Issue - meetings

A report on a new Transport Strategy for Bath is to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 14th May. The report and draft Strategy is attached and is expected to be agreed for consultation. The Panel are invited to consider the report to Cabinet and the draft Strategy. 

The Group Manager for Planning Policy & Transport introduced this report to the Panel. He informed them that the draft strategy was launched at the Bath Conference on 30th April and had been endorsed by the Cabinet to go out to consultation at its meeting on 14^th May.

He wished to highlight the vision within the draft strategy to the Panel.

Bath will enhance its unique status by adopting measures that promote sustainable transport and reduce the intrusion of vehicles, particularly in the historic core.

This will enable more economic activity and growth, while enhancing its special character and environment and improving the quality of life for local people.

He explained that the high proportion of walking shown by mode share surveys (around 30%) indicates that this is a primary means of travel in the city, indicating that there is potential to expand and improve walking opportunities and hence substituting for some car journeys. In 2011, walking accounted for 35.1% of all journeys to work made by people living and working in Bath.

He said that the strategy proposed to continue the progress made in Bath to relocate long stay parking at Park and Ride sites, thus reducing vehicle movements into the constrained city centre. He added that better management of HGVs within the city was required and that further work is needed to identify suitable facilities for coach drop off and pick up and replacement coach parking facilities.

He stated that the Council was interested to hear the views of the public on this matter and hoped a whole range of initiatives would come forward. He said that the consultation would commence in June.

Mr David Redgewell, South West Transport Network addressed the Panel. He stated the need for consultation documents to be available at the bus station for the public to access and asked that the views of passengers be actively sought.

He commented that a West of England Rail Panel would be welcomed, an East of Bath Park & Ride was essential and that coach parking must be addressed.

On the matter of Dorchester Street he said that further work and views needed to be considered if the bus gate were to be reintroduced.

He stated that he felt that public transport was key to the forthcoming Enterprise Zone and that for this strategy work be successful there must be joined up working and cross party agreement.

The Chair commented that it was a shame that the strategy had received some negativity since the launch. She added that she herself had been expecting a more thorough strategy to be presented to the Cabinet.

Councillor Douglas Nicol commented that he would like to see more of a priority within the strategy to be given to walking, cycling and public transport. He added that he would like to see the Park & Ride services running later into the evening, using them as a place to transfer visitors to the city that arrive by coach and for Park & Ride services to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10

A new Transport Strategy has been prepared entitled ‘Getting Around Bath’ and the draft is now ready for formal consultation with stakeholders

Councillor Anthony Clarke in an ad hoc statement emphasised the need for cross-party support if the transport strategy consultation was to be effective.  He felt that particular mention should have been made of north-south travel to school.  He observed that report did not address the transport issues across the area and should be seen as the first building block of a wider transport policy.

Councillor David Laming in an ad hoc statement supported the proposals although he felt the title should have said “Getting Round and Through Bath”.  He observed that no mention had been made in the report of river ferries and other ways in which the river would be part of the solution.  He asked Cabinet to consider the need for a safe, well-lit cycle path from Pulteney Weir right though to Newbridge.

[David Redgewell (South West Transport Network) arrived after the debate had already started but the Chair at his prerogative agreed that David could still make his statement]

David Redgewell welcomed the consultation and emphasised a number of issues which he felt must be addressed: the Dorchester Street scheme; a strategy for cross-border services; bus fleet upgrade; the public realm and the transport strategies for Bath and the rural areas.

Councillor Caroline Roberts, in proposing the item, said that a lot of hard work had already been done to bring the proposals to consultation and she was pleased to propose that the consultation period should begin.  She asked Councillors and members of the public to feed all their comments into the consultation.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the proposal.  There had been significant problems but also significant opportunities.  He hoped to hear from residents during the consultation period.  He reminded the meeting that recent improvements already introduced had been hybrid buses, Park and Ride options, variable messaging about car park places, cycle hire and the electrification of the main line to London.  He encouraged Councillor Laming to feed his river ideas into the consultation.  He was delighted that Councillor Clarke had offered to support the consultation process and assured him that funds were already earmarked to conduct similar studies of Keynsham and Somer valley.

Councillor Tim Ball observed that in his view very slow progress had been made in developing the city’s transport strategy by the previous administration but that it had planned to build a bus route through the back gardens of Newbridge residents with no consultation.  He reminded Cabinet that the Council’s Core Strategy was dependent on the outcome of the three transport strategies so it was essential to make progress on them as soon as possible.

Councillor David Dixon said that the three main concerns were congestion, air quality and (especially in Larkhall) the river.  It would be essential to maintain cross-party support for the consultation to be a success.  He emphasised that the strategy could not be only about the city centre.

Councillor Ben Stevens expressed the hope that the Strategic River Group would get involved.  He contracted to work with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15