Rail electrification update

Network rail have issued an update today on the progress of their work in preparation for electrification of  rail network through Bath.

The update is reproduced below.

We had a busy week with several key guests visiting our sites to see the progress of the work which is progressing well to hand back the line on time at 05:15 am on Tuesday, 1 September.
Guests on site

We had the privilege of hosting the visit of Claire Perry, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (pictured below with Andy Haynes, Network Rail’s West of England project director) this Wednesday at our track lowering sites. Our project team showed her the work completed at Box Tunnel and the current works at Sydney Gardens. She was very impressed with the scale of the programme, the amount of planning and our progress over the last five weeks. 

On the same day we hosted the One Show who came along for a second day to film a piece on Box Tunnel, its history and the challenges of track lowering. Also in attendance was the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s great-great-grandson visiting the tunnel for the very first time. The piece will be aired early in September. Please keep an eye on our Twitter account, @networkrailgwrm, where we will let you know the date as soon as it is confirmed.

Work's progress

We're happy to report that the track lowering work at Box Tunnel is finished, with just some snagging work to complete by the weekend. We will be starting tamping on the up road at Middle Hill Tunnel tonight, to finish work on this site this weekend as well.

We have finished stressing and tamping yesterday at Bathampton Junction. We will carry out signal testing work over the next few days to confirm that all systems communicate properly in order to open the line as planned on Tuesday morning.

We started track lowering work at Sydney Gardens this Monday and work is progressing well. It is of course the jewel in the crown of Brunel’s railway and as part of a World Heritage Site, it deserves a lot of care and attention to be given to it as we undertake such a large piece of work. Those of you who have been able to go to the gardens and view the work will appreciate just how constrained a site this is, with lots of men and big pieces of kit required, all contained between the high retaining wall, the low balustrade wall and 4 listed bridges!

We are monitoring the high retaining wall to ensure that our works do not disturb it or to notify us should anything untoward happen. We are very pleased to report that as we type, no movement has been detected. 
The core works are due to finish early Saturday morning but of course the fencing will remain up for a couple of days more and you will continue to see activity, as we complete all the necessary testing we have to do prior to handing the line back to First Great Western.

The last few days of a project are always the most critical and Sydney Gardens is a fairly complex site, but we are confident that we will finish on time and re-open the line as planned on Tuesday, 1 September.

Bath & North East Somerset Carers centre

The August ebriefing from Bath & North East Somerset carers centre is out now and makes some interesting reading.

If you are a carer then this is a must for you or even if you are just interested it makes a good read.

Carers centre  ebreifing 

Rail updates

Network Rail have issued an update on 21st August on the progress that they are making with the track upgrades in The Bath area.

Please see below the update issued.

Progress at Box Tunnel and Bathampton Junction
We’ve completed the lowering and installation of the new track inside Box Tunnel on the up main line and we’re on track to finish tamping and stressing work this weekend.
 We will start lowering the track on the up main line from Box Tunnel to west of Middle Hill Tunnel as well this weekend. This work is due to finish at the end of next week, but more updates on this in our next newsletter. Work at Bathampton Junction is progressing well and we’re on schedule to finish welding and stressing next Wednesday. 

Sydney Gardens – work starts today
The final stage of work starts today in Sydney Gardens. For the next three days we will be working from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm on the drainage. On Monday morning we will be starting the track lower. Please remember we will be working around the clock until Saturday, 29 August.
We will be holding a drop in session in Sydney Gardens next Tuesday, 25 August from 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm. Look for the orange tent (pictured below) between the railway and the Holburne 
Museum. Our team will be happy to answer any of your questions.

The bus replacement service - First Great Western 
The intensive rail replacement operation has settled down to operate smoothly bringing commuters and visitors to and from Bath.
The highly visible bus coordinators and customer service staff brought in to look after the bus operation and the customers have added a welcoming, helpful and informative personal touch.

Confidence and knowledge has grown and the customer service staff in Bath have become adept at helping customers with train and bus information, but also act as information sources for local buses and mini tourist guides to the thousands of tourists enjoying a visit to Bath.

Traffic congestion in Bath remains a challenge, but some mitigations developed in association with BANES City Council, such as an extended bus lane on London Road, phasing of traffic lights at a key junction and re-locating some standby vehicles have helped minimising delays in the evening peak. 
Coordinators and customer service staff at Chippenham, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Frome continue to offer excellent support at these key bus/rail or bus/bus interchange locations.

