Issue - meetings

At its meeting on 10th December 2020, Cabinet adopted the three Liveable Neighbourhood strategies (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods; Residents’ Parking Schemes; and On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy). This report provides an update on work undertaken since that Cabinet meeting and recommends priority areas for liveable neighbourhood schemes.

Councillor Sarah Warren introduced the report by reading out the following statement:

‘Liveable Neighbourhoods are residential areas where road space is reconsidered. They create pleasant outdoor environments in which people can relax and socialise and enjoy spending time. They are safe, welcoming spaces for outdoor activity, where neighbours are able to make more connections with one another, and they make for vibrant local high streets where people want to spend time and money.

To create these schemes, a range of measures, which may include vehicle restrictions, traffic calming, residents’ parking zones, additional planting, and electric vehicle charging, are used to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles in residential areas, although people are still able to access their homes by car. By making it safer to move around actively, such measures enable more journeys to take place on foot and have been demonstrated over time to reduce the number of journeys taken by car. This may even reduce congestion on the roads for those with no alternative but to travel by car.

They will not disadvantage, and should actively assist disabled people, by incorporating wider pavements and disabled parking spaces where needed, and by enabling more people who can, to leave their cars at home.

The schemes are an important part of the council’s wider programme of works aiming to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, enhance road safety, and promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging the use of sustainable transport. They will breathe new life into residential areas and improve the quality of the public realm. The programme builds upon our pioneering project bringing in the first charging Clean Air Zone outside London earlier this year.

Some have expressed concern about traffic displacement, and about air quality impacts outside the schemes. Whilst displacement can be an issue in the initial few days, over the weeks that follow installation, a new pattern of traffic flow develops, as people find new routines – and fewer of these new routines will involve a car. However, we do recognise people’s real worries, so as for the Clean Air Zone, we will commit to monitoring locations of concern, so that we can determine the facts, and take action if necessary.

Cabinet adopted our Liveable Neighbourhoods policy on 10th December 2020 following a consultation on the principles, which received over 1,500 responses, demonstrating overwhelming support for the concept.

47 schemes were submitted, and tonight, Cabinet, I am bringing forward to you the first 15 that we are proposing to take forward for detailed community consultation and design, the next stages in the process. 12 of these are in Bath, and 3 in North East Somerset, reflecting the fact that many more Bath councillors made submissions.

This is absolutely not a policy, however, that can only work in cities, and I would strongly encourage all North East Somerset councillors to reconsider, ahead of the next deadline on 5th August, whether their residents might also benefit, along with people in Bath, from a pleasanter public realm, and calmer residential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28