That's it folks, we're signing off.

Again, thanks to all.

Any enquiries to Batheaston, Bathampton or Bathford Parish Councils.

We can now confidently say our campaign to Save Bathampton Meadows is able to celebrate a resounding success.

Since 2008, after countless hours of meetings with Newbridge Matters, Response 2 Route, various Parish Councillors, VeracityBath Ltd., individual campaigners and concerned residents alike, various irrefutable messages on our specialist subject seem to have got through and this downright bad idea was seen as such, and dropped.

We are very happy to report that after a complete re-think, B&NES Council's revised bid for DfT funding for the Bath Transportation Package, the threat to Bathampton Meadows has been removed.

Please click here to read the B&NES document.

Please click here to read the Chronicle's article.

So we would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to the legion of supporters, activists and fundraisers who gave their time and commitment, (and in a lot of cases their own hard-earned cash), in making the strongest possible cases against the destructive park and ride proposals.



But this message comes with a note of caution that it's by no means a permanent guarantee that park and ride, or other developments will not go ahead on the site one day.
Vigilance is therefore the watchword, and we urge all concerned to raise an alarm if any future interests in Bathampton Meadows are thought likely to adversely affect its ecology or neighbouring environments.

We believe that the new administration has pledged not to renew the Bathampton Meadows planning permission – keep an eye on ‘em !

In addition, the subject of an A36 – A46 link road may rear it’s ugly head again.
After a little thought, it can be seen that this does not address the fundamental long distance North/South traffic problem …. in fact it will excacerbate it.
B&NES is introducing an HGV ban of sorts on Cleveland Bridge. Obviously, this can hardly be classed as a bad idea, but it may have ramifications ……………. especially from Wiltshire County Council,. who may well lean on B&NES to help relieve their problems.

Still looking good.

At today’s Planning, Transport and Environment Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel
Meeting, the Council’s ‘new’ funding bid to the DfT in September progressed further.

Most of the following should answer many of your questions …… however, still looking very good.

Council officers are now working hard on the ‘new’ Bath Transportation Package as follows :-

2.
The Cabinet agrees that the following elements of the BTP should not be included in the
Best & Final Bid to DfT:

2.1 The Bus Rapid Transit Segregated Route.
2.2 The A36 Lower Bristol Road Bus Lane.
2.3 The A4 London Road Lambridge Bus Lane.
2.4 New A4 Eastern P&R (1400 spaces), plus bus lane priority on the A4/A46 slip road.
2.5 And in addition reduce the size of the P&R expansion at Newbridge.

As a result the BTP would comprise of the following elements:

2.6 Upgrades to bus stop infrastructure on 9 service routes, including real time
passenger information.
2.7 Expansion of Odd Down P&R by 250 spaces, of Lansdown P&R by 390 spaces and
of Newbridge P&R by 250 spaces on a suitable alternative.
2.8 Variable Message signs on the main approaches to Bath, and within the city centre.
2.9 City centre works: High Street improvements and timed access restrictions
(currently ongoing).
2.10 Works to support BWR including a bus rapid transit system serving the site.
2.11 As a result of the above the Cabinet agree to formally withdraw the CPOs agreed at
its meeting on 3rd September 2008 and subsequently served to allow for the
implementation of the BTP. The Cabinet agree and recommends to Full Council
that the Council contribution towards the BTP would be no more £17.8m as set out
in section 3 below. The schemes costs as recommended in this report have been
reduced from £58.8m to £34.3m.
2.12 Cabinet agree and recommends to full Council that the final submission to DfT be
approved by the Strategic Director Service Delivery and Chief Executive in
consultation with the portfolio holder, the S151 officer and monitoring officer, and
with a report back to cabinet only if necessary notably if there is a material change
in the financial costs or scope of the scheme which go beyond the parameters set
out in this report.
2.13 Cabinet recommend to full Council additional borrowing of £3M to fully finance the
costs of the Council contribution of up to £17.8M with an additional annual revenue
cost of approximately £190K which will need to be included in revenue budgets for
future years following completion of the scheme.
2.14 Cabinet note the revenue reversion risk as set out in paragraph 3.3 and the
potential need to fund the costs of project work on aspects of the scheme which are
no longer going ahead from reserves with the appropriate financing to be dealt with
in a later report to cabinet and Council as appropriate and if the need arises.

