Monday 29th March 2021, 5pm
Webinar - Cleveland Bridge Refurbishment
Motorists are being advised about traffic management arrangements ahead of essential engineering works to repair Bath’s historic Cleveland Bridge.
The £3.8 million scheme is set to start in April, when scaffolding is erected, ahead of the bridge closing fully in May. It is expected to take seven months to complete the work.
This public webinar is taking place to explain the need for repairs and to answer questions about the scheme
29 March 2021 via Zoom
Virtual doors open: 17.00-18.00
Register through this link:
https://bathnes.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aDux1-s4TeKoiitq9J17-g
People can submit questions beforehand through the email address - mark_hayward@bathnes.gov.uk and they can also ask questions at the webinar.
You can keep up to date on news regarding Cleveland Bridge by signing up for the council’s weekly e-connect newsletter and following the council on
Twitter @bathnes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bathnes/
BATH CLEAN AIR ZONE
The Council is introducing the Clean Air Charging zone for Bath from Monday March 15th.
Please see the link attached to the Council website which explains a map of the charging zone and the vehicle charges that will apply.
Please note that all private cars are exempt from charges. Vans, taxis and delivery vehicles which don't meet emission standards will face charges if they travel through the charging zone.
The red advance notice signage will be replaced with zone boundary signs.
Bath's Clean Air Zone | Bath and North East Somerset Council (bathnes.gov.uk)
LTN Q&A with Cllr Joanna Wright
Please see a link to an interview with councillor Joanna Wright. She addresses questions regarding the Low Traffic Neighbourhood development process.
We are awaiting information from our ward councillors regarding the next stages in the council’s plans, a timeline and the selection criteria which determines the first areas to be chosen. Also a more detailed plan for how local consultation will be conducted. We hope to have this information soon.
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/politics/transport-boss-concerns-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-93730/
Developments for Low Traffic Neighbourhood for the Lansdown Crescent Area and Winifred's Lane
Earlier this month The Association had a meeting with our Ward Councillors and other Resident Representatives from St James's Square, Cavendish Road, Cavendish Crescent, Somerset Place, Sion Hill/Summerhill Road, Sion Hill Place and Winifred's Lane. We provided evidence of the impacts (in non-Lockdown times) of increased traffic volumes (rat running), speeding on Cavendish Road and Winifred's Lane and finally violations of the width restriction TRO on Lansdown Crescent and Cavendish Road.
Our Councillors have taken all of this evidence and will be working with the Highways Officers to determine whether our area becomes a candidate for a trial Low Traffic Neighbourhood. If we are shortlisted there will be local consultation which residents will be invited to participate in later this year.
Many areas across Bath are seeking to participate in these trials, to protect their residential roads from speeding and rat running without displacing onto other residential roads. We think that this is an important consideration and have worked hard since our Summer AGM to work with our neighbouring Resident Associations and Councillors to provide the correct evidence for our area. We are now awaiting news from our Councillors regarding the first schemes in Bath or in BNES to be trialled with an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order.
Somerset Live Article on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
Dear Members, we thought you’d be interested in the following recent article on Somerset Live:
Low traffic neighbourhoods in Bath: what will happen to traffic?
Guardian Article on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
Dear Members, we thought you’d be interested in the following recent article in the Guardian:
Despite a loud opposing minority, low-traffic neighbourhoods are increasingly popular
Council Webinar on Liveable Neighbourhood Strategy
Dear Members
The Council conducted a webinar on their Liveable Neighbourhood strategy . Our Chair attended on behalf of the Lansdown Crescent Association.
They have recorded the panel discussion and we would recommend watching, by clicking here.
Bath Council Liveable Neighbourhoods Consultation
Dear Members
Please find a consultation document from Bath Council, (very clear and straight forward to complete). This is the first stage of consultations which the Council will undertake. The document is seeking views for their city wide approach.
I hope that you find the time to participate in the online survey. The vote taken at this year’s LCA AGM demonstrates an appetite amongst our membership for improvements across the city and a recognition that rat-running needs to be addressed on our residential streets and heritage environments; so please take part and make sure that your views are registered.
Regards
Rachael Hushon
Chair Lansdown Crescent Association
Lansdown Crescent Road Closure 22nd September
Dear Members
A road closure was planned for 22nd September on Lansdown Crescent for construction purposes.
