Network Rail will be clearing vegetation from structures in Sydney Gardens during the next few days.
The work will improve the appearance of the many historic bridges and embankments as well as prevent further damage.
Contractors will be working at night to minimise disruption to rail services, but will not be using noisy power tools. If there are any problems residents will be able to use the 24 hour helpline on 08457 114141.
The application to divert the footpath away from Smallcombe Farm is now progressing with the help of a legal agent.
In early 2011 an application was made to the council (covered here), but little action was taken by the council as the processing of such applications is not a funded priority (covered here). To speed the process, the applicant has appointed their own agent to carry out the public consultation work.
Legal authority to decide whether to divert the path remains with the Council’s Regulatory Committee, which is chaired by Bathwick councillor Nicholas Coombes. However, the legal agent will provide all of the necessary research instead of the Public Rights of Way team. The agent, law firm Birketts of Ipswich, has now sent out consultation letters.
The application is to divert the path which runs from opposite the Youth Hostel to the Cemetery, alongside Smallcombe Farm. The applicants report that in recent years the increased use of the Natioal Trust promoted Skyline Walk has detrimentally affected their quality of live, with the intrusion of photographers and dogs onto their property, affecting their privacy and safety.
A new path has been created through the Bathwick Meadow field, the orchard and down the hillside to the cemetery access road. The path is currently a permissive path, ie users may use it without legal designation. The applicant hopes that eth replacement path can become the legal route, with the tree-lined and stepped route being stopped up. The new path is 150m longer, but the applicants argue that he views are better.
The public consultation now begun is on a ‘draft order’ that will be put before the Regulatory Committee. The committee will decide whether to make a full Diversion Order, which will itself be available for consultation before being confirmed by either the committee or a government inspector at a later date.
If you support or oppose a diversion, please take part in the consultation so that the committee can take your views into account. Please email them to carol-ramsden@birketts.co.uk by 4th March. There are five relevant questions that the committee will consider, which you might use in your response:
“Please do take part in the consultation,” said Bathwick councillor Nicholas Coombes, “As committee chair I should not comment on the application yet, but I do want all residents to have their say. I will also make sure that the Regulatory Committee meets at a time and place which is convenient for residents to take part.”
Bathwick Councillors David Martin and Nicholas Coombes have submitted the petition to improve the muddy path to BathNES Council.
The petition was given to fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr Roger Symonds, who is in charge of transport, at the council cabinet meeting yesterday. It will be passed on to the government inspector who will decide the bid to upgrade the path later this year.
Over 160 people – local residents, students and university staff – signed the petition in person and online at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/muddypath. They signed in support of the creation of a Restricted Byway to allow cycling between Combe Down and Claverton Down. This would provide a safe and sustainable route for school children, students and recreational riders, allow for safety improvements and improve the surface of the path.
This project is once again inspiring warm, energy-smart homes. Following the success of last year’s event, the Council is supporting a programme of workshops and open homes during the next few months to show how people can make their houses more energy efficient.
Cllr David Martin, who is the Council’s Energy and Climate Change Champion, said “this project is an excellent means of finding out about cutting energy bills by seeing what local people have done”. Cllr Coombes added “energy efficiency can be improved in many different ways, and it is especially useful to see how homes of any type, from heritage to new build, can benefit “.
The project is seeking volunteers to open their homes for 13/14 April, and offers of help to support the project are also welcome. Please get in touch with us if you want to help. More information is available at www.bathgreenhomes.co.uk.
A much needed new surface has been laid on the muddy path between Claverton Down and Combe Down.
Your local councillors David Martin and Nicholas Coombes have been working for years to improve the footpath. There is now only one week left to sign their petition to have the path upgraded at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/muddypath.
They plan to hand in the petition to the Lib Dem in charge of transport at the council cabinet meeting next week. The petition will then be sent to a government planning inspector who will be deciding in the next few months.
Those who have followed the formal processes associated with registering the path know that these things take a very long time. Therefore your Lib Dem councillors asked that a temporary surface be laid to improve the path in the mean time. The shingles were laid between Christmas and the new year.
The new temporary surface runs from Claverton Down Road all the way to the National Trust owned field. However, so save money it covers a 2m wide strip instead of the full legal width of the path.
“This work was desparately needed,” said Cllr Nicholas Coombes, “the temporary surface is good value for money and will allow local residents to enjoy the path through the wet weather.”
Bathwick’s Liberal Democrat councillors have launched a petition in support of upgrading the muddy footpath.
You can add your name at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/muddypath
Over the years Nicholas Coombes and David Martin have campaigned to have the path from Claverton Down to Combe Down legally recognised as the AQ78. They have worked to have the fence taken down and recently secured a temporary surface improvement.
The final step is upgrading the path to ‘restricted byway’ status. With this, the path can be legally used by cyclists, and the council will re-surfae the path and make it safer for all users.
BathNES Council will soon put an application before a government inspector to decide the matter. Your local councillors want to prove the community’s support with a petition to demonstrate the demand for this change.
A safe and legal shared path will benefit pupils at Ralph Allen and University Students who could walk or cycle the route. An improved suface would be beneficial for walkers, wheelchair users and pushchairs. Regularising the path would also lead to safety improvements for all.
Please sign the petition at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/muddypath
Bathwick councillor Dr David Martin has funded a new interpretation board on the Kennet & Avon canal as part of a circular audio trail.
The board at Darlington Wharf on Beckford Road tells the story of the canal and highlights notable features. It is one of the stops on a walking route along the canal, Great Pulteney Street and the River which takes in locks, Sydney Gardens and preserved industrial features. The trail and map is also online at http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/bath-flight.
Cllr Martin funded the board using a portion of his Ward Councillor Initiative funding, which allows him to support small projects within Bathwick. If you know of any local initiatives in need of a small grant, please contact your Liberal Democrat councillors David Martin or Nicholas Coombes.
The audio trail is also written up by the Bath Chronicle.
The B&NES Allotments Forum is meeting this week in the Guildhall.
The Forum starts at 7pm on Wednesday 28th November in the Brunswick Room, behind the Guildhall reception desk. The agenda includes a future strategy for allotments and the search for more plots in Bath.
Following their success painting lamp posts, the Sydney Buildings Householders Association are launching a project to restore the historic lantens on the street.
Sadly, one of the organisers of the earlier volunteering project died while on holiday recently. In his memory, the SBHA have decided to restore the 1830 Stothert & Pitt lantern on Sydney Buidings by the canal footpath. This lamp post, Number 6, is listed, as the oldest in Bathwick. A suitable historic replacement lantern has been sourced and money is being raised by the association to buy it. Local councillor Nicholas Coombes has agreed to contribute a sum from his devolved funding for the project.
B&NES Council have supported this and previous projects and will be installing and electrifying the lantern appropriately. The streetlighting department have also agreed to install victorian style lanterns to the other eleven lamp posts recently painted.
This is an excellent example of volunteers working with the council for the good of their neighbourhood.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) provides free, local and impartial energy saving advice to B&NES residents.
They work in partnership with the local council and other specialist agencies to provide high quality, tailored energy advice to local people. CSE puts residents in touch with the most cost effective (sometimes free!) energy saving services in our area.
They will also directly assist low income households at risk of fuel poverty through advice, benefits take-up support and energy efficiency measures.
Please call them today on Freephone 0800 0822234.