Local News
Lib Dems must learn from Ealing Council’s LTN blunder
The Liberal Democrat administration must learn from the mistakes of others if they are to…
Conservatives demand answers over cancellation of Bath Christmas Market 2021
The Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council must give a full and frank…
B&NES Conservatives appeal to Government minister to stop ‘unfair’ Ring of Steel plans
The Conservative Group on Bath and North East Somerset Council has appealed to the Government…
Keynsham councillors call for roundabout at busy junction
Councillors in Keynsham have called on Bath and North East Somerset Council to build a…
Parties unite to ensure safety of women and girls in B&NES is top priority
The safety of women and girls across Bath and North East Somerset has been recognised…
Conservatives slam “reckless” Cabinet decision to restrict access to Bath city centre
Motorists will be permanently excluded from Bath city centre following a “reckless” decision by B&NES…
Midsomer Norton councillor welcomes decision to refuse controversial mast application
The decision to refuse a planning application for an 18m-high mast in Midsomer Norton has…
Conservatives call for memorial to honour COVID victims in B&NES
Conservative councillors have called for a memorial to be constructed in honour of those in…
Councillors team up with activists to oppose waste processor plans
Councillors and activists have come together to oppose plans to build a new food waste…
Lib Dems’ failings on waste issues show ‘staggering ineptitude’
Failures with waste services across Bath and North East Somerset show the Liberal Democrats are…
Traffic plans show Lib Dems are asleep at the wheel
The B&NES Liberal Democrats’ inept traffic policies show they are asleep at the wheel, Conservative…
Council must ensure waste and recycling backlog is cleared quickly
The current backlog in waste and recycling collections across Bath and North East Somerset must…
Cabinet urged to rethink ‘harmful’ traffic schemes
The B&NES Liberal Democrats must rethink their plans for Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, Conservative councillors say. It…
New leader elected for B&NES Conservative Group
Cllr Vic Pritchard was last night unanimously elected Leader of the B&NES Conservative Group. It…
Local councillors welcome Keynsham & Midsomer Norton High Streets funding
Extra cash to allow cultural programmes to take place in Keynsham and Midsomer Norton will…
Conservatives call on Council to scrap Bath ‘ring of steel’
Draconian plans to build a ‘ring of steel’ around Bath city centre must be scrapped…
Cllr Paul Myers stands down as Leader of the B&NES Conservative Group
Cllr Paul Myers has today stood down as Leader of the Conservative Group on Bath…
Conservative Group withholds support for new council leader
Support for the new Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council has been withheld…
Councillors stand up for residents over Keynsham waste processor plans
Plans to build a new food waste processing plant on green belt land near Keynsham…
New Council leader must rethink priorities for B&NES
The new Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council needs to urgently rethink the…
Council urged to act to help improve children’s wellbeing post-COVID
Improving children’s wellbeing should be a top priority following the unprecedented challenges of the past…
Council urged to resist including private cars in clean air zone charges
The owners of private cars in Bath and North East Somerset must not be charged…
Proposed changes to parking rules will hit motorists hard
Motorists in Bath and North East Somerset will be asked to pay more to park…
Budget proposals reveal Lib Dems’ ‘skewed priorities’ for B&NES
The Liberal Democrats’ ‘skewed priorities’ will see some of the most vulnerable communities hit hard…
Council should rethink ‘draconian’ anti-motoring plans following reduction in terror threat level
The Council should rethink its plans to ban vehicles from Bath city centre following the…
Lib Dems make ‘catastrophic mistake’ by selling public building at knock-down price
The Liberal Democrat Administration has made a “catastrophic mistake” by agreeing a decision to sell…
Liveable Neighbourhoods plan will leave parts of Bath unliveable, Tories claim
Far from improving life for local residents, radical plans for Liveable Neighbourhoods in Bath will…
Lib Dems accused of using terrorism threat to further anti-motoring agenda
The Conservatives on Bath and North East Somerset Council have accused the ruling Liberal Democrats…
Labour ‘scaremongering’ over free school meals
