Cllr Nicholas Coombes presented a set of written questions to the Conservative Cabinet this week, including three on the zebra crossing on the Tesco site. A single response was provided to all questions which answered none of them:

Q - does the demonstration of 50 protesters show clear public demand?

Q - do the accidents at the site, including a fatality, show a high level of pedestrian risk?

Q - if Tesco were to provide extra funding, would it be spent on a zebra crossing?

A - Pedestrian crossings require fulfilment of numerical criteria relating to vehicles and pedestrians. A count is programmed for early July.

It appears that the cabinet member is unwilling to commit to an answer even now, one year after Tesco were given planning permission. It is also odd that a pedestrian and traffic survey is only being planned now, when surely one should have been prepared for the Tesco planning enquiry last year and certainly for the changes made to the pedestrian crossing.

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The full question and answer session is now available at https://sslvpn.bathnes.gov.uk/http/cis/committee_papers/Executive/Exec080625Mins/080625zAppx01QA.pdf

Yesterday I graduated from Bath University with a degree in architecture.

The Bath University Architecture School is recognised as one of the best in the country (Times = #2 in UK, Independent = #3, Guardian = #4) and architecture commonly held as one of the most difficult degrees (”archi-torture”), so I am very please to have successfuly graduated. Having worked in architecture practices on placement over the last few years, a full time job is much easier than an architecture degree; although despite its time demands student life did allow more flexibility.

I now plan a holiday followed by a job; sadly a councillor’s allowance is not sufficient to keep me fed and answering emails. My colleague, Cllr Armand Edwards, shall be doing twice the work while I’m away, I doubt anyone will even notice my absence for a few weeks!

While some of the questions from the nice lady at the Chron were a tad predictable (what’s it like being a councillor?…) she did raise an interesting point. Will Bathwick residents respect an employed councillor more than a student one? Even if we are to assume an inherent prejudice against youth, I hope that after our first year of office most people will acknowledge the work which Armand and I have done regardless of employment status. Then again, most Bathwick residents are actually students themselves, living on the Claverton campus.

Finally, am I going to give up my council position now that I have graduated? No. I didn’t put that much effort into the election campaign to give it up after just one year!

The whole of Bath’s major road network is to be covered by an Air Quality Management Area to tackle unsafe levels of air pollution.

Originally the AQMA covered the London Road up to the Cleveland Bridge, a road with officially the worst air quality in Britain. This being insufficient, the entire major road network is to be included; in Bathwick this inlcudes Bathwick Street and the Warmininster Road until Minster Way. This change will come into effect on 30th July, following a decision made by the cabinet a few months ago.

An Air Quality Management Zone is derrived from the Environment Act and designates an area of special attention for pollution initiatives. When the AQMA was declared for the London Road in 2002, five specific measures were stated. None of these have yet been implemented.

Both the Bath Chronicle and the Western Daily Press have included our Bathwick Zebra story this week (though I wasn’t too impressed with the WDP headline!).

Cllr Gerrish (Con, Keynsham N), the cabinet member responsible, is quoted: ”I have instructed highways officers to undertake measurements of footfall to establish whether the point meets statutory criteria for a crossing. I must wait until I have the factural information that this is a well used crossing point before anything else can be done.”

I have posted two questiosn to him at the next cabinet meeting asking “Does the cabinet member agree that last week’s demonstration of 50 protesters on Bathwick Hill show a clear public demand for a zebra crossing over the canal bridge? Further, do the many accidents, including a fatality in 2006, show the high level of pedestrian risk in this location.” He has previously been uncommital answering these sort of questions in the past.

In pouring rain, Liberal Democrat councillors got on their bikes to support national cycle week this morning. Cllrs Nicholas Coombes, Paul Crossley, Roger Symmonds, Ian Gilchrist, Cherry Beath and Mayor Tim Ball came to BathNES council’s cycle breakfast in the Abbey Courtyard. Conservative Vice-Chair of the council, Bryan Chalker, drove his notoriously toxic trabant to the event, effectively cancelling out the carbon savings of the other participants!

