Campaign to sell transport shake-up begins

By pwiltshire

Council chiefs have attempted to win over hearts and minds for a package of transport projects aimed at cutting congestion.

A three-day exhibition aimed to persuade people of the merits of new park and ride sites and a rapid bus transit scheme.

Bath and North East Somerset Council hopes that the display in the Guildhall will have reassured people in the city about the impact of the Bath Transportation Package, which could cost £58 million.

Authority leader Cllr Francine Haeberling said she wanted residents to work with the council rather than against it.

And she said that she had received letters from people urging her to "get on with" schemes such as a new park and ride site at Bathampton and a segregated bus system through Newbridge.

There is opposition to both plans as well as to the expansion of Newbridge park and ride.

But Cllr Haeberling (Con, Saltford) said: "It would be helpful if people worked with us to say what they want rather than just saying no.

"I am getting people writing in and saying 'get on with it, we want it.'"

The council is relying on around £54 million of Government funding for the work, which also includes new bus lanes.

It says that money could be lost if the plans are changed, and it argues that the route of the controversial Bus Rapid Transit scheme - including a former railway line between Brassmill Lane and the Western Riverside - has been earmarked for more than eight years.

It is proposing to submit the schemes together in a planning application before the end of the year.

Council transport cabinet member Cllr Charles Gerrish (Con, Keynsham) said: "It's time to give people the full facts so that all residents can see it as a whole.

"This will benefit the whole district.

"Doing nothing is not an option - we need to take action to address this.

"Hopefully the information at the exhibition will dismiss some of the myths that are being spread about."

The council says congestion caused partly by the 27,000 people who drive in and out of the city to work each day already costs the area £50 million a year.

It says a projected 19 per cent increase in population and 26 per cent growth in jobs will aggravate the situation to crisis point in the next two decades.

It wants to make a start on the first work in 2010, with completion by 2012.

Cllr Gerrish said the possibility of the planning application being called in for a public inquiry by ministers had been factored in to the timescale.

B&NES Council's transport and policy planning manager Peter Dawson said he was pleased with the turn-out at the exhibition, which attracted more than 1,200 people over the course of three days.

Mr Dawson said: "I think it has been very successful.

"We have had large numbers of people and a lot of good points have been made.

"We have been encouraging people to voice their views."

The council's strategy has been backed in principle by the Campaign for Better Transport pressure group.

It says the system will only be successful if it looks like a European-style tram network.

Spokesman David Redgewell said: "The future of Bath is riding on a rapid transit system. B&NES and the West of England Partnership (made up of local authorities in the former Avon) need to continue to work together to deliver this scheme. The biggest failure would be to see the millions of pounds for the Bath Transport Package taken away because of delays and indecision.

"It would a tragedy if this money went instead to the highly contentious Westbury Bypass or road schemes in Devon and Cornwall, simply because we couldn't get our act together. All political parties need to work together to make sure that rapid transit is a success."

Full details of the council's schemes are on the website www.bathnes.gov.uk/stopgridlock