Placemaking plan and metro Mayor

Bath & North East Somerset Council has submitted its placemaking plan for examination by a government inspector.

The placemaking plan is the addition to the councils core strategy and when adopted finalises it into a full local plan that gives clear guidance to developers and housing numbers that the council agrees are needed for the next 15 years.

The link to the plan can be found here http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/placemakingplan

The plan should be robust and be of comfort to many local residents, however the council has a duty to co-operate  with other local councils and this means the development of a spacial strategy with the other four former councils that used to be Avon means additional housing may be needed to meet Bristol's failure to deliver.

The above is another reason that we do not need a Metro Mayor imposed on our area that could dictate where housing that this area does not need would be built just to meet Bristol'sneeds.

The creation of dormitory towns is not an acceptable solution to meet Bristol's failures. Four years of an elected Mayor in Bristol have seen woeful delivery of affordable housing in that area, whereas Bath & North East Somerset under the Liberal Democrats until 2015 saw 4 years of record breaking delivery.

Planning Committee to be pod cast

The development control committee on Bath and North East Somerset Council is to be pod cast in a trial last for 3 months thanks to Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Crossley who persuaded the committee to a agree the trail period.

I hope that this will become permanent as public interest in planning matters is high and it would be good to see democracy in action as far as planning matters are concerned.

The Liberal Democrat administration between 2011 & 2015 introduced the Pod casting of both cabinet meetings and Full Council so adding planning committee is a natural development.

Bathnes Tories rack up problems?

The conservative administration on Bath & North East Somerset Council have certainly got off to a rocky start in their taste of real power.

It could be assumed that with 37 Councillors and a sitting MP they would have an easy time far from it.

So what hurdles have they failed to jump so far?

1) Total chaos in their efforts to deliver a park and ride site to the east of Bath with residents up in arms after they were not listened to.

2) Huge Cuts proposed to Adult services pushed down form government.

3) Recycling not being collected properly for weeks now and no resolution in sight.

4) Additional Housing could be dumped in Bathnes to meet Bristol Shortfall (numbers could be in thousands).

5) Mayoral referendum to take place for an elected Mayor for Bath & North East Somerset.

6) This years Council budget could show the first increase in Council Tax for 6 years,

These are just a few of the issues that they are failing to resolve how may more will they rack up in the coming months.

Deadline for B&NES home improvement grant approaching

Hurry to access Council home improvement grant

Bath & North East Somerset Council currently has a grant of up to £6,000 available through the Energy at Home scheme to help you make energy saving improvements to your home. 

The grant can be used to help cover the costs of improvements such as:

• improved heating systems (including gas and oil fired systems, and electric storage heaters),
• internal, external, or cavity wall insulation, and loft insulation, 
• upgraded glazing including secondary glazing, double glazing and external doors,
• and renewable energy technologies.

Installing measures like these can help improve your home’s energy performance, reduce the amount you spend on your energy bills, and help keep your home warm and cosy over the winter.

This grant is available to all home owners, private landlords and privately renting tenants.  You do not need to be on a low income or an elderly person to be eligible for this grant, but you do need to be signed up before the end of February. 

The Energy at Home scheme will continue to be available after this particular grant ends, with access to other local and national grants, however funding to this level, accessible for so many people, and for this range of measures is unlikely to be available again...
 

..so contact the Energy at Home Advice Service today!

0800 038 5680

The Energy at Home Scheme

The Energy at Home scheme provides free, expert home energy advice, access to national and local grants, and support to make energy saving home improvements.

The Council currently has a very generous grant available of up to £6,000 for solid wall insulation, and up to £2,000 for other energy saving measures available through the scheme for home owners, private landlords and privately renting tenants. This grant is only available for a limited time and residents need to get signed up by the end of February 2016 to benefit.

There is also extra support available for residents meeting eligibility criteria to help cover the costs of heating and insulation improvements. This includes a voucher scheme for gas connection of up to £2,700 to help you connect to the gas grid (if feasible).

For more information, residents should contact the Energy at Home Advice Service:

Freephone 0800 038 5680 available Monday to Friday 9am-6pm, and on Saturday mornings 9am-12pm. 

Or email advice@energyathome.org.uk

Or visit the website www.energyathome.org.uk

Penny pinching Tories put up School dinner costs

It has come out very quietly that one if the first things that the Tories have done since they have been elected to power in Bath & North east Somerset is to put up the cost of School dinners for primary School children.

The cost of dinner rises from £2.00 per day to £2.30 per day. The Liberal Democrats when in control kept the price frozen for the previous 4 years.

It seems that life under the Conservatives is going to be much more expensive for hard working families.

