Lib Dems delay Broadband decision
A decision on whether to bid for Government funding to improve local broadband connections has been delayed by Liberal Democrat-run Bath and North East Somerset Council...
Read more

Keynsham station ramp finally given green-light
Work to create a new ramp for disabled people and passengers with push-chairs or heavy luggage at Keynsham Train Station has finally been given the go-ahead...
Read more

Criticism as gulley-cleaning budget slashed
The amount spent on keeping drains and roadside water-gullies clear in Bath and North East Somerset is to be slashed under budget proposals from the Liberal Democrat-run authority...
Read more

Lib Dems forced to look again at Broadband funding
The Liberal Democrat Cabinet on Bath and North East Somerset Council has been forced to look again at its decision not to bid for Government funding to improve broadband connections in the area...
Read more

Keynsham town centre commitment welcomed -
but concerns raised over funding
Conservative councillors have welcomed a commitment by Bath and North East Somerset Council to start work on the redevelopment of Keynsham town centre next year, but have raised concerns over how the scheme is to be funded...
Read more

Bath Transport Commission 'not met since May'
The drive to deliver an over-arching transport strategy for Bath has received a set-back after it emerged that a body of experts established to help create a transport vision for the city has not met since May this year...
Read more

Outcry as Mobile Library service faces axe
Conservative councillors and residents in Bath and North East Somerset have reacted with outrage at plans by the Liberal Democrat-run authority to axe entirely the council's Mobile Library service...
Read more

Conservatives call for five-year protection of weekly bin collections
Conservative councillors have called upon Bath and North East Somerset Council to take up a Government offer to protect weekly waste collections for the next five years...
Read more

Anger as residents' parking schemes delayed further
The introduction of Residents' Parking schemes on roads surrounding the Lansdown, Weston and Newbridge areas of Bath have faced a further set-back, sparking anger from local residents and councillors...
Read more

Council pressed to 'look again' at rural broadband funding
Opposition politicians in Bath and North East Somerset are calling on the Council's Liberal Democrat Cabinet to reconsider its decision not to bid for Government funding to improve the area's broadband internet connections...
Read more

Bath River Safety report – some concerns raised
Conservative councillors in Bath have welcomed a report produced for the council into improving river safety in the city, but have raised various concerns about some of the findings...
Read more

River closure like 'closing M4' council warned
The closure of the River Avon in Bath to all boats could prove damaging to the local economy and is the waterways equivalent of 'closing the M4', a city Councillor has warned...
Read more

Victoria Bridge restoration delays 'unacceptable' say Conservative
Conservative councillors in Bath have said that waiting until next summer for a temporary repair to be made to the city's historic Victoria Bridge is too long and are calling B&NES Council to start work on a full restoration of the bridge immediately...
Read more

Concerns raised over Council's Gypsy and Traveller Site plan
Conservative Councillors in Bath and North east Somerset have raised a number of concerns over the authority's plan to find 42 Gypsy and Traveller pitches in the district...
Read more

Lib Dems turn down Government Broadband funding
Bath and North East Somerset Council has decided not to bid for Government funding to help improve broadband internet connections in the area...
Read more

Lib Dem budget plans - £4 million of cuts unaccounted for
Conservative councillors in Bath & North East Somerset have questioned how the authority's Lib Dem administration plans to fill a £4 million black hole in their budget plans for next year...
Read more

Council urged to agree rural broadband funding
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset are urging the council to produce a plan which could unlock Government investment to improve the area's broadband connections...
Read more

Anger as Residents Parking plan shelved
A long-awaited Residents' Parking scheme in Keynsham is likely to be scrapped by Council chiefs, Conservative councillors in the area have learned. The news has sparked anger from local residents and councillors who had campaigned for the scheme's introduction...
Read more

Calls for Council to 'speed up' rural broadband
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset are calling on the council to take more action to improve access to superfast broadband in the authority's rural areas...
Read more

Old Mills Tesco expansion -
'We must support town centre' say local councillors
Local councillors representing Midsomer Norton have said they want reassurance that plans to expand a Tesco store on the outskirts of the town will not damage trade on the town's High Street...
Read more

Victory has Greenbelt housing application refused
Local campaigners and politicians in Whitchurch are celebrating the news that a planning application for 300-home housing development on Greenbelt land in the area has been turned down...
Read more