Labour politicians in Bath & North East Somerset have been slammed for scaremongering over the…
Work to reopen Batheaston river path
Work is set to start later this spring to reopen the riverside path in Batheaston,…
Lib Dems accused of trying to conceal plans for bigger Council Tax rise
Liberal Democrat Councillors have been accused of trying to conceal plans for higher Council Tax…
Lib Dems and Labour offer ‘no solutions’ to Council’s budget challenge – only higher taxes on residents
Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors have been criticised for once again offering no solutions to…
Councillors back new funding formula that will see B&NES schools gain £3.7 million
Councillors in Bath & North East Somerset have given their backing to a new fairer…
Next steps for Modern Libraries programme – Scrutiny panel endorses Bath Library plans, Cabinet to consider response to Community Libraries
A scrutiny panel on Bath & North East Somerset Council has endorsed plans to integrate…
Lib Dems slated over ‘financial illiteracy’
Lib Dem Councillors have been slated for their ‘financial illiteracy’ following a meeting of Bath…
B&NES to consider Council Tax discounts for foster carers
Bath & North East Somerset Council is to investigate the possibility of providing a discount…
Lib Dems slammed for ‘reckless and irresponsible’ Bath Library stance
Liberal Democrat Councillors have been slammed for their ‘reckless and irresponsible’ stance on plans to…
New Cabinet Member sets out transport vision for Bath
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s new Cabinet Member for Transport, Conservative Councillor Mark Shelford,…
‘No blanket CPOs at Foxhill’ – Council Leader pledges
The Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Tim Warren, has reaffirmed his…
Council responds to residents’ concerns over Somerdale site access
Bath and North East Somerset Council has responded to concerns expressed by residents over the…
Lib Dems and Labour offer ‘no solutions’ to Council’s budget challenge
Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors have come under fire for offering no solutions to the…
Conservative leadership respond to call-in of East of Bath Park & Ride decision
Conservatives in Bath & North East Somerset have slammed attempts by opposition councillors to put…
Council calls for greater funding to cover lost Council Tax from student accommodation
Bath & North East Somerset Council has called upon the Government to provide greater funding…
Lizzie Gladwyn elected as new councillor for Abbey Ward
Conservatives gain seat from Greens in Council by-election Lizzie Gladwyn has been elected to Bath…
Council agrees action against FGM and modern slavery
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to approve plans to tackle the…
Conservatives call for action to end FGM and modern slavery
Conservatives in Bath and North East Somerset are calling upon the council to support action…
Upper Bristol Road student flats turned down
Plans for a large student accommodation block on the Upper Bristol Road in Bath have…
Extended free parking to be introduced at Bath’s Royal Victoria Park
Visitors to Bath’s Royal Victoria Park will soon be able to enjoy a longer period…
Lib Dems risk £1 billion investment in West of England
Liberal Democrats in Bath and North East Somerset have been slammed as ‘reckless and irresponsible’…
Campaign success as new defibrillator installed in Keynsham
A new heart defibrillator has been installed in Keynsham thanks to funding secured by local…
Keynsham Councillors hail £7 million Leisure Centre revamp
Conservative Councillors in Keynsham have welcomed the news that the town is set to benefit…
Councillors hail major investment in A37 improvements
Councillors representing villages along the A37 in North East Somerset have hailed the news that…
Councillors call on government to drop mayor requirement from devolution deal
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have called upon the government to drop the…
75 new residents’ parking spaces to be created in central Bath
A total of seventy-five new residents-only parking spaces are to be created in central Bath,…
Council to consider additional controls on student accommodation
Bath and North East Somerset Council is to consider additional measures to control the growth…
Conservatives welcome overwhelming ‘no’ vote in B&NES Mayoral referendum
Voters in Bath and North East Somerset have overwhelmingly rejected the idea of having an…
Councillor welcomes new ‘Foxhill Charter’
Combe Down’s Conservative Councillor Bob Goodman has welcomed the publication of the draft Foxhill Charter.
