Britain is the wealth of ones parents. A child born to wealthy parents will live 10 years longer, on average, than a child of a poorer background. A poorer child will have poorer health, worse education and a less secure job. I believe in a society in which opportunity is related to ability, not parents’ income. This is not that case in Britain today.

I will provide an update on blocked drains later, but now you know why I ‘do’ politics and why I am a Liberal Democrat.