Councillors fight phone mast appeal
Councillors in Weston Village in Bath have vowed to fight a plan by mobile phone company Vodafone to install a mobile phone mast on parkland in the area. Over 100 signatures opposing the plans have already been collected for a petition organised by local residents, with support of local councillor Malcolm Lees...
Read more

Councillors reject Greenbelt contingency plan
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to throw out a Liberal Democrat attempt to earmark Greenbelt land in the area for large-scale new housing development...
Read more

Conservatives oppose Greenbelt 'contingency' plan
Conservative Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voiced their opposition to plans which would see Greenbelt land in the area earmarked as a 'contingency' site for new housing development...
Read more

Disused flats finally set for makeover
Work is due to start next month to redevelop a block of flats which have stood empty in the Weston area of Bath for several years...
Read more

K2 access road – campaign continues
The campaign to see an alternative access road built to the controversial K2 housing development in Keynsham is continuing, despite a Planning Inspector having given the development the green light...
Read more

Welton Bibby and Baron to move from Midsomer Norton – Councillors' reactions
The four Conservative Councillors representing Midsomer Norton have reacted to the news that Welton Bibby and Baron, a packaging manufacturer and major local employer, is looking at the possibility of moving its premises from the town to Westbury in Wiltshire. The firm currently employ 330 people on the site and are looking to expand...
Read more

Council abandons homeless hostel plan
Bath and North East Somerset Council is to abandon plans for a new homeless hostel in the centre of Bath, the Council's Liberal Democrat Cabinet has confirmed...
Read more

Transport Package costs change – again
Costs go up while bus funding goes down
The costs of Lib Dem-run B&NES Council's revised Bath Transport Package have been altered once again. Revised figures, obtained by Conservative Councillors, show that the costs of both the Newbridge and Lansdown Park & Ride extensions have increased while funding for new buses has been cut by over 85%...
Read more

Concerns raised over Beckford Road HGV ban
Concerns have been raised that plans published by B&NES Council to cut the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles in Bath could actually make the problem worse in parts of the city...
Read more

Council pressed on the future of Victoria Bridge
Bath and North East Somerset Council is to be pressed on what action it is taking to restore Bath's historic Victoria Bridge and bring it back into use for pedestrians and cyclists...
Read more

Council slammed for getting Transport Package sums wrong
The Liberal Democrat Cabinet on Bath and North East Somerset Council has been asked to look again at the cost of its revised Bath Transport Package by a Scrutiny Panel of Councillors...
Read more

Keynsham housing decision 'massive blow' to community
A planning application for 280 new homes on outskirts of Keynsham been given the go-ahead by a Planning Inspector. The plans, known as the 'K2' development, had been previously turned down by Bath and North East Somerset Council amidst huge opposition from local residents and Councillors...
Read more

Council warned – Greenbelt 'at risk'
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been warned that the area's Greenbelt could be under threat once again if the Lib Dem-run Council does not set out plans to improve local transport infrastructure as part of its Core Strategy development blueprint...
Read more

Council commits to new offices and Library in Keynsham
Following pressure from Conservative Councillors and Keynsham residents, Bath and North East Somerset Council has now confirmed its commitment to building new Council offices and a new Library as part of a redevelopment of Keynsham town centre...
Read more

Lib Dems urged to 'look again' at transport plans
The Lib Dem Cabinet on Bath and North East Somerset Council has been asked to do further work on proposals to radically scale-back plans to improve Bath's transport infrastructure...
Read more

Council pressed on future of Keynsham town centre
The Liberal Democrat Cabinet on Bath and North East Somerset Council is to be pressed this week on the future of a scheme to redevelop Keynsham town centre...
Read more

New set-back for Keynsham regeneration scheme
Concerns over rising costs and continued uncertainty
Plans to regenerate Keynsham town centre have faced another set-back following an announcement by Bath and North East Somerset Council that it is to delay a public consultation on the scheme until later this year...
Read more

B&NES Conservatives announce Shadow Cabinet team
Conservatives in Bath and North East Somerset have revealed the top team of Councillors of who will be keeping the authority's Liberal Democrat administration in-check over the comings months and years...
Read more

