Agenda item

The report is attached on Liveable Neighbourhoods.

Chris Major, Assistant Director – Highways and Transport, introduced the report.

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

Councillor O’Brien stated that there is an emphasis on cycling and walking which is ok if you live near a centre/shops but this discriminates against people who live in rural areas, blue badge holders and those who cannot walk or cycle. The officer explained that walking and cycling is being encouraged for those who can do this, we are not saying that cars cannot be used. We are trying to change habits where possible.

Councillor Born raised the following points. Officer responses are shown in italics:

·  Welcome that communities are being asked to put forward proposals – the criteria must be clear and central to the consultation and the local proposals must work together across the city.

·  Regarding RPS (Residents Parking Schemes) – some areas of Widcombe and Lyncombe are already someway down the track to getting much needed schemes in place and will be concerned if the new strategy causes delay. A significant amount of time has been lost due to the lockdown, we are behind but we are working on those schemes.

·  Regarding Bear Flat – there are some difficulties with parking for people working in local shops and other businesses. Some were using the regular bus services but these are reduced currently and some people are not confident about using public transport. She requested that staff could have access to permits while Covid measures that make it difficult for them to get to work remain in force. Workers parking is always an issue, there is a fine balance with residents parking schemes, we are trying to look at it strategically, the LTN (Low Traffic Neighbourhood) scheme should help.

·  It is great to see the plan for EV (Electric Vehicle) charging points, this is welcome, and it is a good idea to use lampposts where they are sited at the front of the pavement. However, we will need to provide a mixture of rapid and slow chargers across all areas.

·  Regarding the query about EV car sharing clubs – this is part of the strategy and is key.

Councillor Davies raised the following points. Officer responses are shown in italics:

·  Could we have a brief summary of exactly what is being consulted on? We are consulting on high level strategic documents which set the direction of travel for the Council.

·  EV (Electric vehicle) charging will be an enormous challenge – the paper mentions that BANES have ruled out the Oxford example of using channels, we should be cautious in ruling things out so early on. A number of authorities have been forced into decisions, digging channels into footways can cause future problems. We ruled out channels after speaking to maintenance teams.

·  RPS (Residents Parking Schemes) - where are we on the on-street parking vision?  A number of schemes have not been completed due to Covid. All permit policies will be reviewed. There has been a Covid impact on this.

·  LTN (Local Traffic Neighbourhoods) – the flow chart is useful – the consultation should include the criteria. We have tried to set out the prioritisation assessment (Section 4). The prioritisation process will be clear and transparent.

·  Regarding areas that are suitable for LTNs - this must be agreed before applications are submitted.  We need to consider the impacts, for example it would be hard to deliver an LTN over an arterial route in the city.

Councillor Grant Johnson asked how the negative impact on local businesses will be mitigated by footfall. It is a challenge to know how much business is car generated and evidence shows that retailers sometimes overestimate this. We will work with the attractors (retailers). We have seen the positive impact of well-designed schemes – the majority of evidence shows that overall footfall increases.

Councillor Johnson commented that it will be hard for some people in the city to cycle due to the hills and valleys. He asked if the Council will support residents regarding electric bikes. This is an active travel policy and not just about cycling. It is about connectivity and people dwelling in areas. We are not saying people cannot use cars but that they may need to use different routes.

Councillor Bromley stated that there is an assumption that people will be using mass transport and maybe there needs to be more publicity encouraging people to use public transport. The Government message on public transport is changing now. It has been an unprecedented time for public transport.

Councillor Craig raised the following points. Officer responses are shown in italics:

·  There should not be a delay in residents parking schemes. Work is continuing on these schemes.

·  RPS – could we have paper permits back to run alongside the digital ones as it is easier then, for residents to check vehicles which would help alleviate the pressure on Enforcement resources. Paper permits are difficult to administer and remove many of the benefits. I understand the point but it would be too challenging to move back.

·  Is there a way to expedite the EV charging scheme. Ask ward members where chargers could be best placed in their ward. People are more likely to switch to electric vehicles if they see spaces and chargers. We will note the comments. We will also be working with power suppliers.

Councillor Joel Hirst raised the following points. Officer responses are shown in italics:

·  It would be great to move forward with EV charging with some pilot sites.

·  LTNs are all about making streets feel safer, a game changer. LTNs are designed to allow journey’s to be pleasant.

·  EV charging points have caused frustration in Bath as the pace of getting them fixed is slow. We need to commit to improve this. The frustrations are noted, there has been a crossover of contracts. We needed to move to a more commercial model.

·  Is it possible for the Council to take control of their local grid? It would be good to have more EV charging points in Park and Ride sites and also to have EV taxis. We are looking at putting solar panels in Park and Ride sites. We do have our first EV taxi but licensing policy does not allow us to have only EV taxis at this time. Taxis will be Euro 6 compliant which will reduce emissions.

Councillor Dr Kumar stated that on his street it would not currently be possible to have EV charging points as there are too many cars. Residents parking places could be used. The officer explained that on street EV charging points are challenging where there are no dedicated bays. We will need to work on the communication as we develop the infrastructure.

Councillor Walker raised the following points. Officer responses are shown in italics:

·  How do we support the high street? Rural businesses and high street businesses are part of the renewal workstream The LTN policy and other pieces of work will help.

·  Commuters and visitors should be encouraged to use Park and Ride sites as residents and contractors need on street parking.

·  Some residents live in the pedestrianised areas, they may be affected. We are not saying that people cannot use cars in an LTN only that they may need to use a more suitable road/route. We will encourage people not to use cars for short journeys.

·  Are the timelines realistic? They are challenging, we are looking to align resources with our priorities, we want to be ambitious.

·  Some people are still frightened of using public transport. Hopefully this will change as the national communications are changing on this.

·  EV charging points should be planned in conjunction with RPS. Agree.

The Panel RESOLVED that:

1.  Their above comments be passed on to inform the Cabinet.

2.  They note the proposed timeline for adoption of the policies