Issue - meetings

The Council considered a motion from the Green group.

It was moved by Councillor Joanna Wright, seconded by Councillor Saskia Heijltjes, and following a vote, it was

NOT CARRIED

Council Notes:

1.  Strategic Aims of the Liveable Neighbourhoods Programme, also referred to as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs):

LTNs aim to improve air quality, enable more trips by active travel, and reduce congestion.  However, these objectives are at risk of being undermined by poorly designed interventions that displace traffic from one set of residential streets onto another. The recent Camden Road bus gate E3418 posed this risk, as it would divert traffic to already congested residential areas like Snow Hill, Fairfield Park, Lambridge, and London Road. These areas already suffer from high levels of traffic, poor air quality, and insufficient active travel infrastructure, making the Camden Road bus gate a threat to the very goals it is supposed to support.

2.  Traffic Displacement and Congestion:

The lack of proper traffic modelling and pre-implementation analysis has resulted in unanticipated effects. The Camden Road bus gate E3418 would have caused adverse effects and without proper traffic modelling and pre-implementation analysis, the extent of these risks is opaque and questionable. The Full Business Case (FBC) fails to include essential data such as comprehensive traffic surveys or road safety assessments for affected areas like London Road, Snow Hill, and Fairfield Park. This oversight raises concerns that the council may be rushing to implement a scheme without fully understanding the potential for congestion and displacement across Bath’s residential areas.

3.  Increased Carbon Emissions and Air Pollution:

In line with the Council’s own research, 1 in 4 to 1 in 12 new asthma cases in UK children each year are linked to NO2 pollution from vehicle emissions. Areas like London Road and Snow Hill, which already suffer from air pollution due to heavy traffic, would likely see these conditions worsen if the Camden Road bus gate was implemented without proper evaluation of the consequences on air quality. The FBC completely overlooks the air quality impact of diverted traffic, particularly around schools, health centres, and residential areas like Fairfield Park. There is no assessment of how displaced traffic will affect pollution hotspots, nor does it address how the scheme could conflict with Bath’s Clean Air Zone objectives. This lack of foresight risks undermining the environmental goals of the LTN.

4.  Lack of Clear Evidence in the FBC:

The FBC fails to meet the standard of evidence-based decision-making required for such significant interventions. There are no measurable targets, traffic reduction assessments, air quality improvement data, or road safety evaluations in the FBC. This undermines the council’s ability to make an informed decision about whether the Camden Road bus gate will truly deliver on its intended benefits. The WECA approval process, which did not require an independent scrutiny of the FBC, raises questions about the lack of accountability and governance in this decision-making process.

5.  Absence of a Fully Modeled Traffic Management Plan:

Another flaw was that the Camden Road  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30