HGV ban 'must go ahead' urge Conservatives
A planned weight restriction to prevent Heavy Goods Vehicles from travelling through Bath should be implemented as soon as possible, Conservative Councillors have urged...
Read more

A Record of Progress, A Promise of More
B&NES Conservatives launch local election manifesto
Conservatives in Bath and North East Somerset have launched their Manifesto for the 2011 Local Elections, putting job creation, protection of services and sound financial management at the heart of their plans for the area...
Read more

Conservatives pledge to restore Victoria Bridge to ‘former glory’
Conservative Councillors in Bath have called for the city’s historic Victoria Bridge to be fully restored to its former glory, and have pledged to deliver this if elected in the May local elections.

The pedestrian bridge has been closed since last year after engineers found defects in the structure. The bridge is one of the earliest examples of a wrought iron suspension bridge in the country and provides an important link for pedestrians and cyclist across the River Avon. The bridge will also act as an link to the new homes and businesses at the Western Riverside development, for which work has recently got off the ground...
Read more

Conservative office plans to save £4 million over ten years
Plans by Conservative Councillors to cut the amount spent on Council offices will save £4 million over ten years, newly calculated figures show.

The plans will mean reducing the amount the Council spends on renting office buildings whilst maintaining an office presence in the authority’s three urban centres of Bath, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton...
Read more

‘We will cut Councillors’ say B&NES Conservatives
Conservative Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have announced that they would cut the numbers of Councillors on the authority if elected in the May Local Elections.

The move forms part of a drive by local Conservatives to save tax-payer money and reduce Council costs in order to protect front-line services from the current spending squeeze. The announcement comes as the Government is also reducing the number of MPs in order to save money...
Read more

Campaign success as new traffic calming installed on Weston High Street
New traffic calming measures have been installed on the High Street in Weston following a long campaign by local Conservative Councillors Colin Barrett and Malcolm Lees.

A new traffic ‘pinch point’ has been installed on the old part of the High Street near the Weston All Saints Church Centre, which is also home to a nursery school in the village...
Read more

Councillors welcome saving of local bus services
Conservative Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset welcomed the news that threatened bus services in the area have been saved from being axed.

First Bus recently announced its intention to cut its evening, Sunday and bank holiday services on some routes in the area after Somerset County Council was forced to reduce its bus service subsidies. This would have meant that the 173 Bath to Wells service and the 376 Bristol to Street service would lose their Sunday services, with the 376 route also losing services after 7pm...
Read more

Councillors tackle muddy goal
Children could soon be returning home from the Clapton Road Play Area much cleaner, thanks to the efforts of local B&NES Councillors Chris Watt and John Whittock...
Read more

Lib Dems oppose Keynsham regeneration
Liberal Democrat Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have opposed plans to redevelop Keynsham’s aging 1960s Town Centre, endangering hundreds of local jobs in the town as well as plans for a new library and a retail centre...
Read more

Bath HGV through-route ban moves step closer
An attempt to significantly cut the numbers of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through Bath has taken a major step forward.

The Conservative Cabinet Member in charge of highways on Bath and North East Somerset Council has confirmed that the authority is seeking to impose a weight limit on Bath’s Cleveland Bridge, preventing large lorries from using it as a through-route...
Read more

Rossiter Road plans welcomed
The publication of plans to deliver the long-awaited Rossiter Road traffic scheme has been welcomed by Conservative Councillors in Bath.

Keeping a key Conservative commitment, a sum of £1.3 million has been allocated to the scheme in this year’s Conservative budget plans to enable work on the project to start this year. The scheme will entail diverting traffic away from the historic Widcombe Parade by instead making Rossiter Road a two-way traffic system...
Read more

Work to start on Five Arches Greenway extension
Work is set to start this week on the long awaited extension to the Greenway foot and cycle path between Midsomer Norton and Radstock...
Read more

Work to start on River Somer stabilisation
Work to prevent further erosion and stabilise the riverbank along several parts of the River Somer in Midsomer Norton is set to begin later this month.