Twerton Summer Focus

I am pleased to be able to produce online the latest Twerton Focus newsletter that will soon be dropping through local doors

Not got yours yet you soon will have.

bogus council tax scam warning,

Bath & North East Somerset Council is warning residents to be wary after reports of bogus calls being made to households in the area about Council Tax.

The caller states that they are from a company which, for a fee, can arrange to reduce the household’s Council Tax for them by having their current band reviewed.

The company involved has no connection to Bath & North East Somerset Council and is not contacting households on our behalf.

We would advise anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be working on behalf of the Council to reduce Council Tax charges and asking for a fee, to end the call straightaway. Anyone affected by bogus cold callers should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service helpline on 03454 04 05 06. If you are concerned that you may have compromised the safety of your bank details, you should contact your bank immediately.

If you think that your property might be in the wrong Council Tax band, you can ask the Valuation Office Agency to review it for you. This service is free. You do not have to pay to have your Council Tax band reviewed.  

Information about making an appeal against your banding is available on the GOV.UK website (https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-appeals/challenge-your-band), or you can contact the local Valuation Office Agency for advice - phone: 0300 050151 / email: ctwest@voa.gsi.gov.uk.

Electrification of rail Network

Network Rail have been carrying out improvements to the rail tracks in preparation for electrification works. 

Below is a statement issued by Network rail on the work that they are doing.


We’re almost at the end of the fourth week of our project to prepare the Bath railway line for electrification, with one piece of work completed at Dundas and the other sites progressing well.

Dundas Aqueduct - track work completed on time
We have successfully completed the track work at this location last weekend, with approximately one mile of track lowered in one week. This wasn't a project without challenges, as due to the high temperatures recorded last weekend, we had to re-schedule a piece of stressing work on the up main line for next Wednesday, 19 August. There will also be some follow up work in the area during the second half of next week, as originally planned. 
The track lower work at Dundas will allow the line to be used as a diversionary route for freight trains in the future. It also means that we now have the right capacity for the DMUs (diesel shuttle trains) that will be cascaded from the Thames Valley area once the electrification project is complete, which will give an increased passenger capacity on the valley line for local commuters. 
If you’d like to see the scale of the project and the level of the work involved, but also the beautiful scenery at Dundas, please watch the stunning time-lapse video below. We hope you’ll enjoy it.

Network Rail Video

Box Tunnel and Bathampton Junction - work progress
The track lowering work in Box Tunnel is progressing well and we are on schedule. Our team is currently working on the up main line coming from the Corsham end of the tunnel, relaying the ballast and the new tracks.
It has been a challenging week for our team working at Bathampton Junction. On Monday night we had more spoil to remove than expected. However, our national supply chain came up trumps and sent in an additional train at very short notice. This has had a slight impact on the programme but nothing to worry about. Our planning team has worked hard to reduce the impact.

The rail replacement service – First Great Western
The rail replacement service is running very well, with many peak morning services arriving early. First Great Western is in constant contact with the council to identify and resolve any issues as they arise. Bath is very much open for business throughout the rest of the work.

Quality Care commission bulliton

For those of you who take and interest in health matters or are in the caring profession may want to take a look at the latest bulletin from the Quality care commission.

The bulletin can be viewed on this link  Quality Care commission bulletin

In the latest edition is the following.

CQC news
New approch to inspecting substance misuse services; consultation launched on joint targeted area inspections;  new approach to inspecting NHS 111 services.

Public information 
National survey of children and young people; NHS trust inspections for November; CQC listening events.

Our themed inspection programme
Integrated care for older people.

CQC and OSCs - local sharing information
Rating of health and care services in your area; keep in touch; regional networks and CfPS; watch out for...

Voter registration,

Are you entitled to vote, make sure that you are or you may well regret not registering, It is also worth remembering that it is a legal requirement to register and you can be fined up to £1000 for failing to register.

I have returned my annual return online this morning and it took me less than 5 minutes to complete.

Households in Bath and North East Somerset will have received a form this week, asking residents to check that the information that appears on the electoral register about those living at their address is correct.

This is part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s annual voter registration canvass. The aim is to ensure that the electoral register is up-to-date and identify and encourage any residents who are not registered to do so.

With Police and Crime Commissioner elections taking place across the Avon & Somerset Police Area in May 2016, this is an opportunity for residents to make sure that they are registered to vote.

“If you’re not currently registered, the council will send you information explaining how to do this or you can apply online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

It’s particularly important that anyone who has moved address recently looks out for the form and checks whether they are registered.

