Glum Cllr Coombes

I love the site http://glumcouncillors.tumblr.com/ – mostly because I guiltily recognise all of the painful situations. It was, therefore, almost inevitable (yet no less mortifying) that I be featured eventually.

In my defence, writing about potholes seems to maintain an audience of over 2,500 visits each month and that in addition to “remorselessly cataloguing in exhaustive detail every minor ailment” I do get a lot of them fixed. Nonetheless, well done glumcouncillors, I have been caught and will try to be more cheerful in future.

When I’m 64

On Wednesday morning, the UK Climate Change Committee issued a report saying that if aviation maintained its current levels of Carbon Dioxide emissions, all other sources in the UK must be cut by 90% by 2050 to avert catastrophic climate change.

On Wednesday afternoon I was asked to judge an application for the expansion of Bristol airport, in which CO2 emissions would more than double.

I will be 64 in 2050; I won’t have reached retirement age. Within my working life, my generation must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90%, while aviation remains as it is. If we can meet this daunting challenge, then the earth will ‘only’ warm by 2 degrees. Climate will change, but we will be able to cope. If say, we don’t manage to make 90% cuts, or if aircraft emissions rise, then temperature will rise by above 2 degrees, the ice-caps will begin to melt and the planet will be locked into a reinforcing pattern of catastrohpic change.

To save the planet in this model, all airports need to do is not expand. The irresponsibility of Bristol International Airport management is incomprehensible.

The BIA planning application will be decided by North Somerset council, but Bristol City and BathNES Councils have been asked to make recommendations. The expansions plans are to double the size of the airport terminal building, to provide 16,000 car parking spaces and build capacity for 10,000,000 passengers per year. This would result in CO2 emissions of 948,680 tonnes per year; an increase of 125% on current levels. The entire of Bath and North East Somerset is responsible for 1,072,000 tonnes per year. Bristol airport wishes to expand to a level at which it will emit almost as much CO2 as 170,000 people in 72,000 homes; 77,000 cars on 690 miles of road; 7,400 businesses and 220 sq miles of land.

At the planning committee meeting, I moved that: “Bath and North East Somerset considers the causes and effects of climate change to be the principal consideration in a development of this nature and recommends that North Somerset refuse the application on these grounds.”

Those who have watched me will know that I am a vigorous public speaker; I’m rather gratified by this review: “I just wanted to write personally to congratulate you on your speech on climate change at yesterday’s DCC meeting. It as good to hear a graduate of this University express himself so well and so much to the point. It set the tone for the debate at a level from which it hardly ever slipped.”

All Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors voted with me, as did two Conservatives, to prevent the expansion of the airport. The motion was passed 8 to 4; the objection of BathNES council will be sent to North Somerset.

However, with the Conservatives running BathNES council, it is very worrying that the majority of Tory councillors voted against the motion, for airport expansion. Conservative policy on airport expansion is ‘mixed’ at best. While the party leadership claims to be against a third runway at Heathrow, the Telegraph quotes a Conservative shadow cabinet member who expects the policy to be “revisited” after the general election. As is often the case, Cameron and the PR people say one thing, but Conservative MPs and councillors (such as ours in BathNES) do another.

As reported in the Bath Chronicle, the airport bosses are not pleased: “The discussion at the B&NES council meeting centred on emotional arguments relating to aviation’s contribution to climate change… We are confident that North Somerset will put much more weight on the employment, economic and tourism benefits generated by the airport.”

In response, I would argue that climate change is the greatest long-term challenge facing the world today (as does the UK government) and it was quite right that the debate centred on this; that’s why I wrote the motion as I did. Naturally, the potential destruction of our civilization within my lifetime does give rise to some emotional arguments, but these are no less compelling than the warnings presented by the world’s scientists. Suggesting that climate change is an emotional issue rather than a matter of science fact is not something I can agree with.

Then there are the percieved short-term employment, economic and tourism benefits of the airport. So far as jobs go, there is direct employment for cleaners, car park attendants, baggage handlers, shop assistants, caterers… the list of badly paid, low skilled jobs at anti-social hours is varied, but, given the shift to budget airlines, quite short. We are told that during the recession, the airport will keep Bath in business, but the development won’t be ready for several years and actually, Bath is doing quite well in this recession.

The supposed benefits to tourism are the real irony here, with over 80% of all BIA flights taking UK residents on holiday away from the region. The residents of Biarritz, Kefalonia, Venice, Faro and Tenerife do not welcome direct flights so that they can visit Bristol. Each of the airport’s 16,000 car park spaces represents a family leaving the South West to spend their money elsewhere.

Interestingly, there are some attempts to mitigate the environmental impact of the airport. BIA will attempt to double the proportion of passengers using public transport to reach the airport, from 8% now to 15% in 2019. In the best case scenario 8,500,000 people would drive to the airport each year. 12 wind turbines would be erected which would resuce the airports CO2 emissions by 48,000 tonnes, leaving only to 948,680 tonnes emitted per year. Finally, there is a suggestion that expanding Bristol will reduce the demand on other airports. This doesn’t really work considering that Heathrow are planning a third runway anyhow.

