It was just before the end of the annual council meeting – held last night via Zoom – that one councillor stole the show and brought the whole ponderous two hours and fifteen minutes of local-government-in-action to life.
Half way through the current administration’s term of office, Bath and North Somerset District Council now has a new leader – and a reshuffled cabinet – but Cllr Joanna Wright was one of those dropped from that inner circle and an impassioned speech during the last dying minutes of this cyber get-together was her amazing parting shot.
Along with Councillor Neil Butters she had been in charge of a transport portfolio looking at everything from resident’s parking zones to liveable neighbourhoods and active travel plans.
She told the assembled Zoom gathering:
‘We’ve delivered on: the JLTP4, the Clean Air Zone, Residents Parking Zones, Emissions Parking, City Centre Security, Modeshift Stars and the school run, 20mph zones, EV Charging, E-Scooters, the River Line, a Delivery Transport Action Plan for Bath, the Wiltshire Whippet, the A367, Mass Transit and Liveable Neighbourhoods.
All these will have a legacy in the years to come. Officers have told me, that Neil and I have positively reframed their workplace and delivered on Climate Emergency action.
We are the last generation to be able to save the Earth from irreversible destruction’, she said, ‘the climate emergency requires cultural change and system change. The climate emergency needs action today.’
The European Commission she said ‘stated that older people will have to make sacrifices in the fight against the climate emergency or todays children will face a future of fighting wars over water and food. This is not just an urgent mater it is a difficult matter.
This “difficult matter” is one that I have repeatedly faced in Office.
The Active Travel Schemes are a clear case in point, these simple yet transformative schemes enable safe travel routes for many, significantly reducing carbon emissions and tackling car dependency, yet I have been told recently that despite massive public support I “need to dump the current plans”.
In relation to the Transport portfolio many councillors only see as far as their ward boundaries and the election clock countdown. I have come up against parochial politics and predatory delay. The need to act now, to deliver significant change has been met with slow motion sabotage. I have been told repeatedly that winning the war, means some battles have to be lost.
What we have is rhetoric versus action. Window dressing versus real change.
Political power is about doing things, not just for the present, or to be re-elected, but more importantly for those in the future who will benefit from the really tough decisions that we made for them now.
Many people sitting outside of this theatrical talking shop, will be frustrated and sceptical about the actions and decision of those inside it. They have good reason to be.
Action today is required.”
Then Councillor Robin Moss – Leader of the Labour Group – asked her who had advised her to ‘dump the plans on active travel zones?’
She replied: ‘Our new leader Cllr Kevin Guy sent an email on that and that is probably one of the reasons why l am no longer in Cabinet.’
See her speech in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLec1p4yEa4
I approached Cllr Guy for comment and this morning he told me:
“I strongly believe that active travel is an extremely important part of meeting our 2030 climate emergency goals.
Accordingly, as the new leader, I have asked the incoming cabinet members to support active travel wherever possible. But to reflect and modify, if necessary, specific aspects of active travel schemes, especially if the recent consultation found certain aspects to be unpopular with the majority of the immediate residents.
That is exactly what a consultation is for and exactly what a listening council does.”
Googling for more information on Active Travel Schemes l found the following from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps from May 2020 when the government released £250 million for local authority schemes.
‘We recognise this moment for what it is: a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a lasting transformative change in how we make short journeys in our towns and cities. According to the National Travel Survey, in 2017-18 over 40% of urban journeys were under two miles – perfectly suited to walking and cycling.
‘The Government therefore expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians. Such changes will help embed altered behaviours and demonstrate the positive effects of active travel.’
Meanwhile, back here in Bath, the new Council leader, Cllr Kevin Guy, wasn’t elected unanimously with total cross-party support.
Thirty five of his fellow Liberal Democrat colleagues voted for him but elsewhere came 9 votes against and 12 abstentions – including one from Cllr Joanna Wright – the only Lib-Dem to do so – who – as l have already stated – has lost her Cabinet seat.
The Conservative Group said they couldn’t support any of the aims and ambitions of the ruling group so would abstain but the Labour group voted against the appointment.
Their leader Cllr Robin Moss talked about the administration ‘parachuting in a new leader’ rather than a leader with a deeper understanding of B&NES.
He hoped Cllr Guy would visit wards and talk to long-standing councillors to gain more knowledge of the area.
Cllr Guy has been a councillor for Bathavon North for two years but he has an additional eight years of experience serving as a local borough and parish councillor in his home town of Telford in Shropshire.
Cllr Guy made it clear in his acceptance speech that he intended to re-focus the administration’s resolve to tackle the environmental concerns his council must address.
The climate emergency was the most critical issue we face he said and he was implementing a gear change in that drive. He said his would be a listening authority which would consult and gather evidence before taking decisions.
He remains committed to building on the success of the Clean Air Zone.
With the closure of Cleveland Bridge now underway he said they would aim to find ways of keeping HGV’s out of Bath once the bridge was repaired.
More good news about the tufa field at Odd Down where he said plans to build 37 homes would be dropped and the field would remain in council care. Thousands signed a petition against the proposals which they say would destroy a site of special ecological interest.