Additional funds allocated to welfare support scheme
Additional funds have been allocated to providing support for local residents facing financial difficulties in…
B&NES approves budget to increase efficiency and protect front-line services
Bath and North East Somerset Council has approved Conservative budget plans to increase efficiency, protect…
B&NES awarded transitional relief funding by Government
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been awarded a total £1.8 million of transitional…
Major investment secured for Riverside Youth Hub
A £220,000 investment has been secured to modernise and expand community facilities at the Riverside…
Fresh calls for south Keynsham relief road
Renewed calls have been made for a relief-road to be built south of Keynsham to…
Petition launched against student accommodation plans
A petition has been launched against plans for a 394-bed student accommodation block on the…
Councillors calls for considerate parking
Councillors in Weston, Bath, are calling upon motorists in the area to be considerate of…
B&NES mayor would be ‘more costly and less accountable’
An elected mayor for Bath & North East Somerset would be ‘more costly and less…
Councillors hail new Somer Valley Enterprise Zone
Conservative Councillors in Midsomer Norton and Radstock have welcomed an announcement that the Somer Valley…
Evening parking charges to be reduced in Bath
The cost of evening parking at Bath’s Charlotte Street car park is to be cut…
Council acts to secure access to Duke of Edinburgh Award
Bath and North East Somerset Council has taken steps to ensure that young people in…
Council votes to back East of Bath Park & Ride
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to back plans for a new…
Conservatives to propose cross-party review of eastern Park & Ride sites
Conservative councillors are to propose a cross-party review of potential sites for an East of…
Councillor sent to Jail! – but all for charity
A Bath Councillor has been sent to jail. But all in the name of charity.
Councillor backs calls to look again at Radstock one-way system
Radstock’s Conservative Councillor Deirdre Horstmann has welcomed the news that B&NES Council is to look…
Council to take ‘fresh look’ at A367 Odd Down bus lane
The new Conservative leadership on Bath & North East Somerset Council has said it will…
Council sets to work on Gull Strategy
Bath and North East Somerset Council has started work on producing a long-term action plan…
Firs Field set to be awarded official ‘Centenary Field’ designation
Firs Field in Combe Down, Bath, is set to become an official Centenary Field, marking…
B&NES rules-out reintroduction of Dorchester Street Bus Gate
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to rule-out the reintroduction of a…
B&NES launches East of Bath Park & Ride consultation – local Councillors comment
Details of the consultation process that will take place to help choose the best location…
Success as layby secured following four-year long campaign
A four-year long campaign by Bath & North East Somerset Councillor Alan Hale to have…
B&NES votes to back ‘British Bill of Rights’
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to back Government plans to create…
New ‘City Forum’ proposed for Bath
Proposals have been put forward to create a new ‘City Forum’ to strengthen community representation…
Keynsham Councillors welcome town’s new Transport Strategy
Keynsham’s Conservative Councillors have welcomed the publication of a new Transport Strategy for the town.
The £38 million challenge – Conservatives launch ‘Comprehensive Review’ of all Council spending
A comprehensive review of all spending by Bath and North East Somerset Council has been…
Conservatives to press ahead with consultation on new Bath Park & Ride
The new Conservative administration on B&NES Council is to move forward with plans to build…
Work starts on protecting historic stone bridge in Keynsham
Work has started to repair and protect a historic 17th century stone bridge in Keynsham’s…
Cllr Tim Warren pays tribute to former Councillor David Bellotti
Councillor Tim Warren, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, has paid tribute to…
Conservatives launch major External Review of the way B&NES manages major projects
The new Conservative administration on Bath and North East Somerset Council has launched a major…
‘Putting residents first’ – Conservatives spell out priorities for new administration on B&NES Council
The new Conservative leadership of Bath & North East Somerset Council has set out its…
B&NES backs down over Keynsham town centre traffic proposals
Following pressure from local Conservative Councillors, Bath and North East Somerset Council has backed down…
Bath traveller site costs – Conservative comment
Commenting on reports by B&NES Council that the authority’s new traveller site on Bath’s Lower…
Conservatives welcome reintroduction of free admission to Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery
Conservative councillors have welcomed the news that B&NES residents will once again be allowed free…
Victory as bus services saved in Somer Valley
Conservative Councillors in Midsomer Norton have greeted the news that two local bus services have…
Conservatives propose solution to RUH parking problems
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have put forward proposals which would enable…
Conservatives secure funding for transport strategies
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have secured funding to enable transport strategies…