In conclusion, this is my website and I can write a long rant if I want to. Climate change is the most serious problem facing our civilization; it angers me when airport bosses and Conservative councillors place economic gain ahead of “emotional arguments” about the environment. I am proud of the Development Control committee this week; we have taken positive action now to reduce climate change.

I trust that when Bathwick elected a Liberal Democrat they knew that they were getting an environmentalist!

Public footpath enquiry

Public enquiry into Claverton Down footpath

A government inspector presided over a crowded public inquiry to determine the status of a popular local path.

Bathwick councillor Nicholas Coombes (Lib Dem) joined local residents in making the case to legally record the wide footpath between Claverton and Combe Down. The exact width of the path is disputed by the landowner who believes it is much narrow than claimed by path users and the council.

The council’s footpath records officer presented evidence including hundred year old Ordnance Survey Maps, city maintenance records from the 1960s and recorded eye-witness statements from the 1930s to the present day. These backed the claim that where the path passes between a retaining wall and woodland fence, the entire 7m width between the boundary can be, and has been, regarded as a right of way.

The landowner argued that while the entire area was open, only a thin strip at the edge was ever used as a footpath. The remainder has been variously obstructed by mud, vegetation, gates, rubble and an embankment. He thus believes that only 1.5m can be considered a right of way, and has erected a wooden fence to restrict walkers to this section.

When a member of the council’s footpath committee, Cllr Nicholas Coombes proposed that the footpath be recorded at its full historic width, thus leading the decision by public enquiry. After the meeting he said:

“It was good to see so many local people at the enquiry today; it shows that the people of Bathwick and Claverton Down really do miss the full use of this footpath. I am convinced by the historic evidence and personal accounts, I hope that the inspector was too. The path now is narrow, muddy, dark and some people find it dangerous. I will keep fighting to have it restored to its former self.”

The government inspector will make her judgement in the next few weeks and issue her conclusions in a printed report.

Moving onto Bathwick Hill

Cleveland Court 

As of today, I live at the junction of Cleveland Walk and Bathwick Hill. We shall be moving in over the coming week. The new postal address is:

8 Cleveland Court, Bathwick Hill, Bath BA2 6JY

No need for a welcome visit though – during the day I am at work and in the evenings I will be at meetings! You will know that I’m in if, on a warm day with the windows open, you hear Beethoven sonatas. I tend to tire after an hour of playing though, so you won’t have to endure them for long.

Summer garden parties

Bathwick Hill 

It was a wonderful day on Bathwick Hill yesterday with Summer fetes, open gardens and tea & cakes from St Mary’s all the way up to the Youth Hostel. In warm and sunny weather, the Church Fete and Bathwick Hill Residents’ Assoc Garden Party coincided.

The five residents’ associations within Bathwick do an excellent job of looking after their members and the Bathwick Hill RA is especially good at social events and community building. From next month, I shall be able to become a full member of the association when I move onto the hill.

Many areas of Bathwick do not have a formal association, but get by with Neighbourhood Watch fora and general neighbourliness. Some grants are available from the council towards setting up a Residents’ Association, though, and I would be happy to help a committed group of people to establish an organisation.

Committee controversy

In light of this week’s Chronicle I thought I’d better write a little about Development Control Committee, or ‘planning’.

Normally I try to keep this blog to mostly interesting local news items, with occasional mention mentions of council meetings – the Regulatory (Access) Committee is as fun as it sounds. To test this , I have set up a running poll to the left hand side of this page, just below the links. Kindly vote for ‘more’ or fewer’ committee stories, so that I don’t waste anyone’s time with long meeting minutes in the future.

However, last month’s planning meeting has spilt considerably into the news realm, with accusations of coersion, dishonesty and impropriety over the park and ride applications.

I voted to support two park and ride proposals, at Lansdown and Odd Down (although I am quite proud to have voted against this at a previous meeting). However, I could not support the third – an application to concrete over the river-side meadow at Bathampton for a 1,400 space car park (yes, I do know the Joni Mitchell song; by apparent co-incidence I returned home after the seven hour planning meeting to hear Big Yellow Taxi on the sterio). Given the level of congestion on the London Road and suppressed demand, the traffic report showed that the scheme would allow 1,400 extra car drivers into the city centre, without any reduction in congestion or pollution. This I assessed as particularly small gain, far outweighed by the huge inherent cost of paving an alluvial meadow in such an idyllic spot.

However, others did not agree with me, indeed two Liberal Democrats voted for the scheme, demonstrating an entirely split party vote. However, all six of the Conservative panel members backed the Conservative Cabinet’s scheme. Quasi-judicial committees such as planning should not operate a party whip system. It is entirely possible that the Conservative members, all being men of similar ages and backgrounds, chose by chance to vote in the same manner. I trust that this will be investigated by the standards board in course. However, the Liberal Democrats do not operate a party whip system on planning, or indeed any other meeting. At council meetings, we tend to vote together because we agree with each other!