The Highways planned closure would, however, result in traffic diverting around Upper Lansdown Mews, which we believe to be dangerous given how narrow the mews is and how unsuitable it is for two way rush hour traffic.
We have alerted our Councillors and I have contacted the Highways Officer to try to widen the closure and effectively stop any traffic cutting through the area using the mews as the diversionary route. I will keep you informed on our progress.
Best Wishes
Rachael Hushon
Chair Lansdown Crescent Association
LCA AGM 2020 Low Traffic Neighbourhood Vote
Dear Members,
We have the result of last night's vote taken at our AGM. (The minutes to follow on and be ratified)
The motion was:
“ I support the principle of a low traffic neighbourhood for the Lansdown Crescent area (including the protection of Upper Lansdown Mews) and support the LCA Committee in progressing the resident consultation process with BaNES”
Over 87% of the votes which could be counted (74 out of a total of 84) voted yes. This is the number we use to carry the motion.
Some residents sent proxy votes in too late (according to our constitution) so unfortunately we were not able to count those, however we have chosen to show you these votes to be fully transparent. If they had been included we would have had 100 votes cast with 89% voting yes.
The Committee would like to thank everyone for becoming involved in this, we will now start the process of requesting consultation, this will take a long time we are sure, but we have to start somewhere!
Please be assured that we took on board all of the comments made last night, we will keep our web site up to date with any progress and at each stage we will hold consultation events either in person or via zoom. Or if you simply want an update from the committee just email (contact details are on our web site)
Many Thanks
The Lansdown Crescent Association Committee
The breakdown of the overall result was as follows:
St Stephen’s Clean Air Zone Camera Preparation
The work to create a Clean Air Zone in Bath has reached St Stephen’s, and roadworks were recently completed in preparation of the installation of cameras.
North Somerset Planning Authority refuses application to expand Bristol Airport
Please click here to read the BBC report on the planning rejection
Please click here to read the letter written on behalf of LCA and FoBRA to Wera Hobhouse MP, expressing opposition to Bristol Airport’s expansion plans
And here’s the response from Wera Hothouse MP:
Dear Dr Bishop,
Many thanks for your letter, sharing the concerns of the Lansdown Crescent Association about the proposals to expand Bristol Airport.
As you may be aware, North Somerset Council recently made the decision to reject the planning application for the Airport's expansion. Given the urgency of the climate emergency, I very much believe that this was the right decision and include a link to my comments on it here: werahobhouse.co.uk/rejection_of_bristol_airport_expansion
You raised the very important point in your letter that the plans did not include sufficient infrastructure for public transport to reach the airport, instead including an additional 2,100 extra parking spaces. If the Airport is serious about reducing its carbon emissions, then it should be encouraging use of public transport, rather than private car.
A number of constituents have raised concerns over noise pollution from aircrafts, and I understand their frustrations, particularly when noise is late at night or especially disruptive. I have previously contacted the Airport so that they are aware of these concerns.
I recognise that flying is a part of life in a global world, however, the scale of the climate crisis means that we have a moral duty not to expand an industry that contributes to it. Innovation will play a key role in addressing the climate crisis, and aviation is no exception. Whereas the transition to electric vehicles is helping to reduce the impact of car travel on the environment, we do not yet have an alternative to jet fuel, and I believe we should support the aviation industry in the development of new fuels and, if necessary, new designs of planes.
However, while these technologies have not yet been developed, the aviation industry cannot be allowed to expand above its current size. In our manifesto, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I put forward a number of suggestions for reducing the climate impact of flying, including reform the taxation of international flights and placing a moratorium on the development of new runways in the UK. I believe that the climate emergency is the biggest challenge that currently faces us and, with this in mind, I welcome the decision to reject expansion of Bristol Airport.
Please pass on my thanks to the rest of the Lansdown Crescent Association for getting in touch to share their concerns, and I hope that this response helps to clarify my position. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With best wishes,
Wera Hobhouse
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath
01225 307024
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods - LCA Report
On 28th January 2020, two of our Committee members, Robin Kerr (Chair) and Rachael Hushon (Recycling and Rubbish, FOBRA and Neighbourhood Watch) attended a meeting at the Guildhall .
Here is their report
Consultation – LCA Response - November 2019
The council are undergoing the final stage of consultation for the clean air zone for Bath. This proposal has implications for Lansdown Crescent.