Conservatives call for release of £3 million Affordable Housing fund
Conservative Councillors are calling on Bath and North East Somerset Council to release money from…
B&NES under fire over £1.7 million ‘black hole’ in budget plans
Liberal Democrat-run B&NES Council is facing accusations of acting irresponsibly with the Council’s finances after…
Anger over badly-painted pavement markings
Residents in Bath’s Weston village, backed by the area’s local Councillor Colin Barrett (Cons) have…
B&NES blasted over £41 million of delayed projects
Liberal Democrat-run B&NES Council has come under fire for incompetence after it was revealed that…
B&NES Council set for £1.7 million budget surplus
Bath and North East Somerset Council is expecting to be left with a whopping £1.7…
‘Getting B&NES Moving’ – Conservatives publish far-reaching Transport Manifesto for B&NES
Conservatives in Bath and North East Somerset have today launched the most comprehensive and ambitious…
Conservatives welcome new and improved bus services
Conservative councillors in Whitchurch and Keynsham have welcomed the news that a number of bus…
Concerns mount over town centre road safety
Concerns are continuing to mount over the proposed location of new pedestrian crossing facilities in…
Councillors back calls for St Saviour’s Pedestrian crossing
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have given their backing to calls for a…
B&NES rejects cheaper parking pleas
Bath and North East Somerset Council has rejected pleas from local traders in Bath for…
‘Mixed reaction’ to town centre pedestrian crossing plans
There has been a mixed reaction to plans by Bath and North East Somerset Council…
New handrails to be installed at Keynsham Civic Centre steps
Additional handrails are set to be installed on the steps in the new Keynsham Civic…
Concerns raised over lack of Sunday pharmacy provision in Keynsham
A local councillor has voiced concerns over the lack of Sunday pharmacy services in Keynsham.
Fresh confusion over ‘Park & Rail’ viability 15 homes to be built at station site
Fresh confusion has surrounded the viability of building a so-called ‘Park & Rail’ facility at…
Concerns raised over pedestrian safety in Temple Street
A Conservative councillor in Keynsham has voiced significant concerns over pedestrian safety in Temple Street…
Outcry over plans to axe two Saturday bus services
Plans to axe Saturday services on two major bus routes to Midsomer Norton have sparked…
Keynsham Councillor voices concerns over town centre pedestrian safety
A Conservative councillor in Keynsham has voiced concerns over the safety of pedestrians in the…
MetroWest project takes step forward
Government-backed plans which could see more frequent local rail services between Bristol and Bath have…
Fears over loss of car parking spaces
Fears have been voiced that the loss of over two-hundred car parking spaces at one…
Bath Transport Strategy – ‘Council needs to deliver’
Conservative councillors have called upon Bath and North East Somerset Council to ‘deliver on transport,’…
‘Five more months of misery’ as transport projects fall behind schedule
Residents and motorists in Bath and North East Somerset are set to face several more…
Councillors to review Business Rates for student accommodation
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have agreed to undertake a review of whether…
B&NES recycling rates fall – ‘Council must do better’ say Conservatives
Bath and North East Somerset Council is being urged to ‘do more’ to increase local…
Bath Transport Strategy – ‘Disappointing lack of detail but step in right direction’
The latest draft of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s ‘Getting around Bath’ transport strategy…
Funding secured for Weston Christmas lights
Funding has been secured to ensure that the Christmas lights stay on throughout Weston’s High…
B&NES Council to purchase Keynsham’s Abbots Wood
Bath and North East Somerset Council is set to buy Abbots Wood in south Keynsham…
Tunley Fork junction improvements start
Work has begun to widen the road and create an extra traffic lane at the…
Urgent answers sought over roadworks stoppage
Opposition Conservative Councillors are seeking urgent answers from Bath and North East Somerset over the…
Traffic fears over A4 roadworks
Fears have been voiced over plans by Bath and North East Somerset Council to undertake…
Keynsham Transport Strategy – ‘Lack of detail means more work needed’
Conservative councillors in Keynsham are encouraging the town’s residents to give their views on a…
Petition demands reinstatement of School Crossing Patrol
A petition has been launched calling for the reinstatement of a school crossing patrol at…
Questions raised over Council’s £0.5 million loan to Solar Farm
Questions have been raised over a decision by Bath and North East Somerset Council to…
No Eastern Park & Ride ‘for at least another year’
The possibility of building Bath’s long-awaited new Park & Ride to the east of the…
Appeal for Weston Christmas lights funding
An appeal has been made for any residents and businesses who would be willing to…
Councillors back review of public toilet cutbacks
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to back a review of toilet…
Conservatives demand rethink on toilet cutbacks
Conservative Councillors have made fresh demands for Bath and North East Somerset Council to rethink…
Hundreds sign Weston toilets petition
A petition expressing opposition to the decision by Liberal Democrat-run Bath and North East Somerset…
