Bath & North East Somerset Council will not contest a legal challenge to block a controversial liveable neighbourhood in Bath.
The upper end of Gay Street in Bath, looking up to the Circus | Photo © John Wimperis
The local authority had planned to close three roads near the Circus and in the Lansdown area of the city to through traffic as part of its liveable neighbourhood programme, which aims to make residential roads safer and more pleasant routes for walking and cycling.
But locals warned it would “sacrifice the health and safety of school children” as closing one of the roads could push displaced traffic past primary schools.
A High Court case brought by locals to secure an injunction to stop the scheme had been set to be held tomorrow, Thursday 8th August.
But now the council has said it won’t contest the case — although it will seek to bring back the plans “as soon as possible”.
The council said that putting the scheme on pause for the hearing had caused it to lose its slot with the contractors set to install the bollards, which it said had been “carefully scheduled” to take place during the school holidays and avoid other work on the road networks.
The council had originally planned to begin the work on Monday 5th August.
Catharine Place in Bath | Photo © John Wimperis
In a statement, a council spokesperson said: “We are therefore not contesting the hearing that was due to take place on Thursday 8th August as we would not have been able to proceed with the project immediately, whatever the outcome.
“We are now taking the opportunity provided by this pause to remedy any specific minor technical issues brought to our attention during the legal proceedings.
“We will be introducing a new ETRO [experimental traffic regulation order] for Lower Lansdown as soon as possible. “
Cllr Manda Rigby, the council’s cabinet member for transport, added: “We thank the residents involved for raising the issues that they have now so we can rectify any needing further clarification before proceeding.
“We will be bringing forward a new ETRO in the very near future. We are committed to the delivery of our Liveable Neighbourhoods programme which aims to bring significant health and wellbeing benefits to our communities.”
It planned to install bollards across Winifred’s Lane, at the top of Cavendish Road, on Monday with a “no right turn” sign to stop people turning from Cavendish Road onto Sion Hill. This would take traffic away from Lansdown Crescent, one of the city’s most expensive streets.
But locals had warned it will funnel those cars along Sion Hill Place and along Julian Road, right past children’s schools. Over 2,700 people have signed a petition against the plan.
A representative of a nearby residents association told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in February: “The council seems willing to sacrifice the health and safety of school children and thousands of Bath residents to extend the privilege of a few extremely privileged people on Lansdown Crescent.”
The plans would also see bollards installed across Catharine Place and a major overhaul of the Gay Street, blocking through traffic from passing the junction with George Street.
The Circus Area Residents Association (CARA) has supported the plans, stating in January: “The ongoing and unabated increase that significant parts of our catchment area are evidencing in terms of visitor/tourist footfall will be more safely and effectively managed as a result of these improvements.
“Alongside a reduction in unnecessary and intrusive ‘rat-running’, such innovations would be to the benefit of residents and local businesses alike and assist in improving our city’s environment as a whole.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
