The Council’s Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel will be reviewing the recent decision made by the Councillor Roger Symonds on the new bus gate which is planned for Dorchester Street.
The proposed bus gate includes bus priority measures in Dorchester St, Manvers St and Pierrepoint St, Bath. This will be discussed at the end of the next Panel meeting on the 7th May 2013 which starts at 9:30.
This item of the meeting (known as a ‘Call-In’) will be held at The Guildhall, Bath and will consider the process leading to the Cabinet Members decision, taken on the 10th April 2013.
This cross-party panel for Planning, Transport & Environment will consider reasons for the decision and the Call-In request, before recommending one of three options –
- the Cabinet Member should reconsider the decision,
- the Cabinet Member should proceed as agreed, or
refer the matter to the full Council to carry out the role of the Panel in reviewing the decision process (if this option is chosen, the final decision would still reside with the Cabinet Member).
The Cabinet Member’s decision addressed the following:-
(1) To agree that an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order be implemented under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for a maximum period of 18 months to evaluate the impact of prohibiting the driving of vehicles except buses and taxis in an eastbound direction on Dorchester Street between 10am and 6pm and allowing right turn only out of Manvers St car park;
(2) To agree that the eastbound carriageway of Dorchester Street be designated as a bus lane for the purposes of civil enforcement using CCTV cameras under the Transport Act 2000; and
(3) To delegate authority to the Divisional Director for Environmental Services to make changes to the Experimental Order in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and also delegated authority to use the Council’s bus lane enforcement powers.
The rationale for the scheme is to reduce congestion in Dorchester Street and improve the environment for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users in this area.
13 Councillors have asked for the Cabinet decision to proceed with the bus priority scheme be reviewed (or ‘Called In’). They believe that the scheme should not go ahead until the Council has agreed upon a Transport Strategy for Bath.
Councillors are also aware that work is expected to take place on the Rossiter Road traffic project. They feel the cabinet decision will impact on Rossiter Road during the period that work is expected to take place.
Councillors are further concerned that the Council has not fully assessed the results of a Council consultation on closure of Dorchester St to cars. They also believe there will be displacement of traffic onto neighbouring roads.
Concern has also been shown by Councillors over the length of the traffic experiment (18 months) and whether adequate measures of success have been set.
Full details and agenda papers are available from the Council’s website (www.bathnes.gov.uk) in the “Council and Democracy” section.
At the public meeting, the Scrutiny Panel will receive a statement from both the Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Roger Symonds, and from Councillor Tim Warren (Conservative, Mendip) on behalf of Councillors who signed the Call-In.
The Panel is also keen to hear from local people and transport stakeholders who have a view on this issue. Members of the public wishing to speak at the meeting should contact Democratic Services on 01225 394458 by 5pm on 1st May 2013.
Alternatively, written submission, by the same deadline, can be submitted by email to [email protected] or in writing to:
Policy Development & Scrutiny Team
Bus Priority Measures Call-in
The Guildhall
Bath
BA1 5AW