Neither Bathwick councillor, Nicholas or Armand, have a car; both walk, cycle or bus around the city. With a little practice, even Bathwick Hill is possible for a keen cyclist! Unfortunately Nicholas’ pledge to cycle to all meetings this week went awry when a last minute puncture forced him to walk to the BRSLI yesterday, but now the bike is ready for an event at Bath Spa University later today.

Ziggy the Zebra joined fifty protesters for a zebra crossing on Bathwick Hill. The stunt was organised by Cllr Nicholas Coombes to raise the priority of the scheme within the council.

Tesco have paid for come improvements to the crossing, now complete. If their loading bay gets approval, which is expected next week, then they will be able to open their store when the bay is marked on. It is now down to BathNES council to fund extra work needed for the zebra crossing requested by local residents.

Your Bathwick councillors insisted that the changes to the crossing (paid for by Tesco) should be a first step towards a zebra crossing. However, Cllr Coombes has now discovered that the Conservative Cabinet have not allocated any funds to do this work in the next financial year. The Cabinet member in charge (Cllr Charles Gerrish, Con, Keynsham North) will not make any commitment and his department appear to be backtracking.

Today’s demonstration, attended by fifty local people, three dogs and a zebra, has shown the strength of feeling in the area and the huge local demand for a zebra crossing on Bathwick Hill. This will make a diference to the priority of the scheme and will provide Cllrs Coombes and Edwards vital support in their campaign with the traffic department.

If you weren’t able to sign the petition on the day, please add your name to www.ourcampaign.org.uk/bathwickcrossing. Thanks.

Join us for a publicity stunt to get our zebra crossing! Meet 4:30pm on Monday 16th outside Tesco, with Ziggy the Zebra.

BathNES council are becoming increasingly evasive about a zebra crossing for Bathwick Hill. The half finished works were designed to be completed as a zebra crossing when council funding became available, but now the Conservatives are questioning whether one is necessary at all. We need to show the public demand for a completed crossing.

We are holding a photo stunt on Monday to grab the attention of the media, the council and possibly Tesco; we will be aided by Ziggy, our life-size ‘zebra’ to make a photogenic image. Please join in to give us a big crowd of people for the cameras!

Please remember to sign the petition too at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/bathwickcrossing

Bathwick is in great demand right now for TV locations; I recieved an email yesterday warning that there would be a camera crew about today for Points West but they promise not to get in the way!

Bath is very popular with film crews because it makes such a nice background but mainly because the council’s film office is so helpful. Over my last year in office we have had filming on the University campus (renamed University of Wessex for the occasion) for Bone-Kickers and with Kiera Knightly on Sydney Place. The city centre locations are even more popular, especially for Jane Austin adaptations. The cameras are back to Sydney Place later this month for ” ‘The Four Seasons’ a romantic television drama, based on a Rosamund Pilcher novel”.

This weekend two exhibitions opened at the Holburne Museum, now empty of its historic content (http://www.bath.ac.uk/holburne/). I attended the launches of Painting Aardman (in the downstairs exhibition room) and the Bath Spa University Summer show (on the upper floors - the white marquee was associated with this launch). Both are worth a visit, even if you don’t appreciate animation, ceramics, painting and textiles, the museum has an entirely different feel to it with the blinds up on new displays.

Finally, the Bathwick Local History society has also published its latest book, Bathwick - Echoes of the Past (out of stock in Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Bathwick-Echoes-Local-History-Society/dp/0948975849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213093501&sr=1-1 but try local shops!). Their launch was in Bath Library the same evening as the Holburne openings, involving a quick cycle along Great Pulteney Street for me. Congratulations to all of those involved, I am working my way throuh my copy now!

I always walk (or cycle or bus) around Bathwick with a critical eye; a lot of the time I am satisfied, it is a very beautiful area. However, today I spotted a few bits to be fixed, after our surgery.

The cul-de-sac sign to Darlington Place has been knocked by an unfortunate motorist (or momentous pedestrian) so that it leaning quite jauntily. However, jaunty is never good for traffic signs, so I have reported it to be fixed.