New noise toolkit and app launched

I am pleased that with all the problems that we have had over the yeas with noise being created by som unsociable residents that the council have launched a new app to help battle this problem for many households.

Noise nuisance accounts for almost two thirds of complaints received by the Council’s Environmental Protection Team, but because it is often unpredictable and can happen at any time of the day or night it may be difficult for Environmental Health Officers to witness. 

The online toolkit and app will help people to gather evidence, so that the Council can,hopefully, help those affected resolve the issue without the need for formal action.

The toolkit includes advice on the actions you can take whilst noise is happening and afterwards. Amongst the ‘tools’ supplied are log sheets, template letters and the Bath and North East Somerset noise app.

The free app can be downloaded to your smart phone, and can then be used as an electronic noise diary, recording short audio clips, with date, and time. This information is then sent to the Environmental Protection Team who can use it to help with their investigation.

There are a number of benefits in using the app over making traditional audio recordings:

• The app provides a GPS location to pinpoint where you are recording the noise from.

• It has easy to use icons to indicate the type of noise and which room you are in when being affected.

• It means you can take action as the nuisance is happening.

• The app acknowledges that your recording has been received.

• Ultimately, the app provides a whole package to enable you to communicate easily with the Council. There’s no need to write letters or email, the app does it all for you.

To view the toolkit and download the app visit:http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/environment/pollution-noise-nuisance/noise-toolkit

Concerns about fracking raised

The Liberal Democrats on Bath & North East Somerset Council have raised concerns about fracking licences and fast tracked planning applications..

The former Liberal Democrat led council on Bath & North East Somerset previously raised concerns to any hydraulic fracking in the Mendip Hills over concerns about how this may affect the hot spa water that flows in Bath. The council were also successful in getting amendments to Somerset County Council mineral workings plan.

The concerns about hydraulic fracking were at the time supported by all political groups on the council.

The Government have announced that the will be encouraging hydraulic fracking across the country whilst at the same time putting restrictions on renewable energy.

This backward approach by the Conservative Government has led us to take action and we have written to both local Conservative MPs expressing our concern.

I would suggest that if you also have concerns that you also write to them expressing any concerns that you may have.

A letter sent by Bathnes Liberal Democrat leader to our 2 local Conservative MPs is below.

Dear Jacob and Ben,

I am very saddened to hear on the news this morning that your Governement is planning to fast track fracking planning applications.

Whilst we do not have any licences or applications at present it seems to me to be fundamentally flawed for central Government to be interfering in local affairs so dramatically. Any fracking application will generate a substantial amount of public interest and the the volume of work involved makes it very difficult to process such an application within 13 weeks.

I hope you will both be speaking out against your governments interference into local planning matters. 

It is indeed a pity that whilst you are persecuting benign forms of renewable energy such as land based wind you seem to be working hard to get fracking as quickly as possible.

Yours

Dine Romero
Leader B&NES LD

Public Consultation into proposal to close Bath Magistrates and Family Court

I am concerned at plans being put forward by the government could see the closure of Bath Magistrates court and also the family court that is important to many local people.

Below you will find details of a scrutiny panel enquiry day and i would suggest that anyone with concerns responds as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Justice has drawn up proposals to transfer the workload of the courts to Bristol. It’s also considering closing North Avon (Yate) Magistrates Court. However, Bristol Magistrates Court will not have the capacity to support the workload from both Bath and Yate.  Therefore, the response from the consultation process will help to inform the decision on whether either of the two proposals are implemented. 

To ensure local people’s view are heard, Bath & North East Somerset Council will be co-ordinating a public meeting on the plans at 11am on Friday 11th September in the Banqueting room in the Guildhall. 

Representatives from the Ministry of Justice will talk about the consultation process and Bath Magistrates Court, to provide an understanding of how the court is used.  There will be an opportunity to discuss the potential impact of the proposal and to help formulate Bath & North East Somerset Council’s response with relevant experts and key stakeholders. 

This is an important opportunity for people to make their views known on an issue that could have an impact on the effectiveness of our local court and the ease with which Bath & North East Somerset residents can access it.”

Members of the public are invited to express their comments on the consultation to the Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel in writing or during one of the time-limited slots at the meeting.

Written representations should be titled “Bath Magistrates Court consultation”, and sent to: Michaela Gay, Democratic Services, 2nd Floor, Guildhall, Bath, BA1 5AW, by fax to 01225 477314, or by email to Michaela_Gay@bathnes.gov.uk

To respond to this consultation on line: 

Email: Scrutiny@bathnes.gov.uk

Or alternatively fill in our online pro-forma http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-proposals-close-bath-magistrates-court-and-family-court.

