Be warned there is a new camera being installed to catch those illegally using the ‘bus-gate’ outside of Waitrose in Bath city centre.
Could do with something like that for the ‘light jumpers’ down where the London Road meets the old Gloucester Road.
While we’re talking about the London Road – those artist-produced and expensive planters that are now minus their trees are supposed to be heading for scrap or replacing some of the concrete anti-terrorist concrete blocks around town.
The trees were taken out following a report – published several years ago – saying that they blocked the visibility of motorists waiting to turn onto or cross the London Road.
Why not just leave them where they are and plant them up with some colourful flowers or let the local plant cabbages or carrots in them.
Enough fuss was made when they arrived back in April 2015. They belong to the London Road community.
Jenny Pollitt, Director of Lane House Arts – a business on the bend between Walcot Street and the London Road – copied me into an email she sent to the London Road Partnership.
“I was shocked to read that the London Road planters will now be removed. This much needed regeneration project cannot simply be sent to scrap. The recent removal of the trees was the first nail in the coffin but to think that the planters will also be removed seems a dreadful waste.As Richard suggests below, can they not be planted up with other plants which will not restrict the view of cars coming out of the side streets? Could they be used by the wonderful community project Wild Walcot in partnership with Avon Wildlife?As we have been saying for a number of years now, the London Road is an important gateway into the city of Bath – the planters could enhance the visitor experience let alone improving the area for the local community. Might they perhaps be used in projects with the towns and cities with which Bath is twinned?Thoughts please. Do not let the Council waste even more money removing these artist-designed planters. “
A spokesperson for the LRP told her:
“London Road Partnership are doing there best by raising awareness which is why the meeting was arranged last week.
It is Cllr Mark Shelford (Transport & Highways) who you should be talking to who wants to move the planters..
I believe that there have already been offers by residents and businesses to maintain them with low growing plants. The only one allegedly where sight line for motorists are a problem is at the bottom of Snow Hill outside Ripples.
It is quite ridiculous for our specially designed ‘street art’ items for London Rd should be stolen and ‘planted’ elsewhere as has been suggested.”
In all honesty, there is nowhere else for the planters to go. In the city centre, they will quickly fill with empty bottles, cans, takeaway coffee cup and fast food boxes.
Let the people of London Road care for them and replant them. Encourage people to come together and foster pride and community spirit. It doesn’t cost anything!
We could also do with some cameras to catch light-jumpers at the Cleveland Bridge junction and most of all at the Bathwick lights at the south end of Bathwick Street. Why there hasn’t been a serious accident there is anyone’s guess. But I suppose they don’t raise money for the council.
My sentiments entirely.
Removing the Planters in London Road is another case of Health & Safety gone mad!
I regularly turn right at the bottom of Snowhill (average height driver in a small car) and it wasn’t the trees that blocked my view, but the planter itself. That said, I never found it unsafe as drivers nearly always have to creep forward anyway and there’s a give way line. I don’t know what the fuss was about – it is no worse than many other places in Bath eg bottom (both) of Upper East Hayes. Bushy plants might make things worse.You can’t grow food in such a polluted area. PUT BACK A MORE VERTICAL TREE!