Liberal Democrats take control of B&NES Council

council chamber

Following their election success, councillors in B&NES have voted that the Liberal Democrats will run the council.

The Liberal Democrats and Labour councillors supported a motion to make Lib Dem leader Cllr Paul Crossley leader of the council. He then appointed a cabinet and promised to make the council more transparent and consultative. Under Liberal Democrat leadership B&NES Council will maintain a tax freeze, scrap the BRT and propose a new regeneration scheme for Keynsham without council offices. He also pledged to start work the following week on revoking the closure notice for Culverhay and consult on opening a co-educational school on the site.

Holburne re-opens

The Holburne Museum extension

This weekend the Holburne Museum re-opens after restoration and extension.

The modern extension has receieved almost universal praise locally and nationally. However, it wasn’t always the case. I am very proud to have supported the museum through all three of their planning applications. Indeed, speaking as ward member to the original planning meeting was my first speech as a councillor.

Entry is now free to the museum, with a charge for exhibitions. Details are at www.holburne.org.uk; please do enjoy our local museum.

Liberal Democrats gain on B&NES Council

B&NES Liberal Democrats with Nick Clegg MP

The Liberal Democrats have gained three seats on B&NES Council at the local elections.

The Conservatives lost three, while the Labour Party held still. The Conservatives and the Lib Dems now have 29 seats each, Labour has five and the Green Party still have none.

The Lib Dem gains were in Abbey ward, Kingsmead (from a defection) and Widcombe in Bath. They also won Clutton for the first time and held on to their by-election win in Radstock. Their share of the popular vote in B&NES also increased.

The council is now politically balanced. Given the severe policy differences between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives (the Conservatives want to spend £37million of council tax-payers’ money on an office project in Keynsham; £18million on a unecessary bus road through back gardens in Newbridge; and close the best secondary school in Bath – the Liberal Democrats disagree on all of these) a grand coalition has been ruled out. Labour are negotiating with both major parties, but their manifesto is most closely aligned with the Liberal Democrats.

Control of B&NES Council will be finally determined at the Council AGM on Thursday 19th.

Nicholas Coombes and David Martin re-elected

Lib Dem boards on Bathwick Hill

Nicholas Coombes has been re-elected and Dr David Martin elected as Bathwick’s Liberal Democrat councillors.

Between them they won almost half of the vote and beat the Conservative candidates by 129 votes. Turnout was down at 35%; this is probably because most students living on the university campus were away on their Easter holiday.

Cllr Martin, who now joins B&NES Council, said: “We are very grateful for all the suport we received from residents on 5th May, and count it an honour to be able to serve you in Bathwick. There is lots to do, and we will do our best to work for the best outcomes for Bathwick.”

Cllr Coombes, re-elected with the same number of votes as four years earlier, said: “I am very proud to be re-elected and pleased that residents approve of the work that Armand and I have already done for Bathwick. I am very glad to see David elected alongside me and am sure that he will serve the people of Bathwick well.”

Candidates for Bathwick published

David Martin and Nicholas Coombes

B&NES Council have published the offical list of candidates for the local election on 5th May

There are seven candidates for the two council positions in Bathwick ward.

David Martin and I are standing for the Liberal Democrats; there are also two Conservative candidates. While Labour claim to be standing more candidates this time, they have only managed to find one person for Bathwick. The Green Party, who won 6% of votes last time, have two candidates.

It is interesting to note that David and I are the only candidates from the main parties to live in the ward.

Proposed diversion for Smallcombe footpath

Smallcombe footpath proposed diversion route

An application has been made to divert the footpath which runs past Smallcombe Farm.

A new ‘permissive path’ has been marked out and recently the National Trust has re-signed its Skyline Walk. However, the application was made in 2009 and is still not likey to be determined any time soon.

Any landowner can apply to move footpaths which cross their land, but it is a time consuming and dificult legal process for them. A fee is payable to the Council for processing the order and it is dealt with in the order of reciept. Currently the Smallcombe path diversion is 7th in line to be dealt with. However, since staff cuts last year, there has been no work on any modification orders by the council recently.