The Newbridge Park and Ride and associated bus road application was not determined by the planning committee. Instead, the committee deferred the application as it felt that not enough evidence had been provided to support the scheme. Certainly, I felt the the transport justification was insubstantial, and voted to wait until more information was provided.

A government minister has now suspended the planning application while he decides whether to let the council decide it, or whether he will send it to a government inspector to decide. If it does come back to BathNES, it will come before my committee again, so at this point -to avoid impropriety – I should stop typing.

Canal clear up – this Sunday

British Waterways – towpath tidy 2009

Thank you for your keeness to join in with Towpath Tidy 2009!

On;     Sunday 29th March

Meeting at:    Towpath by Bathwick Hill

Time;    10am (until approx 1pm)

BW Activity Leader;  Steve Manzi/Alison Colebrook

Activities;   Litter picking, Vegetation Management, Painting, Sign Cleaning

Car Parking available at;  there is limited parking close to Bath centre.  Please contact me if you need more details on suitable places to park.

Please find attached a copy of our Volunteer Agreement form, which we require you to sign and return to me (by email is fine if you print your name and address or alternatively return it to me on the day).  If you will be bringing children to the event, it is fully your responsibility to supervise and ensure the welfare of the children during the event – British Waterways Activity Leader will of course support you with this where possible on the day.

What to expect

All Volunteers involved in Towpath Tidy activities will be met on site by a BW Activity Leader who will give a safety induction at the start of the day/activity, therefore it is important that all volunteers turn up at the meeting time in order to listen to this briefing for their own safety.  The leader will also require all volunteers to sign in so if they need to leave site at any time, they must let the leader know.  

I have enclosed a Safety Advice Sheet for volunteers, which I would be grateful if you could spend a couple of minutes to read.  This has some general safety advice that volunteers will need to be aware of on the day.  If you have a medical condition that they feel a leader should be aware of, e.g. asthma, hearing difficulties, please speak to the BW Activity Leader at the start of the day.

We will provide any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as gloves, lifejackets as appropriate to the task.  Please wear old, warm clothes that you won’t mind if they get dirty, and bring waterproofs if it looks like raining.  Due to the nature of the terrain along our waterways, please wear flat-soled, sturdy shoes or boots, (not open toed shoes or trainers which do not provide enough grip).

At the start of the day, all volunteers will be organised into groups, normally with a BW staff member working with them (for support as well as social reasons!).  Activity Leaders will give instruction on each activity and will be on site throughout the day, if you or your group have any queries or problems.

There will be welfare facilities (inc toilets) located at Sydney Gardens and handwipes on site for volunteers to use.  Refreshments will be provided

Attached is a map of the meeting point – if you require directions, please contact me and I will be able to send you more details.

If you have any problems on or before the day, please contact myself on 07917 373119.

Our ambition this year is to give all South West Waterways key visitor sites a big spring clean – A big challenge but together we can do it!!!!!

Council budget set

Bath Guildhall

Bath and North East Somerset Council set it’s budget last week for the next year. The Conservatives increased tax by 3.5%, including £1million to prop up the council pension fund, and a further £800,000 to investigate building new offices. Despite being a potential beneficiary of both offices and generous pension fund, I did not vote in favour!

The Liberal Democrats instead proposed an alternative budget. Our fully costed plans cost less than the Conservatives, yet still managed to find £500,000 extra to spend on street cleaning, significant extra investment in the Youth Service (subject to Tory cuts), improved recycling services and £3million to fund a new school transport plan.

Instead of forcing a bus road through Newbridge, I supported a plan to get thousands more school children onto buses, reducing peak time congestion. The eventual plan is for ‘free’ bus travel for all children, as it currently is for older people. The concessionary fares scheme has been very successful at one end of the age range, we would like to start children on buses, so that they become public transport users for the rest of their lives.

As predicted, the Labour councillors abstained (hardly worth them travelling to the meeting) so the Conservatives were able to push through their budget. The Conservative deputy leader said that now was not the time for public spending, we needed to save for a rainly day. I would like to point out that it is currently raining and that public spending is exactly what is needed. Given that reduced access to finance is a contributor to this recession, increasing council tax and then squirrelling millions away in reserves and pension funds is not helping the situation. More money is taken away from taxpayers and even less comes out of the system than normal!

The closest vote of the night was unexpected and wonderfully dramatic. Normally most council meeting follow a predictable pattern, but here – almost uniquely – the debate changed the meeting.

Cllr Tim Ball (Lib Dem, Twerton) proposed a personal motion to set aside a little money to fund a creche in his ward. BathNES council plans to cut the creche’s funding, causing its closure. Single parents who leave their children at the creche in order to work, will no longer be able to do either. The debate followed predictable lines until a Conservative member made a more-than-usually offensive remark about the poverty trap, to shocked silence. In response, a rarely heard Liberal Democrat councillor gave an stunning unplanned speach about the purpose of our council; to help those in need. It was enough to turn both the Labour and Indepedent councillors to vote with the Liberal Democrats in favour of the creche. Two Conservatives were shamed into abstaining, but sadly the remainder chose to vote against the creche, meaning that the funding bid fell. I understand that behind the scenes negotiations are now underway.