The work is being undertaken by B&NES Council following a two-year long campaign by local Conservative Councillors Chris Watt and John Whittock...
Read more

Oldfield co-ed confirmation welcomed
Conservative Councillors in Weston have welcomed the announcement that Oldfield School has been given official permission to become a mixed-sex academy. The news comes following a long campaign by local parents and residents in the area which Councillors Malcolm Lees and Colin Barrett have backed...
Read more

Investment in Keynsham Town Centre confirmed in Conservative budget proposals
Funding for long-awaited plans for the redevelopment of Keynsham Town Centre has been confirmed in budget proposals put forward by Conservative Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset...
Read more

Transport strategy given go-ahead despite Lib Dem and Labour opposition
A vital transport strategy which aims to tackle congestion, improve transport infrastructure and unlock millions of pounds of investment in the West of England was given the green light at a meeting of the B&NES Full Council last night...
Read more

New signs to cut Lansdown Lane lorries
New signs have been installed to cut the number of lorries on Lansdown Lane following pressure by Conservative Councillors in Weston...
Read more

Bath’s first carbon-negative building given green light
The first ever ‘carbon negative’ building to be constructed in the Bath area has been given the go-ahead by the B&NES Development Control Committee...
Read more

Keynsham K2 planning application rejected Conservatives welcome ‘victory for common sense’
A controversial planning application to build nearly 300 new homes to the south of Keynsham has been rejected by B&NES Council’s Development Control Committee...
Read more

Senior Liberal Democrat Councillor joins B&NES Conservative Group
Popular and widely respected Bath Councillor Carol Paradise has announced her decision to resign from the Liberal Democrat Group and join the Conservatives. Councillor Paradise currently represents the Kingsmead ward and has been a Councillor for nearly 12 years...
Read more

Rat-run road safety success
A notorious rat run in the Larkhall area of Bath is to benefit from improved road safety measures following calls by local residents and a long campaign by local councillors in the area...
Read more

Residents surveyed on parking problems
Residents in parts of Weston and Newbridge are being asked for their views on residential parking problems in the area...
Read more

Community shop receives funding boost
A local community shop in Keynsham is to receive a funding boost thanks to financial support from a local councillor in the town...
Read more

Residents surveyed on parking problems
Residents in parts Keynsham are being asked for their views on residential parking problems in the town...
Read more

New Keynsham homes to provide ‘sustainable’ community for families
A local lettings policy which aims to provide a sustainable new community has been drawn-up for new affordable homes being completed in Keynsham...
Read more

‘Innovative’ partnership could save Keynsham youth services
A partnership between B&NES Council and Keynsham Town Council could see youth services saved at the town’s Time Out Youth Centre...
Read more

Ribbon-cutting for new Weston Post Office
The new Post Office in the Weston are of Bath is to open to the public on Monday the 27th September. A ribbon-cutting event took place on Friday to mark the opening, attended by local councillors Malcolm Lees and Colin Barrett, who cut the ribbon alongside the new sub-Post Master...
Read more

Fight begins against Greenbelt housing plans
Local Conservatives in Whitchurch have pledged to fight plans by a developer to build over 300 new houses on Greenbelt land in the area...
Read more

First Bus investigated over ‘monopolistic’ behaviour
The behaviour of bus company First is being investigated by the Competition Commission as part of an enquiry into bus operator monopolies...
Read more

Pot-holes plugged following calls by councillors
Lucklands Road in the Weston area of Bath has been resurfaced following pressure by local councillors in the area and residents of the road...
Read more

Date set for crunch Core Strategy meeting
The date has been set for a crunch meeting at which Councillors will agree development proposals for the B&NES area over the next two decades...
Read more

Survey says ‘no K2 without access road’
A survey of local opinion on a proposed housing development in Keynsham has shown that the vast majority of residents oppose the plans without a new access road...
Read more

Road safety success with new crossing for Charlton Road
Road safety campaigners in Midsomer Norton are celebrating the news that a new zebra crossing is to be installed on the town’s busy Charlton Road...
Read more

Silver Street resurfacing completed
Work to resurface one of Midsomer Norton’s busiest roads has been completed. The resurfacing of Silver Street, which runs through the centre of the town, has been carried out as part of a £6.5 million investment package to improve the condition of local roads...
Read more

Date of new Post Office opening confirmed
The date for the opening of the new Post Office in the Weston area of Bath has been set for the 27th September by Post Office Ltd...
Read more

Campaign victory for residents fighting to save parking spaces
Residents of a quiet road in Keynsham are celebrating the success of a campaign to save local parking spaces from being turned into a dedicated lay-by for buses...
Read more

