New safety fencing set to go ahead
Politicians look set to approve new safety fencing along the River Avon.
Members of Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet will next Wednesday decide on installing fencing on an 850-metre stretch of the river to the east of Windsor Bridge, on the northern side public footpath.
A report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), commissioned by Avon and Somerset Police and the council, recommended that a structure should be put along the river to prevent people falling in.
The report followed a rise in concern about public safety along the footpath after the deaths of University of Bath student Kharunigan Jayanatham, graphic designer Casper Flagg and Bath Spa University student James Bubear, who all drowned.
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Since the RoSPA report last year the council has implemented a number of other initiatives recommended in the document. The fencing will cost the council £140,000 but the authority will only have to pay £95,000 with Bath Spa University contributing £5,000 towards the project and the remaining £40,000 coming from the Bath Western Riverside developers Crest. If given the go ahead by the council's cabinet, the fencing will be installed by April next year.
Comments
by Ilovespaniels
Thursday, November 29 2012, 4:51PM
“"The developer has agreed in principle that the funding can be used in this way, subject to an appropriate design detail that relates to the Bath Western Riverside development on the south side of the river"
Taken from the agenda for meeting on 5th December on BANES website
http://tinyurl.com/bssnd6g”
by t1mmyb
Thursday, November 29 2012, 4:10PM
“It's a fair point, Malcolm, but I wonder if there was this amount of "it's just a waste of money!" wailing and gnashing when the fences were installed by the riverside near the Rec?”
by 1MVBR
Thursday, November 29 2012, 3:46PM
“It's a tricky one this. That stretch of path is clearly no hazard to anyone who is sensible, sober and paying attention, but those who have perished in recent years unfortunately didn't fall into all of those categories. A simple rail probably would give a drunk person something to lean on rather than topple into the water, and it would certainly prevent people from walking too close to the edge, which is when the ladder gaps become dangerous.
I don't think it would be scandalous to leave the path as it is, and neither do I think it's a terrible waste of money to put up a barrier - now that there's going to be a fence, I may as well sit on it!
Why was it only Bath Spa Uni who contributed? Don't Bath Uni care? Or weren't they asked?”
by mcupis
Thursday, November 29 2012, 3:07PM
“The point is though t1mmyb, how effective will the new fence be in terms of stopping unwary students from falling in the river? Is this a practical exercise that will succeed in preventing deaths or is it a pointless box ticking exercise? I can't help but feel that the number of people who have fallen in and died, whilst tragic, is statistically irrelevant, and that creating a genuine barrier would be impractical and prohibitively expensive.”
by t1mmyb
Thursday, November 29 2012, 1:45PM
“@MasterEpic How will some railings (presumably like the ones along the Widcombe/Rec stretch of the river) spoil people's enjoyment of the river path?
@mcupis As there are existing railings along the Widcombe stretch of riverside that provide clear "prior art", why would you make worst case assumptions of stupidity in this new railing provision?”
by mcupis
Thursday, November 29 2012, 1:41PM
“When they say fencing, what do they mean? A railing or a 6ft brick wall or something in between?”
by MasterEpic
Thursday, November 29 2012, 1:22PM
“It's a shame that a lot of tax payers money is being used to put up fences that will spoil the enjoyment of the river path and surroundings just because of 3 people's badly judged decisions. we all get to treated like babies, ruling out all risk and never having the opportunity to use common sense means people don't develop the ability to look after themselves.”