Tories reject rethink appeal on transport
Conservative councillors have refused to go back to the drawing board on a controversial transport package which could see a new bus route built through Newbridge.
Instead Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet is sticking with its original proposals – for a new park and ride site at Bathampton and the Bus Rapid Transit scheme – and is even considering bringing more of its own money to the table.
The opposition Liberal Democrat group had called on the cabinet to work with it to rethink the proposals to make them less contentious.
Last month the Department of Transport postponed a decision on its £50m funding of the council's Bath Transportation Package.
Transport secretary Philip Hammond has divided all proposed schemes across the country into three groups, with Bath in a "development" group, made up of 22 projects whose applicants have all been told to reconsider their budgets.
Councillor Caroline Roberts (Lib Dem, Newbridge) said the city had been given a second chance to rethink the plans and urged all parties to work together to bring forward a package accepted by everyone.
Councillor Andy Furse (Lib Dem, Kingsmead) said: "If the Government doesn't see us reduce the price tag it is very likely that it will all get thrown out.
"There are opportunities here to make some good changes."
But Conservative councillors said any changes to the package carried significant risks and could see the city losing funding altogether.
Deputy leader of the council Councillor Malcolm Hanney said Liberal Democrat councillors had not actually offered any workable alternatives.
Mr Hanney said: "The worry is that no decision will ever be made."
The Tories have also agreed to look at offering more money from what they call "local initiatives" and to set up an independent commission to look at the overall transport strategy for the city to enable sustainable economic growth and reduce congestion.
Response to Route pressure group founder Jo McCarron, who has been at the forefront of the fight against the BRT, had also urged the council to rethink the proposals.
She said: "It remains unclear what the particular benefits of the BRT scheme are and why it is so crucial to the BTP."
2 Comments
by Major Flack, Weston
Monday, November 22 2010, 12:17PM
“"Councillor Malcolm Hanney said Liberal Democrat councillors had not actually offered any workable alternatives."
This is just one more unforgivable misdirection in a multitude, in dismissal of the fact that B&NES Liberal Democrats created the idea of a Bath Transportation Package in the first instance.
Mr Hanney's Council Cabinet then proceeded to make substantial changes to it, creating widespread opposition to those same changes which have directly led to the DfT decision not to provide full and guaranteed funding.
Once a concept that met with almost unilateral support, the original BTP was an archetypal workable alternative made unrecognisable and divisive by Mr Hanney and his Cabinet colleagues.
The leadership's amendment to item 13 on the Council meeting agenda, stating: "Widespread public engagement has been undertaken" is also wholly misleading.
Not since 2006, and certainly not in consideration of the changes to the package as submitted to the DCC, have there been any consultations or engagement with the majority of the Bath electorate (discounting FoBRA and Bath Chamber of Commerce 'yes men').
Doing nothing other than voting is not an option”
by Major Flack, Weston
Monday, November 22 2010, 12:14PM
“"Councillor Malcolm Hanney said Liberal Democrat councillors had not actually offered any workable alternatives."
This is just one more unforgivable misdirection in a multitude, in its dismissal of the fact that B&NES Liberal Democrats created the idea of a Bath Transportation Package in the first instance.
Mr Hanney's Council Cabinet then proceeded to make substantial changes to it, creating widespread opposition to those same changes which have directly led to the DfT decision not to provide full and guaranteed funding.
Once a concept that met with almost unilateral support, the original BTP was an archetypal workable alternative made unrecognisable and divisive by Mr Hanney and his Cabinet colleagues.
The leadership's amendment to item 13 on the Council meeting agenda, stating: "Widespread public engagement has been undertaken" is also wholly misleading.
Not since 2006, and certainly not in consideration of the changes to the package as submitted to the DCC, have there been any consultations or engagement with the majority of the Bath electorate (discounting FoBRA and Bath Chamber of Commerce 'yes men').
Doing nothing other than voting is not an option.”