Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Highways - Councillor Manda Rigby and Cabinet Project Lead for Highways: Councillor Joel Hirst gave a presentation which covered the following:

·  Liveable Neighbourhoods programme

·  Liveable Neighbourhoods programme funding

·  Existing Liveable Neighbourhood trial schemes

·  Existing Liveable Neighbourhood trial schemes – key outcomes from surveys and monitoring

·  Existing Liveable Neighbourhood trial schemes – some public comments

·  Proposed Liveable Neighbourhood trial schemes for Spring 2024

·  Development of the Full Business Case

·  Future development of the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme

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

Councillor Leach stated that Liveable Neighbourhood schemes must be well designed so that they do not have to be reversed. He asked how the preliminary designs are put together after the co-design workshops with residents. The Cabinet Member explained that the original suggestions come from the community which is then put through Highways Engineers and our consultants.

Councillor Heijltjes asked what the point of the scrutiny session is if the Single Member Decision will be made tomorrow. She asked that the decisions go to the Cabinet and that the business case be shared with the Panel. The Cabinet Member stated that the Panel are scrutinising whether the Cabinet are doing things in line with what was laid out, individual decisions on separate schemes were not planned to come to the Panel.

Councillor Johnson (Paulton ward) stated that he did not know Bath as well as some others so it would have been useful to see some more detail (maps) showing before and after data from the current trials. The Cabinet Member stated that the Panel are checking that plans are in line with policies that have already been decided and stated that all information will be available on the website regarding the Single Member Decisions.

Councillor David explained that she had been involved in some community work which had identified a crossing point/traffic calming/pavement widening and asked if this type of work would still be taken forward if there are funding methods available. The Cabinet Member stated that none of the community work would be wasted and it is identifying funding streams that is the key determinant. Some of the schemes score highly due to the traffic restriction criteria. She stated that maybe some unspent money could forward such schemes. The overarching policy was about health and wellbeing and making it easier to walk and cycle.

Councillor Leach asked if several designs were considered for each scheme. The Cabinet Member explained that the officers and consultants got a shopping list of potential interventions. They did not have a 2/3 year period to look at every scheme possible. With the ETRO’s – the trial is, in effect part of the consultation. We have done all we can to take in all evidence and tweaks can be made to the schemes on the ground.

Councillor Leach asked if other options were considered where modal filter location options were assessed. The Director of Place Management explained that the officers and consultants consider the best area for the modal filter based on feedback from the community.

Councillor Heijltjes stated that some of the 15 schemes include through traffic restrictions (eg Lyme Gardens) and other do not. The Cabinet Project Lead stated that the Lyme Gardens scheme is a proposal as part of a bigger piece. He stated that he is keen to explore the ‘school street’ element. Not all schemes could be worked up in the time so schemes that were deliverable in the timeline were identified. We tried to include a range of geographies.

Councillor Hughes asked if the Cabinet Member was happy with engagement in terms of the consultation response being balanced between residents and those living in areas of displacement. The Cabinet Member stated that some people will say we do too much engagement and others say not enough. We went out of our way to have drop-in sessions. We decided to go down the trial route which in effect is the consultation. We have to balance the responses such as the comparison between somebody having to drive 3 minutes longer and health and safety of the wider area.

Councillor Leach asked about the level of traffic analysis for each of the designs. Cathryn Brown - Senior Project Manager, explained that in the wider Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme the approach as been the trial and monitoring. Some have had baseline monitoring before a pilot and then continued monitoring to allow comparison.

It was explained that Councillor Leach’s further questions (with answers supplied by officers and the Cabinet Member) would be circulated to Panel members and appended to the minutes.

Councillor Heijltjes asked if the circulation plans could be brought to the Panel.