In addition the Cabinet agrees and recommends to Full Council to instruct officers
to:

2.15 work on alternatives to Bathampton Meadows P&R, possibly involving rail, as part
of our future Transport Strategy
2.16 work with the Highways Agency to improve signage on the A46 to direct more traffic
to an extended Lansdown Park and Ride
2.17 talk to Wiltshire Council about measures to remove some of the through traffic
along the London Road and other cross border transport issues
2.18 evaluate measures to remove HGVs from London Road - this 10% of traffic creates
40% of the pollution .

WAHEY !

Looking good ....... looking very, very, good.

The proposed plan to build a Park & Ride on Bathampton Meadows has been removed from the new (Lib Dem) administration's amended Bath Transportation Package.

As has the Bus Rapid Transit scheme in Newbridge.

The expansion of the Newbridge P&R has been downsized.

The costs of the Bathampton Meadows P&R & the BRT, are not included in the amount being requested from the Department for Transport in September.

They are therefore off the menu in this present spending round.

They are ex-proposals.

Many, many, congratulations to all that have worked so hard to make this happen, and all supporters .......... make no mistake, this pressure from residents has been absolutely instrumental in bringing this about.

OK - we must now make sure that this threat cannot rear it's ugly head again.

More to follow.

Update.

Firstly, many apologies to one and all for the lack of updates.

The fact is that since the election on May 5th, things have been moving very fast, however as nothing in Council life happens in isolation, the new administration has to get all it’s ducks in a row before any actual statement of future actions can be firmed up.

To that end, the LibDems are conducting a seminar next Wednesday (1st June), where their intentions regarding 'Transport' will be thrashed out between themselves and the Council Officers that will be charged with making it happen.

They have continued with their position of being against a P&R on Bathampton Meadows – from today’s Chronicle –

“ ……the new regime ……. wants to abandon the Bathampton Meadows scheme ….”

They have however, to cohesively stitch together a lot of their other aspirations regarding rail and bus improvements, city centre improvements, present P&R extensions, and so on.
The funding of course is important, so at the same time they have to put a sensible and cost friendly solution to the Dept. for Transport.

None of this is the matter of a moment, however they are under very tight time constraints due to having to report to the DfT, so we should know soon.

We remain very optimistic that they will achieve these aims, moving to a positive outcome regarding Bathampton Meadows.

Local election.

By now as we are all aware, the elections on May 5th have resulted in a hung council, with both the Conservatives and LibDems with 29 seats each.

LibDems in Bath bucked the national trend with this result.

An explanation that many are giving for this, is the local issues such as the Bath Transportation Package, and the controversy surrouinding Culverhay School, which may have swung voters towards the LibDems.

Quite what the ramifications are for all this, no doubt time will tell.

In the meantime, Alison Millar has contacted us to pass on her thanks to the 1237 people who voted for her in the Bathavon North ward. Unfortunately 52 votes short of victory, but nevertheless a wake-up call for the Conservatives in that ward.

From the horse's mouth.

"It is Liberal Democrat policy that there will be no Park & Ride on Bathampton Meadows.

We believe that the Bath Package as is stands is not fit for purpose and we will renegotiate it. We will remove the extension of the Park & Ride in Newbridge. We will remove the BRT. We will remove the proposed Park & Ride on Bathampton Meadows. Instead we will introduce other measures, that will address the real causes of Bath’s congestion.

The government may well not allow such radical changes which would mean that the Bath Package could be withdrawn. In that case, we would have to decide what to do about the £17.8M that the Conservatives inserted into the B&NES budget as our contribution to Bath Package.

We would use some of this money to implement our own measures, but I repeat these would not include a Park & Ride on Bathampton Meadows.

The Lib Dems are a very democratic organisation and so we welcome debate and tolerate dissent more than most parties.
I should say that some hold the view that a Park & Ride in Wiltshire should be investigated.

Once again, we are fighting this election to stop the Park & Ride on the Meadows. If you are successful in the election you will be able to participate in the demise of this crazy scheme and help us implement the other measures we will put in its place."


Paul Crossley
Leader Bath & NE Somerset Council Liberal Democrat Council group