Unallocated allotments

Unused allotments

Fifty people on the waiting list for a plot at the Canal Garden allotments will be pleased to know that there are five vacancies.

Unfortunately the plots have been unused for up to three years and are very overgrown. Inexplicably, the council still has not allocated them to new users. Neighbouring plot holders, the chair of the association and I have all written to the BathNES allotment department to point this out, but have not recieved a reply.

While the waiting lists grow, the five Canal Garden plots overgrow. Aside from those frustrated on the waiting list, this also disadvantages nearby gardeners to whose patches the weeds are likely to spread.

I shall continue digging at the problem.

Changing Lives

Changing lives website

BathNES council has produced a ‘changing lives’ website detailing the social services available improve people’s quality of lives. Says the council:

“A new webpage was recently placed on the Council website that provides a much different and very personal way of raising public awareness of the services the Council provides and how residents can access those services quickly and conveniently.

“The webpage tells the real-life stories of people – told by the people themselves to video camera – whose lives have been changed by the Council and the local organisations we work with.  Many of those stories focus on people who have been in a vulnerable situation, like a domestic violence victim, a man who was homeless, and a man who was unemployed, amongst others, and how they have obtained help.  The videos provide information about how to get in contact if they, or someone they know, are in a similar position or if they want to know more about how to access the broader range of services the Council provides.

“Please have a look at the videos on: www.bathnes.gov.uk/changinglives 

“Since all councillors have an important part to play in raising public awareness of the services we offer, I hope you can encourage your residents to access the webpage and add the link to your personal blogs and social media sites if you have them.”

While I am doing my bit with this public service announcement, I note that someone forgot to link the ‘changing lives’ page from either the council homepage or the A-Z section. I’ll let them know.

University post office to move

Don Foster MP at the University post boxes

The Post Office at the university moves 25m down the parade this week.

The branch in Fresh closed on Tuesday and will reopen in its new unit on Monday 28th. Opening hours will be 9-17:30 Monday to Friday with a half hour break from 11:15 on Wednesdays.

Intriguingly the Post Office official consultation period remains open until July 7th, so you may object to prevent the move up to 10 days after it actually happens!

Phone mast application withdrawn

Phone mast on The Avenue

A proposal to increase the size of the phone mast on The Avenue, near the university, has been withdrawn.

Vodaphone had hope to near double the height of their existing mast so that it would protrude beyond the tree line. Wet leaves damp the signal of the current mast within the canopy.

Well organised Beech Avenue residents were able to send enough letters of objection, plus a letter against from Bath University, to persuade the phone company to drop the application. Local residents will be vigilant for any further planning applications.

Lime Grove for sale

Lime Grove School

Lime Grove special school is now on the open market. If you want to buy it, the details are here (but there agents don’t reveal the price!).

This is perhaps the best proof available that the council have given up plans to continue using the site, including as a possible location for a wet-house. Last week when I met the Conservative cabinet member responsible in a council corridor, he confirmed that there were no plans for a wet-house, or even an experimental wet-house, on the site. He protested that a recent Chronicle article had misrepresented his plans.

However, with the history of secrecy surrounding previous plans for the site, many residents remain concerned and do not trust the Conservative cabinet on this matter.

PaCT meeting – 26th May 18:30 St, Mary’s Primary

Bathwick St Mary’s Primary School

The Police and Communities Together meeting returns to Bathwick on Wednesday 26th.

Representatives from the police, council and elected members will form a panel, chaired by Rev Prothero, to answer the public’s questions. On this basis, three priorities will be formed.

Unfortunately, for third meeting running, BathNES council is not planning to send anyone. I will be there and try to cover on council matters, but I represent Bathwick, not the council.

Application for larger phone mast on The Avenue

Phone mast on The Avenue

As a member of the council planning committee, I try not to take a view on planning applications  incase they come to our committee and I am asked to make an impartial judgement on them. That said, many residents will be interested in an application to increase the size of the phone mast on The Avenue.

The current mast, hidden largely by trees, has one major drawback in that the signal is also hidden by trees, especially in the wet. The application is for a much taller mast which will project beyond the tree canopy at 24m.

Comments can be made to the council in writing or on-line (although today the council website appears to be broken) quoting the reference 10/01230/FUL.

Expenses to be published

Bath Guildhall

The expenses of all councillors are published on the BathNES website. This year’s are due out soon and will show that I didn’t claim anything this year (except the regular ‘allowance’ or wage). This is because I am able to walk to nearly all of the meetings and forgot to claim travel money for the occassional trip to Keynsham.

The list of meeting attendence shows that I attended all five of the full council meetings and twelve of the monthly planning committee meetings. I also acted as a substitute for three Regulatory & Access meetings and one each of Corporate Audit and Enterprise & Economic Developement Overview and Scrutiny.

Fury at bus stop failure

Bathwick Lib Dems are angry with the use of Avon Street bus stop

For two years, Bathwick’s buses have been running from a temporary bus stop behind the Avon Street multi-storey car park. Since all other services have moved to the new bus station, ours is the only one to still be using the temporary stop.

Last year, the council promised that the new bus stop would be available by January 2010.

In December 2009 I submitted a written question about the transfer date. The council promised that the move would be complete by the end of March.

It didn’t happen and now the council think that the bus stop might be available in May.

Bathwick’s bus users have been failed by the council and the Southgate developers. In answer to my written question, the Conservative cabinet member replied “the developers must complete the construction of the bus stop by the end of March”. Either the developers have failed in this obligation, or the council were mistaken in their interpretation of it. I have written in complaint to the council Chief Executive.

Bathick is owed a bus stop – and an apology.

Bathwi

Zebra crossing gets half way

Oue zebra crossing is incomplete

Our long waiting for zebra crossing seems to have halted on Bathwick Hill.

I started campaigning for a zebra crossing outside the Bathwick Parade shops in January 2007, sending questions to the council, organising petitions and demonstrations. With the zebra agreed and budgetted, like many others I am surprised that the workers seem to have given up with the job half finished.

The stripes have been painted, the poles erected (in really inconvenient places) and electricity cables laid. However, we are missing the belisha beacons and no one has been at the site for over a week.

I have written to the council to get them back to work.