Agenda item

The National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) Counter-Terrorism Security Survey on Bath City Centre in September 2016; identified locations in Bath as a ‘Crowded Place’; with particular focus on the areas around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. As the 2017 attacks demonstrated, crowded places present attractive targets for terrorists. Subsequently disrupted plots and intelligence assessments suggest this will continue to be the case (Contest Strategy Document 2018).

The report identified where the City is vulnerable and where the overall risk to the City is raised. By taking action to address these identified vulnerabilities, the likelihood and impact and therefore the risk to the area is reduced.

Councillor Manda Rigby introduce the report by saying that in 2016 the police contacted the Council and said that although there was no specific evidence of an imminently planned attack, as an area with a high footfall, and specifically the Abbey, the Council would need to look at what would be needed in terms of protection against a terrorist attack, including an hostile vehicle attack. Terrorist acts could come in a variety of ways, and there were measures in place to protect from non-vehicular attack, which were included in our risk assessments. Temporary hostile vehicle mitigations had also been brought in for large events, including remembrance services, the Bath Half and the Tour of Britain.

Some concrete moveable bollards were installed to support the Christmas Market on the advice of Police. These have been retained where appropriate and would be replaced with permanent measures.

A consultation went out at the start of the year, and the report was a result of amendments of proposals in it having listened to consultation input, and commissioning a report about accessibility, more specifically for disabled residents and visitors.

The report contains the details of which streets would be closed

There was also an operating schedule which would allow Blue Badge holders disabled access via a video link to the operating centre, with access for emergencies whether city wide or for a resident needing a trade person in a hurry.

The Council took on board obligations under the Public Sector Equalities Duty Act and there would be further phases of work subject to monitoring the results of these measures to amend and adapt based on evidence and data.

Councillor Manda Rigby moved the recommendations.

Councillor Richard Samuel seconded the motion by saying that he was pleased to second recommendations in this report.  Bath streets referred to in this report were very crowded and densely populated, and the police have commented and have advised on security and protection of citizens, and it would be totally untenable for the Council to ignore their advice. The difficulty the Council had was in the balancing off  the needs of residents, visitors, and the security. Councillor Samuel believed that the report had outlined an appropriate balance, it will undoubtedly not please everybody.

In terms of the financing of this project – there would be a few stages to the project and those stages would involve the firming up of the estimates of the cost of implementing this scheme as set out in the report.  The report has highlighted that there were risks with possibilities that the cost may drift upwards. In agreement with Council Rigby and the director of finance, Councillor Samuel would run one more check on top of the ones that already exist in the Council's control processes, and those processes normally permit officers to exercise delegation in developing schemes for the good governance of the Council which require all schemes to go through a business planning process. Therefore, paragraph 2.13 of the report has been introduced as an extra check that would sit on top of the normal processes the Council uses in order to provide a scheme that would work for residents and visitors, and also the one that was affordable to the taxpayer.

Councillor Dine Romero supported the motion by saying that this scheme has been in the pipeline during at least 2 different political administrations. The anti-terrorist police team had told the Council that areas with high footfall were key targets for terrorists.  This scheme was absolutely not designed to provide protection from every form of attack, but it was part of a range of protective measures.

It was clear that the needs of people with disabilities would need to be considered at every step. Councillor Sarah Moore became the Council’s advocate for Access and has used her knowledge and passion to help this particular group of people. Councillor Moore had been able to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities had been accommodated in this scheme.

Nevertheless, the Council had to balance the needs of a wide variety of groups, and issues.

The scheme before the Cabinet would give an appropriate level of protection based on the current known level of threat. And it would allow adequate access for residents, and for Blue Badge holders.

Councillor Romero thanked the Police, Council officers and Councillors (in particular  Councillor Moore) for working together to find the solutions.

