Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillor Johnson gave his apologies.

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest, (as defined in Part 4.4 Appendix B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

There were none.

Ceris Humphreys made a statement to the Panel regarding ‘Embedding sustainability into policy making especially on transport and flood risk management’. A copy of the statement is attached to the minutes.

3^rd July 2025

29^th July 2025

The Panel confirmed the minutes of the previous meetings as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chair.

The Cabinet Member will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update provided.

The Chair explained that the Cabinet Members were at the meetings to introduce their items and would take questions at each item.

Councillor Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development, introduced the report.

It was noted that points made by members of the Panel at this meeting would be fed into the consultation process. The Cabinet Member explained that responses are considered by officers and points made feed directly into policy making.

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Leach stated that it was good to see greater focus on affordable housing at national level and stressed the importance of housing being affordable for essential workers. He stated the need to have an ambitious plan and asked if the plan for 1,000 affordable houses properly acknowledges the need. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the point and explained that it is a market driven system. He stated that there are 6,000 on the waiting list and currently 10 affordable housing units per year.

Councillor Box stated that there are some easy wins in the context of climate. Net Zero could be expanded regarding water; flooding techniques incorporated; partnerships with landowners in terms of biodiversity and more teeth regarding enforcement of tree felling. The Cabinet Member stated that planning policy has to be followed but we can push. He asked that evidence be fed into the process.

Councillor Box stated that many housing estates built in the 1980’s and 90’s did not prioritise walking. She asked if this could now be prioritised. The Cabinet Member agreed and explained that the Council does not legislate. The officer stated that plans will maximise the need for active travel along with flood risk and biodiversity considerations. Developers also need to make those connections as well.

Councillor Malloy asked if there were any examples of engagement with seldom heard groups. The Cabinet Member explained that there is a Housing Assembly with Curo (we have not had that groups data feedback yet). He stated that there had been contact with ‘Aging Well in BANES’ regarding accessible housing and that he had spoken to the ‘Student Community Partnership’. There have been roadshows across the district which have included schools and university campuses along with engagement with young professionals and parents. The Cabinet Member added that BANES is low in the South West in terms of people setting up businesses.

Councillor Wait stated that the Government increased housing numbers in BANES but the Local Plan sets out plans for 21,000 housing in North East Somerset and 7,000 in Bath yet employment opportunities are greater in Bath. He stated that this goes against Climate Emergency considerations in terms of commuting/congestion. The Cabinet Member stated that he had raised the point with the minister. Bath is unique in terms of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site which means there is a ring around Bath so a different approach is needed. He explained that he has spoken to the Chair of Heritage England. The Government advise speaking to the planning inspector. The Cabinet Member agreed that the weighting is unfair but the Government see us  ...  view the full minutes text for item 165.

Councillor Joel Hirst, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Strategy introduced the report and presentation.

Councillor Wait explained that Panel comments would be fed into the consultation process and the item will come back to a future meeting. Councillor Walker stated that she was happy with this approach following her request to defer the item.

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Heijltjes stated that the 15 levers could be more ‘SMART’ and that they are vague. She asked what would be measured in order that we know how we are doing and would KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) be developed. The Cabinet Member explained that Appendix C sets out the levers and key measures of success. The officer stated that this point would be noted as feedback.

Councillor Leach stated that the current Local Plan mentions ‘essential traffic only’ in the city centre and the Movement Strategy mentions ‘reducing traffic’ – are we rolling back. The Cabinet Member stated that we are not rolling back and that it was a complex thing to achieve including getting clear through routes and getting freight vehicles out of the city centre.

Councillor Box referred to transport with regard to rural areas and Bath. She suggested the Mi-Permit could do a discount for certain postcodes in the region. A lot of residents complain about the cost of parking. The Cabinet Member stated that this is an interesting idea and explained that one lever is Parking Strategy – we need to create the right incentives and disincentives regarding parking. Councillor Heijltjes stated that the lever on Park and Ride addresses this issue.

Councillor Heijltjes stated that the interactive map has some layers missing (for example roads to Claverton Down). The Cabinet Member asked that areas where more detail is needed be flagged up.

Councillor Walker asked if coaches could drop people off at Park and Ride sites. She also referred to cycling in Amsterdam where there are too many bikes which needs to be managed. The Cabinet Member stated that the Coach Strategy is one of the levers. He stated that the active travel network needs the  right infrastructure place so that there is the right amount of separation.

Councillor Leach asked about the process of categorising streets based on the role we want them to play in the vision. He asked how the existing data helps this. The Cabinet Member stated that both the data and the future vision were looked at and there is an element of additional work on the what the map could look like.

Councillor Beaumont asked about improvement works on the cycle path between Bristol and Bath. The Cabinet Member noted the valid point and explained that this is included in current consultation under the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery.

Councillor Heijltjes stated that School Streets is missing from the strategy, lever 15 only mentions school travel plans which is too weak. The Cabinet Member stated that he would look again at lever  ...  view the full minutes text for item 166.

Councillor Sarah Warren, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Bath and North East Somerset, introduced the report and presentation.

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Wait stated that the target of 20% biodiversity net gain in the Local Plan is encouraging, what will this look like. The Cabinet Member explained that an ecological report measures the site before and after the development. There are many ways sites can improve biodiversity. The officer added that developers can also make biodiversity improvements on registered areas off site too which would enhance the district.

Councillor Wait stated that there had been a lot of building in Keynsham and a lot of biodiversity net gain has been off site. Is this more likely when it is raised to 20%. The Cabinet Member stated that generally wildlife and humans don’t mix well. He shared the concern that it can be difficult for people to see the benefits. We will test the 20% target. Developers will ask the priority – biodiversity and retrofit or affordable housing.

Councillor Malloy asked if there is a geographical limit to off site biodiversity net gain work. The officer explained that there are offsite habitats within BANES so it would be in the area.

Councillor Box thanked the officers for a good report. She stated that places such as Stanton Drew use oil – Government subsidies could address this which would be an easy win.

Councillor Heijltjes stated that she would like to see more data and predictions in the reports and that it is hard to find KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). On issues such as transport, how can members understand how we are doing. The Cabinet Member referred to the Corporate Performance report. The officer added that they are currently working on a transition plan.

Councillor Leach stated that it is good that the Council is reducing its own emissions which can be used to help encourage other organisations such as Wessex Water. The Cabinet Member explained that there is a ‘Future Ambitions’ Board including local organisations with a Climate Emergency subgroup. We also need to get the message out to residents. The officer added that there is a Climate and Nature Network Forum in November.

Councillor Heijltjes asked when the new Climate and Nature Strategy Draft would be coming to this Panel. The Cabinet Member stated that this could be programmed in as a piece of policy development work.

Councillor Walker asked about longer contracts for WECA (West of England Combined Authority) buses. She mentioned the A37 junction (Radstock/Peasedown St John) and the changes to allow buses to move more freely. The Cabinet Member agreed with the comment regarding longer contracts, bus contracts are commercial and also agreed that infrastructure was important.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Members and officers.

This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel. Any suggestions for further items or amendments to the current programme will be logged and scheduled in consultation with the Panel’s Chair and supporting senior officers.

The Panel noted the future workplan and the following suggestions for future items:

Flood Risk Management and Climate Adaption

Active Travel Masterplan prioritization