All representations should be received by 3^rd September 2015.

No final decision on the proposals will be made until Bath & North East Somerset Council’ collective response has been reported back to the Ministry of Justice. The deadline date for the consultation is October 8, 2015.

Note 

Bath Family Court covers the following areas of law; Bankruptcy, High Court, Housing possession, Divorce, Money Claims, Domestic violence and Children.

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 

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.

New river rescue cabinets installed

In the last few moths of the last Liberal Democrat administration I attended the River Safety group where the installation of new cabinets for the riverside to increase safety was discussed and plans were put in place for the installation of these cabinets.

The Safety of the river is very important and we have lost too many lives in recent years in the river Avon and these cabinets will go some way to helping.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has put in place 14 new river rescue cabinets along the River Avon in Bath.

The cabinets, installed in the stretch of river from Windsor Bridge to Pulteney Bridge, have been specially designed for the Council to protect the life buoys inside from vandalism and damage. The locked grey and orange cabinets containing the lifebuoys can be opened with a code provided by the Fire and Rescue Service Control when callers dial 999. 

The cabinets have been extensively tested by volunteers and members of the River Safety Group, made up of representatives from Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Fire & Rescue, Bath & North East Somerset Council, the Environment Agency and the Canal and Rivers Trust. As a result of feedback from the testing, the instructions on the cabinets have been improved so that the lifebuoy can be accessed more easily and the fire and rescue service can respond more quickly.

How to use:

If you see someone in the river, dial 999 and ask for Fire.  You will be given a code to open the river rescue cabinet.  Once open, you can take out the lightweight yellow life buoy which has a long rope attached.  Holding on to the rope, throw the life buoy to the person in the water. They need to hold tight to the buoy while the rope is used to pull them to the edge.

One of the benefits of the new design is that Avon Fire & Rescue Service will be immediately alerted of any incidents and will send help. Avon Fire & Rescue Service Group Manager, Matt Hunt, said: “We welcome the introduction of the new tamper-proof lifebuoy cabinets which will provide emergency equipment for anyone who may need to help someone in the water. Callers will provide our Control Room with a location reference from the cabinet and will be given the code to access the rescue equipment. This will allow us to mobilise firefighters with specialist equipment to a confirmed location in order that we can help anyone in need.

One of the cabinets will be on display, with instructions as to how it works, at the One Stop Shop in Manvers Street, Bath, until September 18.

The cabinets are just one of the safety measures introduced by the River Safety Group to help make Bath a safer place.  The group, formally established in 2014, and supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), has implemented a number of safety measures along the River Avon. 

Since 2011 Bath & North East Somerset Council has spent in the region of £500,000 on river safety; it plans to spend £150,000 on the river corridor in the 2015/16 and will be seeking partner contributions to increase that figure.

Students from Bath City College have been working with the River Safety Group to encourage young people to think about their own safety with their #gotyaback campaign.  The campaign has been shared on social media and via a specially created film which you can find on their website gotyaback.org. 

Chairman’s Community Awards 2015/16 now open for nominations

The Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset Council Ian Gilchrist has announced the launch of his community awards for 2015/2016 which this year feature a new category, Carer of the Year.

If you know someone who is deserving of an award then why not nominate them.

The Awards are organised annually in partnership with, the Volunteer Centre Bath and North East Somerset, social housing provider CURO, Student Community Partnership (involving the University of Bath and Bath Spa University students unions) and this year, for the first time, Sirona care & health.

Cllr Gilchrist said: “I am pleased to be hosting the Community Awards this year; it’s important that we recognise people across the district that work tirelessly for the benefit of others.  The new Carer of the Year category aims to highlight the important role that carers undertake on a daily basis, providing support for their family and friends.”

The award categories are:

Category 1 – Volunteering Awards

Volunteer of the Year / Young Volunteer of the Year

Volunteer Leader of the Year / Young Volunteer Leader of the Year

Volunteer Team or Organisation of the Year/ Young Volunteer Team or Organisation of the Year

Good Neighbour of the Year / Neighbourhood Team of the Year

Carer of the Year / Young Carer of the Year

Lifetime Achievement

Category 2 – Business in the Community Award

This award will recognise a socially responsible business which actively supports its local community in positive activities. 

Full details and nomination forms are available www.bathnes.gov.uk/chairmanawards

Or you can email Sara_banks@bathnes.gov.uk, call 01225 477188 or write to Sara Banks, c/o, The Chairman’s Office, Bath & North East Somerset Council, The Guildhall, High Street, Bath BA1 5AW. The deadline for nomination is 12 noon on Friday November 27, 2015.

Keeping Bath moving this summer!

