Sainsbury planning application

It is being widely reported that the new Sainsbury's planning application is being opposed by environmental groups and other large businesses as well as residents groups.

We have concerns that the proposed new store is two large for the area and will have detrimental affects on the local area.

The plans seem to be a magnet for cars and will cause further traffic congestion and have drastic affects on nearby residential accommodation.

Sarah Moore has already made objections along with many other residents and I will be making representations to the planning committee when it determines this application in October this year.

Although this application is not in the Westmoreland Ward we are making comments due to affects on Westmorelamd residents.

We will post more information as it becomes available.

By Councillor Sharon Ball

Tesco planning appeal update

Residents have been asking when a decision will be made on the Tesco planning appeal that took place in July at Bath City Football Club.

What have made a few enquiries and can report that the inspector is expected to report on the to the planning appeal to the Secretary of state by 23rd September and the final decision issued by16th December 2013, so we do not expect a answer any time soon.

We will report on the appeal result as soon as we have it.

Riverside Walk

Work is to be carried out along the river bank from the City Centre.

The new fence is to have its bolts tightened up that have come loose to ensure the safety of young Children who regularly use the path.

The grass verge is also going to be removed along this area and put down to Tarmac clearing away many of the problems in this area

Changes to 15 Bus Service

There are changes to the 15 Bus Service that may help local residents but time will tell. We will post more details as soon as we have them, they will certainly affect the student community.

The Timetable has been amended. 


The service will no longer serve Grand Parade and will operate from Bath Bus Station bay 15 instead.
 
The service will operate direct along Lower Bristol Road before continuing its normal route over Windsor Bridge and along Newbridge Road. 

It will no longer operate via Lower Oldfield Park or Brougham Hayes. 

A new service 15A will operate from Lower Oldfield Park to Bath Spa University on Mondays to Fridays (except Bank Holidays). 

Lidl former Herman Miller site

I had a good meeting with Lidl on Monday concerning the former Herman Miller building.

I came away from the meeting encouraged that the possibility of Lidl on the Lower Bristol Road site has moved  forward and we may soon see the reality of a Lidl in the not too distant future.

I am pleased to be able to report that Lidl are planning to tidy up this site and will be removing the graffiti from the building at our request.

It is very important that we keep this building clean and tidy as this area is a gateway into the World Heritage site.

Fines of £16,500 for law breaking landlords

I am pleased to be able to report that Landlords of three properties including one in Westmoreland ward who were riding roughshod over property management rules have been successfully prosecuted by Bath & North East Somerset Council this week (12 August 2013). Bath Magistrates handed out a combined total of £16,500 worth of fines and costs against the landlords. The prosecutions were as a result of Council inspections which uncovered poor property conditions for tenants, dangerous fire precautions, inadequate heating, broken window panes, and mould, amongst many other problems. Councillor Tim Ball (Lib-Dem, Twerton), Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, said, “These cases serve as an important reminder for any landlord thinking they can creep below the radar of Bath & North East Somerset Council and disregard the safety of their tenants. Our message is crystal clear. If you fail to protect your tenants from potentially life changing risks like fire you will be hit in the pocket by prosecution through the courts. Our Housing Services Team is here to provide guidance for any landlord who is unclear on the rules. There is no excuse.” Graham Sabourn, Council Head of Housing, said, “We will use the powers it has at our disposal to prosecute landlords who have no regard for the rules which are there to support people’s health and maintain the safety of tenants.” If landlords are in any doubt about whether their property is an HMO or what measures they must take to ensure health and safety for their tenants, they should contact the Council’s Housing Team on 01225 396418 or email housing@bathnes.gov.uk Case details Manager of Royal Dragon, 91 Coronation Avenue • Fined £2,000 for failure to licence a licensable HMO and £2,000 for failure to manage the property. Costs were awarded at £500; • The Council were concerned about the living conditions of the shared house above the take away. Officers found the property in poor condition with extremely dangerous fire precautions, lack of heating and fall hazards. Avon Fire and Rescue served an Emergency Prohibition Order to prevent the property being used for sleeping; • The property was also found to be operating as an illegal HMO. While the owners undertook remedial work they failed to apply for an HMO licence. Leaseholders of Cinnamon, 68 High Street, Keynsham • Fined £2,000 for failure to licence a licensable HMO and £2,000 for failure to manage the property. Costs were awarded at £500; • The Council visited as part of a routine inspection program and found the property was operating illegally without an HMO licence; • The property was also in poor condition with no fire precautions, dangerous electrics, inadequate heating, and a falls from height hazard. Manager (leaseholder) of Oriental Express, 9 Lansdown Road, Bath • Fined £4,000 for failure to licence a licensable HMO and £3,000 for failure to manage the property. Costs were awarded at £500. • The Council visited the property following a complaint from a neighbour. It was found the property was in poor condition with dangerous electrics, poor fire precautions, inadequate fire separation between the takeaway and shared house, no heating, the bathroom was in disrepair, there were broken windows panes, damp and mould, and trip and fall hazards. It was established the property was operating illegally without a HMO licence.

