B&NES hell-bent on attacking motorists
I have never been a fan of local government of whatever political persuasion, but like many people concerned by how Covid and environmental issues have been used to undermine our civil liberties, I strongly object to what B&NES is doing to our city.
CAZ is a fine idea in theory, but far less needed now there has been such a decrease in traffic thanks to Covid, and restrictions on Cleveland Bridge. But why is B&NES prevaricating about keeping the restrictions?
Do we truly believe that excluding the CAZ charges for private cars will last for long when our council seems hell-bent on attacking the private motorist and pedestrianising the whole city centre?
Even Ian Bell (Bath Chamber of Commerce) thinks there are those of his members who would favour pedestrianisation!
Neither does he reject the idea of converting unoccupied retail premises into residential use, presumably providing that they undertake not to own any cars!
Despite the projected move to working from home, will B&NES continue to pursue its policy of increasing Bath’s office space, and student accommodation?
All this when we know that neither office workers nor students contribute much to our local economy.
Finally, in my opinion the social distancing bollards and road closures in and around Bath are very dangerous, disastrous for local businessess (see Chronicle 27/8/20 Larkhall Butchers), and just a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction by a Highways Department trying to make us think they have everything under control! And what of the cost?
B&NES seems to be using its c£50m deficit and Covid as an excuse to ignore the many pressing highways issues such as ‘rat-runs’ on residential roads in and around Bath, adjacent councils ‘bouncingborders’ over the heavy traffic increases, the massive road repairs which are long overdue and the lack of resources for our overstretched speed-enforcement officers.
Have you noticed the ‘herbaceous borders’ growing alongside our main roads?
The Lib/dems have always appeared to hate the private motorist and the last time they were running B&NES I seem to recall a massive increase in traffic calming.
This method of control has now been widely discredited due to the large increase in pollution from over-run diesel fumes, and particulate dust from brake-pads, as ‘some’ vehicles slow down for the ramps and cushions.
None of this has stopped the installation of all those crazy ‘dead woodlice’ alongside cycle lanes, and if Cllr Wright wants to help with social distancing, why not reclaim many of our seldom used cycle lanes back into the pavement width?
I think the new traffic policy in Bath will finally put paid to any possible recovery by our struggling independent traders, and our city centre will be left to marauding gulls, office workers and students, and a few stunned B&NES cabinet members wondering what they got so wrong.
Oh yes, and residents of the converted retail shops, putting their wheelie bins out on Milsom street.
The months ahead will be even more challenging, and I wonder whether Dine Romero feels she has cabinet members and council officers of adequate calibre to make these vital decisions. decision of the planning committee” and its not in their remit to oppose it – actually yes it is if they believe in what they stand for.
Now, however, they should go to the cabinet and tell them that the land should not be built on and prevent the “sell” to their own development company ADL.
Isn’t it strange this council are not even building social housing on the site, despite their promises ... just empty promises again.
This administration has ignored the Climate Emergency, making decisions that will have a negative effect on us all, now even though there is an Ecological Emergency they are showing no leadership in making a difference .
I have written to the chief executive of this council asking him to investigate the conduct of the council’s development company during the planning process, which it should not have been involved in as the application is in the name of B&NES.
I wonder if the fact the council has spent around £1 million on this futile exercise is now clouding the judgement of this increasingly desperate administration.
When you see today that a report from the World Wildlife Fund indicates there has been a loss of 68 per cent of species since 1970, and that Man has altered 75 per cent of the land mass, you know what is going on here is just shameful and the right decision needs to be made not to build on this very special site.
Those who saw the programme on extinction of species will see what we are facing.
We need to think again!
However, I believe he was wrong in ascribing responsibility for the difficulties retailers are facing solely at the door of Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The council has suffered a huge blow to its finances due to the Covid pandemic, mainly through the loss of tourist income, and estimates that £53m (40 per cent of its net budget) has been lost this year, never to be recovered.
One-off government grants will restore some of those losses but we will still need to make deep cuts this year and draw money from our reserves to balance the books, as we are required to do by law.
Sadly, I expect the damage to the council’s finances to continue into future years as the prospects for local tourism in particular look challenging.
The reason these figures are important is that every penny lost from our income is one that can no longer provide essential services, such as waste collection and recycling, street cleaning, care for children and elderly residents or the regeneration and support for our high streets.
These represent only a small proportion of the council’s services.
Where I can agree with Mr Simpson is that having a vibrant and viable independent retail sector is part of Bath’s DNA and I have not heard a single voice within the council disagreeing with that viewpoint.
That is why I insisted that the £2m discretionary grant fund we recently administered should be wholly directed towards small independent businesses and not national chains and as a result 346 businesses received help.
It is also why we are working with the Bath BID and other large employers in the city to take action to support our independents.
Over 3,000 small businesses and hospitality businesses have received grants from the council, amounting to £40m.
In total 3,500 local Bath and