Agenda item

Councillors and members of the public may register their intention to make a statement if they notify the subject matter of their statement before the deadline.  Statements are limited to 3 minutes each.  The speaker may then be asked by Cabinet members to answer factual questions arising out of their statement.

Councillor Alison Millar, in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 2 and on the Council's website] read to the Cabinet, said that residents to the east of Bath had not been given an opportunity for a real input into the decision on the park and ride.  Councillor Millar also said that Batheaston Parish Council had tried to form a view in order to represent the interests of their residents but they had no information on the access to the site or capacity.  Councillor Millar suggested that the people of Bath should be allowed to submit their views on a fourth site.

Sally Harris, in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 3 and on the Council's website] read to the Cabinet, said that she has been delighted that meetings of the Council, Cabinet and some other bodies had been webcast on the Council’s website and also, that the effort to have meetings at different locations in order to engage local people is admirable.  However, more could be done to enable people to participate especially in Cabinet meetings.  One way of having more people engaged would be to hear their statements/views at the end of the meeting.  Sally Harris commented that she has understood the rationale behind Cabinet meetings starting at 4pm but that move has made it less easy for women to participate at meetings of the Cabinet due to afterschool childcare.  Sally Harris also commented that the Council’s website had been difficult to navigate and that accessibility could be improved.

Adrian Dolan (on behalf of the Walcot Street Traders and Residents Association), in a statement to the Cabinet (available on Cabinet’s webcast), said that the Single Member Decision, made earlier this year, to offer the site at 97-101 Walcot Street to the Genesis Trust by way of a Community Asset Transfer has been fundamentally flawed.  The Walcot Street Traders and Residents Association had asked the Cabinet to conduct an independent enquiry to investigate whether this transfer had followed the correct Government guidelines.  The Group had also asked for an independent appraisal and site evaluation and that any work of planning applications in connection with this matter is put on hold.

Councillor Dine Romero expressed her concern that, in the statement, the Walcot Street Traders and Residents Association made accusations against some former and current Councillors.  Maria Lucas (Council’s Monitoring Officer) commented that the statements made were potentially defamatory, but had been made previously and therefore already in the public domain (this was confirmed by Adrian Dolan).

Peter Heywood (Chair of Genesis Trust Bath) said the Trust had wanted a permanent base in central Bath for many years and he was grateful to the Council for the opportunity.  The premises would provide a coordinated space in a single building where the Trust could help their clients to gradually build their skills and confidence through a range of connected activities and then step out of benefits into the job market.  The Trust would not be disruptive to Walcot Street.

The Chair allowed Councillor Liz Hardman to put forward two questions to Councillor Anthony Clarke.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked the following questions:

1. A Road Safety Scheme in Paulton is being funded by s106 payments arising from the Polestar development. Some measures to slow traffic have been installed but more remains to be done. It is understood that the funding is to be released in tranches as dwellings on the site are occupied but neither the Parish Council or the Ward Councillors have yet received an up to date breakdown of money spent so far and what is still available to spend. We have been told in writing by Richard Hayes in Finance on June 9 that £8000 is left from the last allocation and a further £53,000 was paid over to BANES in March by the developers.  Yet on August 12 the local Traffic Management officer told us that Highways still had no funding to carry out further works. Would it be possible asap matter of urgency to provide the Parish Council and Ward councillors with a breakdown of spending up to now and the funding currently available so that we can begin considering what other road safety measures can be funded for Paulton?

2. As a separate scheme from the above two drop-off points in roads close to Paulton Junior and Infants schools have been planned by BANES officers and the Parish Council at least three years ago to ease congestion at the beginning and end of the school day. The finalisation of these has involved buying or leasing land from Curo. Please could we have an update on the progress of these measures, since they contribute to the School Travel Plans which are currently being submitted?

Councillor Anthony Clarke responded that he would talk to responsible officers on this matter and provide answers.