 In Sydney Buildings many potholes have now been filled in along the length of the road. I reported these almost three months ago, so I am glad that they have finally got through the system. A few holes are still unfilled though and on first glace I couldn’t work out why. I’ve sent a reminder to the BathNES highways team to check up, it’s a shame to have persued it this far and not yet finished.

In good news, a yellow patch of road on Bathwick Hill just uphill of the canal has been laid. This was described to me as looking like a French market place; it is actually non-skid surface for drivers approaching the crossing to make that corner just a bit safer. I’ll give a full zebra update separately when I have a clearer situation to report.

City MP, Don Foster is reaching out to voters across Bath with the publication of his new website.

Don said: “The re-vamp of the site will make it much easier for residents to contact me and be updated on the work that I’m doing ” The site will contain several easy ways to keep in touch with Don and also the ability to subscribe to Don’s email newsletter.

Don added: “More and more these days, people are losing trust in elected officials and I want to make it easy for people to judge for themselves whether or not I’m doing good job for them and their families.

“There has also been a lot said in recent months about the amount of expenses claimed by MPs and what they are spent on. That’s why I’ve decided that from this financial year I will make a commitment to publish my expenses every quarter on my website and in my e-news letter. My annual ‘Report Back’ leaflet, which is sent to every household in Bath, will also provide details of the full year expenses.

“Parliament is currently debating the level of detail that it will publish of MPs expenses however I am committed to going beyond what we are merely required to publish and I will ensure that I provide as much detail as I am able.”I will also ensure that contentious items such as the Additional Cost Allowance are listed in the greatest detail.

“As public servants, Members of Parliament have a duty to be honest and transparent and I hope that my actions will enable the people of Bath to put their faith in me as their representative in Parliament.” Don Foster’s re-launched website is at www.donfoster.co.uk

Your Bathwick councillors are holding thier latest public surgery at Bathwick St Mary’s Church Hall, 10-11am on Saturday 7th June.

I am sorry for the short notice, I forgot to post about this earlier. You may have noticed though that it is at the same time on the first Saturday of every second month, so there is some sort of routine. It was also printed in Focus which went out this week, but I acknowledge the typing error advertising the date as March, not June.

Armand and I will be there in case anyone manages to turn up!

Liberal Democrats who fought Conservative parking charge increases have been backed by the Bath Chronicle
The Tories had planned to make millions from higher residents’ parking fees, extra fees for disabled badge holders and longer hours at the city centre car parks. The Bath Chronicle have joined the campaign to get this policy, car park fees until 8pm not 7pm, put back.

“The decision to extend the hours of charging was completely crazy.” says Don Foster, Bath MP “It shows how out of touch our Conservative Council leaders are. The decision has hit hundreds of people, from charity volunteers to restaurant owners. Everyone who travels into the city centre for an evening event or to enjoy the nightlife has been adversely affected. Even our Special Constables whose shift begins at 7 pm now have to pay to park their cars in the car park next to the Police Station. Even those who help keep our city safe are now out-of-pocket.

“I’ve been amazed by the lack of consultation by the Conservative-run Council. Until the protests began, the people of Bath have had no say about a decision made by Council leaders most of whom don’t live in the city.”

The Council Liberal Democrats ‘called in’ the price rises, citing insufficient consultation and a failure to consider the wider implications. The Conservative dominated panel threw out the call in, allowing the decision to stand. However, the public outcry has now prompted the Tories to review their policy, which they were so keen to defend last month. “If they’d have listened in the first place, the council needn’t have wasted so much time and energy” said Cllr Edwards.

A third generation mobile phone mast has been installed at the end of The Avenue on Claverton Down.

The mast was given planning permission two years ago, despite fourteen local objections (http://planning.bathnes.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=IVHTFKCTWI000). However, in current planning law only the visible attributes of the mast can be considered; in this respect the faux-telegraph pole with rustic finish was acceptable. Nationally the Liberal Democrats seek to change planning laws so that local councils can also consider the electromagnetic radiation when determining mast applications.

Residents may take comfort from the World Health Organisation’s report finding mininal health dangers associated with phone masts (http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index5.html). Various anti-mast groups dispute this evidence.

While the phone mast itself is well disguised, the astute searcher will look for the junction box at its base.