When the modification order comes to be processed an official notice will be put in the newspaper and on the site for six weeks. Local people and walkers are welcome to object to the modification. The diversion must be proved to be in the interests of the landowner and/or the public AND must not have a negative impact on the public’s enjoyment or convenience of the route.

The order is generally determined by the Regulatory (Access) Committee of which Cllr Nicholas Coombes is an occassional member. Any obstruction to the original path before a modification has been approved is unlawful and likely to prejudice the final decision.

Full details are here, but your Liberal Democrat councillors will, of course, keep you up to date.

Housing exhibition for Lime Grove School site

Dr Martin and Cllr Coombes at the old Lime Grove School

A housing developer is to hold an exhibition of their plans for the Lime Grove School site.

They intend to build 20 family homes on the plot, including the required number of affordable homes. The developer is Bloor Homes and the architects are local firm Nash Partnership with Nicholas Pearson landscape architects.

The exhibition will be at the Widcombe Social Club on Widcombe Hill. It is open from 4 – 8 pm on Wednesday 13th April. This is organised by Meeting Place  communications, a local PR company, who invite comments on 422243 and to info@meetingplacecommunications.com

The proposal is bound to be of great interest to many residents, who had previously feared a wet-house on the site. This exhibition is being presented before planning permission is sought, although the scope for changes is not likely to be significant.

Cllr Nicholas Coombes sits on the Planning Committee and is willing to give advice to ensure a articulate and informed hearing.

Elections

Nicholas Coombes and Armand Edwards win election

Today I’ve submitted my nomination papers to seek re-election as one of Bathwick’s councillors.

Armand Edwards and I were first elected to B&NES Council in 2007; in doing so we became the first ever Liberal Democrats to represent Bathwick ward. After four years of service to the community, Armand has decided to stand down at this election. He will shortly be completing his Masters degree, then moving on for employment elsewhere.

Dr David Martin is the other Liberal Democrat candidate for Bathwick ward. I’m pleased to be standing with him; I think that he would make an excellent councillor for our patch. He lives with his wife near the University and works as a consultant on sustainable energy research and development. He is also a governor at Bathwick St. Mary’s Primary School and a committee member of the Claverton Down community association. He has already been meeting people across Bathwick and has petitioned the council to extend the 30mph limit on Claverton Down Road and for a safer crossing on the Warminster Road. David’s campaigns already make up a significant part of this website!

I am proud of our record in Bathwick, but we don’t doubt that this year’s election will be tough. In 2007 Armand and I won by fewer than 100 votes. However, as the 200 posts on this website testify, we have been busy since then. The  Bathwick Hill zebra crossing, Sham Castle clean up, University neighbours’ forum and city’s first street recycling bins are evidence of the difference that the Liberal Democrats make.

The election is on Thursday 5th May; alongside the referendum for a fairer voting system. Expect to hear a lot more from Armand, David and I.

Canal Towpath to be recorded

Kennet & Avon Canal

After 200 years the towpath alongside the canal through Bathwick is to be officially recorded.

In an odd quirk of legislation the duty imposed upon councils in the 1950s to record footpaths did not have a deadline. Thus Bath City and it’s successors did not start to record the Public Rights of Way until 2005. It started in the North West and has been slowing working across the city ever since. Paths alongside the river and canal are the latest to be added to the Definitive Map and Statement.

It was the absence of a Definitive Map for Bathwick which caused so much trouble with the footpath to Combe Down from which the unlawful fence has recently been removed. Had the path been recorded 50 years ago then the fence may never have been erected, and it would not have taken a public enquiry to remove it.

The draft  footpath order is now available for checking here. Ojections must be recieved by 5th May. Fortunately everything seems to be uncontroversial – to speed up the process only the obvious paths are being recorded at this stage. The difficult ones are being saved up until later!