[A packed hall, with people queuing outside the door to hear the councillors and partake in discussion and Q&A. Photo supplied by the Green Party.
They were queuing out of the door at the New Oriel Hall in Larkhall this week when the Green Party held a community meeting – to a packed and overflowing hall – to discuss the proposed Camden Road bus gate – part of the new London Road and Snow Hill area Liveable Neighbourhood (LN) plan.
Residents from Walcot, Lambridge, and nearby areas were there to share their views on the proposed scheme and were hoping to have an opportunity to speak directly with Cllr Manda Rigby, the Cabinet Member for Highways.
Though she did not attend, l understand Cllr Rigby had told the meeting organisers in advance of that meeting that she couldn’t attend.
The key issues raised at the meeting were as follows:
- Traffic Displacement Concerns: Residents highlighted fears that the proposed bus gate could simply shift traffic congestion and pollution to other nearby streets, disrupting quieter residential areas.
- Consultation Gaps: Cllrs Joanna Wright and Saskia Heijltjes pointed out that while they support making neighbourhoods safer and more walkable, Lambridge residents were not consulted, despite the significant impact on their area.
- Evidence from 2017 Study: The discussion also referenced a 2017 University of Bath study, which showed high levels of traffic in Lambridge. This study reinforced the need for a comprehensive traffic plan that looks at Bath as a whole rather than focusing on isolated measures.
“We’re thrilled by the strong community response,” said ward councillor Wright. “It’s vital that residents’ voices shape decisions that affect their streets and their lives. A city-wide traffic solution is needed to make our neighbourhoods more liveable truly.”
The Green Party will be compiling the insights and concerns shared at the meeting and advocating for a holistic traffic strategy that benefits all of Bath’s communities.
Residents can stay involved by signing up for local transport updates at www.bit.ly/lambridge-updates and can continue to share their views by emailing Cllr Rigby at manda_rigby@bathnes.gov.uk, with copies sent to their ward councillors.
I spoke to Cllr Rigby about the event and she told me:
“The Greens asked me about the meeting and I told them I couldn’t go. They then went ahead knowing I couldn’t attend and printed very carefully saying I’d been asked to attend (absolutely true, I’d also said I couldn’t, a long time before they advertised the meeting).
I’ve had a couple of folk contact me about you putting my email address in your article…if folk want to express views on liveable neighbourhoods they are best advised to go to the liveable neighbourhoods inbox, and in the case of Walcot, might want to wait till we go out to public engagement with possible solutions so we can have meaningful engagement rather than being whipped up into a fervour on interventions not currently worked up.“
That Liveable Neighbourhood inbox is via
You should have mentioned the show of hands at the end where almost everybody in the room put their hand up to indicate they did not want a bus gate in Camden Road what’s the point in doing a report like this if you don’t reach a conclusion at the end
Take it up with the Greens. They provided the report!