Community snow wardens

Nicholas Coombes and David Martin at St. John's Field

The Lib Dems running BathNES Council will trial a new scheme to clear snow and ice this winter.

They are recruiting volunteer snow wardens to provide a community resource to help clear snow and ice intheir neighbourhood. The council will provide training, salt (depending on availability) and an appropriate spreader to enable locally prioritised areas of adopted public highway to be cleared of snow and ice.

The pilot scheme will enable volunteers to keep more of our pavements clear of snow and ice. In particular the intendtion is to help make cleared routes on footways to bus stops so that people can reach public transport safely.

Please contact Cllr David Martin for more information if you are interested in volunteering.

Traffic and parking sign improvements

David Martin with the moved sign at Oakley

The busy junction between Oakley and Claverton Down Road can prove difficult for drivers turning right. To improve visibility for those drivers coming up Widcombe Hill, Cllr David Martin has got the council to reposition the chevron sign on the pedestrian refuge. This means that the view on the right towards the university entrance is clearer.

Some of the parking zone signs along Bathwick Hill, Claverton Down Road and North Road were obscured by overhanging foliage, or simply dirty. Cllr Martin has also persuaded the council to clear up these signs so that the starting points of these zones are well marked and obvious.

Bridleway plan for AQ78 Combe Down path

Cllrs Symonds, Martin and Coombes on AQ78

Bathwick’s local councillors have met with the Liberal Democrat in charge of transport on the AQ78 footpath.

Cllr Roger Symonds has been the cabinet member responsible for transport since the Lib Dems took up power in B&NES this May. He represents neighbouring Combe Down ward and is a keen cyclist.

AQ78 is the official designation given to the footpath from Claverton Down to Combe Down. The footpath status was confirmed by a government inspector in recent years. There is evidence that parts of the path have been used as access roads or a bridlepath in the past, contributing to the unusual width of the path.

Cllr Symonds agrees with Bathwick councillors David Martin and Nicholas Coombes that the path would make an ideal cycleway or bridlepath. The route is level, flat, wide and away from traffic. Many cyclists aleady use the route; regularising it would allow for safety improvements at either end and an improved surface for cyclists and walkers alike.

“A local boy was knocked off his bike cycling to Ralph Allen School a few years ago,” said Cllr Coombes, “with a cyclepath along AQ78 he would have a convenient, legal and safe route, avoiding Claverton Down Road where he was hit.”

Staff from B&NES Council have written to the landowners along the path to advise that the council intend to consult on creating a bridleway. A six week public consultation is likely to begin in November.

Pulteney Bridge closure plan dropped

Nicholas Coombes and David Martin on Pulteney Bridge

The newly Liberal Democrat B&NES Council have abandonned the Conservatives’ plan to close Pulteney Bridge.

Back in August 2010 the ruling Conservative administration sought to close Pulteney Bridge to all traffic, including buses. In anticipation of closure, First Bus rerouted their services along North Parade Road. The controversy caused by this led the Conservaties to delay their final decision until after the elections in May. Having taken control of the council then, the Lib Dems have now formally abandonned the plan, lifting all threat of closure.

Residents and passengers have found their services stuck in traffic along North Parade Road and without access to key stops at Great Pulteney Street Surgery and the Guildhall. Bathwick’s Liberal Democrat councillors campaigned strongly against these changes which disadvantaged local passengers.

With the threat of closure lifted, First Bus will be restoring some of their services over the bridge from the end of the month. Servieces along the Warminster Road are due to be returned to Pulteney Bridge from 30th October. Discussions with First and Wessex Connect continue over the route of the 18 and U18 service.

Smallcombe Farm footpath

Cllr Coombes on the skyline walk

In 2009 the occupants of Smallcombe Farm applied to B&NES Council to divert the footpath which runs through their farmyard.

This started off a legal process called a Public Path Order. To divert a footpath an alternative must be provided which is substantially as convenient and enjoyable by the public and the diversion must be of benefit to the landowner. The process is run by the local council, with all of the costs bourne by the applicant.

While the application was made in 2009, no action has been taken by the council. This is shown in section 4.2 of an item brought to the Regulatory Committee this month. The papers were published here this week. Council staff have not processed any Public Path Orders in a number of years, and the Smallcombe application is several places down the waiting list. Were the aplication to be processed, the public would be consulted and the application would be apear before the Regultory Committee. Were any objections recieved an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State would arbitrate.

Perhaps frustrated by the lack of progress, the applicants have provided an alternative path already, and the National Trust, the landowners, have diverted their popular Skyine Walk onto it. This is signed on the ground and on the public map, here. The new route is labelled as a ‘permissive path’; one which is not recognised as a footpath, but along which the public have been given permission to walk. The stepped path to the farmyard remains a legal footpath, but it is not signposted as well as it used to be.

Currently walkers have the advantage of two different footpaths to Smallcombe, and both are used by walkers (and their dogs). This is likely to remain the case for many years yet, as the council footpath team have a low priority for funding during straightened times.

Liberal Democrat conference

ALDC campaign award 2011

This week I have been attending my tenth Liberal Democrat federal conference, held for the first time in Birmingham.

Conference is the sovereign body of the Liberal Democrats, devising policy and holding our party executive to account. A year into a coalition many were asking would conference remain the radical, independent heart of our party. Media interest in particular was heightened, searching for divisions within the party membership.

To my recollection, every Lib Dem conference has been billed by the press as ‘make or break’ for the party leader, required to make the ‘speech of his life’ on every occassion – whether Nick Clegg, Ming Campbell or Charles Kennedy. Like every conference before it, my experience was of an optimistic, united and spirited gathering – as liberals should be!

I was especially proud to be in the conference hall when Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat minister for equalities anounced the introduction of gay marriage, to be consulted upon in the spring. The Lib Dems have always been in the van guard of equalities campaigning and I am proud that we are delivering on this in government.

Conference also proved its radical heritage with resolutions against the gay blood ban, to reform adult social care and incapacity benefits and in favour of drugs liberalisation, an econimic and environmental stimulus and an elected second parliamentary chamber.

Finally, photographed is the Bath & North East Somerset team, which I led, collecting our party’s top campaign award in recognition of our success in the local elections. This makes two successive wins, so I’m looking forward to 2012.

Roadworks move to roundabout – 19-23rd September

Bathwick Hill roadworks

The lower part of Bathwick Hill has now been resurfaced and re-lined.

The work has been finished on time as part of a wider programme of road repairs being undertaken by the Liberal Democrat B&NES Council.

Next is the roundabout at Bathwick Hill / Pulteney Road. Work will be carried out overnight between 19th and 23rd September. There will be full or partial closures between 7pm and 7am the next morning.

University term begins

University parade

The University of Bath term starts on 3rd October.

However, first year students will be arriving to move in to their campus accomodation from 23rd September. Over this weekend there will be heavy traffic, though arrivals have been staged into timeslots across the whole weekend.

There will also be an introductory Freshers’ Week before term starts which may have some disruptive events in town and on campus as new students adjust to living away from home.

Bus diversion ends

bus diversion

For the past week Bathwick Hill has been closed for resurfacing.

Buses have been re-routed along Cleveland Walk and North Road. In 2008 B&NES Council was forced to apologise after leaving passengers standed at temporarily closed bus stops. At Cllr Nicholas Coombes’ insistence new procedures were put in place. This time around notices were placed on all bus stops along the affected stretch and thusfar no problems have some to light.