The council are proposing to introduce a class C CAZ with a traffic light intervention at Queen Square - traffic lights which sense NO2 levels at Gay street and subsequently control flows in and out of Queen Square. The unfortunate consequence of this option is that there is predicted to be displacement of traffic along Marlborough buildings and Cavendish road. Page 13 of the consultation leaflet (see link) details the displacement they expect: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/bath-breathes-2021-overview
LCA are concerned that this will further increase rat-running along our Crescent, as much of Cavendish Road’s traffic impacts on Lansdown Crescent. We have worked with Cavendish Road, Cavendish Crescent and Saint James’s Square Associations and asked the Council to put in place measures to mitigate this displacement and hinder rat running in our area and along our Crescent.
LCA supports the CAZ. If the Class C CAZ doesn’t meet targets for environmental compliance then we shall support the Council in a switch to a Class D CAZ. We urge you to voice your concerns about the Queen Square intervention and the impact on Lansdown Crescent, by participating in the questionnaire https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZJB7CHT.
Lastly, we shall be organising a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss how we can cut rat running on our Crescent (See below).
Clean Air Zone Consultation LCA Response - Meeting at St Stephen’s Church Foyer
- 7pm to 8pm, Friday 8th November 2019
The Council’s consultation for the Clean Air Charging zone for Bath has now finished. We await the results to be published soon.
Our Chairman, Robin Kerr, with Nick Bishop and Rachael Hushon participated in several meetings with the Councillors in charge of the introduction of the scheme as well as our Ward Councillors to ensure that the implications for Lansdown Crescent area were properly considered and any negative impacts were mitigated.
Most importantly for our area are the possible displacement effects which the traffic interventions at Queen Square are predicted to create via Cavendish Road (this is on top of the current rat running we already experience).
The Council are keen to help us protect Lansdown Crescent’s residential and tranquil nature (particularly given its special mention in Bath’s World Heritage Status) and are open to our becoming a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) akin to the Royal Crescent. This would mean we would protect our Crescent and it would no longer be used as a rat run for speeding cars or a cut through for Coaches en route to the Royal Crescent; but LTNs have only one vehicle entrance.
In conjunction with our discussions, residents from St James Square, Cavendish Crescent, Sion Hill and Cavendish Road are also seeking ways to reduce the speedy and unsafe rat running on Cavendish Road whilst hoping to get low emission hopper buses introduced to serve Bath Spa Campus and local residents up to Sion Hill. We want to support them in this initiative.
We invite you to attend a meeting to discuss the issues. If however you can’t make the date detailed above please don’t hesitate to email or phone. For the purposes of collating feedback contact Rachael at (Rachael Hushon | Email) or on 07917 323442.
BBC reports on Clean Air Zone
Lorries on Pavements
We’d like to remind all residents to ensure that, whilst undertaking building work on their properties, they should ensure that trades people observe parking regulations. Recently we’ve had delivery and construction vehicles mounting the pavement on the Crescent and at Lansdown Place East (see picture) . This is illegal, is a danger to pedestrians and risks damaging both the pennant stone pavement; and, more worryingly, is a risk to the vaults below the pavement. Our committee will pass on photographs of any offending vehicles to parking enforcement and to our Councillors.
Width Restrictions
After a lot of negotiation with our council and councillors, we are pleased to report that our area is now subject to a width restriction. You may have noticed the signs, the last of which was put up on Friday 3 January. The effect of this will be to restrict entry to Lansdown Place East and West, and therefore the Crescent and Upper Lansdown Mews, to vehicles narrower than 2m (6’ 6”) other than for access. So no more tourist buses or lorries taking short cuts! Any such vehicle that disobeys these signs will have breached a traffic regulation order so will be liable to a fine
Scaffolding at rear of 8LC
Dear Resident
We are carrying out refurbishment work on 8 lansdown crescent, we will be having scaffolding put up on the rear of the building on Tuesday 4th feb, this will mean blocking upper lansdown mews out side the rear of the double gates which access 7 lansdown crescent, we will put signs up at each entrance to upper lansdown mews to warn people of this on the day.
On Wednesday 5th feb we will have the scaffolders working on the front part of building. We will suspend two parking bays outside number 8 to avoid them blocking any traffic.
We appreciate your patience while we carry out these works.
Josh - Foreman in charge of site works
