Council to say how it will tackle climate emergency

Bath and North East Somerset Council says it is considering “ambitious roadmaps to tackle the climate emergency.”

The council has developed three strategies around low traffic neighbourhoods, residents’ parking schemes and electric vehicle charging.

Ideas include fighting ‘rat-running’ with bollards and planters, as well as time-limited access restrictions.

Parking schemes that give priority to permanent residents over commuters and visitors are also proposed.

And more electric vehicle charging points are planned.

The proposed strategies will go before the council’s Climate

Emergency and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.

If supported, residents will be able to have their say during a public consultation this summer.

Councillor Sarah Warren, joint cabinet member for Climate Emergency and Neighbourhoods, said: “When we declared a climate emergency within Bath and North East Somerset last year, we pledged to do everything we could to help the district become carbon neutral by 2030. This requires transformational change and we need to employ a wide range of initiatives to deliver on our commitment.

“These strategies build on national and international best practice and are designed to help cut congestion, improve air quality, and reduce vehicle intrusion in residential neighbourhoods while encouraging more active travel.

“They not only support our vision of creating better places that promote public transport use and active travel with less reliance on cars, but also the government’s aim of decarbonising transport.”

The strategies have been developed over months, with much of the work done before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the knock-on effects of coronavirus have brought into sharp focus the need for long -term change.

Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for transport, said: “As a result of the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown we’ve seen what a difference a reduction in traffic makes to communities, how much cleaner the air is and how much more pleasant it is to walk and cycle. Social distancing’s also highlighted the fact that many of our pavements are too narrow and road space disproportionately allocated in favour of vehicles We’ve learned a great deal and people are making more active travel choices. We now have an opportunity to build on that momentum in what may prove to be a once in a generation opportunity to achieve long-term change.”

The report is on the council’s website .