B&NES are determined to go ahead with plans for a proposed cycle and walking scheme connecting residential areas to educational establishments across the south of Bath – despite confirmation that an initial bid for funding was unsuccessful.
The Scholars’ Way scheme was part of an application for grant funding, submitted by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), to the government’s Active Travel Tranche 4 scheme.
Council staff had put forward a bid for £2.7 million funding to complete the first section, to provide a cycle route with pedestrian facilities between Claverton Down, Combe Down and Odd Down.
In total, WECA submitted 10 projects – seeking a total of £6.5 million – and was granted just under £3.5 million. One of the schemes which received funding will see B&NES receive an additional 20 on-street cycle hangars each accommodating six bicycles.
Councillor Sarah Warren, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel said: “We believed this was a strong bid and of the usual high standard that has been successful previously, so this is obviously hugely disappointing news. Investment in cycling, walking and wheeling infrastructure is important if we are to tackle the climate emergency, reduce congestion and transport emissions and facilitate healthier lifestyles.
The council received strong positive feedback to the initial consultation last year and we have committed to progress this scheme together with the Bath Quays Links scheme. We will seek alternative sources of funding to help make this project happen.
“We also want to work with WECA to better understand the criteria it uses to prioritise applications under the active travel programme, before passing these on to government, so that we can ensure B&NES receives a fair share of funding in the future.
“That said, we are pleased to be receiving an additional 20 cycle hangars. Added to the 4 already in place and the 20 already planned for installation this year, it will enable 264 residents to store their bicycles securely.”
You can find information about our current active travel consultations and proposed schemes on the council website: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/active-travel
The Bath Quays Links scheme which will integrate the new bridge at the Bath Quays development into the existing cycling and walking networks, will go forward to consultation later this year.
Reading between the lines this seems to be resubmission of the Active Travel Fund Tranche 3 Rainbow Woods scheme that Active Travel England rejected and the guidance to the council was exceptionally clear that schemes must address inequality in high Indices of Multiple Deprivation and be identified in the WECA LCWIP or the pct.bike tool https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-complete-the-active-travel-fund-4-proforma
Resubmitting homework you got an F for and then going all surprised pikachu when you don’t get an A really does not cut it. The council needs to recognise it has hugely capable Journey to Net Zero Forum members, Area Forums, Parish Councils, Resident Associations, and community groups that they should be “using” to develop good schemes.
BUT it would help it they read, understood, and followed the guidance. The LCWIP Keynsham Route 2 (https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan/) would have been an auto-win.
BaNES officers and councillors need to stop with the Bath and Nobody ElSe mentality. I note they are advertising for a new Senior Active Travel officer (part time). They’ve pretty much lost over £43m in bids for Active Travel schemes (ATF and Levelling Up Funds) in the last two years. A part time Active Travel officer really is not going to cut it.
“..tackle the climate emergency, reduce congestion and transport emissions and facilitate healthier lifestyles..”, but only as long as it’s funded by Central Government. Well, Cllr Warren, the Gov’s Active Travel Tranche 4 administrators and WECA have decided that Scholars Way isn’t a priority. Thank God some common sense still prevails when dishing out taxpayers money to fund a tiny minority interests and amusements.
Can we please, please dispense with pointless ambitions such as Net Zero and Climate Emergency. Their ‘enabling’ initiatives such as cycle lanes, LTNs and eScooters are perfect examples of ‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic ‘. They will make not one jot of difference to the world’s changing climate, but are causing a great deal of unnecessary turmoil and expense to Bath’s tax payers and residents.
Our Council can’t even deliver adequate road and pavement maintenance, waste management, gull control, care for the elderly, eScooter monitoring and control, through-traffic regulation etc, etc. Why is it spending time and money on initiatives that will have absolutely zero impact on the quality of our lives.
I shudder to think what Cllr Warren’s threat of “..We will seek alternative sources of funding to help make this project happen…” will mean to our Council Tax bills next year.
What happened to B&NES Strategic Plan’s aim of ‘Making peoples’ lives better’. How many of Bath’s OAP’s lives have been made better by the introduction of eScooters, for instance?
Not sure I’ve read so much codswallop in one reply.
Funding for Scholar’s Way is coming from WECA’s Sustainable Transport Settlement. This bid was to improve an extra section and would have been funded by Active Travel England.
The rest is just climate denial/delay tactics and backwards looking.