Research by the independent Electoral Commission indicates that across Great Britain recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those that have lived at the same address for a long time. The research showed that 94% of people who have been at their property for more than 16 years will be registered compared to 40% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.

The same research indicates that whilst almost 95% of outright home owners are registered, this is the case for only 63% of private renters.

Any residents who have questions can contact Electoral Services either by phone on 01225 477333 or email elections@bathnes.gov.uk

City cycle hire scheme goes from strength to strength

The Nextbike cycle hire scheme that was introduced by the previous Liberal Democrat administration has seen substantial growth since its introduction last year, winning fans amongst residents and visitors alike.

With bike ‘stations’ located at nine key points around the city, the bikes have been ideal for people wishing to substitute the car for shorter journeys while also enabling visitors to get to Bath’s most popular attractions just a few minutes ride away. Since launch, over 7,000 journeys have been made by Nextbikes and the demand has been such that now three new stations are also being installed to boost the number of bikes available to 130.

Registration for Nextbike can be done via phone, mobile app or internet, and with hire charges from as low as £1 for 30 minutes, it’s a competitive alternative to the car or bus. For more information visit www.nextbike.co.uk.

Nextbike stations are installed at the following locations:

·         Green Park Road

·         Orange Grove

·         Bath Spa railway station

·         Sydney Place (Holburne Museum)

·         Royal United Hospital

·         Bath Spa University Newton St Loe campus (2 stations)

·         Bath Spa University Sion Hill campus

·         Charlotte Street car park

·         Newbridge Marina/Caravan Park

·         UNITE student apartments Lower Bristol Road

·         Moorland Road

·         Opening in the Autumn: Newbridge Park & Ride

Do you want to be self employed and are not quite sure what to do next 

Clean slate have announced their new training scheme for those wanting to go in to self employment.

Jobs by BOB (Being your Own Boss) launched last week at Bath JCP and is available to anyone with training or experience in the trades and looking to learn the the basics of self-employment.

Jobs by BOB training consists of 5 workshops, held weekly, covering subjects such as book-keeping, marketing, professional standards.

Once training is completed, tradespeople will be eligible for sub-contractor work on the  handyperson enterprise HandyHelp Co.

Read more on Jobs by BOB and how to apply here

Not enough on the links above and want to know more of what Clean Slate do and have to offer then go to their web site on this link http://cleanslateltd.co.uk

Don’t fall victim to scam cold callers

Bath & North East Somerset Council is warning people to be wary of telephone cold callers who claim to be from their insurance provider as it may be a scam.

The Council’s Trading Standards team has received reports of residents being phoned by cold callers who claim that an adjustment needs to be made to their household insurance policy, or offering them a cheaper deal. The caller confirms the first four digits of the consumer’s bank card and then asks the consumer to confirm the remaining digits. When the caller is challenged by the consumer and is asked to put the request in writing, the caller hangs up. The caller is currently operating from a London number – area code 02038.

“If you receive an unsolicited or unexpected telephone call be on your guard as it may be a scam. The fraudsters sound convincing, professional and may claim to represent a business you know, for example your bank or an official organisation. They may pressure you to act quickly, either because they want to trick you into believing you will miss a golden opportunity to make money or that you will suffer some sort of loss. Never give personal or financial information out to anyone who cold calls you on the telephone. Be cautious and if in doubt, hang up.”

If you receive a scam telephone call, you can report it to Action Fraud – 0300 123 20 40. You can also report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 for referral to Trading Standards for investigation.

If you were duped into giving your bank, building society, credit card or debit card details, or your pin number contact your bank, building society or finance provider immediately and seek their advice. If you have been the victim of a fraud they may be able to help.

Lib Dems slam public health budget cuts in B&NES

Figures released by the Department for Health show the Conservative Government is planning a £544,000 cut to the public health budget in B&NES. The budget pays for programmes to help improve people’s health so there is less pressure on the NHS.

Work undertaken by public health budgets include encouraging people to exercise more, give up smoking, drink less, come off drugs and drink and avoid sexually transmitted diseases.

“This cut will mean that local residents are less likely to make good decisions on their health, and when they do need help it is less likely to be there for them”, says Lib Dem Councillor Tim Ball (Twerton, Lib Dem spokesperson on health).

“Cutting the budget in the middle of the financial year means it will be really difficult to make these cuts. Liberal Democrats say these are the wrong cuts, made in the wrong way and they will end up costing the Government and the NHS more than is saved.”