Remaining Gas Tower To Be Decommissioned

I am pleased to be able to report that the final gas tower that has dominated the horizon for decades is to come down.

In a joint press release Crest and Bath & North East Somerset Council have announced that work will soon commence to decommission the last remaining gas holder at Bath Riverside, clearing the way for the rest of the Bath Riverside development and other adjoining sites to progress.

Two of the site’s three gas holders have already been taken down, although much of their structures remain in the ground.

The gas holder needs to be decommissioned to remove the current Health and Safety Executive restriction on development occupation and before the land can be decontaminated, and the structure eventually removed. The decommissioning process will be completed in 2013 with demolition and decontaminationthen likely to take at least eighteen months following which the site will then be prepared for redevelopment.

This marks a significant step forward for the regeneration of Bath Riverside as well as enabling other developments to come forward within Bath’s recently formed Enterprise Area which is transforming the western corridor of the River Avon.

Crest, working in Partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council are utilising £4.1m funding from the West of England’s Local Enterprise Partnership to decommission and remove the gas holders. Wales &West Utilities, the owner of the facility will undertake the works on behalf of the Bath Riverside project.

Crest’s Executive Director, Chris Tinker, overseeing the Riverside development said, “This is really positive news for Bath Riverside, and in turn the city as a whole. “

“The development is already transforming this riverside corridor into a vibrant community having creatednearly 300 new homes with a further 1,700 due to be completed by 2025.”

“The last remaining tower needs to be removed to allow us to progress with this important regeneration project which will bring opportunities for local people in the coming years.”

Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council, said, “The removal of the gasholders is a crucial milestone in the regeneration of this site that will provide thousands of urgently needed homes for local people. This project is a fantastic example of partnership working between the Council and the private sector to revitalise a rundown, brownfield site which previously had little value to anyone. It will now play a huge part in Bath’s future as a major part of city life, including the Bath Enterprise Area.”

Chris Tinker added, “We are delighted that in conjunction with B&NES Council, we have been able to secure the funding required. This will enable the Bath Riverside development to continue to mature into a thriving new urban quarter providing an excellent living environment for residents.”

Chris Clarke, Director of Asset Management for Wales & West, said “Wales & West Utilities are pleased to be able to cooperate with Bath & North East Somerset and Crest Nicholson to remove the planning restrictions imposed by the presence of the gas holder, and we will be replacing the storage by utilising underground pipework to ensure continuity of supply.”

Seagull issues

It is great to see that following action by both Westmoreland ward Councillors, Bookers Cash & Carry have finally started to take action against the seagulls by putting netting on their roof.

This will hopefully prevent future nesting on the roof and help to decrease the numbers of seagulls in this particular area of the ward.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the residents in Brook Road and Bellotts Road that signed the petition that I organised and sent to both the local Bookers warehouse and their head office to ask for this action to be taken.

by 
Sarah Moore

Bellotts Road & Inverness Road road safety

We are pleased that the white lines that we asked for several weeks ago have now been placed at several locations in order to prevent parking on corners and remove obstructions to traffic in small roads.

This also helps prevent accidents and leads to improved road safety for both vehicles and also for pedestrians attempting to cross roads.

The white lines that are enforceable by the Police have been placed at the bottom of Bellotts Road and also at Inverness Road and Burnham Road.

Unite residents drop in sessions

I have attended a very helpful meeting with Unite and student representatives of Bath Spa University at the unite buildings on the Lower Bristol Road.

We discussed how the accommodation blocks integrate with the community and any issues that may come from the community concerning students living in the accommodation.

I am pleased to be able to report that a drop in session has been set up for residents who may be directly affected, to visit the Unite building on 10th September from 7pm to discuss any issues of concern.

I will also be at the drop in session on 10th and look forward to meeting residents even if you just want to have a chat.

If you are not able to make this one please contact myself or Sarah or pop into on of our advertised monthly surgeries to discuss the matter with us.