Toilet cuts protest hailed ‘great success’
The protest held in Bath’s Parade Gardens today, Friday 15th August, against the Council’s closures…
Repairs success for ancient bridge
An ancient Grade 2-listed bridge on the English Heritage ‘at-risk’ register is set to receive…
Dismay as Keynsham town centre name concerns dismissed
Councillors in Keynsham have expressed their dismay at the news that objections to the naming…
Petition launched against Saltford toilet cuts
Another petition has been launched against plans by Bath and North East Somerset Council to…
£1 million budget black-hole as B&NES abandons ‘Tourism Levy’ for Bath
Bath and North East Somerset Council has abandoned the idea of introducing a new ‘Tourism…
Keynsham development street naming call-in upheld
Councillors have voted to uphold an official challenge to the proposed naming of the streets…
Petition demands reopening of Weston toilets
A petition organised by local Conservatives is demanding that Bath and North East Somerset Council…
Councillors’ delight at green-light for Silver Street pedestrian crossing
Conservative councillors in Midsomer Norton are celebrating the news that plans for a new pedestrian…
Councillor ‘fuming’ as Council ‘powerless’ to stop early-morning lorries to K2 development
Keynsham Councillor Alan Hale has been left ‘fuming’ after discovering that Bath and North East…
Anger as B&NES pushes ahead with Keynsham park toilet cuts
Conservative Councillors in Keynsham have expressed anger at the news that B&NES Council is to…
Anger at ‘sudden’ toilet closures
Opposition Conservative councillors have expressed outrage at the sudden closure of five public toilets in…
Councillors call for cut in parking charges
Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing renewed pressure to reverse recent hikes in…
Council ‘won’t keep rent’ from traveller site B&NES confirms £2.55m price tag
Bath and North East Somerset Council will not keep the rent collected from the Lower…
‘Damning report’ pours scorn on Lib Dem ‘Park & Rail’ idea
Bath and North East Somerset Council has published a damning report into a plan by…
B&NES urged to ‘go further’ in protecting Greenbelt sites in housing plan
Conservative councillors are urging Bath and North East Somerset Council to do more to protect…
Action taken on early-morning construction lorries in Keynsham
Following pressure from Keynsham South Councillor Alan Hale, further action is to be taken to…
‘More questions’ over cost of Bath traveller site
Further questions have arisen over the cost to local tax-payers of building a gypsy and…
Anger at Council’s rejection of temporary road for Kelston
Conservative councillors representing the Kelston area have expressed anger at the news that B&NES Council…
Calls for cross-party committee on transport
Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing calls for a cross-party committee to be…
Hundreds sign petition against Keynsham public toilet reduction
A petition against changes planned to the public toilets in Keynsham’s Memorial Park has gained…
Conservatives demand answers over Kelston Road delays
Conservative councillors are demanding answers as to why a timetable and plan to reopen the…
Terry Gazzard elected for Bathavon North
Terry Gazzard has been elected to Bath and North East Somerset Council as Councillor for…
B&NES ‘open minded’ about return of Dorchester Bus Gate
Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Liberal Democrat administration has refused to be drawn over…
Conservatives demand consultation over public toilet changes
Conservative councillors are demanding that Bath and North East Somerset Council carries out a public…
Conservatives back low-price ‘flat fare’ for Bath buses
Conservatives in Bath have given their backing to the idea of introducing a low-price flat-rate…
Council launches review into strengthening Civic Governance in Bath
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voted to launch a review looking at…
Dorchester Street Bus Gate – Conservatives call for clarity over its future
Conservative councillors have called upon Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Liberal Democrat administration to…
‘Big gaps and huge questions’ remain over Bath Transport Strategy
Conservative councillors have warned that the early draft of Bath and North East Somerset’s Council’s…
Councillors launch petition against Keynsham pubic toilet changes
Keynsham’s Conservative councillors have launched a petition against planned changes to the public toilets in…
Dorchester Street Bus Gate farce latest – Conservatives welcome latest Council U-turn
Conservative councillors have welcomed the news that Bath and North East Somerset Council has caved…
‘Halt trial and cancel fines’ – Conservatives call for end to Dorchester Street Bus Gate farce
Conservative councillors are demanding that Bath and North East Somerset Council to call a halt…
Kelston Road closure – solution needed ‘by start of May’
Conservative councillors are demanding that Bath and North East Somerset Council put a plan in…
Success as historic Keynsham stone wall restored
Work has been undertaken to restore and protect a historic stone wall in Keynsham following…
Tributes paid to Cllr Gabriel Batt
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of long-serving Conservative…
B&NES urged to bid for pothole cash
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been pressed to move quickly to take advantage…
Victory for Keynsham residents as new street lights installed