It is encouraging that action is being taken to keep Bath moving this summer with alterations taking place on the rail network in advance of electrification.

From July 18, Network Rail will start work to improve the rail services in and around Bath, Reading and Wiltshire. The Bath railway corridor is being prepared for electrification and the introduction of new, higher capacity, trains that will improve journeys and benefit local economies.

Bath Spa train station will remain open throughout Network Rail’s programme of works but there will be reduced access to the railway from July 18 to August 31. Network Rail and First Great Western have developed a range of measures to help travellers to get to Bath, with the cooperation of Bath & North East Somerset Council – from a fleet of replacement coaches to reshaping the timetable. These have been funded by Network Rail.

Bath remains fully open for business and pleasure – and Bath & North East Somerset Council has taken a number of actions to help people get into Bath easily. These include:

·         Increasing Park and Ride capacity at Lansdown

·         Signing diversionary routes to the Lansdown and Odd Down park and ride sites

·         Creating a temporary inbound bus lane on London Road

·         Embargoing all non-emergency road works for the period

• Additional parking and bus lane enforcement – to keep Bath moving.

There are two phases of Network Rail’s electrification work: Phase 1 (July 18 – 31) when services between Bath Spa and Chippenham will be diverted, and Phase 2 (August 1 – 31) when the lines between both Bath and Chippenham and Bath and Trowbridge will be closed.

Rail replacement buses will be operating east of Bath. These will be direct express coaches running from train stations directly in to Bath Spa.

During Phase 1: First Bus will continue to operate services between Station Hill in Chippenham and Bath’s Grand Parade and Westbury Railway station and Bath Spa. To plan your journey visit www.firstgroup.com

During Phase 2: The quickest way to get into Bath will be by bus. First Great Western will be running dedicated bus services for all passengers east of Bath to Bath Spa. Detailed timetables are available from Avoncliff, Bradford-on-Avon, Chippenham, Freshford, Frome and Trowbridge stations.

For more details, please visit www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/bath2015.

For regular bus services, check out Traveline at www.travelinesw.com

Or if you’re planning to drive, please use the Park and Ride!

Statement regarding petition for an elected mayor

A petition presented to Bath & North East Somerset council concerning a ballot for a directly Elected Mayor has failed a scrutiny test.

A Statemebt issued by the council  today is below.


Bath & North East Somerset Council has confirmed today (11th June 2015) that the petition it has received for an elected mayor for Bath and North East Somerset has been unsuccessful due to a shortage of valid entries.

The Council has notified the organiser of the petition today that the total number of valid petitioners has not met the statutory number set out by the Local Government Act 2000.

In assessing and verifying the petition of 13th May 2015, the Council followed the strict guidance set out by the regulations. These require the Council to check each entry individually against the current register of electors. As a result of this detailed checking the Council established that there were 5,039 entries which matched the electoral register and 2,241 entries which did not. The total number of valid entries required to validate the petition was 6,437. A number of the entries had been amended and the expectation is that, if a petition is resubmitted, these will be corrected.

In order to be a valid entry each person must be on the local register of electors. Everyone signing the petition is required to provide their first name, surname and address and the date on which he or she signs the petition.

Almost half of the invalid entries were from people who were not on the electoral register or had not given their full address. The remaining entries included a mix of either duplicate entries; incorrect names or addresses; initials rather than full names or they were not sufficiently legible to enable identification.

The organisers of the petition can amalgamate the number of valid entries with any subsequent petitions submitted to the authority. The petition dated 13th May will be retained for inspection by the public from Electoral Services at the Guildhall, High Street, Bath, during normal office hours until 11th July 2015.

Conservative spending cuts risk to B&NES residents’ health

In-year cuts to public health spending are a threat to B&NES residents’ health, according to local Liberal Democrats. The Government has announced a £200m cut to public health spending by Councils.

Councillor Tim Ball (Liberal Democrat, Twerton) commented:

“These abruptly-announced cuts to public health spending represent a clear threat to local residents’ wellbeing. Public health programmes, such as helping people stop smoking, contribute to preventing illness and it is the most vulnerable residents who are likely to suffer if they are withdrawn. 

It is also short-sighted of the Government to threaten programmes aimed at reducing wider health and social care costs.

“The Government has indicated that Councils are expected to use reserves to cover the cost of services including drug and alcohol harm reduction programmes and smoking cessation clinics. However reserves can only be spent once. Local Councils are doing good work with new public health powers, but they need the freedom and funding to continue:.

“With the new B&NES Conservative administration reviewing many programmes planned by the previous Liberal Democrat administration, B&NES residents would be justified in fearing further local cuts.”