New kitchen opens at Saltford Hall community centre
Long-awaited new kitchen facilities are to be officially opened at Saltford Hall on Monday the 16th August at an unveiling ceremony...
Read more

B&NES could keep more tourism revenue under Government plans
Bath and North East Somerset could see more of its tourism revenue kept for local spending priorities under plans being developed by the new Government...
Read more

Campaign for street naming to honour community champion and former Mayor
A campaign is underway in the Lambridge area of Bath to honour a local community champion and former Mayor by naming a street after him...
Read more

Councillors slam plans to close sheltered housing complex
Conservative councillors in the Weston area of Bath have slammed plans to shut a sheltered housing apartment complex in the local area....
Read more

Councillor slams ‘Big Brother Bus’ plans
Plans to turn local buses into ‘Big Brother’ style spies to catch rule-breaking drivers have been roundly criticised by a local Conservative councillor....
Read more

Formal consultation starts on Pulteney Bridge pedestrianisation
A formal consultation has begun on plans to fully pedestrian Bath’s historic Pulteney Bridge. Bath and North East Somerset Council has published the necessary Traffic Regulation Order proposing that all traffic, except emergency vehicles and cycles, be banned from using the bridge. Although the bridge has been closed to cars for ten years, currently buses and taxis are still permitted to cross the bridge...
Read more

£12.8 million of savings achieved in council efficiency drive
A new report published this week shows that efficiency savings worth almost 7% on Council Tax have been achieved by Bath and North East Somerset Council in the past year. The £5.4 million saved this year means that in total over £12.8 million of annual efficiencies have been achieved since the Conservatives formed the council’s administration in 2007. The savings achieved are also above Government efficiency targets...
Read more

Councillors welcome Schools Review report
Conservative councillors in both Keynsham and Bath have welcomed a report by Council Officers in Bath and North East Somerset detailing recommendations for Secondary School reorganisation in the area. The recommendations from council officials are to be presented to a B&NES Cabinet meeting for a final decision on the 21st July...
Read more

Regional Spatial Strategy scrapped – Greenbelt campaigners celebrate
Local residents and councillors campaigning against overdevelopment on Greenbelt land near Bath and Bristol are celebrating the news that the Government is to scrap Labour’s Regional Spatial Strategies...
Read more

Keynsham councillors to battle for Broadlands at crunch meeting
Conservative councillors representing electoral wards across Keynsham have pledged to join forces at a crunch meeting of B&NES Council’s Cabinet later this month to fight for Broadlands School to be saved from closure...
Read more

Bath Magistrates Court saved from closure – local Conservatives welcome news
Local Conservatives in Bath have welcomed the news that Bath Magistrates’ Court has been saved from closure following the publication of Government consultation paper on the future of Magistrates’ Courts in the country...
Read more

Go-ahead finally given to redevelop derelict flats
Residents and councillors in the Weston area of Bath are celebrating the news that the long-awaited redevelopment of disused flats in the area have finally been given the green light...
Read more

Flood Awareness event to take place in Bath
A flood awareness day is to take place at Bath’s Guildhall on Tuesday the 29th of June. The event aims to inform local residents about the risks of flooding their area and what action they can take to help protect themselves and their home...
Read more

Threatened bus service safe for 8 years
The future of a threatened bus service in Bath has been secured for the next eight years following the agreement of a new contract between B&NES Council and bus operator Wessex Connect this week...
Read more

Bus cuts petition gathers thousands of signatures
Over two-thousand signatures have been collected for a petition calling on bus company First to reverse its decision to cut a service between the Larkhall and Fairfield Park areas of Bath...
Read more

A record of progress – a promise of more:
Conservatives set out key priorities for coming year
With local elections in B&NES now less than a year away, local Conservatives have marked three years of achievement as the Council’s administration by setting out their top priorities for the next twelve months...
Read more

‘Adopt a Street’ initiative continues to gather support
A street-cleaning initiative spearheaded by a residents group in the centre of Bath is continuing to gather support...
Read more

New Government’s decentralising plans could mean a ‘revolution for local government’
Plans to hand power back to local people and set local councils free from central government meddling have been announced by the new coalition Government...
Read more