One very vocal and consistent campaigner was former Tory councillor Bob Goodman who told the Zoom meeting
“I am immensely proud of stopping the tufa field development. The residents have been immense in their efforts which has come to a successful conclusion. What is important here is that the Environment has won to fight another day.I don’t mind being regarded as a cracked record if l can get a result like this.”
Cllr Guy put this video on Twitter https://twitter.com/CllrKevinGuy/status/1389654176410607618?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Cllr Guy said he recognised the amount of feeling regarding keeping golf on the Approach Golf Course – if a viable operator can be found.
The administration would start building the first council houses in years, would look to reassess its stand regarding Airbnb’s and would be putting more resources into tackling litter and graffiti.
Here’s the new cabinet in full:
Leader of Council, Cllr Kevin Guy. Deputy Leader, Economic Development and Resources – Cllr Richard Samuel. Deputy Leader, Climate and Sustainable Travel, Cllr Sarah Warren. Adults and Council House Building, Cllrs Alison Born and Tom Davies. Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, Dine Romero. Neighbourhood Services, Cllr Dave Wood. Transport, Cllr Manda Rigby. Planning, Cllr Tim Ball.
Two cabinet assistants were also appointed. Councillor Matt McCabe will support the Deputy Leader for Climate and Sustainable Travel and the cabinet member for Planning. Councillor Jess David will support the cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services.
In addition to the cabinet roles the AGM appointed a new Chair of the Council, Councillor Lisa O’Brien. The new Vice-Chair is Councillor Shaun Stephenson-McGall.
I have to say l was disappointed not to hear the new leader talk more about the massive job of supporting local businesses and re-building our tourist industry which – as a World Heritage city – we still depend upon for a large part of our income.
His only reference was to acknowledge Cllr Samuel’s role as being in charge of economic development – whatever that means.
We need to hear more from him. I wanted to see a Cabinet member for Heritage and Tourism and not spread things like the Roman Baths, art galleries and public open spaces between several councillors.
It’s a watered-down approach to a major economic task.
NB. My views are my own!
PS. This is doing the rounds this morning?
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-open-letter-demand-climate-leadership-in-bath-ne-somerset/
Reblogged this on Walk Ride Bath and commented:
Putting short term political gain above Climate and Social justice is quite extraordinary in these times.
The High Common was returned to the people and was not to be commercialised undermining Cllr Paul Crossley. Why the public can’t be asked if they want commercial activity on the High common against the covenants or possibly re-wilded as a nature sculpture park seems strange.
I suspect the council has spent an extraordinary amount getting Tufa Fields through the planning stages for much needed housing in an urban environment on a site with very ecological value (ALL sites have ecological value) undermining Cllr McCabe. Not only does this create a financial black hole in the books, but also now the council will need to build homes outside of the city with a much bigger travel carbon footprint and car dependency.
Joanna Wright was kicked out for refusing to abandon the active travel schemes which are desperately needed to hit Kevin’s Net Zero 2030 target and Cllr Sarah Warren should *know* this as the council has very little control/powers to affect any other carbon sources other than public realm. There’s a reason Grant Shapps wants 50% of all urban journeys to be walked or cycled by 2030. It’s the only way the government can hit Net Zero 2050.
Without delivering the Active Travel Schemes the council can say goodbye to over £6m of future Active Travel England funding. This has been made VERY clear by the Department For Transport. The flagship policy of Liveable Neighbourhoods are just going to be these islands of walking and cycling surrounded by a sea of hostile main roads with no strategic Age 12+ wheeling/cycling routes to centres of employment and education. Kevin should immediately publish the Public Consultation Outcome Report with the the final scheme designs at a later date once the received comments are incorporated.
Kevin has done *everything* the noisy Tory led minority has asked for while destroying any opportunity to hit Net Zero 2050 let alone Net Zero 2030. We voted in a party with a radical green manifesto, not some weak Tory/UKIP climate delay manifesto.
What this shows, more than anything else, is that ONE person understood and took the Climate and Ecological emergency seriously and worked herself to the bone to do what was necessary to leave a legacy we could all be proud of. Joanna Wright. And for that she got kicked out.
In the meantime we’re supposed to “lose a battle to win the war”.
We’re two years into an administration that promised to plant 100,000 trees but hardly any so far, yet is happily re-establishing a green desert on the High Common against it’s covenants, having to build homes not in urban areas forcing car dependancy, and looks like killing off strategically important cycle schemes that directly enable low carbon FREE travel while enabling employers to change parking policies to discourage car use.
Most worrying is that the cabinet member for Climate and Ecological Emergency should *know* all of this. It will be interesting to see if she put in a public consultation comment of support for the Active Travel Schemes. If not why not?
This is pure and simple climate delay tactics to win populist votes and it should have you running scared. We’re not going to hit Net Zero 2050 let alone Net Zero 2030 with this new administration.
I’m devastated by this retrograde move. The Lib Dems were elected on a manifesto to deal with pollution, climate change and traffic and it seems that Joanna Wright has been sacked for doing exactly that. Luckily I haven’t voted yet but I’ll be taking this into account as I do.