Issue - meetings

This report sets out the call-in by 13 Councillors of a Cabinet decision relating to the decision about bus priority measures in Dorchester St, Manvers St and Pierrepoint St, Bath.  The role of the Panel is to consider the issues raised by the call-in and to determine its response.

The Chairman asked the Lead Call-In Member, Councillor Tim Warren to address the Panel.

He stated that he wanted the Panel to send the ill thought out scheme back to the Cabinet to be reconsidered. He claimed that the proposal would cause major harm and disruption and that any easing of congestion around Dorchester Street would simply be moved elsewhere, not alleviating the problem, just moving it and exacerbating the problems in other places.

He said that the most obvious of these was Rossiter Road. The scheme proposed for this road is about the urban realm more so than a traffic scheme, it will improve the street scene and enable the public to sit outside and breathe more air and less exhaust fumes. The Rossiter Road is a major scheme and will undoubtedly cause traffic problems once the construction phase starts, this is inevitable, so why add to these problems.

He spoke of his concerns that the one way, restricted traffic flow in Dorchester Street will be confusing for pedestrians and cyclists alike. He said that he was afraid that they could be lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the road is less used than it actually will be.

One way will be barely affected and the other will still be subject to buses and taxis. Hardly a pedestrian paradise or cyclists haven.

He asked how easy it would be for the public to access the train station.

He asked what effect the proposal would have on visitors and traders. He said that a lot of the traders in the area sell consumable goods which have to be restocked regularly. The proposal makes it difficult for deliveries to happen outside of the restricted hours, which changed at the very last minute.

He stated that all of the consultation was done on the hours of between 10.00am and 4.00pm. Then at the Cabinet meeting 4.00pm was changed to 6.00pm! He said that this should be reason enough to send the idea back to where it came from as there had been no consultation whatsoever on the proposed times. 

Bath is a major world-wide tourist attraction, it is a beautiful city where people want to visit. Understandably this plays a major part in the region’s economy. In this difficult time businesses need all the help they can get, not some crazy scheme that someone wants to impose, without any thought on the effect this will have on individuals trying to run their business.

We don't want people spending their money on Bus gate fines rather than on enjoying their time here. That is not conducive for a return trip!

We cannot keep on coming up with traffic tinkering schemes without having an overall strategy. This is not only ineffectual but potentially dangerous.

He called for the proposal to be returned to the drawing board, for the Rossiter Road scheme to be completed and hoped that by then the Council would have at least the beginnings of a Transport Strategy.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102

Congestion in Manvers Street and Dorchester Street creates pollution and delays for buses in the vicinity of the bus station at peak times and the aspiration for the Public Realm and Movement Strategy is to create a more pedestrian and cycle friendly environment in Dorchester Street, Manvers Street and Pierrepont St by removing private and commercial motor vehicles from Dorchester St.

Councillor Brian Webber in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 18 and on the Council's website] said that the rationale for the partial closure of Dorchester Street was baffling.  He observed that the proposal would leave the road fully open to traffic during the morning and evening rush hours.  He appealed to Cabinet to take no action until proper figures were obtained to bear out the assumptions in the report.

David Redgewell (South West Transport Network) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 19 and on the Council's website] fully supported the proposed closure.  He pointed out however that the existing bus shelter was in the wrong place and must be moved if serious accidents involving pedestrians were to be avoided.

Brook Whelan in an ad hoc statement warned the Cabinet that if the proposals went ahead hundreds more cars would be forced into Widcombe and the A36.  He urged Cabinet to take no action until a prediction of traffic impacts had been conducted.

Councillor Ben Stevens in an ad hoc statement said he was pleased that the Cabinet was about to take this brave step but he was very concerned about the possible impact on traffic volumes in  Widcombe and was disappointed that this was being tackled before the Rochester Road scheme was in place.

Councillor Tim Warren in an ad hoc statement observed that the proposals would not affect peak time traffic but it would affect tourist traffic.  He felt that it would not make a good pedestrian scheme.

Councillor Roger Symonds introduced the item.  He emphasised that the proposals would improve bus punctuality and congestion.  He reminded Cabinet of their priorities for transport: foot, bike, bus, car.  The proposals were fully in line with these priorities.  He referred to the statement made by Councillor Ben Stevens by saying that he was unable to give absolute assurances about the impact on traffic flows in Widcombe and elsewhere in the city, but he promised that the proposals would be reversed if the impact proved to be unacceptable.  He assured Councillor Stevens that he was determined that the Rochester Road scheme would be completed.  He agreed with David Redgewell and confirmed that the bus shelter was in the process of being moved to a safer location.

Councillor Symonds explained that the proposal he would move would be different from the recommendations as printed in the report; in recommendation (1) the prohibition would be in place from 10am to 6pm, not 4pm as printed.  He moved the amended recommendations.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the proposal which he said would bring great benefit to the city and to the transport interchange.  The bus interchange in particularly would become one of the best in the country.  He explained that it was not yet possible to include the West Way traffic in the proposals because that would be vulnerable to criticism that it was entrapment.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 179