A health centre in Bath has hit out at plans for a bus gate on its doorstep, warning of the “severe impact” it would have on both staff and the practice’s 14,000 patients.
Fairfield Park Health Centre in Bath
In November we reported that a public meeting organised by the Green Party had been held in response to the proposed bus gate on Camden Road, as part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s new London Road and Snow Hill area Liveable Neighbourhood plan.
People highlighted their fears that the proposed bus gate could simply shift traffic congestion and pollution to other nearby streets, disrupting quieter residential areas.
After the meeting, Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for highways at the Liberal Democrat-controlled council, told the Bath Echo that a formal, structured process to engage with residents was being planned and that council officers were doing detailed, technical work to determine potential measures to help reduce unnecessary, through-traffic journeys on residential roads in the area.
B&NES Council has yet to start formal consultation on the proposals but so far 1,300 people have lodged their objections to a bus gate on a petition that has been started on the change.org website.
Where the proposed bus gate would begin on Camden Road
A statement signed by Fairfield Park Health Centre was added this week, saying: “A Camden bus-gate? No. Absolutely not.
“Many of us locally are now aware of the council’s proposal to introduce a bus gate either side of Fairfield Park Health Centre. The design is emphasised by the council as being ‘community-led’. We hope this is actually true and not just a sound bite.
“Whilst we support the concept of liveable neighbourhoods, this idea is poorly thought-out and we completely oppose it. The Camden proposal does not compare equivalently with other Liveable Neighbourhoods around Bath.
“The consequences of strangling traffic around ill-equipped and very steep, cramped side-streets seem rather obvious, but we are particularly concerned about the impact this will have on staff and patients of Fairfield Park Health Centre.
“It is our grave concern that this proposal will severely impact access to and from the surgery. The health centre cares for around 14,000 patients and has a staff base of around 50.
“It will affect staff access, the ability of patients to reach the surgery in a timely manner, taxis for elderly or infirm patients who require easy safe and close access to the surgery’s entrance, ambulances, couriers, sterile services, recycling, duty staff attempting to get to patients’ homes on emergency call-outs and many other scenarios.
The meeting at New Oriel Hall in Larkhall | Photo courtesy of B&NES Green Party
“Tyning Lane is already a pinch-point with ‘road-rage’ outside the surgery a common occurrence. Frankley Buildings and Bennetts Lane rank amongst the steepest in Bath.
“We have made it clear that we do not want this proposal and will insist that it is the council’s responsibility if any patient or staff member is directly inconvenienced by this idea.
“We have also informed the council that we will involve them directly in any complaints from patients who have been directly and adversely affected by these proposals.
“Please support the cancelling of this ill-advised and potentially dangerous notion by signing the petition.”
Other comments on the petition include: “This will benefit a small group of people and be detrimental to a large group of people. My understanding of the arguments for a bus gate is that it will help to reduce traffic and speeding vehicles on Camden Road.
“First off, the traffic along Camden Road is only busy for a short period of time during the morning and evening peak hours. Outside of peak hours, the traffic is relatively quiet.
“Secondly, yes, there are speeding vehicles, and yes, there has been damage caused to other vehicles due to a stolen speeding vehicle, but this is very rare, especially during the day, which is when I guess the bus gate will apply.
“I don’t like it, but no matter what, there will always be the odd idiot who speeds – a bus gate isn’t going to fix that.
“What a bus gate along Camden will do, however, is inconvenience a lot of people: push traffic down smaller roads, push traffic onto an already congested London Road, interfere with deliveries to Camden residents, and stop residents who choose to use their car from being able to.”
