Meeting documents

11111

(1) That? Bath and North East Somerset Council should, subject to satisfactory environmental assessments, expand the existing Park & Ride provision at Newbridge, Oddown and Lansdown. The proposed P&R site at Lambridge should, subject to obtaining the necessary planning permission, be built at the earliest opportunity and the potential to expand it be examined to accommodate the additional demand that will arise were the Link Road to be built;

(2) That? Bath and North East Somerset Council should continue to investigate demand management measures, including a possible alternative road user charging cordon. These options should be tested in their own right as well as part of a package of measures to prevent induced traffic taking the place of that removed by a link road;

(3) That Bath and North East Somerset Council should progress a full appraisal, including environmental assessment, of the A36/A46 Link Road;

(4) That? Bath and North East Somerset Council, in conjunction with local bus operators, improve local commuter services through Quality Partnerships, and if need be Quality Contracts;

(5) That? Bath and North East Somerset Council seek a partner to work with to address the need to improve public transport facilities and provide better integration between the bus and rail stations. It may be that the major bus and or train operator would be prepared to work with the Council to produce a Major Scheme for the next LTP;

(6) Particular opportunities are presented with the additional demand that could arise through Bath Spa Station as a consequence of the rail capacity improvements highlighted;

(7) The? Strategic Rail Authority be requested to increase the frequency of train services on the Bristol-Bath-Salisbury-Southampton line to 2 trains per hour, and lengthen trains to provide further capacity and opportunities for 'quiet' carriages and reduced crowding.

4.2 The GOSW Study states that it will be for Bath and North East Somerset Council to determine the detail of phasing, bearing in mind that proposals like the Link Road have a long lead-in time. It suggests there would be advantages in promoting relatively "quick wins" such as Park & Ride, the necessary orders to capture the benefits of traffic reductions, and developing a partnering arrangement for implementation of public transport infrastructure improvements.

4.3 The study was requested by this Council and the Regional Assembly following the Government's decision to de-trunk the A36 / A46 route. The Regional assembly considered the consultants recommendations at their meeting on 30^th April 2004. The Assembly supported the recommendations.

4.4 The GOSW study also made recommendations relating to the strategic routing of traffic between the South Coast and Bath. This involves a number of other highway authorities and their support for any proposals will be required if they are to be effective. Plans to sign heavy goods vehicles onto more suitable routes will require support from South Coast authorities and the Highways Agency. Wiltshire County Council has a number of roads proposals supported through the study which will need to be considered in our assessment. Close working with Wiltshire throughout the further work is critical.

4.5 The further assessment work will need to look at the impact of any proposals on the wider community within Bath and North East Somerset and not just Bath.

4.6

4.7 Following recent meetings between officers and the Director General of the Department for Transport (DfT) it is clear that the four ex-Avon authorities have to work more closely together on transportation issues, and that a Joint Local Transport Plan has to be submitted if we are to gain significant additional funds for transport.

4.8 This revised Local Transport Plan will cover the years 2006/2011 and will need to include a package bid for Bath if funding is to be made available. The Plan will also be subject to Full Council approval because it will be a revision to the Council's Transport policy. Approval from Council is required before submission in July 2005. Recommendations relating to the Joint Local Transport Plan will be developed by the Sub Regional Partnership prior to approval following the usual process through to Full Council.

4.9 Initial work has started with the other Unitary Authorities in the form of "Shared Priorities" work as requested by the DfT. A joint team is being established to move this forward to meet the very tight timescale required.

These will be explored in the further work proposed in section 4.1.