Improved street lighting has been installed on a number of residential roads in south Keynsham…
‘Partial victory’ as B&NES climbs down on Victoria Park parking charges
Conservatives in Bath have hailed the news that B&NES Council is to reduce the cost…
Second Greenbelt victory for North East Somerset as Whitchurch housing plans rejected
Plans to build up to 200 new homes on Greenbelt land in Whitchurch village have…
Victory as Manor Road housing plans rejected
Residents and councillors in Saltford are celebrating victory after plans to build nearly a hundred…
Conservatives demand answers over delay to Bath Transport Strategy
Conservative councillors are demanding answers as to why the much-anticipated first draft of Bath’s long…
‘Shock and anger’ at attempt to derail plans to bring carnival to Midsomer Norton
An attempt to pave the way for a major Carnival event to return to Midsomer…
Lib Dem and Independent councillors block funding to tackle gull menace
A proposal to earmark £104,000 to fund measures to tackle the gull menace in and…
B&NES agrees extra £100,000 for bus services
Bath and North East Somerset Council has agreed to Conservative calls for extra funding to…
Conservatives secure protection for children and vulnerable in B&NES budget
Conservative councillors have secured additional protection for children’s services and vulnerable residents in Bath and…
Traveller site cost escalates to £2.5 million
The cost to Bath and North East Somerset Council of building a 13-pitch traveller site…
Conservatives to press for extra support for local bus services
Conservative councillors are to press Bath and North East Somerset Council to put additional investment…
‘Belated’ roads investment welcomed
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have welcomed the announcement of an extra…
Anger over delay to review of Victoria Park parking charges
Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing mounting anger over its failure to complete…
Conservatives set out budget priorities
Conservative councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have spelt out their budget priorities for…
Date set for Saltford station consultation
The date has been set for a public consultation on the possibility of reopening Saltford…
Residents asked to name favourite part of the Chew Valley
Residents in the Chew Valley are being asked to contribute their ideas on what local…
Dorchester Street bus gate trial slated as ‘farce’
The trial of a new bus lane on Bath’s Dorchester Street has been slated as…
B&NES announces climb-down on CAB cuts
Bath and North East Somerset Council has announced a partial climb-down over plans to cut…
B&NES Council expecting £1.9 million surplus Conservatives seek residents’ views on budget windfall
Bath and North East Somerset Council is expecting to be left with an unprecedented £1.9…
Councillors vote for 6-month limit on Dorchester Street bus gate
Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have backed calls for a 6-month limit to…
Conservatives secure further protection for Children’s Centres
Further protections for Children’s Centre services in Bath and North East Somerset have been secured…
Conservatives press for six month limit on Dorchester Street Bus Gate trial
Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing pressure to limit a controversial new bus…
Taxi satnav ban rejected
Controversial proposals to ban the use of satnav devices by taxis within Bath and North…
Council urged to grasp ‘golden opportunity’ to address Children’s Centre concerns
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been urged to grasp a ‘golden opportunity’ to…
Christmas travel plan needed for Bath
Conservative councillors are calling upon Bath and North East Somerset Council to do more to…
Councillors pledge to fight Greenbelt threat
Conservative councillors representing Saltford and East Keynsham have pledged to fight to defend the Greenbelt…
South Road redevelopment plans – local councillors comment
Bath and North East Somerset Council has announced that a preferred developer has been selected…
Conservatives welcome U-turn on public toilet closures
Conservative councillors have welcomed the news that Bath and North East Somerset Council is to…
Conservatives renew calls for 2-hours’ free parking at Victoria Park
Conservative councillors have renewed calls for two-hours’ free parking to be introduced at Bath’s Royal…
Campaigners celebrate victory as Stowey Quarry appeal rejected
Campaigners and councillors in the Chew Valley are celebrating victory after plans to dump asbestos…
Councillors uphold challenge of Children’s Centre cuts
A cross-party committee of councillors have given their backing to an official challenge of planned…
‘Better late than never’ for Newbridge Park & Ride expansion
Conservative councillors have welcomed as ‘better late than never’ the news that Bath’s Newbridge Park…
Conservatives challenge Children’s Centre cuts
Conservative councillors have backed an official challenge to planned cuts by Bath and North East…
B&NES ban on satnavs in taxis branded ‘bizarre’
A decision by Bath and North East Somerset Council to ban the use of satnav…
Reprieve for B&NES Advice Services
The Citizens Advice Bureau in Bath and North East Somerset has won a temporary reprieve…
Recent Posts
Lib Dems must learn from Ealing Council’s LTN blunder
The Liberal Democrat administration must learn from the mistakes of others if they are to bring Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods to B&NES, opposition councillors say.
