More than 20 residents’ associations in Bath have joined together to campaign against plans for a bus gate on Camden Road.
Where the proposed bus gate would begin on Camden Road
A bus gate could be installed at the crossroads where Camden Road/Eastbourne Avenue meets Fairfield Road and Tyning Lane, under B&NES Council’s liveable neighbourhood plans.
But the plan has been met with local opposition, including from Fairfield Park Health Centre which warned it could “severely impact access to and from the surgery”.
Now locals have launched a “stop the bus gate” campaign. Alex Keane, who has been helping get the campaign together, said members were all for liveable neighbourhoods generally, but he warned: “This whole scheme is going to be nothing but an issue for the whole north eastern community.”
Liveable neighbourhoods are intended to reduce excessive traffic in residential areas and make it safer and more attractive to walk and cycle.
But the campaign is warning that the bus gate would mean families in Fairfield Park, Larkhall, Walcot East, the Paragon, and Lambridge will “bear the brunt of increased traffic and pollution”, while a smaller number would see benefits.
They warned it could increase pollution and cause safety issues by forcing traffic onto narrower residential streets.
Now the campaign has issued a “call to action”, stating: “We call on residents to write to their council representatives — councillors Rigby, Henman, and Leach — to oppose this proposal and demand a long-term, city-wide traffic flow strategy and with particular urgency reconsider the London Road and Snow Hill “Camden Bus Gate” proposal within this broader context.”
24 residents’ associations and community WhatsApp groups from mainly the north eastern area of Bath have joined together to launch the campaign.
Mr Keane said: “I have been in Bath for almost 22 years and this has been genuinely a very humbling experience.
“The amount of support and people coming together has genuinely been overwhelming.”
Fellow campaigner Suzie Warner added: “It felt really positive and people wanted to collaborate and work together to try and solve this.”
The bus gate would form a part of the London Road and Snow Hill area liveable neighbourhood and was a part of the full business case of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Liveable Neighbourhood Programme approved by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in September.
The full business case said the liveable neighbourhood would also make Frankley Buildings and Snow Hill one way roads going south, and Bennett Lane a one way road going north, but no design has yet been published.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is rolling out a programme of 11 liveable neighbourhoods, also called low traffic neighbourhoods or LTNs, across the district.
A public engagement over the plans for the London Road and Snow Hill area liveable neighbourhood is expected to launch in the spring or summer this year.
Responding to Fairfield Park Health Centre’s warning, the council has said: “Under the liveable neighbourhood programme, the council aims to reduce the impacts associated with excessive traffic in residential areas, such as short-cutting, congestion and speeding; and to create environments where it is safer and more attractive to walk, wheel and cycle.
“Currently 42 percent of all journeys in Bath are under three kilometres and in private vehicles.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