By Councillor Sharon Ball

Family activities in Bath this Summer

There is plenty for the family to do in Bath this summer at the Cities museums this summer.

So if the children are bored you may find some of these activities will give you back a bit of peace and quiet.

Roman Baths family drop-in activities (10am-1pm & 2pm-4pm):

• Monday 5 August: Romans versus Celts – investigate the differences and similarities between the Romans and Celts
• Monday 12 August: Invasion – discover more about the Roman army’s invasion of Britain
• Monday 19 August: Cook it up! – investigate what the Romans ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Monday 26 August: What's in a name? – make a Roman name badge.

Fashion Museum family drop-in activities involving printing techniques inspired by the Laura Ashley designs on display (10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-3.30pm):

• Tuesday 6 August: Flower power
• Tuesday 13 August: Hedgerow hunt
• Tuesday 20 August: Patchwork pick.

 NEW Victoria Art Gallery Art Club activities for children aged 3-5 years old (including squash and biscuits) £4 per child – book on 01225 477233:

• Thursday 15 August, 10.30-11.30am: Sun, sand and sea – enjoy making fishy underwater scenes
• Thursday 22 August, 10.30-11.30am: Buses and cars – create art from toy buses and cars.

Victoria Art Gallery Art Club activities (10.30am-12noon & 1.30pm-3pm; for 5-11 year olds) £4 per child – book on 01225 477233:

• Friday 2 August: Cats and dogs – add some animal magic to your art
• Friday 9 August: Picture postcard – create holiday picture postcards to send or keep
• Friday 16 August: Fabulous flowers, beautiful bugs – create fascinating floral images and bizarre bug worlds
• Friday 23 August: Architecture as art – build a cityscape using mixed media
• Friday 30 August: Food glorious food – cook-up a special still life painting.

Admission to Bath & North East Somerset Council’s family drop-in events at the Roman Baths and Fashion Museum is free to local residents on production of a Discovery Card. Normal entry prices apply to everyone else. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Residents can apply for a Discovery Card by taking along two forms of ID to the following Council buildings: the Roman Baths; Riverside in Keynsham; The Hollies in Midsomer Norton and also the Discovery Card point in the One Stop Shop on Manvers Street, Bath.

For more details of heritage events including listings, the online leaflet and website links for the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery, visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/heritageevents or pick up a leaflet in your local library.

Junction obstructions

Following requests from residents, Councillor Sharon Ball and I met with Council officers to discuss issues with parking.

We are pleased to see that following these meetings the white lines have finally been painted on the corners at the junction of Mayfield Road and South Avenue, making this area safer for all road users.

The long awaiting white line at the bottom of Bellotts Road has also been started, we have emailed the council to request that this is completed as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing any issues that you would like to discuss, please get in touch

by

Sarah Moore

'The Great Pig Hunt',

Why not go along to an event for the whole family taking place on the Two Tunnels Greenway on Monday 26 August ( Bank Holiday ).

This free event invites families to walk or cycle along the Greenway in search of representations of the famous 'King Bladud's Pigs'.

The Great Pig Hunt is part of Pedal On UK, a UK wide cycle tour taking place between 16th August and 7th September. The ride, made up of Sustrans volunteers, celebrities and Olympic Gamesmakers aims to celebrate the many new walking and cycling routes added to the National Cycle Network - of which the Two Tunnels Greenway is one.

The Pedal On UK riders will stop for lunch at the Bloomfield Road open space around 1pm on the 26th August, and we're also inviting families to bring along their own picnic and have lunch with the riders.

The ride will then depart to Bristol, and should anyone wish to follow the riders to Bristol, they are welcome to do so.

More information can be found at www.pedalonuk.org/bath.

Can't afford your Water Meter Bill

 The WaterSure scheme is available for certain customers with a water meter. It allows them to have their bills capped. This is to make sure that these customers don’t cut back on how much water they use because they are worried about how they will pay their bill.
To qualify for help under the WaterSure scheme, you or someone living with you, needs be entitled to receive one of the following:

• council tax benefit
• housing benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
• Pension Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

In addition, you need to either:

• be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property, or
• have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water. Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

If you qualify for WaterSure, you will pay no more than the average household bill for your company (XLS), even if you use more than the average amount of water.
You will not qualify for WaterSure if you use a garden sprinkler system or have a swimming pool.
If you think you are eligible for WaterSure, you will need to apply through your water company.
More information on benefits, including those listed above is available from Directgov.

Thanks to Lib Dem Councillor Steve Beasant for this information.


By Councillor Sharon Ball