It follows Ealing Council’s decision last month to remove seven of the Low-Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes it had previously put in place.
LTNs are designed to block access to residential streets in order to improve air quality and reduce congestion.
The Lib Dems who run Bath and North East Somerset Council are planning to rollout Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods across the district over the course of the next couple of years, and the Conservative opposition on the council is urging them to learn from Ealing’s mistakes and think again.
The LTNs in Ealing were erected during the lockdown last year. But recent a consultation found the majority of people living in them were against the schemes.
In Ealing, the LTNs were found to have increased levels of congestion on nearby streets, made no improvement to air quality and soured community relations.
A report considered by Ealing Council’s Cabinet reads: “There is evidence that (as would be expected) traffic flows have reduced within each of the LTN areas themselves.
“Apart from that, broadly speaking, the overall benefits for some residents are somewhat offset by disbenefits to others.
“In addition, there are no schemes where the overall impact in terms of traffic/congestion and air quality are significant either positively or negatively.”
Cllr Vic Pritchard, Leader of the Conservative Group on B&NES Council, said: “Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods are nice in theory but don’t always work in practice. As we now know from what has happened in Ealing, they can create more problems than they solve.
“By pushing traffic onto other roads and damaging relations between communities, LTNs will serve only to create ‘poor air zones’ and ‘rich air zones’.
“We are therefore urging the Lib Dem ‘listening’ council to put its money where its mouth is and actually listen to residents in Ealing who objected so forcefully to LTNs.
“And with a budget of £2.2m already earmarked for LTNs in B&NES, we must ask ourselves – is this money well spent?”
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- Midsomer Norton councillor welcomes decision to refuse controversial mast application Comments Off on Midsomer Norton councillor welcomes decision to refuse controversial mast application
- Conservatives call for memorial to honour COVID victims in B&NES Comments Off on Conservatives call for memorial to honour COVID victims in B&NES
- Councillors team up with activists to oppose waste processor plans Comments Off on Councillors team up with activists to oppose waste processor plans
- Lib Dems’ failings on waste issues show ‘staggering ineptitude’ Comments Off on Lib Dems’ failings on waste issues show ‘staggering ineptitude’
- Traffic plans show Lib Dems are asleep at the wheel Comments Off on Traffic plans show Lib Dems are asleep at the wheel
- Council must ensure waste and recycling backlog is cleared quickly Comments Off on Council must ensure waste and recycling backlog is cleared quickly
- Cabinet urged to rethink ‘harmful’ traffic schemes Comments Off on Cabinet urged to rethink ‘harmful’ traffic schemes
- New leader elected for B&NES Conservative Group Comments Off on New leader elected for B&NES Conservative Group
- Local councillors welcome Keynsham & Midsomer Norton High Streets funding Comments Off on Local councillors welcome Keynsham & Midsomer Norton High Streets funding
- Conservatives call on Council to scrap Bath ‘ring of steel’ Comments Off on Conservatives call on Council to scrap Bath ‘ring of steel’
- Cllr Paul Myers stands down as Leader of the B&NES Conservative Group Comments Off on Cllr Paul Myers stands down as Leader of the B&NES Conservative Group
- Conservative Group withholds support for new council leader Comments Off on Conservative Group withholds support for new council leader
- Councillors stand up for residents over Keynsham waste processor plans Comments Off on Councillors stand up for residents over Keynsham waste processor plans
- New Council leader must rethink priorities for B&NES Comments Off on New Council leader must rethink priorities for B&NES