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 next University Neighbours’ Forum will take place on Tuesday 5th February at 5:30pm.
The Forum was established by Cllr Nicholas Coombes to improve communications between the University and Students’ Union management with local residents. Issues commonly discussed include construction work on campus, events, traffic and noise.
If you want to attend, please email g.gillespie@bath.ac.uk.
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.”
The Council has suggested installing a zebra crossing at the bottom of Bathwick Hill, near the roundabout.
While there may be some benefits, your Lib Dem councillors have concerns about the scheme. A number of parking spaces will be lost, the bus stop will be moved so that buses wait on the roundabout, and the carriageway wil be reduced to a single lane approaching the roundabout. Click on the image above for a larger drawing of the plans.
Bathwick councillors Nicholas Coombes and David Martin want to know what you think about the plans. If you support or object to the proposed zebra crossing, please take part in the public consultation. Email transportation@bathnes.gov.uk by 31st January quoting PEV8719/TP. Please CC nicholas_coombes@bathnes.gov.uk or david_martin@bahtnes.gov.uk so that your councillors are better able to represent your views.
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.
A planning appeal to convert 4 Lime Grove into three dwellings has been dismissed by a government planning inspector.
In May 2012 an application was made to BathNES Council to convert the student HMO at 4 Lime Grove into two maisonettes and a third flat. The application, 12/01925/FUL is still online here. The Council refused the application because the necessary rear extension would harm the quality of life of the neighbours.
Local Lib Dem councillor David Martin shared this concern and asked that the matter be brought to a planning committee is permission was recomended. Fortunately this was not necessary.
The planning inspector agreed with the council and dismissed the appeal against refusal. His report is online here.
The policing plan guides the police’s priorities. The plan for 2013 has been drawn up by the new Police and Crime Commissioner and is now available for the public to view and comment.
During her first months in office, the Police and Crime Commissioner has only a brief window in which to consult the wider community in the development of the 2013/14 Policing Plan for Avon and Somerset.
Below is a link to the on-line version of this consultation www.consultation.avonandsomerset.police.uk/aspola/plan-consultation-13-14/ Hard copies are also available by calling 01275 816377.
It is intended that subsequent consultations will be given several months for completion. Nevertheless, your immediate assistance in this years consultation would be most gratefully received.
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.”
Happy new year to all!
January 2013 also marks five years of this blog.
In this time there have been 335 posts, averaging just over one a week. The most commented were on the Sydney Gardens rail fence and the Lib Dems’ by-election victory in Radstock.
For those of you interested in city-wide issues, many of these are covered on our website www.bathneslibdems.org.uk which also aggregates stories from other local blogs like this. Don Foster MP writes at www.donfoster.co.uk. For national stories by or affecting the Liberal Democrats, my favourite source is www.libdemvoice.org.
Thank you for reading and best wishes for the new year.