Councillor David Wood welcomed the report by thanking Councillor Rigby, and officers for turning this issue around. The first duty of the Council was to protect its citizens, with a duty to listen. Councillor Wood also said that he believed that, in the last few months, the Council took an intelligent and a considered approach to demonstrate that this was a listening Council and one that takes its duty seriously.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to:

1.To approve the TRO (for anti-terrorism purposes) for advertisement such that it would operate between 1000 hours and 1800 hours on the following streets:

(1) Lower Borough Walls, Stall Street, including Abbeygate Street, Abbey Green, Swallow Street (South), Bath Street and Hot Bath Street

(2) York Street

2. To approve the TRO (for anti-terrorism purposes) for advertisement such that it would operate between 1000 hours and 1800 hours on the following streets:

(1) Cheap Street, Westgate Street, Saw Close and Upper Borough Walls

with access to the restricted streets also being provided to Blue Badge Holders, carers transporting Blue Badge Holders, and taxi’s transporting Blue Badge Holders. Access would be provided via Controlled Authorised Access by the Council’s CCTV team.

3. To advertise the TRO between 1800 hours and 2200 hours on York Street, to reflect its proximity to the Roman Baths and to support the increased footfall from Terrace Walk through York Street to the new Clore Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre. The Roman Baths, Clore Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre will, at times, be open late into the evening.

4. To note that we will not advertise the TRO between 2200 hours and 1000 hours on York Street.

5. To note that we will not advertise the TRO between 1800 hours and 1000 hours for the following streets:

(1) Lower Borough Walls, Stall Street, including Abbeygate Street, Abbey Green, Swallow Street (South), Bath Street and Hot Bath Street

(2) Cheap Street, Westgate Street, Saw Close and Upper Borough Walls

when the streets are not deemed as crowded, based on footfall data and the

security risk is not considered to be proportionate to the terrorist threat.

6. Delegate to the Director of Place Management in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport the operational management procedures for access to the restricted streets.

7. To note that subject to investigations which are currently taking place on vault survey works, to determine exact locations, based on engineering design options, a series of suitable Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures to be installed at the entrance/exit to the following streets within the city centre. Exact locations to be delegated to Director of Place Management in consultation with Cabinet Member for Transport, with access provided via Controlled Authorised Access by the Council’s CCTV team:

(1) York Street

(2) Cheap Street

(3) Upper Borough Walls

(4) Lower Borough Walls

(5) Hot Bath Street

8. To note that subject to investigations, enhance existing street furniture with a series of public realm HVM measures to the following streets:

(1) Old Bond St (North)

(2) Burton St (North) (incl occasional access)

(3) New Bond St Place (North)

(4) New Bond St Place (South)

(5) Northumberland Place

(6) The Corridor

(7) Barton St/ Saw Close (incl occasional access)

(8) Seven Dials (incl occasional access)

(9) Chandos Buildings (West)

(10) Hetling Court (West)

(11) Beau St (East) (incl occasional access)

(12) New Orchard St (East) (incl occasional access)

(13) Southgate St (south)

(14) Kingston Buildings (Orange Grove)

9. To note the recommended series of mitigation measures, to support the City Centre Security programme, as highlighted in the Accessibility Study, namely:

(1) Additional seating to be installed on Cheap Street and Westgate Street

(2) Dropped kerbs and footway surface improvements to allow improved

accessibility from existing city centre car parks and proposed additional blue

badge bays.

(3) Provide additional blue badge and loading bays (as detailed in 3.20 below)

(4) Clear and accessible Communications Plan

10. To note that recommended additional measures, in a phased approach, from both the Consultation Report and Accessibility Study will be considered as part of wider Bath City Centre public realm and transport improvement programmes, with an holistic approach, working with Accessibility Groups, businesses and residents. This request is subject to approval of the revenue and capital budget provisions by Cabinet and Council as part of the council’s budget setting process.

11. Advertise TRO’s as necessary for all the restricted streets to prevent all waiting, except for the provision of parking for Blue Badge Holders and loading/ unloading for specific time periods

12. Enable the TRO (for anti-terrorism purposes) restrictions to prevent access by Blue Badge Holders, and identified delivery vehicles, should the National or local security risk increase to severe or critical, and as advised by the Police, either for an unplanned incident or planned event, ie Bath Christmas Market/Remembrance Services, as per the Operational Management Procedures.

13. To note the resource implications set out in section 5 of the report, final scheme design and financial implications will require the approval of the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Economic Development.